Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
View Threaded
Fri 7 Nov 2014 21:55
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

Am getting my next second-hand car and want something I can service easily myself. Will a Honda Jazz (02-05) be OK? Will I have to jack up the front to do the oil filter and is this safe for a novice?

Cheers!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 10:11
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - madf

Yes..

Read this:

hondakarma.com/threads/severe-service-gd1.768/

Plug changing is NOT easy..

General forum

clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?board=53.0

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 10:46
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - nortones2

What a story (hondakarma)! Abject neglect and a knight in shining armour. Not a web-site I've come across before, but thanks ma*** Timely as we are probably going back to Honda again fairly soon.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 12:05
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

Thanks for the awesome links, ma*** So they have 8 spark plugs. This youtube video for the Honda Fit (think that's a Jazz) only talks about the 4 at the back... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtvYV1A0f8M

Doesn't look too hard to do those, if a bit more fiddly than some. Don't know why he doesn't mention the other 4.

Cheers!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 13:01
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - mss1tw

"This Jazz had it first service in 2007 at 9000 miles and the current mileage was 36500 miles with no service stamps in the service book and under the hood it was confirmed the engine oil was blacker than a diesel oil and thicker than treacle."

Nonsense. Everyone knows oil never needs changing, especially doing such a low annual mileage. Double especially for a modern car.

Right?

Right?

;)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 14:02
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - jc2

Two plugs in one cylinder shows a failure in development! If that's the only way to sort out problems with combustion.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 14:24
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - madf

"This Jazz had it first service in 2007 at 9000 miles and the current mileage was 36500 miles with no service stamps in the service book and under the hood it was confirmed the engine oil was blacker than a diesel oil and thicker than treacle."

Nonsense. Everyone knows oil never needs changing, especially doing such a low annual mileage. Double especially for a modern car.

Right?

Right?

;)

Right :-)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 16:05
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - piggy

Have no fear OP. The Jazz is a very easy car to DIY. My wife has one,now on 65K miles. Nothing has gone wrong in all that time. It`s had a new battery,new tyres,new front pads, and needs a new bulb for the interior light. I change the oil every 6k miles and the filter every 12k. The air filter,brake pads etc. are easy to do. The fly in the ointment is the price of the plugs.Honda recommend iridium plugs at around £12 each,probably more from Honda.You do not have to use these,ordinary plugs will do just as well,but do not last to the 60k miles of the iridium ones. It will be hard to find a more reliable and useful car than the Jazz.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 17:21
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

Have no fear OP. The Jazz is a very easy car to DIY. My wife has one,now on 65K miles. Nothing has gone wrong in all that time. It`s had a new battery,new tyres,new front pads, and needs a new bulb for the interior light. I change the oil every 6k miles and the filter every 12k. The air filter,brake pads etc. are easy to do. The fly in the ointment is the price of the plugs.Honda recommend iridium plugs at around £12 each,probably more from Honda.You do not have to use these,ordinary plugs will do just as well,but do not last to the 60k miles of the iridium ones. It will be hard to find a more reliable and useful car than the Jazz.

Thanks! Are there really 8 plugs? (£12 x 8 = yikes but I'm never going to drive 60k miles any time soon). I've spotted the 4 plugs at the back on my Mum's, where are the others?

I've never worked on a jacked up car before, what way is the safest?

Does your wife's Honda get recalled often? My Mum has taken hers in twice since she's got it at 80k miles on the clock. Seems like Honda keep a good eye on things. They do a free check over as well. Since it's 11 years old and over 100k miles that seems like a good manufacturer to go for. My 52 Polo just burnt out and VW told me to have the engine re-built... because it is an old car and it's not worth fixing one part! Not before charging me £150 for fixing one part though... that it didn't need.

I was considering a Yaris (2004/05) but when I actually saw one the boot was sadly miniscule. Since I go camping and have a big dog, perhaps the Jazz wins. Honest John sawys you canfit a Wolfhound in there!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 17:48
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - elekie&a/c doctor

Depends what engine you have.I think you will find that it is only the 1.4 model that has 8 plugs.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 19:27
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - focussed

Replacing the spark plugs NGK BKR6E-11 on a Honda Jazz.

Halfords list them at £17.99 for 4 off

Sparkplugs.co.uk list them at £2.58 each (£20.64 for 8 off)

Shop around to get your costs down!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 20:17
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

Thanks. Those sound reasonable options. Now I have to find a car.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 12:12
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - mss1tw

Thanks. Those sound reasonable options. Now I have to find a car.

If it's any use, I have a mk2 Berlingo which is a doddle to service. No jacking required for oil/filter change (At least on my 1.9 diesel)

It's the car version but I racked the boot and use it as a work van 90% of the time. The useable area is huge.

It had 104,000 miles when I bought it, has now done 135,000 and always got me to to my destination and back again (Which has included the Pyrenees with two motorbikes on a trailer, Northumberland with one motorbike, and various jobs all over the country)

It's not fast, or sexy - but that's why I have a motorbike. ;)

Edited by mss1tw on 09/11/2014 at 12:12

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 13:04
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

So you would recommend the Berlingo for reliability then?

What about tax and insurance? That's my problem, I'm on a pauper budget :(

Sounds like you've had some amazing Berlingo times.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 16:05
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - mss1tw

So you would recommend the Berlingo for reliability then?

What about tax and insurance? That's my problem, I'm on a pauper budget :(

Sounds like you've had some amazing Berlingo times.

Yes. I'd probably advise a petrol for you as tax will be cheaper and you don't need the the torque for lugging tools/bikes around. The HDi versions are good to drive but prone to problems with the turbo. Have a look at the 1.6 petrol for insurance quotes. The vehicles themselves are buttons to buy. Try to avoid too many 'toys' (Although mine has remote locking and electric windows and they've been fine in the 3 years I've owned it)

Some very good times! It's a truly versatile little vehicle. I quite like it.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 21:08
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - nortones2

The iDSI 1339cc (aka 1.4) 2002-2008 has 8 plugs and 2 valves per cylinder. The later iVtec 1.4 (2008 onwards) has 4 valves per cylinder and a conventional single plug.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sat 8 Nov 2014 21:32
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - ulysses

Thanks!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 08:51
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - madf

I was considering a Yaris (2004/05) but when I actually saw one the boot was sadly miniscule. Since I go camping and have a big dog, perhaps the Jazz wins. Honest John sawys you canfit a Wolfhound in there!

We have a 2003 Yaris *the same as a 2004/5 model and a 2012 Jazz. Jazz wins hands down for space and carrying ability.. the Yaris rear seats don't fold totally flat. The Jazz seats do... No comparison in carrying capability and ease of changing from folded to upright abd vice versa.

Edited by madf on 09/11/2014 at 08:52

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 08:55
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - Wackyracer

I know a drummer with a Jazz and he uses it to carry his drum kit around.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Sun 9 Nov 2014 10:52
Honda Jazz - Easy to DIY? - madf

Our Jazz carries beehives - complete with bees (of course!)

Reply | Report as offensive | Link