Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

Help! I love my Pajero, but the servicing costs are driving me up the wall. My 2005 GLS DiD has just been in for its 135k service and it cost me R4296.65! Nothing other than changing the fluids and a few filter. Some prices: fuel filter R319.50, labour R1512.00, engine oil R505.52, air filter R284.00, diff oil R389.50 and so it goes.... Three weeks ago it cost me over R5k just for disk pads and skim.

My Audi was in for its major annual service and it cost only R2.5k including fluids and filters.

How do you guys cope?

Kennekam,

I don't service at the dealers, they are very expensive, I take it to a good reputable workshop, Hattingh motors are the guys I use, good service, know the owner Andre pretty well now, and half the price. On the disks I upgraded to powerbrake, new disks and pads and fitted for under R3K, and the stopping power now is at least 80percent better too, and replacements pads going forward are cheap too.

Maybe look for reputable workshop in CTN, sure some of the guys can advise here too.

Cheers

David

Find yourself a decent indi....

As you are in CPT I can highly recommend ANG Service Centre, in Silvertstone St. Killarney Gardens. Alan has been doing my Paj since I got it, and is as good a mechanic as you're going to find in Cape Town.

I had my 220k service done on Tuesday and it cost R1400, of which R420 was installing shocks supplied by me. My 210k service was 8k, but that included cambelt and tensioners, a radiator removal and acid bath, and several other bits and pieces. I thought that was very reasonable. I have to have my handbrake pads replaced, and he's charging R800 including parts. The parts alone are over R1000 from the agents.

I've referred many a Paj owner to Allan and he's never failed to deliver.

He drives a Hilux but we wont hold that against him

Kennekan,

A few words of sympathy. Whilst my cars (2004 Pajero 3,8 GLS, 2004 Audi 1,9 TDI Avant and my Cobra) I made use of the agents but now it is a case of buying a reputable manual and do it myself. If there is a serious problem like a potential CPU that gives problems, unfortunately, it will have to be the "stealers". Anything else, I take it to "Gou Kyk Motors" at my home address, get the appropriate manual, read and do the job! It might take a wee bit longer (sometimes a lot longer) but in the end, my pocket scores and afterwards I feel good.

The last service by the agents on my Audi (major including the cam belt change as well as a water pump to be safe) cost me 10 big ones - but as I have said it was: "THE LAST SERVICE BY THE STEALERS". A while back I did an oil change and all the filters (fuel, oil and aircon plus oil) for R700,00 on the Audi. The Pajero is approaching its next service. Take one guest where: at "Gou Kyk Motors" without any doubt.

My advice to all Pajero owners, Buy / get a factory manual, ask for advice on this forum and do it yourself.

Cloyd.

One of the first extras I buy for any of my vehicles is a good manual. This empowers me to do things the way it should be done and avoid being ripped off by the stealers and on top of it I get to use the best oil for the application.

With the help of a good manual anybody with a bit of patience and a touch of dexterity can do their own servicing. If the vehicle is still within the guarantee period it is unfortunately not so easy......betaal maar....

The modern day electronics is also at such a level that it is hardly ever needed to tweak them so a lube service and check up is more often all that is needed. I can not recommend a good mechanic, my uncle passed 10 years ago and I have been privileged to learn from him, one of the first things he did was to consult the book

My 2c worth on self servicing (in no particular order):

If you are a non-expert (like me), allow enough time for the battle to find the correct tools and bits and pieces to carry out the service. The following services are much easier.

Make sure you have very good lighting. This is a huge help to us blokes that are learning on the go.

Get the car a good bit off the ground. Little ramps to drive onto can work magic.

Having somebody at hand to assist can be a great help.

Once dirty and having the car off the ground, spend as much time as possible inspecting everything you can find under the car and inside the engine bay. On older vehicles, the biggest threat is from a hose or a clamp or a bracket failing. Look for weaknesses in these areas.

Once you have the tools and the bits and pieces at hand, doing a service is a piece of cake. The wife and daughters are all having their cars serviced at home as they droppped off the service plans. The next car in line is the Pajero.

The problem is that I am not very mechanically inclined any more. In my youth I used to overhaul the engine of my Renault Gordini overnight, but not so much anymore. I do not mind paying for skills I do not have, but cannot justify paying out R5k chucks every two months or so just for servicing.

As I mentioned before, my Audi and and my wife's Tucson cost a lot less to service. I understand that everything is bigger on the Pajero so it needs more fluids and bigger filters, but still.

It seems like I need to find an independent agent. Anyone have experiance of Auto Works (as good as the agents)?

Thanks Cloyd, Roelf and Henk

For some of us that have never serviced before is it possible to post some details on the minor services or sources of the manuals you use as well please, would like to start servicing my Paj going forward, starting with the simple service. Have got the haynes manual I am working through and looks ok so far..

May be nice to add as a sticky in a new thread.

David

Well David the first thing you have to learn is to whistle and bang the palm of your hand against your forehead, that way you know you are saving a lot more money Just joking That is what they teach the apprentices so they can charge more money

Set aside enough time to do the job. Worst thing to happen is to find out on a Sunday evening that you did not start early enough and the vehicle will not be ready Monday morning for work. Besides having to make other arrangements you will attempt to rush the job and make a lot of costly mistakes.
Take your time and work meticulously and do not be tempted to take short cuts, if the oil filter can be accessed easier by taking off the bash plate then that is what has to be done.

Plan the job beforehand, go through it in your mind's eye and get all the spares and tools to do the job.

For a simple lube service you would need to drain the old oil so you would need a spanner to remove the drain plug in the sump, next there is going to be a flood of dirty engine oil from the hole you have just opened and you would need some sort of receptacle to catch the dirty stuff. While the last drops of old oil drip in to the pan move on to the oil filter and remove that and for that you would need an oil filter wrench AND an old checkers bag. This is probably the dirtiest part of the operation and I keep the bag handy sot that as soon as I have broken the seal on the old filter I put the bag over it and take it off inside the bag. That way most of the spillage is inside the bag and not on the garage floor

Planning the job this way helps one to anticipate any possible problems and be ready for them as well as having everything to complete it.

Two important tips (don't laugh I have seen it happen ) Be sure to replace the sump plug BEFORE putting in new oil and when fitting the new oil filter cover the new seal rubber with a thin film of oil. This helps to seat it better. Over fill the engine slightly as the new filter will will take up some oil as well and double check after first start.

Best part is when in doubt, ask, there are a number of technical minded folks here and I am sure you will get the right answers, it might not always be what you want to hear but what you need to know.

From oil changes you move to plug changes and next is brake pads, before long you will know your baby intimately and have the confidence to tackle any job between the number plates with confidence.
At the moment my engine is on the work bench as I am doing the clutch and timing belt as well as a host of other small niggles, I am sure the maintenance would have cost me more than R25k at the dealers but the spares only came to R9k

Well David the first thing you have to learn is to whistle and bang the palm of your hand against your forehead, that way you know you are saving a lot more money Just joking That is what they tech the apprentices so they can charge more money

Set aside enough time to do the job. Worst thing to happen is to find out on a Sunday evening that you did not start early enough and the vehicle will not be ready Monday morning for work. Besides having to make other arrangements you will attempt to rush the job and make a lot of costly mistakes.
Take your time and work meticulously and do not be tempted to take short cuts, if the oil filter can be accessed easier by taking off the bash plate then that is what has to be done.

Plan the job beforehand, go through it in your mind's eye and get all the spares and tools to do the job.

For a simple lube service you would need to drain the old oil so you would need a spanner to remove the drain plug in the sump, next there is going to be a flood of dirty engine oil from the hole you have just opened and you would need some sort of receptacle to catch the dirty stuff. While the last drops of old oil drip in to the pan move on to the oil filter and remove that and for that you would need an oil filter wrench AND an old checkers bag. This is probably the dirtiest part of the operation and I keep the bag handy sot that as soon as I have broken the seal on the old filter I put the bag over it and take it off inside the bag. That way most of the spillage is inside the bag and not on the garage floor

Planning the job this way helps one to anticipate any possible problems and be ready for them as well as having everything to complete it.

Two important tips (don't laugh I have seen it happen ) Be sure to replace the sump plug BEFORE putting in new oil and when fitting the new oil filter cover the new seal rubber with a thin film of oil. This helps to seat it better. Over fill the engine slightly as the new filter will will take up some oil as well and double check after first start.

Best part is when in doubt, ask, there are a number of technical minded folks here and I am sure you will get the right answers, it might not always be what you want to hear but what you need to know.

From oil changes you move to plug changes and next is brake pads, before long you will know your baby intimately and have the confidence to tackle any job between the number plates with confidence.
At the moment my engine is on the work bench as I am doing the clutch and timing belt as well as a host of other small niggles, I am sure the maintenance would have cost me more than R25k at the dealers but the spares only came to R9k