DRIVER RESPONSIBILITY

How often have you been a car passenger in a vehicle and thought I wish the driver would just slow down. Or focus on the driving.

Its not always easy to speak up and comment. Whether its your partner, friends, boss or work colleague. Your sitting there thinking I’m so scared are we going to make it to our destination?

Its up to you to say something and if you feel you cant be direct we have a list of a few hints:
– I can check that text for you if you like?
– I can find that playlist on your phone
– How about a toilet stop/coffee or ice cream?
– Your look tired would you like me to drive for awhile?
– Could you please slow down I’m feeling a bit sick & if that doesn’t work tell them your going to vomit.

If these don’t seem to have the desired outcome perhaps you just avoid driving with them as much as possible. Its your life as well and we need to be feel safe! Teen drivers seem to think they are bulletproof but they are statistically the ones who have the most accidents. With so many distractions and lack of experience they need the guidance the most.

Emma Gilmour (NZ Rally Driver) and big promoter of driver safety & driver responsibility offers lots of tips under her blog “Buckle up Buttercup”. She remembers in her bulletproof days a passenger kissing the ground at destination arrival – until then she had no idea that they were worried about her driving.

Quoted by Emma – The more we talk about road safety and what we can do to keep ourselves and others safe – the safer our roads will be. Things that might be obvious to your might still be unknown to your friends or family.

Car seems a bit off?

Keep an eye, ear/nose/feel out for:

Strange noises or vibrations
Noisy, juddery, brakes
Leaking oil/fluids
Dash warnings
Heavy steering, steering wheel vibrating and/or off-centre
Headlight, brake light or indicator bulbs not working, or beams too high or low
Wiper blades smearing/not working
Worn tyres, slow punctures, flat spots

If you have any concerns, even if its just a gut feeling that things don’t sound or feel right, never be afraid to give us a call or pop in. Its always better to be safe than sorry. Quite often its nothing but if it is something small its best to fix it before it becomes a major/costly/inconvenient problem or even a dangerous one.

Its spring time again, so it’s a good time to think about cleaning the car. I don’t mean the outside 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.

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. Pollen, fungus spores, dirt and dust pass into the passenger cabin and can trigger asthma, allergies, headaches and more. A new fresh one makes your air conditioning work more efficiently so clearing the windscreen in winter plus cooling the vehicle in summer. It is recommended to replace every two years so spring time is an ideal time to do this.

Planning on heading away next school holidays? Term finishes Friday 27 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 soon perhaps think November and do it a little earlier so one thing off the list.

Safe motoring.

From the Team at Balmoral Auto Repairs

CHOOSING A FIRST CAR

Help choosing a first car for your child can sometimes be a bit challenging. Remember it is a milestone event for your son or daughter whether you are paying or they have saved up some hard cash to contribute.
The best advice we can give is

“ Spend as much as you can afford on the SAFEST vehicle possible.”

I know your thinking but they are still learning and are likely to hit curbs, fences, scuff the wheels etc. So something cheaper for starters will be a better option. Well actually learner drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in something more serious.
I know the latest vehicle is probably on your teenagers wish list but generally it’s not in the budget or that its not really practical. Our daughter is hoping for either a Ford Raptor Ranger or Mustang (dreaming she is).

ANCAP safety rating should be the first thing you think about, followed by budget. Key features we would highly recommend as essential are:
Airbags
ABS
Good all round visibility
Electronic stability program (if possible)
Tyre quality/condition

Of course the kilometres the vehicle has travelled, service record, and overall interior and exterior condition are important as well. Colour really shouldn’t factor in but silver, white & yellow have been recognised as being safer. A plus with silver is it doesn’t show the dirt too bad either (speaking from experience). My personal favourite is lime because its bright, not many have it and it stands out so it’s easy to locate in a busy car park. Still trying to convince my husband that I need one!

The driver is the most important safety feature however. They need to be alert, aware, thinking and skilled (a defensive driving course is essential)! With time they will gain experience & learn how to drive to the conditions (weather or road). We are not invincible and driving can be dangerous. So please pick the safest car possible for you and your family.

Thanks to Emma Gilmour a New Zealand legend for women in motor sport rally driving from Gilmour Motors – Dunedin for some of the above great safety tips (buckle up buttercup)!

HOWS YOUR SPARE TYRE

AA Directions magazine winter edition features an article. Worth review and comment.

Quote – Its a common misconception that the condition of your spare tyre is checked as part of your WOF. The mechanic will check that your spare tyre is secure – but they wont check its condition.

This is correct! Your spare tyre is checked at a service (which you should be doing annually). The spare tyre is out of sight and out of mind for most of us. Well until the worst happens and you get a puncture. Sometimes the spare can be flat, bald or even incorrect for the vehicle. So we would recommend you occasionally check it yourself, especially if going on holiday.

With this in mind can you please also check that you actually have a jack and wheel brace in your vehicle to change it if the worst happens (a few people have found that they don’t). Also sometimes the wheels are on so tight that you cant undo them. This actually happened to me. But thankfully I have an AA Membership and they were able to come to my rescue within the hour. I would highly recommend an AA membership.

There are many different types of spare tyre & some aren’t even actual tyres. Some vehicles will have a full size spare that either fits in your boot, back of your vehicle or underneath. To save you boot space another option can be a space saver tyre which you can only drive a certain speed on (less than 80km) and for less than 100 km. This is just a short term option to get you to a place of repair. Otherwise you might have to replace this as well. So don’t be tempted to leave it on for a long period.

Only run flat tyres are more convenient at the time of a puncture as they do not require changing on the spot. However you still need to drive at reduced speed and not every tyre shop will have stock of these tyres plus they are at least twice the price of standard tyres. Plus if you do drive on a deflated run-flat for a long time it becomes unrepairable so you will need to replace it.

Another option is a puncture repair kit, also knows as the “Can of Goo”, its made up of an air compressor and a can of tyre sealant. Often found in small boots. They don’t always work for large punctures plus are pretty fiddly. Most tyre shops are unable to repair tyres filled with “goo” but if they can there will be additional charges. Of all the spare alternatives this type of repair kit is the least effective and you may still need to get towed.

Perhaps you should check out what options you have and get familiar with how to use should something happen. Or join the AA for peace of mind. Annual fee’s as follows:

Personal $89
Associate (Spouse/partner at same address) $44.50
Youth (up to and including 19) $50
Plus the longer you have it the cheaper it gets and offers more inclusions.

DIESEL USERS WARNING

WARNING – DO NOT PUT ADBLUE INTO YOUR DIESEL FUEL TANK

AdBlue (trademarked name for diesel exhaust fluid). It is a liquid solution added to some diesel engines with selective catalytic reduction to lower nitrogen oxide emissions (it breaks down soot and unburnt fuel into water and nitrogen). So makes the vehicle better on the environment.
It is an additive that requires refills, just not as often as your diesel fuel. Without AdBlue most vehicles will refuse to start, or will work in a limp mode. Therefore you must monitor its levels. Most on board computers will notify you when low so you should have approximately 1000 km before refill is necessary.

This product can be purchased from some petrol stations, but please be aware that it DOES NOT go in the diesel fuel tank, it has its own location & only a specific amount is required. We are happy to do this for you so if in dealt leave it up to the experts and get your automotive technician to top it up.

Diesel users warning – if you happen to put petrol in your diesel tank or vica versa by accident. If you notice it at the pump PLEASE DONT TURN THE KEY. Get it on a tow truck immediately to your automotive repairer this fix is easier and cheaper. Another option could be for you to call Suckie Moto 0800 782 566 www.suckiemoto.co.nz (a mobile operator that can remove incorrect fuel in your tank). However if you drive the vehicle its another story. You will cause a lot of engine damage & expense.

VEHICLE SAFETY RATING

Before buying any vehicle, check its star safety rating.

Most New Zealand new vehicles are given a star safety rating between one and five (five being the highest). This is the ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) rating. They are based on data from tests performed in a crash lab. However used car safety ratings (UCSR) are based on dated from real world crashes.

The stars indicate the level of safety for occupants and pedestrians in a crash, as well as an indication of a car’s ability to avoid a crash altogether through technology fitted. Vehicles must achieve minimum scores across all aspects.

Newer or pricey doesn’t necessarily mean safer. There are 5 star rated cars of all sizes, years and costs. So you need to do your homework and check the star rating of any car you’re looking at, either on the vehicle listing or the RightCar website www.rightcar.govt.nz

People are at least 90% more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a 1-star than a 5-star safety rating vehicle. That’s why it’s important to get a car with the best safety rating that you can afford.

When shopping for a used car your list to review should be:
Safety
Reliability
Popularity
Fuel economy
Price

Plus give some thought to hybrid or electric vehicles as well.

At the least ensure it has front airbags and ABS braking and if the budget can stretch look for side curtain airbags and electronic stability control.
The newer you go the more features you are likely to get. – knee airbags, electronic stability control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning & autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

We want our customers to make informed decisions so hope this helps. Happy and safe motoring from the team at Balmoral Auto Repairs.

SAFE WINTER MOTORING

Its fast approaching so lets start thinking about safe winter motoring.

Things to consider:
– Are your windscreen wipers doing their job properly?
– Is your washer fluid filled up? Please use regularly as helps keep that screen clean.
– Is your air conditioning working well? It clears that screen so quickly if it is so use it.
– When were your brakes last checked?
– Does your ABS work correctly?
– Do your tyres have plenty of tread on them for increased braking distance in the wet?
– Also don’t forget to check under the bonnet for leaf litter.

We have had a few unlucky customers who managed to block the drains and water overflowed into the cabin and caused damage to the electric’s. So if you haven’t had a service for awhile we suggest you book it in (we will even clean your leaf litter for you).

A reminder also that we have all the diagnostic scan/scope tools to service late model vehicles. So you don’t need to go back to the dealership, come and see your local team. We are close and also have more competitive hourly rates.

It’s been very busy of late so thanks for your patience if jobs have taken longer than usual. For this reason we are looking to employ another senior technician. So if you know of anybody looking for a role. Please pass on our details and get them to email a covering letter and CV to us. Details of skills required is on the website under news – Automotive Technician Required.

From the Team at Balmoral Auto Repairs.

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN REQUIRED

We are looking for a fully qualified automotive technician to join our small busy Mt Eden workshop.

If you want to have variety, work as part of a small team weekdays 8am-5pm only,not have the city traffic hassle, plus easy parking and have the following skills and attributes.

New Zealand automotive technician qualifications
Current NZ full drivers license
Reliable
Honest
Enthusiastic
Motivated
Excellent English written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure
High standard of workmanship & tidy personal presentation
Attention to detail
WOF certification (not essential but preferred)
Sense of humour and like to fish and ride motorbikes

This could be your dream job!

Applicants for this position should have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

Please apply with CV & cover letter to email – info@balmoralautorepairs.co.nz. We’ll respond as soon as we’ve processed your application.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A WOF And A SERVICE

A warrant of fitness (WoF) is an official New Zealand document certifying that a light motor vehicle has passed a compulsory periodic inspection of safety and roadworthiness.

As part of a wof we do not perform service type checks on your vehicle such as oil & water levels checks, tyre pressure checks, removal of tyres, or brake pads visual inspection .

A service is maintenance of your vehicle.

So we recommend a service every 10 000km or annually because by servicing your vehicle regularly you will achieve fuel savings and less emissions so better for the environment and extend the life of the vehicle. Things wear out with use but also perish over time so frequent servicing will pick up any problems. Even if you do little driving its still important.

A comprehensive full service includes:
– Change oil & filter
– Engine flush
– Check tyre pressures/including spare
– Check horn & lights
– Check battery & radiator cap
– Review brake/clutch fluid
– Check automatic transmission/gearbox/differential oil
– Review power steering fluid
– Inspect spark plus
– Check air filter
– Check cabin filter
– Check fuel filter
– Inspect suspension & steering joints
– Lubricate doors & catches
– Visually check drive belts/hoses
– Inspect wipers/washer jets & fluid
– Carry out test drive

FROM $299*
* All prices include GST, Based on a maximum of 5 litres of oil and oil filter to the value of $20. Prices may vary with diesel, 4WD & European vehicles.

We also offer a budget version service with far less checks this is available from $189. But remember its not as comprehensive.

Travel safe if heading away for the school holidays or Easter break. We look forward to being of service during the year.

Dodgy Warrants

Because of all the recent media attention surrounding workshops and vehicle warrants of fitness (WOF’s). We need to assure our customers that Balmoral Auto Repairs runs a reputable business!

MTA accredited workshop
AA Approved Licensed Repairer
Striving for excellence with our standards, ethic’s and quality of workmanship
Located in the neighbourhood for over 50 years
Ross has worked at this business at its current location for over 20 years as a result has been the owner/operator for the past 10 years.

Finally assurance that pride is taken in our workmanship and we guarantee it. Offering honesty and quality repairs. Above all safety is the number one priority so we don’t take any shortcuts.

Did you know WOF failure rates average around 38% with the most common reasons being – tyres, brakes, steering & suspension. All important components for controlling a vehicle. Bulbs & wipers do feature but obviously are less expensive to repair.

So in conclusion take your vehicle for inspection at a place you can trust to do a thorough job!