WINTER BATTERY ISSUES

Dont get caught out in the cold or rain. Be prepared for winter battery issues.

Winter temperatures can affect the performance of your car battery, depending on the age and state of health. Colder temperatures play havoc on lead acid battery electrolyte, causing it to freeze or thicken, which slows the chemical reaction. A fully charged battery will be less affected by the cold weather because the electrolyte concentration is higher. A cold engine with thicker oil can also put extra strain on the battery, demanding more power to start the car. It is in winter that older batteries, which would have not failed otherwise, tend to fail as they have to work even harder to crank the motor.

A few tips:

• Get your battery checked & tested soon – we have a flash tester on site at the workshop so it can be done in only a few minutes while you wait (please pre book however)
• Park in a garage if possible to avoid the cold
• Ensure you start the car regularly (at least once a week & take it for a drive to charge it up)
• Start your car and let it idle for a few minutes before you head off each day. Also leave it idling before turning it off for a few minutes.
• Ensure the terminals/connections are clean & tight (you may want to leave this to a professional to do)
• Listen to its cranking. If its slow it could be a sign so get it checked otherwise it may impact the starter motor (a more expensive repair)

Average life expectancy of a battery is 4-5 years. You should have a date sticker on them so you should be able to review its age.

We stock and can fit an AA Motoring Battery. A brand we all know and can trust. Coming with a 24 – 36 month warranty (certain models vary). We have an extensive battery range available.

Here’s to happy stress free winter motoring.

WINTER’S ARRIVED

I think winter’s arrived after how cold it has been today & over night. Only a few days to go until it is officially here. You need to be aware of winter driving safely.

WIPERS:

Do yours clear that screen?

Wiper blades should be replaced every six months to a year or as soon as you notice a difference in driving visibility. Wipers are checked on WOF inspection and also routine servicing.

WINDSCREEN:

Ensure you use your squirtee’s regularly to keep that windscreen clean on the outside. We use & recommend Bar’s Bugs as the product to full up the windscreen wiper fluid bottle under your bonnet. Please don’t use dish washing detergent. For the inside we recommend you use your air conditioning as it will clear that screen real quick. Alternatively use a micro fibre clean cloth.

TYRES:

Are your tyres up for it?

When we do a WOF or service we will always check the tyres. We list the levels on your invoice & of course advise if they are low and require replacing with a time frame. 1.5 mm tread is actually a legal pass. But our recommendation is a that at 2mm you seriously consider new tyres. Especially in wet weather season. We have a supply of tyre tread checkers/key ring & have been handing out. If you would like one just ask.

BATTERY:

Is that vehicle a bit slow/sluggish to start?

Average length of life for a car battery is 3-4 years and if the vehicle isn’t started regularly or driven much you will shorten the batteries life. We have a fancy battery tester on site so can review in only a few minutes. We will do FREE battery testing if pre booked.

So don’t get caught out in the rain! We are a stockist of quality AA Batteries with a 24-36 month warranty.

WORKSHOP UPDATE:

Lack of parts is still playing a little issue but we will keep you posted. But big thing to be aware of is a shortage on tyres. So do think about this if we recommend.

We have had our apprentice just on 6 months now & he is going great.

Again if you are happy with our service please do give us a review on google or flick us an email as we can put it on our website. Plus you can always become a friend of ours on face book. Or recommend us to family & friends.

Stay warm, healthy & drive safely.

WET WEATHER APPROACHING

Autumn to winter wet weather approaching. They say we are going to have a wet winter, lets hope so to full up our Auckland dams. But with this in mind we need to ensure we are driving safely.

So its time to do some safety checks and things to consider are:

Tyres: Do they have plenty of tread on them for the increased braking distance in the wet? Please see our image to understand. So if your in the red you need to be getting new tyres immediately.

At each WOF inspection the treads are checked. The vehicle will either pass or fail. Reasons for failure can be tread depth, age of tyres or uneven wear (this commonly occurs if you hit a curb and the alignment gets knocked out).

Leaf little under the bonnet: If you park outside/under a tree at this time of the year its going to happen. It can cause major issues with blockage the drains causing water to overflow into the interior & dash electrics. Lift your bonnet a few times, have a look & clear it out. Could save you hundreds of dollars.

Windscreen wipers: Are they doing their job properly or do they need replacing. To be honest this should actually happen annually & we will generally do this at each service but its all about seasonal timings.

Brakes: When were they checked last? Does your ABS work correctly?

Maybe its time for a service (we will even clean your leaf little out). Call us soon at 09 6387866  so we can ensure you and your family are safe on the roads for the coming season.

April Road Trip

April Road trip planned for Easter or school holidays? So ensure you’re ready to drive away hassle free. Give us a call if your car is in need of any love or attention, service due or wof about to expire.

Tip for the month:

Air conditioning

Use it all year round. It keeps you cool in summer but also clears that window mighty fast in winter. Yes it does use a little more petrol to run but is minimal.Having your windows down creates drag so is relative in comparison.

But with regards to what to have the buttons on – fresh or recirculate! I’m sure you will have noticed these buttons.

You can crank it up to cool the car down but if you’re not using the recirculate button you are not going to get the car the coldest it can be. So know when to use things correctly.

When you first get into a hot car ensure you hit the recirculate button. This will cool your car down quicker than the fresh air mode. But whe you first get in the car windows down for a minute is ideal to let all that hot air escape. Also if you are in a dusty area or behind a bus/truck spewing out fumes again recirculate will stop that smell entering the cabin. Once the temperature is reasonable or your way past the smelly vehicles switch back to fresh so you dont have stale air within the vehicle.

In winter time however recirculation traps moisture inside the vehicle. This will mean foggy windows. So if you are using your heather we would recommend fresh button.

If you dont have these buttons in your vehicle. You’re probably driving a newer car. Which will be equipped with sensors that monitor the moisture levels. The car will then basically do this for you but switching automatically between recirculate and fresh when needed.

Travel safe & support your local businesses.

From the team at

Balmoral Auto Repairs

SUMMER MOTORING ROAD TRIP

Hoping everyone’s having a great summer and many of you have managed to get away for a well deserved summer motoring road trip or break of some description after the crazy 2020 year we had.

Maybe you have traveled a few kilometre’s exploring our beautiful country. So just a reminder that the general rule of thumb for a service is annually or every 10 000 km. So have a quick check of the speedo and the lube sticker on your window. If the car is in need of a service give us a call. Or if its making any funny sounds or you have lights on your dash.

Still lots of fine weather ahead so plenty of summer motoring road trips to plan. So ensure you do some safety checks before you head off.

Like checking the:

Oil

Water

Windscreen Washer

Tyre Pressures

Also if that cabins getting hot we can check your air conditioning is still running efficiently to make sure you stay cool! It could need a re gas or perhaps has a leak.

Did you know that sunscreen is very problematic for paintwork. So please do your best not too touch your vehicle with your hands or apply close by. It will leave white marks and a wash wont get it off. Sadly even a a polish wont remove it just fade it out a little.

Just a reminder that we take pride in our workmanship and we guarantee it. Offering honesty and quality repairs. Above all safety is the number one priority. So please recommend us to family, friends & work colleagues and if you are happy with our service and have a few minutes we would appreciate a google review or facebook following. Just trying to grow our small business now we have a new apprentice on board.

Looking forward to being of service to you in 2021.

From the team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

Christmas Is Coming

Its December and Christmas is coming around fast. So don’t forget to give your car some love.

It pays to have your vehicle safe and in good condition before your holiday, so you can have a trouble free trip. We are now getting busy so would suggest you don’t delay and book soon if required.

Workshop hours over the Christmas holiday break are as follows:

Wednesday 23 December last day – normal hours 8am – 6pm

Monday 11 January re opening – normal hours 8am – 6pm

Helpful Hints:

Safety check TWIRL

Tyres

• Check the tread depth. Minimum legal depth is 1.5mm, but the more tread you have the better the grip and the safer you’ll be.
• Check the tyre pressure. Over inflated or under inflated causes wear.
• Look for cracks or bubbles in the sides (tyres age and generally will only last 5 years).
• Look for sharp objects stuck in the tyres (so much building at the moment, nails are everywhere – sadly I was a victim).

Windscreen, wipers and mirrors

• Check your wiper blades for wear and tear (average life is only 1 year)
• Clean your mirrors and windscreen inside and out
• Get your windscreen fixed if its chipped or cracked (you may not be in luck before Christmas – but shop around as prices vary)
• Check your windscreen washer fluid is full and the spray is working

Indicators

• Turn your hazard lights on and walk around the car  – check all indicators are flashing

Rust

• Look for obvious areas of corrosion that can weaken the car’s structure

Lights

• Check lenses are clean and not cracked or hazy
• Check your headlights, reversing lights and brake lights are working. You could check your back lights by reversing close to a wall so you can see the reflection in your rear view mirror.

Suspect will be more traffic on the road this holiday season . So ensure you keep a safe distance between the car in front, allow for extra weight with all your gear & if towing remember an increased stopping distance is required. Always check in your rear view mirror and if traffic is building up behind you be courteous and pull over when its safe to do so and allow it to pass. Lots of slow vehicle bays now!

Coastal roads can be narrow. So take care if your too left into the gravel at speed braking time is increased. One lane bridges are another one to pay attention at as to who gives way (always check that road sign).

Lastly we would like to thank you for supporting us this year. Its been an interesting one for all. We hope you stay well, travel safe but mostly have a well deserved break with family & friends. We look forward to a better 2021 for everyone & hope we can be of service again to you.

All the best

Ross, Debs & Kushal

BOOK EARLY BEAT THE DECEMBER RUSH

Its November already and the Christmas holidays are coming up fast. With the year we have had I’m sure everyone will be looking forward to that break away. Since we are unable to venture internationally its going to be a “Kiwi stay”. So with this in mind we suspect we are likely to be busier than normal. On saying that December has always been the craziest month of the year! So book early beat the December rush.

So may we suggest that you think about your plans and if you looking to do a few kilometre’s you may want to have your vehicle serviced or if its making a few funny sounds looked at to ensure its safe and in good condition. We want you to have a trouble-free trip. As breakdowns aren’t fun and many workshops will be closed over the holiday season.

So give us a call soon perhaps think November instead of December & get everything sorted sooner rather than later.

WORKSHOP UPDATE

Finally we have found a new staff member! He’s enthusiastic, passionate about cars and a hard worker. Ross is enjoying the extra male company plus the wife & kids are looking forward to getting him home at a more reasonable hour and on weekends in the near future.

We have also recently purchased another diagnostic scan tool. Giving us the ability to check those lights on your dash for up to new 2020 vehicles as well now. Please dont ignore warning lights on your dash, get them looked at immediately.

An Environmentally Friendly Workshop

We try to do our best with our little workshop where possible to limit the impacts on our planet. We are an environmentally friendly workshop.

We meet the MTA environmental standard certificate & they make regular visits too ensure we maintain our levels.

What we do:

• Recycling cardboard waste – fortnightly collection bin (JJ Richards)
• Recycling scrap metal – weekly pick up (we also pull apart our windscreen wipers and put the metal in the scrap metal, but alas rubber goes in general waste)
• Recycling waste Oil – goes to Waste Petroleum Combustion (WPC) we call when our holding tank gets to a specific level for emptying they then on sell to be used as an industrial heating source.
• Recycling waste Filters – these go to Salters who contain, crush excess oil  (this goes to WPC), they separate out the metal (this goes to the metal scrap dealer) .
• Recycling batteries – Brouder Batteries recycle and reuse where possible (re charge & sell as discounted 2^nd hand batteries), but if cant be reused it goes off shore (Korea & Fiji generally take by the container load)and they melt down the plastic and re use, melt down the lead and reuse & the acid is neutralised with flushing & at the end is actually drinkable.
• Option is now available to purchase cooper free brake pads (trialing is underway)
• Using environmentally friendly windscreen washer additive. We trialed over a 2 year period to get the most environmentally friendly product as we use over 300 litres of concentrate per year.
• Any plastic’s that can be recycled are

We don’t sell or fit tyres but recommend a reputable operator who has disposing/recycling available (St Lukes Tyres).

Ensure you take your vehicle to a workshop that is making good choices for our environment. Support your local businesses.

KNOW YOUR CAR – Part 2

Continuing on from our part 1 update a few weeks ago. Get to know your car part 2 & its importance as to why you should have your vehicle serviced regularly.

Braking Systems:

Brakes create a lot of heat. This can cause bending, warping & wear on the brakes. If you brakes are squeaking/squealing, shuddering or slow to respond. You may need brake pads replaced. Or worse case scenario it may also be disc rotor in which case it means you need to have these replaced along with the pads so the bill will be twice the price approximately.

Brakes will be checked thoroughly at each service.

CV Boots & Joints

The CV joint allows the wheels on your vehicle to move left, right, up & down while in motion. The CV boot protects the joint from water & dirt from underneath the vehicle sprayed up from tyres, rain and puddles. The boot also protects the grease on the joint. If you hear a clacking sound as you turn your vehicle it could mean that the joint is worn and needs replacing. Best scenario is the boot is torn and cracked and is easily replaced or worse case you need to have a boot and joint at the same time.

Again CV boots are inspected at each service. Problems caught early keep repair costs down. CV joints will wear even if boots are kept in good condition. Once we have detected wear in the joint we will advise on how long before replacement will be needed.

Suspension:

Shock absorbers control the movement of springs & suspension. They smooth out bumps and vibrations but the job the do most importantly is to keep your tyres in contact with the road. Because wear happens over time you may not initially notice that you have changed your driving style to compensate. If you notice excessive bounce,  body roll into corners or, bottoming out when hitting pot roles or judder bars. Ensure you get your mechanic to have a look. Good shock absorbers increase your chances of stopping before an accident rather than being part of it.

Electrical Systems:

Nowdays most cars are controlled by computers. You generally will have a warning light appear on your dash. However sometimes the vehicle may seem to be working fine but you notice that it is performing unusually. In both cases we have electronic scan tools that we plug in so we can detect the fault & diagnose the problem. Its like a blood test from a doctor and reveals the true nature of the problem. A great way to find a small problem before it could become major.

DONT IGNORE WARNING LIGHTS – If your air bag light is on chances are they wont work!

Book in for a scan asap

Batteries:

The battery powers the starter motor, ignition system and the lights. If the engine is slow to start or wont turn over, lights wont turn on, the radio wont retain the pre-set stations, headlights loose brightness/go out. Your battery needs to be tested. We can do this very quickly to report on the state of it. Sometimes it may just need over night charging or cleaning of terminals. Worse case it needs replacing. Please be aware that they last generally 3-5 years only.

During the lockdowns & with more persons working from home, people havent been out and about as much. So we have seen a really run on batteries these last few months. A vehicle needs to be run regularly to keep recharging the battery.

Hybrids & PHEV:

These vehicles have 2 motors. They still require regularly servicing. The specialty battery is in a compartment that only technicians can access. These also need to be maintained well. Ask your mechanic for a battery condition report at each service. Early detection of issues can with this battery could save you thousands.

I hope you have found ” know your car – part 2″ of some interest. I must say I have learnt a few things myself over these two updates. Plus having asked Ross to explain and show me some faulty parts has been a real education & given me an appreciation of why you need to maintain your vehicle. Appreciate any feedback!

Stay well & safe everyone.