What a Dunedin service should look at closely
Hill suburbs
Hills such as Maori Hill, Pine Hill and Maryhill climb to around 200 metres, and a lot of daily driving goes up and down them. Ask for the brake pads, discs and fluid to be checked at each service, rather than waiting for a squeal.
The Kilmog and Saddle Hill
State Highway 1 winds steeply over the Kilmog to the north and runs out past Saddle Hill to the south. A car that does those climbs often, or tows up them, is working its cooling system and transmission hard, so mention it when the mechanic rings.
Mosgiel and the Taieri
Mosgiel is 17 km west, with Three Mile Hill and Scroggs Hill between it and the centre. If the car lives out there, use a Mosgiel postcode so the service happens near home rather than over the hill.
Cool, damp air
With frequent drizzle and a cool southwesterly, the heater, demister and wipers get used for much of the year. A service is the easy moment to find a fault in any of them, before a wet morning does.
The service and the WoF on one trip
Look at the sticker on the windscreen. If the WoF falls due within a few weeks of the service, ask whether the garage inspects cars, and have both done in one visit. AA New Zealand notes that a routine service checks for safety issues ahead of the next WoF, so anything likely to fail can be put right first.
Write "WoF due" in the note, and the mechanic can tell you on the call whether they inspect, or where the car would go for it. For the inspection itself, see WoF in Dunedin.
Does the warranty mean going to the dealer?
| Maker's new-car warranty | Extended warranty | |
|---|---|---|
| An independent garage? | The MTA says a qualified independent mechanic should be low risk if the service follows the maker's guidelines | The MTA says most require dealer servicing to stay valid |
| What to keep | Invoices showing the maker's service was done | The booklet's conditions, and every invoice |
| Your legal rights | The Consumer Guarantees Act applies | The Consumer Guarantees Act still applies |
Ask before the car goes in
- Which service in the maker's book is this one?
- Will you look closely at the brakes, given the hills I drive?
- Do you inspect for WoFs, or will the car go elsewhere for that?
- Will you stamp the book or update the digital record?
- Can I have the car back the same day?
What we'd do
We'd mention the hill we live on, the WoF date and any towing in the note, then ask for the maker's service by name on a written quote. For a car under an extended warranty, we'd read the booklet before picking anyone.