Education

Vehicle batteries are just like the battery in your phone. Over time and use, they slowly degrade, some faster than others. If you’re looking at either buying or selling your second hand hybrid car, you might want to get the battery a life expectancy health test before buying or selling to help know what you […]

Hybrid batteries are an essential component of any hybrid vehicle, as they provide the power necessary to drive the car and recharge the battery pack. In recent years, the technology behind hybrid batteries has advanced significantly, and today’s hybrid batteries are more efficient and reliable than ever before. Despite these improvements, however, it is still […]

Where to book a vehicle Pre-purchase Inspection? You’ve found an awesome new car on Trade Me Woohoo! But it’s in Auckland but you live in Hamilton. Doh! And you’re not really sure what condition it is in mechanically. Uh Oh! Now what? Fortunately, a Pre-purchase Inspection is exactly what you’re looking for. To get peace […]

If you’re in the market for a second-hand car, its a smart move to get it checked out by an inspector to help avoid costly and unexpected mechanic bills in the near future. You can get your local mechanic to take a look, or buy an inspection from one of the main PPI providers – […]

Are you reading this due to a set of unfortunate circumstances relating to your windscreen?  We’re sorry to hear that! The good news is that mobile windshield experts can repair or replace your windscreen in the convenience of your own home… or at the very least your driveway.  Even better, we can help! Why windscreens […]

When it comes to convenience, you really can’t go past booking a My Auto Shop remote technician.  It’s so easy!  Much like a mobile mechanic, they visit your home or office, grab the keys, and after a few hours you’re all good to go.  No mess, no fuss!  That said, we thought we’d cover off […]

Guest Post: If your life is anything like mine, the hours spent between 7am-5pm are spent running around like a headless chicken, checking in on whatever needs doing work-wise, errands to keep things going at home, the list is endless! So you can imagine my dismay when I noticed that my brakes started to show […]

With ownership of electric vehicles (EVs) on the rise, it’s a fair bet that car owners in general are needing to deal with more electrical issues than normal.  That’s not to say they’re at all prone to problems – in fact, we’re big fans here at My Auto Shop – it’s just the nature of […]

Mobile mechanics, also known as remote technicians here at My Auto Shop, offer a great way to get your vehicle serviced or repaired at your home or office, without losing out on valuable time getting your car in full working order.  With the ability to bring all the necessary tools and parts with them in […]

Towing something with your car is an important thing to think through. You’re putting a lot of load on your car’s components and that can lead to breakages and issues. We’ll walk you through the basics to check to know before you tow… Things to check on your car before towing Can your car tow […]

Nearly all modern cars have different service intervals, this is to do with different engine constructions and different engineering requirements. If your car needs a service, or any other work, click here. For example a higher performance European car like a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi, will require more oil changes, filter changes and maintenance to […]

Your engine is called an ‘internal combustion engine’. This means that while running there’s a lot of, well, internal combustion occurring. Thousands of explosions a minute, these create a lot of heat. How do you stop all this heat from ruining your engine? Coolant is pumped through the cooling channels, carrying heat away from the […]

We recommend you absolutely do not try to drive with a broken clutch. It isn’t a good idea, in fact, it probably won’t even work. Your clutch is what connects the engine to the transmission. Your clutch is what mates and transfers the power from the engine to the wheels. If it isn’t working then […]

Your timing belt doesn’t run the clock in your car. It runs a way more important part – your engine. Like many other engine components, it wears out. When your car is running, it’s spinning at extremely high speeds, in a very hot place. I don’t really like running in a very mild place, imagine […]

The manual is a sacred thing among car people. More of an annoyance to everyone else. Fair enough, anyone who’s been stuck in rush hour for an hour in a manual will also be question the reason for its existence. Connecting car and driver, in such a raw and engaged way however, is the main […]

In your car you’ll either have a manual transmission, or an automatic transmission. Each of these takes the revolution per minute of the engine, and transfers it to the wheels via the drivetrain. As your engine needs different gears to move the car at different speeds, your transmission determines at what speed the engine moves […]

We’ve all seen the signs telling us not to leave valuables in our cars, but we sometimes assume it’s more probable that something will be taken if we take it to the beach, amusement parks, or on a hike through the woods. There will be occasions when you forget something in the car before leaving, […]

Lane merging might be viewed as a pain in the neck, and not to be too reductive, but sometimes it literally is a pain in the neck having to twist your head to see what’s happening around you. That said, it’s an excellent way to exercise your patience muscle, one of those challenges that leads […]

Ah, the ol’ battery change – it sounds so simple doesn’t it? When it comes to getting a new battery in your vehicle, you’re probably focused on two things. The first being the obvious, is this going to mean my car actually starts up? And secondly, how long is it going to last? For a […]

With the abundance of car modification options that are available today, and their relative affordability (depending on what you’re looking at!), it can get pretty tempting to start making personalised upgrades to your vehicle. When it comes to vehicle performance and safety, cosmetic alterations are generally harmless and aren’t anything to worry about. When engines […]

There was a time in my life when driving around with the fuel light on with fairly common practice. Looking back now, I feel it was probably more an indication of my priorities at the time, of which keeping my car in good nick was pretty low on the list in those student days. There’s […]

If you’re towing a trailer or caravan, one of the worst things that can happen is for your trailer to wobble precariously back and forth, eventually falling on one side and dragging your vehicle down with it. Trailer sway can be a major problem for many trailer owners, especially with New Zealand’s winding roads, and […]

It’s fair to say we tend to take our tyres for granted. I might be speaking for myself, but I just expect to them to be there and to work when it comes to heading out for a spin. Sure, they’re super helpful, you know, gripping the road and basically saving your life at corner […]

I remember once upon a time, I’d just joined the local football team, and was driving my new team mates home after practice one evening. The car was packed, the music was up and so were the voices. As I edged left to slow down let a couple of the boys on the side of […]