DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER

Its December already and the Christmas holidays are coming up fast, and we would like to thank you, our loyal customers for your patronage in 2018.

It pays to have your vehicle safe and in good condition before your holiday, so you can have a trouble-free trip.   So if your vehicle is due for a service or you need something checked I suggest you make an appointment soon as we are fully booked until Thursday 13th so far. So don’t delay.

Workshop hours over the holiday break are as follows:

Friday 21 December last day – normal hours 8am – 6pm

Monday 07 January reopening – normal hours 8am – 6pm

Helpful Hints:

Don’t forget to take some time to do some basic safety checks before you leave home.

• Check headlights, indicators and brake lights
• Check all fluid levels

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.

Travel safe and we look forward to being of service again in 2019.

We hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

From the team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

LEARN HOW TO REDUCE YOUR FUEL CONSUMPTION

Below is a list of some simple steps to help you reduce your fuel consumption:

• Regular servicing can increase fuel economy by up to 4%. Replace worn components so things work more efficiently.
• Use only the recommended fuel and oil
• Tyre pressure, ensure not underinflated.
• Reduce speed. Did you know that for every 10km/h you go over 90km/h you increase your fuel consumption by 6%.
• Timing of your travel. Stop and go burns more fuel so avoid rush hour where possible
• Combine trips. Starting up an engine from cold uses more fuel.
• Avoid idling where possible.
• Use cruise control and highest gear where possible
• Remove roof racks if not in use as causes drag and unnecessary weight lowers fuel economy.
• Fill it up. Fuel evaporates and is lost to the atmosphere each time you remove the fuel cap. Plus don’t overflow the tank.

So hopefully some helpful hints. For more information on fuel economy go to www.fuelsaver.govt.nz

NOVEMBER 2018 Update

November 2018 update – Christmas holidays are coming up fast. We would like to remind you that December is our busiest month of the year.

We really hate having to turn loyal customers away. So if you are planning to head away over the summer break? It pays to have your vehicle in good condition. You really don’t want to be breaking down & then finding you cant get repairs for days because workshops & parts suppliers are closed. So let us service/check it out if required so you can have a trouble-free trip.

So give us a call and get it sorted soon, before the silly season really starts. Also don’t forget those trailers/boats etc as they may also be due for a WOF at this time of the year.

Safe motoring.

From the team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

SEPTEMBER PROMOTION

Its September so spring has now arrived so it’s a good time to think about cleaning the car. I don’t mean the outside however but the engine. Regular servicing will make the vehicle run better, improve fuel efficiency and with the increase in petrol costs of late surely its worth a thought. Plus it runs cleaner so is good for the environment. We recommend you service your vehicle once a year or every 10 000km’s.

 I’d also like to bring your attention at this time of the year the “cabin air filter”. Most modern vehicles have these fitted. A cabin air filter reduces the amount of harmful contaminants entering into the vehicle via the heating ventilation and air conditioning systems. Pollen, fungus spores, dirt and dust pass into the passenger cabin and can trigger asthma, allergies, headaches and more.

It is recommended to replace every two years. During the months of September & October there will be a promotion on cabin air filters. Ryco the supplier of this product is offering lots of prizes – Dr Dre Headphones, Dyson Products, Spotify gift cards and 3 x $1000 Flight Centre Travel Vouchers. So book in for a service and if yours needs replacing you could enter the draw to be a winner. 

Planning on heading away next school holidays? Term finishes Friday 28 September. Not too sure when the vehicle was last serviced, just check your service label on the windscreen. Make sure its up to date if not give us a call so you can have a trouble free trip.

With this thought in mind remember December is always the busiest month of the year for us so if it does need a service perhaps think November and do it a little earlier so one thing off the list.

Safe motoring from the Team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

TYRES ARE YOURS SAFE?

Tyre safety especially in winter needs to be taken seriously. New data just released shows 32 fatal road crashes in the past three years were linked to worn tyres.

It can be a hard conversation for us advising customers that they need to replace tyres. The tread level to legally pass a warrant of fitness is 1.5m. Advise for safety our recommendation is to get new tyres immediately and with urgency when its winter/wet season. But sometimes this is meet with deaf ears (great I passed my wof).

The rule of thumb should be as follows:

0-2mm Immediate action required

2-4mm Replace soon

4-13mm Good condition

Most of the time now days we only see a vehicle annually for its warrant of fitness/annual service or some sort of breakdown and in this time a lot of kilometres can be travelled with wear n tear on the tyres.

So we need to make you aware of how much of your tyre is in contact with the road in 1mm of water. Please review the image above to give you an idea. So lots of factors – tyre tread, speed and weather conditions. Also 1.5mm of tread takes twice the stopping distance of a new tyre in the wet.

We only want to keep you and your family safe on the road. So please take the advice of your mechanic when they recommend new tyres, its not a sales pitch but a safety issue!

AIR CONDITIONING IN WINTER

Automotive air conditioning is an all year round feature of your vehicle. Keeping cool in the warmer months and, as an important safety feature, keeping your windscreen clear in the cooler/damper months. Winter air conditioning use also helps keep the cabin nice and dry which is great for allergy sufferers and reduces the chance of catching colds too.

That screen will clear quickly and efficiently. You shouldn’t have to wipe it with a cloth. Give it a go!

ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY WORKSHOP

At Balmoral Auto Repairs we are striving to do our best to be environmentally friendly.

We meet the MTA environmental standards certificate:

• We recycle cardboard waste
• We recycle scrap metal
• We recycle waste oil (a supplier takes it away and it is recycled and used as a heating source)
• Waste filters are disposed of responsibly (filters are contained, crushed, oil captured with both oil and metal recycled)
• Windscreen wipers are pulled apart with the scrap metal recycled
• Plus any plastic or other packaging that can be recycled

We also trialled various windscreen washer fluids to be able to stock a brand that is not only environmentally friendly but does a great job cleaning the screen.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE:

We need you to be aware of exhaust emissions. If you have your vehicle serviced regularly it lowers the emissions, runs more efficiently and you get an added bonus of up to 10% fuel savings.

So really its a no brainer – win/win for everyone. We are doing our part for the planet for future generations with recycling where we can to help reduce waste. So do your part also and ensure you car runs clean!

MARCH MADNESS

Wow its March already – where’s the year going! Easter is at the end of the month and the next lot of school holidays are coming up fast (last day of school for term 1 is Friday 13 April for most).

For March Madness we are offering a 1/2 price WOF’s so that’s just $25. So if you have a WOF due this month make sure you quote March Madness when you call to book. Remember you can get your WOF upto 14 days prior to its due date and not loose any days so if its due in early April you could do it a little early & get the deal.

Also if you have plans to head away for Easter or the April school holidays we suggest you check the service label on the windscreen. To make sure your vehicle is up to date so you can have a trouble free trip. If it does need a service just give us a call.

Helpful Hints Before You Leave Home:

• Check headlights, indicators and brake lights
• Check all fluid levels (oil, water & windscreen fluid)
• Check tyre pressures

If something isn’t working it may just be a minor but best its addressed.

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.

Safe motoring.

From the team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

ELECTRIC CARS

Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf are currently the two most popular electric/hybrid car models on New Zealand roads. With a recent Consumer NZ survey on reliability & satisfaction the 100% electric Nissan Leaf ranked 97% with very satisfied customer’s feedback.

This is the future but how long will it be? Experts predict that within the next ten years you will find that most two car city households will have at least one electric vehicle. Plus as time goes on and the electric vehicles kilometre range improves, more varied fleet availability & the number of charging stations. I’m confident we will see more people uptake when it’s time to renew vehicles.

Maintenance for these vehicles is still a requirement. However servicing will be a lot less involved, so will be substantially cheaper. But you must remember brakes, tyres, lights & wipers will still have wear n tear. Plus the vehicle will still require regular warrant of fitness (wof) checks.

Just think no more waiting in queues at the petrol station. Its just a plug in at home (if you have the set up) every few days or so. Now isn’t that convenient!

I recently test drove a Nissan Leaf and was pleasantly surprised by its acceleration. It took a lot of getting use to the quiet however & I was sure I hadn’t even started the vehicle. I would most definitely consider this as an option once my children are a little older (no car seats) or a six seater was brought to the market.

So it’s exciting times ahead. Here’s to a cleaner, greener New Zealand for us and the next generation!