Education

Well to put it simply, “Revolutions Per Minute”. The follow up question you’ll have is, “what’s revolving?”. When your engine is running, the pistons travel up and down and rotate the crankshaft. The amount of full 360 degree rotations the crankshaft does in one minute. This tells you how the engine is operating at that […]

Your battery is the part of your car that is responsible for it starting and running. If you don’t have a battery, and you don’t drive a manual, you don’t have a way of starting and running the car. A battery is an expensive item, it’s also critical to your car’s electrical system, mainly to […]

Okay, so you’ve picked the car of your dreams (or at least, one that fits neatly into your budget), you’ve figured out the best negotiation techniques, and now you’re down at the card yard looking to pick up those hot new wheels for summer. Then the dealer throws in a last spar, “would you like […]

There’s a terrible joke that speed demons love to tell, which goes something along the lines of, “if you need to remove unnecessary weight from the vehicle, start with the brake pads.” We’ll let the laughter die down for a moment before we proceed… Or not? Your brakes are one of your car’s most vital […]

“It’s tax time, baby!” … said no one. Ever. For many of us, the end of the financial year can be a bit of an… adventure, let’s say. But not necessarily the kind we’re used to here at MyAutoShop! After a few questions here and there from your accountant or tax agent, and perhaps a […]

Every day, parents, carers, and grandparents face the school run and manage to survive, but whether you emerge a frazzled mess or unfazed depends on your preparation and tolerance. Let’s go over a few strategies we’ve uncovered to get through the school run without so much as a bead of sweat trickling down that forehead […]

When it comes to car auctions, you’re like to imagine motor-mouthed auctioneer exclaiming, “sold to the man in the yellow hat!” or something along those lines. It’s a high energy environment, for sure, and you wouldn’t be wrong in your estimation of what it’ll be like. This is still true in some auction houses, but […]

Rightio, so you’ve organised a car service through MyAutoShop, organised to get your car serviced (within the recommended timeframe as well, well done!) and, at the time of dropping your car off at the mechanic’s, they ask if you’re after any additional service items. You may be wondering what they’re referring to, given you’ve ostensibly […]

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, […]

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 […]

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, […]