Education

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]