My Auto Shop Info Hub
What brake rotors are right for my car?
/ - 4 mins readThere are different types of brake rotors for different requirements. If your car has disc brakes, it’s something that will need to be serviced, sometimes machined, occasionally replaced. When you do replace them it’s worth thinking about what you might want. If you need brake rotors replaced, or any other work for your car done, […]
Read more »Long road trips: keep the kids happy and stay sane
/ - 4 mins readIf it were as easy as them having a nap and then a snack, you wouldn’t read this article. Family road trips are where I formed some of my best lifelong memories, I’m sure my parents wouldn’t reflect so fondly on all of them though… A long journey on a family vacation can be made […]
Read more »Air-cooled vs water-cooled engines
- 3 mins readNearly all modern production cars have water cooled engines nowadays, however, there was a time when air cooled cars held their own. Cars like the VW Beetle, Porsche 911 and the Fiat 500, all used air cooled engines. There were some advantages to an air-cooled system but ultimately the efficiency and reliability of water-cooled systems […]
Read more »What’s the best spark plug for my car?
- 3 mins readYour engine inhales air and fuel, at the top of the compression stroke, the spark plug ignites the mixture. The spark plug only has that job, to ignite the mixture. Yep, you’ve got a whole ignition system for the sole purpose of one spark each cylinder at the top of every combustion stroke. The spark […]
Read more »Why do I need a wheel balance?
/ - 2 mins readYour wheels are round, they have tyres fitted over the top of them and they roll. Why fix what isn’t broke? Well, your wheels do roll, that’s where the problem comes from. Your wheels may be round and roll nicely, but without balancing, they won’t do that very well at all. If you need a […]
Read more »Why does oil need changing?
- 3 mins readYour oil is the most critical fluid in your engine. It lubricates all the really expensive stuff, it keeps things clean, and it cools the engine when you’re driving. Due to your oil being circulated constantly and lubricating a bunch of moving parts, it picks up dirt, moisture and other carbon deposits. To keep these […]
Read more »What is a flywheel and how does it work?
- 3 mins readUnfortunately, it doesn’t make your car fly. It does do some really neat other stuff though. It’s actually critical to any car with a manual transmission. It’s bolted to the crankshaft and serves as the mechanical connection between the crankshaft and the transmission. It also starts the car and makes sure it’s comfortable when it […]
Read more »What’s a wheel alignment and why do I need one?
- 2 mins readYour car should drive in a straight line when you want it to. To do this, you need the wheels all pointing in the same direction. Often you’ll find your car pulling to one side, this is a sign that your tyre alignment needs a check. Your wheel alignment means that your car will go […]
Read more »Why is turbo lag a thing?
- 3 mins readA turbo is a impeller that is spun via exhaust gas. It then spins an impeller that sucks in air, pressurises it and forces it into your engine. So your turbo takes something that you weren’t using anyway and turns it into more horsepower. Add in the fact that it often makes your car more […]
Read more »Welcome Richard to My Auto Shop
- 2 mins readRichard Wafer, Chief Operating Officer and seven year veteran of recently listed My Food Bag has joined the Trade Me-backed, auto-repair startup My Auto Shop. Having been at My Food Bag since 2014, Richard helped the business develop from an early start-up to the NZX in March. “I’m excited to get back to building a […]
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