• Correctly fitting and installing a child restraint
• Inspection and adjustment of your child restraint to ensure it was installed correctly
• Fitting of a child restraint which requires vehicle modification
• Installation of additional anchorage points and other restraint devices, and
• Provide certification of correct fitting.

The automotive industry is not well-known for its reputation, yet a good mechanic is vital for ensuring the safety of your car and your family. So how do you find yourself a good, trustworthy mechanic?

Ask for referrals

Ask friends, relatives and colleagues - word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing tools any business can use, so when someone you know and trust gives you a recommendation, you could be on the right track.

Do your research

Is the mechanic a member of the NSW Motor Trader’s Association (MTA NSW), adhering to a code of ethics and guaranteeing their work? Do they have a website you can check out?

Interview your mechanic

There are a number of things you should ask to ensure that your mechanic is delivering the best possible service. Some of these include:

What is the warranty on their work? A reputable mechanic should be able to provide you with a warranty on both parts and labour.

Are they qualified to stamp your log book? If you have a new car, you should be able to rely on your mechanic to carry out the scheduled servicing as per the log book. In NSW, repairers must be licensed to work on your car. Ensure that the mechanic you choose is both qualified and experienced.

Is their pricing transparent? Some mechanics will give you an invoice containing only the lump sum owing - you are entitled to ask for a breakdown of parts, labour and GST.

How is labour calculated? It is also important to know how the labour is calculated – do they have a set number of hours they charge out for various jobs regardless of the time it takes, do they track them via electronic methods or timesheets, or do they track it all in their heads? How is it recorded? It is vital to choose a mechanic with strong processes and procedures in place to know you are getting what you pay for.

What kinds of parts do they use? There are a wide variety of parts on the market, consisting of both genuine and aftermarket. Many mechanics use aftermarket parts to keep pricing down, and if using reputable aftermarket parts you are assured they will be equal in quality to that of genuine (examples include Ryco for filters, and Bendix for brakes). You can, however, also get not-so-good aftermarket parts – find out if your mechanic is using reputable brands. If he wouldn’t put $20 brake pads in his own car, then why is it appropriate to put them in yours?

It is important to check about parts in relation to your warranty – vehicle manufacturers’ have specific performance requirements for parts, and it is vital your mechanic uses only those parts deemed suitable for your vehicle and that will comply with your warranty conditions.

Can they translate a complex issue into simple language? One of the best ways to judge a mechanic’s knowledge is to see whether they can translate a complex issue into simple language you can understand. It also means that you are less likely to have the wool pulled over your eyes and end up paying more for a simple fix.

Ask for a full explanation of what is going to be done to the car, and why. Is the mechanic friendly, helpful, and not irritated by your questions? A good mechanic should be pro-active in educating customers about their vehicles.

There are so many other elements to consider.

• Will they drop you off to the shopping centre or to home if you live locally?
• Will they let you watch while they work?
• Is the reception area welcoming and the workshop clean?
• Are they happy to give you back your old parts and show you the wear and tear?
• Do they quote and call for approval before proceeding with any major repairs?
•  Are the mechanics uniforms cleaned and well-maintained?

 Trust your gut instinct!

Always remember that a good mechanic should treat all customers – both male and female - with respect and common courtesy. Finding a quality mechanic is important to the life of your car and safety of your family - don't underestimate this, and take the time to find a good one.

As drivers, we each carry certain responsibilities. We ensure we adhere to the road rules, provide courtesy to fellow motorists and, importantly, put safety first – and this includes ensuring that your vehicle is in roadworthy condition.

It is essential that we all know how to check air pressure and keep an eye on our engine oil levels, but cars are complex pieces of machinery that need to be regularly maintained by an experienced professional. Without correct maintenance, your car is a potentially dangerous machine. In addition, regular servicing can save you a lot of money long-term.

Here are a few more reasons why regular servicing of your vehicle is absolutely essential.

New car warranty protection
All new cars come with a warranty. However, these warranties are only valid if the service requirements of the vehicle are met.

Save at the petrol station
Cars are complex pieces of machinery, and small changes can often result in a large impact on a vehicle’s performance. These changes are inevitable over time due to natural wear and tear, but regular servicing can ensure that these changes are addressed before they become significant. Natural wear and tear can lead to a gradual but significant loss of efficiency, resulting in your car using more and more fuel to travel the same distance.

Prolong the life of your tyres
Minor and major services should always include a tyre rotation and balance. This involves moving the rear tyres to the front of the vehicle, and the front tyres to the rear. The front tyres should be balanced to prevent vibration at high speeds.

Tyre rotation is essential to not only ensuring you always have the best tyres on the front for safety purposes, but will also increase the longevity of your tyres by evening out their wear. Tyres aren’t a cheap investment, so you really want to maximise their lifespan with regular rotation!

Ensuring safety for you and your family – and others
Every day we buckle up automatically, without remembering that we are behind the wheel of a potentially lethal machine. Sometimes we need to take a breath and reflect on our responsibilities as drivers - these extend not only to the manner in which you conduct yourself on the roads, but also to maintaining the condition of your car. Poorly maintained vehicles significantly increase the risk of serious accidents, and while there are a number of things that you can do yourself to keep your car in good condition, these should be seen as a supplement to a professional service and not a substitute. Regular servicing by an experienced and qualified mechanic will ensure that you have done everything within your power to ensure the safety of your family and fellow motorists.

Prevent breakdowns
A car is similar to the human body. Unless it receives enough of the right fluids, it will break down. But your car doesn’t just need fluid - it needs clean fluid to run at its peak performance.

It is amazing how many breakdowns could have been avoided with simple and regular car maintenance. That seems obvious, however it is common to see a car stranded on the side of the road with the owner impatiently waiting for assistance.

Many breakdowns are not related to the fact that today’s car engines are more complex or involve sophisticated components – a large number of cars still break down today because fluids are allowed to reach low levels or simple repairs are not taken care of in a timely manner. Regular servicing can pick up any irregularities and ensure there are no safety requirements that could develop into a problem – such as worn brakes, shock absorbers or tyres, oil and coolant leaks or worn wheel bearings.

Regular servicing will ensure the most basic functions of your vehicle are maintained, and the general checkover of all vehicle components will ensure that any visible issues will be reported before they cause you a problem.

Preserving the resale value of your vehicle
How many times do we hear about how much our vehicles drop in value the minute we drive them off the manufacturer’s lot? This doesn’t have to be the case! No matter how long you have your car for, you will almost certainly want to sell it in the future. A complete, regular service history will make your vehicle much more attractive to prospective buyers, and you not only find it easier to sell but will most certainly receive a higher price if you have looked after it properly.

From experience I can confirm that regular inspection and maintenance keeps your vehicle running smoothly, increases its reliability, maintains its value and most certainly extends the life of your vehicle! Happy driving!

Over the last six months we have seen an influx of customers coming in with issues related to E10 fuel. E10 is most certainly cheaper at the bowser – but does it really turn out to be a cheaper alternative for your vehicle?

What are the different types of petrol?

There are a number of types of petrol available to motorists - unleaded, Premium 95 and Premium 98. Unleaded fuel is currently being phased out and replaced by E10. 

Premium 95 and Premium 98

Premium 95 has a 95 octane reading, and Premium 98 has a 98 octane reading. The higher the number the better for your vehicle –this is because the higher the octane reading, the lower and more controlled the burn of the fuel is. This gives you more power for each combustion stroke within the engine and, the slower the burn, the less amount of fuel you will utilise.

E10

E10 is a mixture of fuel and ethanol. The Australian Government has limited the amount of ethanol in petrol in Australia to a maximum of 10%. Ethanol is a renewable fuel, currently made locally from waste products such as sugar cane.

What problems have been identified with E10?

One of the major issues with ethanol is that it is a solvent. Solvents are drying agents and can disintegrate or dissolve parts. Another issue is that alcohol absorbs water, and for these reasons, ethanol can be very harmful to the fuel system components. A few of the issues that we have seen in the workshop over the last six months include:

• Fuel pump failure, with a number of fuel pumps overheating and burning out prematurely after E10 fuel damaged the plastic within the pump
• Fuellines disintegrating, as the ethanol in E10 attacks both the metallic and rubber-based fuel lines
• Fuel injectors damaged, with the plastic components within injectors getting eaten away from the ethanol
• Water in the fuel system,  resulting in engines hesitating and running roughly.

Ethanol has an affininity to water that can result in the corrosion of fuel tanks and fuel lines – rust resulting from this corrosion can block the fuel supply, resulting in the engine being inoperable. While the corrosion concern has been somewhat addressed by the requirement to add a corrosion inhibitor to the ethanol, the effect of ethanol on seals in the fuel system remains unaddressed.

E10 may appear cheaper at the bowser, but it also increases the long-term maintenance costs for your vehicle!

Is E10 really cheaper?

No! E10 provides motorists with the illusion of economy as it is cheaper per litre – but  E10 burns quickly, causing you to use more petrol. It is false economy, and from a purely technical perspective, ethanol doesn’t give you more bang for your buck or more power, and it most certainly doesn’t give you extra fuel economy. The only thing burning ethanol creates is heat – when the fuel and ethanol mix in the combustion chamber they ignite, and this burn within the chamber makes your engine run hotter.

Why is it false economy?

If you use 5ml of 98 fuel to get the piston to travel from the top to the bottom on a power stroke, generating the equivalent amount of power using E10 would require 8ml or 9ml of fuel. Under acceleration, e10 will use an extra 30% or more of fuel in order to get the same acceleration as 95 or 98. The Biofuels Association of Australia have confirmed that motorists will see a 1% to 3% increase in fuel consumption using E10, and some studies have suggested that in order for E10 to be cost-effective it needs to be under 80c per litre when compared to $1.30 per litre of premium.

Recommendations regarding E10 suitability vary from one manufacturer to another, and will also vary between carburettor and fuel-injected engines. Some of the new cars are designed to run on e10 fuel, but don’t let it fool you into thinking you will get the same economy out of e10 as you would out of premium - you need to fill it up more often, therefore costing more long-term.

Effectively, you are burning money out of your exhaust pipe.

And one last handy hint while talking about fuel: Don’t run your fuel tank below ¼ tank - with fuel-injected cars, fuel keeps the fuel pump cool and running too low can cause fuel pump to overheat, burning it out prematurely. It will also prevent a huge outlay of your hard-earned cash in one hit!

I'd be interested to hear of anyone else's experiences with E10 ... let me know!