Hi all, recently bought a Pajero Sport which I'm loving. The missus and I are gearing up to do some serious remote trips around the country next year (hello long service leave!).

I'm pretty green when it comes to vehicle maintenance, and diesel engines are very new to me. I was proud of myself for installing a throttle converter, but other than topping up the oil and changing a tyre, I can't add much more value than that!

Before we do these trips, I'd like to really know my way around the car well enough that I can diagnose and fix the likely issues that I'll face in the middle of nowhere. The expectations I have for myself are that I could tell from an engine noise that it's a timing belt issue, or know when some duct tape over an intercooler hose will get me to the next roadhouse.

Does anyone have any advice where I could get skilled up better over the next 12 months, in particular with the Pajero Sport engine?I'm all over Youtube already but short of offering myself up as an apprentice in a workshop, I'm not quite sure where to start.

Likewise for those of you that don't have a mechanical trade or grew up fiddling with car parts with your old man on the weekend, how did you get yourself to a level of proficiency where you can self-service your own vehicle too?