So I've never learned how to do an oil service or brake job. I'm 32 years old and I think now that I have my shiny '04 STR that its about time I learned to keep my maintenance costs low.

Here is my dilemma: how do I keep my trusted Jaguar mechanic happy when I stop paying him to do these thing because I am doing them myself?

And if I'm doing some of my own maintenance, what should be left to the professionals? I know a lot of folks on this forum aren't "professionals" but do a ton of stuff that a lay-person like myself just isn't capable of doing. So I'm asking you to put yourself in my shoes: a moderately technical guy who works in computers and wants to do basic car maintenance but will never have the time to digest tech manuals and do.. well.. more extreme stuff.

TIA.. sorry if this isn't the right forum to post this in.

-phil