Matthew Paul

With the abundance of road works happening my area at the moment, I’ve noticed a few daring drivers take to the bus lanes to escape what seems to be an ever-increasing traffic problem in Auckland City. Most urban regions have built bus lanes so buses can travel free of general traffic, even during peak hour […]

Wouldn’t it be great if, on that (rare) occasion that something went wrong with your car, you could somehow use a sixth sense to diagnose exactly what was wrong with it? Like Spiderman’s spidey senses, but for cars. Well, if you ask a seasoned mechanic, you’d pretty quickly find out that such super powers do […]

You’ve seen these before, although potentially didn’t know the technical term for those starry bars adorning lots of four wheel drives and other vehicles these days: LED lightbars. There are a variety of automotive LED light bars on the market that are being installed in vehicles. These are basically long lights with an array of […]

Have you heard of run flat tyres before? I’ll be honest, I hadn’t, so in this article we’ll be learning together. In short, a run flat tyre offers drivers improved levels of safety and assurance in case there’s ever a sudden or slow depressurisation of a tyre. In the very worst situations, a sudden flat […]

As a parent, knowing your children are safe behind the wheel shouldn’t just stop at thinking about the sorts of driving situations they might find themselves in. In fact, it’s almost impossible to pre-empt any situation these days. With plenty of wild driving tactics being portrayed (by professional stunt people, mind you!) in action movies, […]

It’s no secret, New Zealand is a fantastic place to live if you’re a driver.  From the North Island to the South Island, there’s no shortage of magical twists and turns to enjoy, whether you’re rolling solo, or with friends and family. With the classic Kiwi summer upon us, we at MyAutoShop wanted to share […]

With the global shift towards more sustainable futures, and the added pressure on many large companies to take the lead in making environmentally-friendly choices, we thought it would be interesting to take a dive into how the movement is impacting car manufacturers. While we all still have a long way to go, and it’s been […]

Whether your car tyres are clean or not, they’re always going to have an affect on your vehicle’s fuel economy. Tyres can now have a 20% impact on fuel efficiency, and so our goal is to have that rubber sliding down the road with as little ‘rolling resistance’ as possible; greater work for the engine […]

If you’re anything like me, you spend a fair bit of time cleaning surfaces and decluttering your personal spaces in the name of mental health and a general sense of having life under control. But, you know, life just has a different idea sometimes. And such is the case when you’re cruising along, interior looking […]

If you have a basic understanding of motoro vehicles, and even if you don’t, you’ll know that it’s basically a pre-requisite that a functioning engine can generate and withstand extremely high temperatures. No matter what you drive, or where you’re driving, there are going to be mini-explosions that occur in your engine – aka, the […]

Okay, if you’ve found this blog, it’s likely that we share similar tolerance levels when it comes to squeaky windscreen wiper blades. And trust me, tolerance is required! Is there anything more annoying that that slow, painful squeak you hear when there’s anything less than a full-blown torrential downpour? The answer is no. No there […]

Buying a used car is something that virtually everyone undertakes at some point in their lives, and the idea is to spend your hard-earned money on something decent rather than a defect-ridden lemon. Unfortunately, whether you’re trying to buy privately or through a dealership, lemon cars are out there. It’s critical not to rush into […]

Oh, so you don’t use your mobile phone in the car?  Like, ever?  Well, you, dear reader, are one of the slight minority, by my estimation. Despite all of the ads, posters and even legislation, it would appear that many New Zealanders are willing to shirk the law in the name of convenience. Frankly, it’s […]

There really is nothing quite like a car wash to get you (and your car!) feeling incredible when you’re out on the road.   That said, if you’re not necessarily thrilled about the idea of manual labour in the name of getting your car looking tip top, then you’re probably no stranger to the local carwash […]

Is there a car part that better expresses the driver’s attention to detail, or not, as the case may be, than its wheels?  Now, we all know you’re out there washing your car twice a week (or maybe not?), but there are some great ways to ensure that you’re getting the best mileage out of […]

Okay, we realise the headline might seem a little bit paradoxical, but here at My Auto Shop, we know the importance of staying calm no matter what situation you’re in, especially when it’s of the automotive variety. So you’re driving along, music blaring (invariably, right?) and you spot a red light up ahead.  Coolio.  Happens […]

Oh man, we all have that one friend.  You know, the one who doesn’t take the corners too well on a long road trip, and before you know it, you’re pulled over and they’re dry-retching into a ditch. Well, safe to say that you better be quick when that request is made known, because we […]

If you’ve been following our series of zen guides to driving, you might remember an article which extolled the infinite values of keeping your car clean and free from clutter out on family roadtrips and the like.   Now, I feel like every time I step into someone else’s car, there’s always an apology – “really […]

Okay, hands up, who’s been here before?  You’re peacefully driving along, minding your own business, and then – “Crrrrchhh!” – it’s suddenly all gone pear-shaped.  You, my friend, have just been in a car accident. No worries though, right?  You’re smart, you got car insurance cover, and it’s time to inform your insurer that yes, […]

It always starts so innocently.  A sweet, perhaps little sheepish, call from another area of the house, echoing its way into my innocent ears, “Baaabe, do you know where the car keys are?” So, truth be told.  I often do know where they are (on my desk, or on the bench), and that’s why my […]

To be fair, much like the term ‘tune up’, the terms oversteer and understeer might seem a little out of date.  But, we humans like familiarity, and while the meanings have evolved, the words seem to stay the same. Basically, oversteer and understeer are motoring dynamics which remain with us, despite the profusion of electric […]

Okay, so you’ve read our Zen Guide to Peaceful Road Trips, you learnt all about how heat can bring about car motion sickness, and now you just want the cold hard facts – “How the hell do I cool this car down?!” Whether you use sun shades on the windows or window tinting to keep […]

We’ve covered off what’s going on with all those lights on your dashboard in a little bit of depth before, but today we thought we’d get into the nitty-gritty.  Under each of those lights, there’s a tonne of information that you could potentially read into, and so we thought let’s start with the beating heart […]

Picture this, you’re cruising down State Highway 1, your favourite roadtrip tunes on blast, when you see a bright flash out of the corner of your eye.  What was that?  D’oh, of course it was a speed camera! You quickly check your speed, gently heading up towards the 120km/h mark.  Yeesh!  You start to slow […]