Education

Expert’s guide to summer car maintenance Woohoo!  As I write this article, New Zealand’s famous sun is pouring in through the windows and I’m reminded of everything wonderful about living in this country.  Not least the idea of hitting the road and getting out to a beach after months spent in lockdown! If you’re anything […]

If you’ve ever parked on a steep hill, you’ll need to say thanks to your park brake. Your brake pedal uses your brake pads to slow the car down. The parking brake system utilises the same idea. It uses the rear brakes to lock the rear wheels. In an automatic transmission you have park, that’s […]

Shock absorbers do what their name suggests. They absorb shocks. There are a few different types of shock absorber but they all do the same job, provide a smooth ride. When you’re driving your car and it hits a bump, your shocks are what absorb and distribute the impact. They are an integral component of […]

When you depress the brake pedal, brake fluid is pumped from the master cylinder. This hydraulic fluid gets to the brakes through the brake lines. Over time, as your brake fluid boils and returns to the brake fluid reservoir, it can collect moisture, break down and your pedal feel will suffer. As a result your […]

Your spark plugs are responsible for igniting the fuel and air mixture in your petrol engine. They work extremely hard, endure heat cycles and wear over time. Spark plugs can be replaced with the OEM specification plugs as recommended. By sticking to the manufacturer’s service schedule you can ensure that your cars performance isn’t compromised. […]

It’s a wonderful by-product of our increasingly busy lives that we have the opportunity to spend time on the things that really make us tick.  Whether that’s work, family, sport or another hobby (driving, anyone?), we all want to spend more time doing what we love, with the people we love, rather than spending endless […]

If your cars’ cooling system is overworked and underpaid, there’s a chance your car overheats on a hot day stuck in traffic. There’s only so much your engine coolant and water pump can do. If your temperature gauge tells you that a sabbatical on the side of the road is required, you’d best listen. Overheating […]

You want a fast car, who wouldn’t? But it’s got a DCT transmission, what’s that? Don’t worry, we’ll tell you all you need to know on how a dual clutch transmission works.  A manual gearbox has one clutch, an automatic transmission has a torque converter, but now there’s an automatic transmission with two clutches. Is […]

You’ve got brake lights, you’ve got headlights, lights for turning, daytime running lights, and even lights for opening your door. But what about fog lights? What do fog lights do? Why do you need them?  Fog lights, or fog lamps as some call them, help you see through…. You guessed it – fog. When fog […]

If your temperature gauge zings off the charts and there’s steam pouring out from under your hood, you’re in trouble. Most likely cause is a blown head gasket. If your engine overheats, your cylinder head gets lifted due to the expansion, and coolant leaks into the combustion chamber. That means your head gasket failed, and […]

Your car needs fuel to run. Unless it’s electric, then it needs… whatever that is, magic? I don’t know.  In order to get your engine to run you need to get fuel from the gas tank, through the fuel line, at a certain fuel pressure so that your fuel injection system can operate. All modern […]

An engine needs fuel, air and spark to make it run. The piston is what takes this explosion and sends that energy down through the connecting rod and spins the crankshaft. It sounds complicated and technical. It kind of is.  But a piston is a neat thing and does a neat job. This job is […]

A radiator is pretty neat. It looks like a big sheet of steel with radiator hoses coming out of it. That is partially true to be fair. We can give you a more detailed description on how a radiator works. Your radiator is one of the key components in cooling the engine. Your cooling system […]

You wake up in the morning and you drink a glass of water to quench your thirst, then you have a morning coffee and you’re up and running for the day. Your car is much the same, it has some essential fluids that it requires to run optimally.  They are all extremely important and they […]

The price of fuel at the moment is nothing short of painful. With Brent Crude Oil sitting at around $80 a barrel at the time of writing, we’re all feeling it at the pump.  There has to be some way to get more range out of your cars’ fuel. We have a few tips to […]

You’ll often hear how diesel cars get really good gas mileage and often outperform similar petrol cars in the process.  We could talk about some seriously complicated science stuff, or just tell you what you need to know. There’s a difference between fuel economy and fuel efficiency.  Fuel economy is related to how you drive […]

The quote has come back from the mechanic and they say you need a timing belt change. It sounds expensive, clock-based and confusing. Well you’re right about two of those and close on the third.  It can be expensive, it can be confusing, and it does kind of involve timing. A timing belt replacement is […]

If you’ve ever been confronted with a large repair bill from a mechanic you may have thought supplying your own sourced parts would save you some of the expense. It’s never been easier to look online and check the latest price for car parts via Repco or Super Cheap Auto. You may even have brake […]

It goes without saying, car repairs are not a “happy” purchase for most people. There are, however, some car parts where saving money should not be the priority. In these cases, paying a little extra to get good-quality parts will save you in the long run, and may keep you and your family safer at […]

Fitting vehicle repairs into our busy schedules can be difficult, and the idea of having a mobile mechanic come to our home or office represents a convenient alternative to dropping off your car for the day. While most repairs can be done by well-equipped, professional mechanics in your driveway, there are a few jobs that […]

A recall is when the manufacturer of a product, in this case, a motor vehicle or its components, identifies a fault that puts its users or occupants at risk of personal injury or death, or that significantly impacts the performance of the vehicle. Occasionally a manufacturer will recall vehicles when defects in their design or […]

While the answer to this question varies wildly, the real question is how much should a car service cost. At My Auto Shop, we think this should be an easy question to answer. Why? Because manufacturers set out the maintenance schedule for your car and all the vehicles just like it, detailing what needs doing […]

If you are thinking about buying an electric or hybrid vehicle you have probably already done a bit of research around the cars range and how much you stand to save not buying fuel. But have you considered the cost of maintenance? There are far fewer moving parts on many of these types of vehicles, […]

Among all the world’s uncertainties at least one matter seems settled: Batteries and electric motors will have a major role in powering the cars and trucks of our future. But as automotive technology becomes more diverse, it’s good to reflect on the technology most of us currently rely on. Most NZ car owners (3.8 million […]