Tag: My Auto Shop

It snuck up on us much quicker than we expected, but we’re thrilled to have completed our 10,000th job! From Services on Hondas, Alternators on BMWs, Diagnostics on Subarus & Pre-Purchase Inspections on Porsches, it’s been great helping you with anything you needed on your car.  The excitement has been so cool to see as we brought door-step […]

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 – […]

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 […]

Buying a project car can be an incredible opportunity, offering a rewarding way to spend your time while building up your mechanical muscle.  However, it’s best to keep a clear eye on the road ahead.   Project cars are notoriously time consuming and can lend to things going financially awry if you’re not aware of the […]

There’s plenty of information out there for first time car buyers.  But, what about those on the other side?  They say it takes a certain type, and generally car dealers get quickly but heaped into the shiny white loafers bucket, but in reality, there’s an art to selling a car, so here’s our crack at […]

We’ve covered improving fuel economy, saving fuel and saving money, plenty of times. What we’re focussing on here is improved efficiency. More specifically, decreasing fuel consumption and increasing gas mileage. If you want to increase your fuel economy you need to have your car in tip top shape. We can help you maintain your car […]

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 […]

Your brakes stop your car. They sound pretty important don’t they? You’re right, they are. They also wear out and if unchecked, poor brakes can lead to an accident.  There’s a reason you need to have them replaced as required. They slow your car down through friction. That creates wear, dust and heat.  There’s a […]

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 […]

When driving your car around, it’s your alternator that takes care of all the electrics and charging the car battery. It basically runs the electrical system. If there’s something wrong with it, you need to be able to know if your alternator is faulty.  As your alternator is spinning, a complex set of magnets is […]

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 […]

Towing a trailer is a real power move. Not a lot of people can do it, even fewer can do it well. If you want to know how to tow a trailer we can tell you how to do it safely but it’s really up to you to practice.  As a Kiwi, “backing the boat” […]

Cars cost a fair amount of money. When you spend that kind of money, you want to be sure that it’s well maintained and well taken care of. Not to mention that if you look after your car it’ll save you a lot of money in the long run when it comes to getting it […]