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Another name for a Full Service & Auto Repair Workshop is
A “Complete” Workshop where they provide an auto mechanical service working on all makes and modelled vehicles carrying out general car servicing and car repairs in one place, saving you time and money.
Complete Auto Repairs Dunedin South’s Trusted Mechanics is one of these workshop that are available to provide you with all your motoring needs directly or can organize additional services such as Specialist work; tyres; car battery; auto transmission servicing; exhaust and muffler; etc as required.

Typically a full service & auto repairs workshop will provide services such as Warrant of Fitness; Service; Brakes; Cv Boots; Tune-up; Radiator Service; Suspension; Engine Diagnostics for computer fault finding etc. Basically anything that is car related with servicing or any auto repairs. Make contact with us at Complete Auto Repairs and we will do our best to help you in your quest for “Happy Motoring” knowing you are using mechanics that have earned the reputation of being trusted and doing what is best by you and your car.
Having your own regular local Full Service & Auto Repairs Workshop at the tip of your finger is peace of mind because you get to know the people that will be working on your vehicle which builds up a trust between both parties. The workshop gets to know what you want and what your requirements are as not everybody wants the same things. We can cater to each and every individual giving you what you want and require, therefore ensuring that you receive consistent service; convenience; reliability and value for money.

Complete Auto Repairs is equipped with all the tooling; equipment; Mechanics and technicians to complete all your car repairs and regular maintenance schedules.
Contact us by either phone 03 4553258; Call in or email us info@completeautorepairs.co.nz for an appointment and we will go from there to what best suits you!!!

There are many good reasons to making sure your tyres are always inflated to the correct pressure. Not only will you save on your fuel bills!! It’s better for the environment and it’s also safer

Your tyres are the only thing that’s keeping your vehicle gripped to the road

In 2010, the AA carried out a couple of tyre pressure survey’s conducted on 150 vehicles getting a warrant of fitness check at an AA Inspection Centre found that 48% had underinflated tyres. They also proved in a test conducted on common fuel consumption theories that driving a car with tyres 7 psi underinflated increased fuel consumption by nearly 8%

The type or brand of tyres you have on your vehicle, is doesn’t matter as incorrect tyre pressures will affect the fuel efficiency and the safety of your vehicle

Incorrectly inflated tyres lead to:

– Reduced fuel efficiency: When tyres are under-inflated, their rolling resistance increases. This means they need more energy or fuel to make them turn. Think about how difficult it is to ride your bicycle with underinflated tyres!

– Increased safety risks: Vehicle handling, cornering, acceleration, braking and wet grip are all impaired if tyres are not inflated to the correct pressure. Under-inflated tyres are more likely to suffer from a dangerous blowout.

– Increased tyre wear: When a tyre is under-inflated, its contact patch with the road surface is concentrated towards the two outer edges of the tread. This leads to rapid wear on the shoulders and reduced tyre life

– Overinflated tyres wear unevenly, having less grip on the road and can affect braking ability

Tips:

– Check tyre pressure’s monthly – We recommend checking them at least monthly or whenever you’re going on a long trip; towing or carrying heavy loads

– Different vehicles require different levels of tyre pressure. The correct tyre pressure for your vehicle can usually be found on a plate located on the driver’s door, on a plate inside the fuel filler flap or in your vehicle handbook

– Tyres lose air pressure naturally, by about 1-2psi per month (3-6%)

– Check the pressure when tyres are cold (that is, when you have travelled less than 3km)

– Check the pressure in all four tyres, including the spare

Also to consider:

– While checking the pressure’s, also check the condition and tread depth of your tyres. Bulges, lumps or cuts are all signs a tyre may need replacing

– Although 1.5mm is the legal minimum tread depth, less than 3mm reduces wet grip, making driving less safe in wet conditions

Did you know:

New vehicles are increasingly being fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems. These work by monitoring the amount of air in the tyre and alerting the driver when the pressure in any of the tyres falls below a certain threshold.

When buying a car, look out for this feature.

Click here to find out your car’s tyre pressure.

If you would like to know more or you are not sure just call in or get in touch with us at Complete Auto Repairs, Your local Auto Super Shoppe!!!

Summer’s here and you’re itching to fill your vehicle with petrol and hit the open road. Great!
We want you to have a hassle-free and enjoyable “Happy Motoring” experience.
Making sure that your “Old Faithful” is ready for the long, hot trips is vital to this.

One of the main roadside mechanical breakdowns is the cooling system failing.

This is because with the combination of heat, long trips and heavy loads can place enormous demands on your car as the vehicle’s cooling system has to work harder to prevent engine overheating.

The basic Cooling system is made up of the following components:

If you do wind up in this situation, “Stop immediately” or turn off your air conditioning and turn your heater on to hot. Although it’s hot, it can help remove heat from the engine and use the additional fans to cool things down until you can get to a safe area to stop.

Nothing can slow down a road trip like car trouble, and seeing that “check engine” warning light flash on the dashboard is a sure way to put the brakes on your summer getaway.

Nothing ruins the engine of a car faster than overheating; and when your engine isn’t cooled properly, it can easily blow a head gasket, or crack or warp a cylinder head. In technical jargon, your engine will have a “meltdown” and can be expensive to repair.

Even a simple thing like a “stuck thermostat” is a common cause of engine overheating which is relatively affordable to replace at the time.

We recommend if you haven’t replaced the thermostat and your car is middle aged then this is advisable when having a cooling system repair done. This could save you a “meltdown” and having to pull off to the side of the road with a steaming hood.

So, we suggest before you pull out of the driveway and hit the open road or if there are any signs e.g. Your engine overheats quickly on short trips or is overheating after extended driving to book in with us at Complete Auto Repairs to get it repaired; or to organize a Pre-trip inspection, a Service and include the Pre-trip / Holiday check as the best medicine is “Preventive”

Did you know: The ideal mixture of coolant and water inside your vehicle’s radiator is 50:50. If you were to put pure water in your vehicle’s radiator, it would boil at approx 100 degrees Celsius. But if you combine the water with an equal amount of antifreeze, the new mixture boils at a much higher temperature “The magic of chemistry!”

We will carry out an independent and unbiased visual and operating inspection. We will check the general condition of any vehicle you may be looking at buying.

We will conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle to help avoid any unforeseen surprises.
A Pre Purchase Inspection is based on the external examination of components and will identify faults which exist at the time.

We encourage you to learn as much as you can about the car before you buy it.
Like checking out the car’s history, the value of the car and the overall condition of the car before you decide to buy it.

With the vehicle’s history, the key questions to ask are:

– Is there finance owing on the vehicle
– Is it stolen?
– Was the car imported in a damaged state?
– Has it had a wound back odometer?

Here is an article from a current Auto Talk Magazine to Highlight the importance of getting an independent Pre-Purchase Inspection:

‘Sight unseen’ issues increasing – MVDT
Buyers taking the risk of purchasing a car via the internet without viewing it themselves are causing a headache for the Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal – with an increasing number of cases ending up there when the deals ‘turn to custard’.

This comes from the just-released MVDT adjudicators’ annual report for the Auckland tribunal. In cases that ‘require special mention’- in the report by adjudicator Christopher Cornwell – are instances of ‘sight unseen’ purchases through TradeMe.

“In most of these cases the consumer compounds the folly of buying sight unseen by failing to get an independent purchase inspection of the vehicle carried out, preferably by a franchised dealer, the AA, an MTA garage, or a mechanic appointed by the purchaser – not someone arranged by the trader, “ says Cornwell.

The tribunal highlighted the case of a Chatham Island couple who purchased a 2008 Ford Ranger from a dealer on the mainland via a TradeMe auction – without getting it checked. They relied on the trader’s description of the vehicle as being ‘in good condition’ and ‘economical and drives great’. On arrival it had a cracked windscreen, faulty lights and a faulty transmission.

After a dispute over who actually sold the car, the couple were awarded a refund and costs – although an appeal is pending.

TradeMe head of trust and safety Jon Graham McMullan Duffy says they do see a number of such cases coming through his team, and he feels such cases are best dealt with by the MVDT.

Issues also highlighted by the tribunal were the case of a high mileage car being leased long term, unmaintained, and traders who repeatedly fail to supply ‘consumer information notices’ and attempt to sell vehicles “as is where is”.

In his recommendations for amendments to the Motor Vehicle Sales Act, Cornwell repeated a request to extend the jurisdiction of the tribunal to cover contract based claims – this year a further six cases needed to be sent to the general Disputes Tribunal. “This is not only inconvenient for applicants, but a waste of taxpayers’ money in paying for the cost of two hearings when the matters in dispute could easily be resolved by the tribunal at one meeting.”

He also called for the ability within the Consumer Guarantees Act for depreciation of a motor vehicle, through use, to be able to be recognised, noting that unlike buying a cheap appliance, in the case of a car the purchaser may have had many months of use and value before rejecting it.