Matthew Paul

If you’re a regular here on the My Auto Shop blog, you’ll know we like to keep you fully informed and equipped to deal with everyday car issues.   With the summer sun now shining into directly into our eyes (cue sunglasses), we thought it might be time to give you the down-low on how to […]

Whoever came up with the term “fur baby” knew exactly what they were on about. Okay, maybe not that guy up there – but he’s someone’s angel! As a pet owner, I know the guilty feeling that occurs when you need to leave your pet at home.  In our case, it’s our French Bulldog, Sydney, […]

Odometers serve a very certain purpose in our cars.  We need to know how far we’ve travelled, as this gives us an indication of where a car is at in its lifecycle and what servicing requirements there are at any given moment. Many cars were equipped with the mechanical Auto-Meter gadget in the early 1900s, […]

It’s no secret, child restraints save lives, plain and simple. New Zealand has a very clear framework for the management of child safety and child restraints in vehicles.  As we start to filter out onto the roads this summer, we thought it’d be useful to cover off exactly what the legal requirements are when it […]

Oh yeah, we know it, you know it, we all know it.  Check the tyre pressure.  Yeah, yeah.  Sure.  But who’s really doing it?  Well, to put it plain and simple, regularly checking your tyre pressure is critical to the safe operation of your vehicle. Tyres lose pressure over time (funny that!), which is why […]

We can thank our lucky stars that you don’t need to be a qualified mechanic in order to find yourself adequately prepared for that odd occasion when you experience a roadside breakdown. In fact, it happens on a regular basis, just generally not to the same individual driver, assuming the vehicle is regularly serviced by […]

As drivers, we’re always looking for that new edge when it comes to our engine performance.  Whether you’re wanting better acceleration, higher top-end speeds or just a bit of a smoother ride, you want to get the most juice out of your engine. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s possible to get these […]

Okay team, we’re not trying to tell you how to suck eggs here, but we’re thinking maybe an article about blind spots has, in fact, been sitting in our blind spot here at My Auto Shop.  So, here it goes, let us open your eyes to the elusive and potentially dangerous “blind spot”. A blind […]

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a hot topic right now, with a variety of factors influencing customer adoption as well as economic estimates and consequences for manufacturers.   Indeed, getting a feel for what you really get for the cost with an EV and what to look out for is a bit of an exercise unto itself! […]

“Just jump start it, dude!  You’ll be sweet!” … And they were never heard from again. Okay, so that might be going a little bit far, but the point we’re making is that while it seems everyone under the sun is quick to tell you they “just jump started it” – it does take a […]

If you ever find yourself in a pickle with a flat tyre, or you’ve seen a car jack lurking around in your car boot but are unsure exactly what it’s for, or what to do with it, know that you’re not the first (nor will you be the last) in either of these situations! Or […]

When a spark plug is ‘fouled’, it basically means it’s becoming too worn or contaminated to work properly.   While they’re a lot more reliable in modern cars, there are still things inside your engine (like fuel and carbon) which can build up onto your spark plugs, and eventually render them ineffective in either firing or […]

Okay, so truth be told, the term tune-up is a little redundant these days.  It only really applies if you’re talking about a pre-2000s car, although I still hear it bandied about today, so it seems like it’s loosely interchangeable with service or routine maintenance. The way modern cars are built has changed and so […]

Here at My Auto Shop, we like to face the facts when it comes to all things automotive.  Whether it’s making it easy to see a mechanic, or handy hints to de-stress while you’re on the road, we’ve got you covered. Today we thought it’d be useful to cover off what it means when your […]

At My Auto Shop, we like to keep it real and relatable.  We also like to do what we can to make things as stress free as possible, from the workshop to the wheel.  But what about those driven-related moments that don’t place in the actual vicinity of your vehicle?  Say, like, looking for your […]

If you’ve got a million things on the go and zero time to make it happen, then the convenience of a mobile mechanic can’t be understated.  In fact, they’re a lifesaver.  If you’re in need of some basic servicing, a mobile mechanic works a treat.  They’re able to work to the exact same standard as […]

One of the exciting things about heading out on a road trip is the idea of being in uncharted territory, responding to the conditions and circumstances as they arise.  Part of being a smart driver is having your bases covered if anything goes awry.   You wouldn’t be the first person to be caught out in […]

With technology featuring in almost every corner of our lives, from making our love lives easier to getting takeouts, our smartphones are always there to help guide us our decision-making. If you’ve ever been out on the road and found that your phone battery was on red and quickly dwindling in its charge, you’ll no […]

Thankfully, I’ve never been in a situation where airbags have been needed, although it’s reassuring to know I’m always equipped if there is an accident.   I had a guy bump his SUV up against the back of our little hatchback last week, and it got me thinking, do airbags have any expiry date?   So I […]

Without a doubt, everyone has their own special brand when it comes to driving.  From the pedantic to the problematic, we’ve seen it all here at My Auto Shop.   Whether you’re riding the clutch, resting your hand on the gearstick or overloading your vehicle, there’s a limit to how much we can put our cars […]

I’ll confess, when electric vehicles (EVs) hit the market in 2010, I wasn’t aware of what their arrival truly meant for the future of motoring around the world.   The car in question was, of course, the Mitsubishi MiEV, which appeared in 2010.  A nifty, 4-door hatchback that promised to power you through 120 electrified kilometres.  […]

Asides from staring at an actual deer in headlights, potholes are probably the next (and far more common) enemy of drivers in New Zealand.  They’re no fun, plain and simple, although they do bring the benefit of giving you an idea just how much shock absorption is build into your car. It’s pretty hard to […]

Buying a project car can be an incredible opportunity, offering a rewarding way to spend your time while building up your mechanical muscle.  However, it’s best to keep a clear eye on the road ahead.   Project cars are notoriously time consuming and can lend to things going financially awry if you’re not aware of the […]

There’s plenty of information out there for first time car buyers.  But, what about those on the other side?  They say it takes a certain type, and generally car dealers get quickly but heaped into the shiny white loafers bucket, but in reality, there’s an art to selling a car, so here’s our crack at […]