SERVICE

Right, I hate to re-post stuff thats already been covered but I have a few questions. Have found threads on some of them with varying degrees of advice etc so I just wanted to put it all together in one thread that I can keep an eye on.

Anyway, I get paid next week and then I've got some lovely time off! Weather permitting (it never does but hey!) I'm gonna give the car a good service. So I have a few questions so bare with me.

  • I'm going to change oil, oil filter, air filter. Just wondered if it is worth changing the fuel filter too? Haynes recommends this and I can't see any harm it?
  • Also, Haynes again recommends that the charcoal canister can be changed? What does this do and are there any gains in changing it? Haven't come across that one yet?
  • What exactly is the PCV filter? I know where it is but don't know what it does? I'm guessing I should change this too?
  • I'm gonna change the spark plugs obv, gonna give super 4's a go, what grade/rating do I need and are they done up to a particular torque or just "tight"?
  • I'm thinking that while I'm changing air filter, why not change air box, right? Almera and Primera are straight swap, yeah? Are there any gains in removing the resonator air tube thingy and if so do I put anything in it's place?
  • How do I go about checking/cleaning the throttle body, and should I be checking/cleaning the MAF?
  • Finally, just giz a shout with recommended brands or whatever. Was thinking Castrol 10w40 GTX for oil, Bosch Super 4's for the plugs... other than that no plans so recommend away...
  • Oh, and HT leads, worth upgrading?
Cheers guys, sorry for the lengthy post and to re-thread stuff thats already been discussed a million times over but it really will help me out!

Thanks,
 
Personally I'd change oil, fuel and air filters, spark plugs and all fluids.

n15 air box is a straight swap just need to move/remove the carbon canister. Spark plugs I'd be careful what you say there's a few people with a strong hatred towards super 4's, my choice is NGK :)
 
OP
OP
odd_ball
Personally I'd change oil, fuel and air filters, spark plugs and all fluids.

n15 air box is a straight swap just need to move/remove the carbon canister. Spark plugs I'd be careful what you say there's a few people with a strong hatred towards super 4's, my choice is NGK :)
Change all fluids? Such as brake and steering too? Why the hatred for the Super 4's? I read loads of possitive stuff on here about them, which is why I thought I'd give them a go... Only recently a few haters seem to have appeared? Why?
 

Guy

Has gone over to the oily side...
Club Member
It absorbs excessive fuel vapour from the tank which is then sucked into the engine :).

Edit: Just found this.

  1. What is a Carbon Canister?
    • Carbon Canisters are devices found in automobiles designed to decrease the amount of air pollution the vehicle creates while at the same time increasing its fuel efficiency. Even when the vehicle's engine is turned off, hydrocarbons are produced. This occurs in the form of fuel vapor rising in the fueltank. Carbon Canisters trap that vapor rather than allow it to escape the fuel tank, feeding it back into the engine.
    Structure
    • Carbon Canisters are rectangular shaped boxes that sit apart from the fuel tank next to the throttle in most vehicles. There is an input port and an output port, with the two ports side by side. There are three chambers inside the canister, running in sequence from the intake to the outtake. The interior of the canister is filled with charcoal or carbon pellets. The input of the canister connects to the gas tank's vent port, while the output connects to the purge valve in the side of the vehicle's intake manifold.
    How does a Carbon Canister Work?
    • When the vehicle is shut off, there is a pressure imbalance within the fuel tank caused by fuel being siphoned out, but no air being let back in to take up the empty space. The lower pressure in the gas tank promotes a greater rate of evaporation, letting some of the fuel become a gas. Eventually the tank's internal pressure equalizes, at which point the gas leaves the tank through the vent port and goes into the carbon canister. It's trapped there by the properties of the carbon within the canister, keeping it from escaping into the air. When the vehicle's engine starts, the sudden suction created along the intake manifold opens up the purge valve and pulls all the gaseous fuel out of the canister and burns it in the engine. The canister goes unused until the car is turned off again.

 
No idea why people hate the super 4's never used them myself and when I said fluids I meant engine and gearbox oils as well as coolant
 
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