{"id":3390,"date":"2021-11-10T08:21:30","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T19:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/?p=3390"},"modified":"2021-11-10T11:04:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T22:04:40","slug":"experts-guide-to-summer-car-maintenance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/experts-guide-to-summer-car-maintenance\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert’s guide to summer car maintenance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Expert\u2019s guide to summer car maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Woohoo!  As I write this article, New Zealand\u2019s famous sun is pouring in through the windows and I\u2019m reminded of everything wonderful about living in this country.  Not least the idea of hitting the road and getting out to a beach after months spent in lockdown!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


If you\u2019re anything like us, the car hasn\u2019t been getting much action over the past few months, and as we\u2019re planning to escape the city this summer, and with many of the My Auto Shop<\/a> sharing the same idea, we thought it would be useful to cover off a few essential car hygiene tips for this time of year.\u00a0 It\u2019ll make those long drives all the more relaxed, trust me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all about prevention at this stage, although you can certainly fit in a new year service if you\u2019ve got time ahead of the trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How\u2019s your air conditioning?
<\/strong>We all know how important air conditioning is when you\u2019re out on the open road with the sun beating down on you!  It\u2019s fairly easy to clean your air conditioning system\u2019s filter yourself, and actually it\u2019s surprising how many people don\u2019t know this!  Check out this video for an easy how-to clean your car air filter<\/a>.  If you\u2019re not confident, you can check in with a mechanic through My Auto Shop and we\u2019ll help you get it sorted.

Make sure your tyres are up to scratch<\/strong>
Before you set out, be sure to check your tyres.  How\u2019s the tread looking?  If it\u2019s looking a bit thin, we recommend getting them replaced before you set out.  Make sure you\u2019ve got at least 3mm of tread remaining.  New Zealand\u2019s roads, while getting better, are notoriously treacherous in places, and you don\u2019t want to be caught short and slide into an accident.

Also, check your inflation is at a good level and that you have a spare tyre in the back.

Engine light, check!<\/strong>
For novices, the engine light is literally the engine symbol on your dashboard.  If it\u2019s on, be aware that something isn\u2019t quite right and you\u2019re best to see a mechanic ASAP.  Unfortunately, you won\u2019t be able to diagnose the issue by virtue of the light being turned on, but it\u2019s your first signal that you need to get something looked at.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Auto Shop<\/a> can you put you in touch with a mechanic in nearly every part of New Zealand, so if you have the misfortune of an issue, we\u2019re still here to help.\u00a0 There are plenty of mobile mechanics<\/a> available too if worst comes to worst and you find yourself stranded in the middle of\u2026 somewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Replace your vehicle\u2019s engine oil<\/strong>
In line with the above, check you\u2019ve got enough engine oil.  It could be a gamechanger for when you hit the road.  Engine oil serves the vehicle in many ways, including keeping the engine clean, lubricating the mechanics and other internal parts, as well as preventing corrosion inside your engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Riding around with dirty oil is no good for your car.  Again, you don\u2019t want to be stranded on a state highway under the blistering sun waiting for a tow truck!  You can buy engine oil from most gas\/petrol stations and it\u2019s super easy to top up.  If you\u2019re not confident, ask one of the attendants and in many cases they\u2019ll be happy to help you out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On that note, check your transmision fluid, your engine coolant and other fluids at the same time.  It all makes for a smooth, easy ride and a good time out on the road!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule a full inspection and service<\/strong>
Getting a mechanic to take a look at your car is a very sensible idea.  We expect a lot from our cars, and often that summer sun is going to put added pressure onto its systems.  It can also put your mind at ease, knowing the mechanic is going to give you a full tune up, including checking the air conditioning, coolant levels, engine oil, washer fluid, windshield wipers and so on.  Yep, it\u2019s a full A-Z.  To find a mechanic in your area, use My Auto Shop<\/a> to get the process started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy travels!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Expert\u2019s guide to summer car maintenance Woohoo!  As I write this article, New Zealand\u2019s famous sun is pouring in through the windows and I\u2019m reminded of everything wonderful about living in this country.  Not least the idea of hitting the road and getting out to a beach after months spent in lockdown! If you\u2019re anything […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"single-wrapped-thumbnail.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,3],"tags":[160,221,13,223,222,224],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-3390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-driving-tips","category-education","tag-engine-oil","tag-experts-guide","tag-new-zealand","tag-open-roads","tag-summer","tag-vehicle-check"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3390"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3390"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3411,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3390\/revisions\/3411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3390"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myautoshop.co.nz\/info\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=3390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}