Electrics key to car care
After sitting idle for much of autumn, vehicles are back on the streets as people resume work and catch up on trips out of town. But with the return of motoring coming as temperatures fall, drivers are warned to watch for signs of rough running.
Amazing Auto Electric owner Greg Box says batteries often suffer in autumn because the cold reduces its current and thickens oil – requiring more power to start a car – at the same time demand rises for lights and heating.
Batteries are an easy fix, though, and Amazing Auto Electric has a variety of highquality, well-priced batteries ready to match with vehicles, at its Sydenham workshop. Of more concern, Greg says, are dashboard lights that don’t turn off.
‘‘Every warning light on your dashboard is there for a very good reason and shouldn’t be ignored. These days when a car breaks down it’s more likely to do with your electrics than anything mechanical, and the longer you leave it, the worse it can get.
‘‘If your car isn’t running well, it’s also going to use more fuel, so a proper tune-up that looks at the computer system and clears any faults is an important part of regular maintenance,’’ he says.
An automotive electrician for more than years, Greg leads an experienced, longserving team at Amazing Auto Electric equipped with high-end diagnostic scanners.
Cars, trucks, 4WDs, motorbikes, motorhomes, caravans, boats and commercial machinery are all catered for.
Greg says car makers have increasingly focused on aspects of vehicles’ electrical systems – especially their computers – as the best way to improve safety and performance. However, many drivers don’t recognise this when planning their servicing.
‘‘Anything to do with the computer, sensors and electrical hardware like the alternator or starter motor, we do it,’’ Greg says.
He adds that if you don’t need Amazing Auto Electric now, save the number; sooner or later you will.
To get in touch with Amazing Auto Electric, 65 Coleridge St, Sydenham, phone 03 379-4250, or visit amazingautoelectric.co.nz