Servicing my own 2004 Toyota Echo

[s1l3nced]

OK all. I have a newbie kind of question.
I was on the Toyota website and came across the servicing schedule for my car.. so I checked it out and my car has 152,000km on it. However when I bought it with 144,000 it needed the maintenance service..

this "Maintenance Service" includes..

• Replace engine oil & filter (I know how to do)
• Remove & Inspect engine air filter element (I know how to do)
• Lubricate locks & latches & hinges (Need help)
• Confirm lights, horn & wipers function properly (Easy)
• Check coolant, brake, transmission & washer fluid levels (I know how to do)
• Perform battery service and comprehensive electrical charging system evaluation (Need help)
• Inspect valve clearance [(Audibly) I don't know what this means]
• Inspect drive belts for damage, adjust tension if required (Need help)
• Check steering gear box, linkage and shock absorbers for looseness, damage or leakage (Need help)
• Inspect ball joints and dust covers, driveshaft and steering rack boots, chassis nuts & bolts for looseness or damage (If you guys could just explain this a bit that would be great)
• Remove wheel and brake drum, check pad/shoe thickness. Examine brake calipers, wheel cylinders and brake lines. (need help)
• Inspect fuel and exhaust systems for leaks or damage (Need help)
• Examine tires for damage and wear, check & adjust pressure (rotate if required) (I can probably do this myself)
• Replace spark plugs (I know how to do)

Ok so whatever is bold, is what I need help with.. any information provided will be greatly appreciated.

I tried looking for a repair manual for the car, even went to a Toyota dealership. No luck. The dealership actually charges 120$ and it's shipped from Japan, with an ETA of 2-3 months. No idea why so long.

Thanks again!

[tstclr]

I work at a Toyota dealer as a service advisor and we do a pile of maintenance services each and every day. While you can do all of these services yourself, why not spend the $139 and have a Toyota Technician with years of training do it?? For the average driver it's only needed once a year. I could do all this myself but I'd rather have one of the guys with the expertise do it (plus you don't have to worry about disposing of the oil etc). When our guys do this service, the front brake calipers are removed from the knuckle for a thorough inspection. They ensure things like caliper boots aren't split which could lead to a seized caliper down the road. They check specific area's on each model for possible upcoming problems (like crumbling front pipe gaskets or loose bearings on Echo's). While I do have the advantage of working at the dealer and know which techs are better than others, it's not hard for a person to build a rapport with your service advisor. While there are some bad apples out there, most of us have the customer's best interest in mind. Ask your advisor if he recommends a certain tech for your car (I had my Echo serviced today and chose the tech who owned an Echo and is enthusiastic about them) . You'd also be surprised how far a Tim Horton's coffee will go!

Todd