What the capital does to a car
The windiest city
Wellington is known as the world's windiest city, with an average wind speed of 27 km/h. A gust that rips a door out of your hand can strain the hinges and the check strap, and doors that open, shut and latch properly are part of the WoF.
Steep from the start
Behind the city centre the land rises abruptly, and many suburbs sit high above it. Steep daily runs wear the brakes, and a handbrake that won't hold on a Wellington slope is a problem for you as well as the inspector.
Sea air and southerlies
The city sits on Cook Strait, open to strong gales and to the southerly blasts it's known for in winter. Salty air speeds up rust underneath, so on an older car ask for the sills and floor to be looked at first.
Frost up the hill
Frosts are quite common in the hill suburbs between May and September. A tyre with little tread has less grip on an icy morning, so check it before winter as well as before the WoF.
Johnsonville, Petone and the rest of the region
Johnsonville is seven kilometres north of the centre, at the top of the Ngauranga Gorge on the main route to Porirua. If the car lives up there, a Johnsonville postcode sends the job to a mechanic on that side of the gorge.
Petone is part of Lower Hutt, on the northern shore of the harbour, so for a car that lives there the Lower Hutt WoF page is the closer fit. Either way, use the Petone postcode on the card.
What you can check, and what to leave to the mechanic
You can
- Walk round every light with someone pressing the brake pedal.
- Open and shut each door and check it latches first time.
- Check tread and pressures on a cold car.
- Top up the washer bottle and replace smeary wiper blades.
- Photograph any warning light that stays on.
Leave to the mechanic
- Brake pads, discs and the handbrake adjustment.
- Rust repairs in the structure of the car.
- Suspension and steering parts that knock or wander.
- Door hinges or check straps bent by a gust.
After a fail
Hang on to the sheet the inspector gives you, and type its items into the note on the card. A mechanic who reads "rear brake pads" or "rust, left sill" can tell you on the call what's involved.
Ask for the repair quote in writing, and ask how the recheck works at the place that inspected it. If no price was agreed up front, the Consumer Guarantees Act says the price has to be reasonable.
What we'd do
We'd open and close every door, try the handbrake on a slope, and get the WoF on the same side of the gorge as the car. If it fails, we'd send the sheet with the job and keep the repair quote in writing.