Servicing
Regular servicing to the maker's schedule, NZ-new or Japanese import.
More on servicing
Car services
Pick the service, or start from what the car is doing.
Six services cover nearly everything a car needs here, NZ-new or imported. Pick one to see the jobs inside it, what each involves and what to ask the garage before you agree. Not sure what's wrong? Start from what the car is doing, further down.
Pick one to see the jobs inside it, what each involves and what to ask the garage before you agree. Not sure what's wrong? Start from what the car is doing, further down.
Services, and the jobs inside each one
Brakes and suspension
Pads, discs, brake fluid, shocks and steering: the parts that stop and steer.
More on brakes and suspensionEngine and gearbox
Cambelts, head gaskets, turbos, clutches and transmissions.
More on engine and gearboxElectrics and diagnostics
Dash lights, flat batteries, starting and charging faults.
More on electrics and diagnosticsWoF and inspections
Getting a car ready for its warrant, fixing a fail, and checks before you buy.
More on the WoF and inspectionsMobile mechanics
A mechanic who comes to the car: at home, at work or on the roadside.
More on mobile mechanicsWhat's the car doing?
Start from the symptom. Each page says what it tends to mean and what a mechanic checks first.
- Engine lightSteady or flashing engine light: what each one means, and what to do before you ring anyone.
- Shaking when brakingA shudder through the wheel or pedal under braking: what causes it and what should be measured.
- Won't startClick, slow crank or silence: what the sound tells you, and what to check before you ring for help.
- ShakingA shake at idle or on the motorway: how to tell an engine problem from a wheel problem.
- OverheatingTemperature gauge climbing or steam from the bonnet: what to do now, and what usually causes it.
- Head gasketWhite smoke, vanishing coolant or milky oil: what points to a head gasket and how it's confirmed.
- Squealing brakesA brake squeal that fades, one that's always there, and grinding: which is which and how urgent.
- Exhaust smokeWhite, blue or black exhaust smoke: what each colour usually means, and how urgent it is.
- Oil leakOil on the driveway: how to tell it's oil, where it comes from, and how soon it needs fixing.
- Coolant leakBright drips under the car or a falling coolant level: how to tell, and what to do this week.
- Flat batteryA click or nothing on a cold morning: getting going safely, and finding out why it went flat.
- Wheel bearing noiseA hum or growl that rises with speed: how to tell a wheel bearing from tyres or the gearbox.
Three ways in
A job you can name. The service is due, the pads are worn, the cambelt is coming up or the battery keeps going flat. Pick it from the list and read what's involved before the garage rings.
A symptom you can't name. A dash light, a squeal or a shake. Begin with the problem pages, like engine light on, or choose "A noise, a smell or not sure" in the card and leave the diagnosis to the mechanic.
The warrant. WoF questions have their own section, town by town, starting from the WoF guide.
Stuck on the road?
Move everyone clear of passing traffic first and switch the hazard lights on. Ring your roadside cover if you have it. If someone is hurt or in danger, call 111.
When everyone's safe, pick "Won't start or broken down" in the card. If the car can't be driven, "Come to me (mobile mechanic)" covers work that can be done where it's parked.
Ready to get the car sorted?
Anything you already picked is still in the card up top. Carry on from there.