Tune up before Christmas
Having your car break down on holiday is inconvenient, expensive and stressful.
Unfortunately, the odds of trouble occurring far from home increase with the workouts vehicles get from the long distances travelled, the bumps of back-country roads and searing summer heat.
Modern cars rely immensely on high-tech computers – like a fighter jet, there are millions of lines of code in the family car – and this makes it vital to include electrical check-ups in wider maintenance.
Amazing Auto Electric owner Greg Box says many problems will be indicated by a light on the dash. If one of those goes on and doesn’t turn off, such as for ABS brakes or air bags, get the vehicle checked out, he says.
Faults can still be present and performance suffering without overt signs, though. This can catch up with you down the road.
Failing alternators, weak batteries and misfiring engines are common electrical problems. There are plenty of others, too, because as Greg points out, a car’s electrics are essentially its central nervous system.
‘‘If there’s anything that’s not 100 per cent, you should address it now. It might be a light on the dash, slow cranking – whatever it is, get it checked now because there’s nothing worse than breaking down on holiday when a lot of places will be closed anyway.’’
Greg says the aim of Amazing Auto Electric is to provide ‘‘good-quality jobs for a reasonable price’’.
More than 40 years’ experience and a variety of the latest high-tech scanners ensure vehicles of all kinds are well catered for.
This includes cars, 4WDs, campervans, caravans, motorbikes, boats and even commercial machinery. Solar panels can also be fitted to motorhomes and air conditioning faults resolved.
Greg says often one of the most immediate benefits from an electrical tune-up is better fuel economy.
As well as helping drivers save money on fuel, the cleaner-running cars also emit less pollution as properly firing engines become more efficient.
For a tune-up or to get other electrical issues looked at, call Amazing Auto Electric on
03 379 4250. Visit them at 65 Coleridge St, Sydenham, or online at amazingautoelectric.co.nz.