Leave it near home, or near the office?
In a city split by hills, a tunnel and a gorge, the easy garage is the one near wherever the car can sit for a day. If you take the train or bus in, a garage near home usually works. If you drive in, one near the office means the service happens while you're at your desk.
Allow some slack. Consumer Protection notes that if a part isn't available locally, the car can be at the garage longer than the hours on the quote suggest, so choose a day when you won't need it.
Getting the WoF done on the same visit
Look at the WoF sticker before you send the job. If the warrant expires within a few weeks of the service, ask if the garage does inspections too. A routine service also hunts for safety faults before the next WoF, AA New Zealand says, so problems get fixed before the inspector sees them.
Servicing a car that's under warranty
A maker's new-car warranty doesn't tie you to the dealer. Using a qualified independent mechanic should be low risk, according to the MTA, as long as the servicing sticks to the maker's guidelines and specifications. The catch: if an independent garage's workmanship causes a fault, the maker may decline that claim.
An extended warranty usually works the other way. Most of them insist on dealer servicing to remain valid, according to the MTA, so check the fine print. Whoever does the work, the Consumer Guarantees Act expects reasonable care and skill.
What Wellington driving means at service time
Brakes on steep streets
Hill suburbs wear brake pads and discs quickly. Ask the mechanic to measure the pads front and rear and write the figures on the invoice, so you can see how fast they're going.
Before the wet months
June and July bring the most rain. An autumn service is the time for new wiper blades, a tread check and a look at the lights, before the dark, wet commutes.
A car that mostly sits
If the car stays home while you take the train, ask for a battery test at every service. Short weekend trips may not keep it charged.
Servicing in a car park
A mobile mechanic can do many routine services in a car park, but needs level ground and the car park's permission. Check with the building before you send the job.
What to see in writing before you say yes
- Which of the maker's services this is, by kilometres or months.
- The engine oil to the maker's specification, and which filters are changed.
- Brake pad thickness, front and rear, written down.
- A battery test result.
- Whether it's a fixed quote or an estimate.
- A promise to ring you before any extra work.
Quote or estimate?
They aren't the same thing. Consumer Protection says an estimate is only the garage's guess at the cost and isn't fixed, while an accepted quote is a set price that only moves if you approve extra work or the scope of the job changes. Ask for one or the other in writing, and say no extra work without a phone call first.
The way we'd go
We'd pick the end of town where the car can stay all day, mention the model and when the warrant expires, and want the maker's service and the oil named on a written quote. If the car is still under an extended warranty, we'd check the booklet before sending the job anywhere but the dealer.