Vehicle Service Book

The TRUTH about new car serving and manufacturer warranty.

Purchased a new car, and to maintain your manufacturer warranty you keep taking it back to the dealer paying and arm and a leg, and sometimes your first born to get your servicing and maintenance done? Well your first born, arm and leg are safe because taking your car to another mechanic will not void your warranty.

Dealerships and Sinking Ships

The cost of cars over the years has decreased significantly. The now highly competitive market has seen dealerships lose chunks of their profits. To combat the lowering profit margins, they have turned to servicing, parts and add-ons to bolster their bottom line. According to Deloittes 2014 Motor Industry Report 30% of car dealer’s profits come from servicing. With this in mind it’s easy to understand why they’ll happily have you believe that going elsewhere would void your warranty.

The Law and Your Logbook

So not only will the staff at the car dealership have you believe that a vehicle needs to be returned to them for servicing to maintain the warranty but the language in logbooks also indicates this.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says "a manufacturer's warranty is a promise to the consumer that the vehicle will be free from defects for a certain period of time.” While a manufacturer can have certain requirements in its warranty terms such as servicing be done by qualified staff and quality parts to be used where required, they CANNOT require you to service your vehicle through an authorised dealer to keep the warranty intact.

"Provided you service the vehicle in accordance with any such requirements, the warranty will remain valid. If the manufacturer's warranty states that the vehicle can only be serviced by an authorised dealer, this may raise concerns under the Competition and Consumer Act," the ACCC has said in written guidance to the automotive industry.

Stuart Charity, executive director Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association, welcomes the ACCC’s clarification.

“Over many years, car manufacturers and their dealers have promulgated the myth to car owners that they risk voiding their warranty unless their car is serviced by an authorised dealer using parts supplied by the vehicle maker during the warranty period,” he says.

“The reality is that consumers have always had statutory rights under Australian law to ensure that their manufacturers’ warranties remain valid when the vehicles are serviced by independent workshops using fit for purpose parts and qualified technicians."

 

Keep Your Warranty Intact

There really are only three key guidelines to follow in order to keep your warranty intact.

1. Use a qualified mechanic – It is important that you use a qualified mechanic and reputable service centre. Ensure your mechanic fills out the logbook. Getting a mate or doing it yourself will void the warranty.
2. Stick to Service Intervals – You must adhere to the time or KM intervals as specified by the manufacturer. Allowing this to run over may void your warranty.
3. Parts must be quality – It is not a requirement to use genuine parts only, but the parts do need to be of appropriate quality.

So as long as you stick to these requirements, you can keep your warranty and save yourself some coin!

At Midas we offer logbook servicing on all major makes and models. All our services come with a Midas safety check and vehicle inspection report as well as the Midas Guarantee.

Call us today to find out how much you can save! (and we won’t take your limbs or children as payment.)

References:

https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/motor-vehicle-sales-repairs-an-industry-guide-to-the-australian-consumer-law

http://www.midas.com.au/the-midas-guarantee

dogears

Stop the Squeak! What Causes Noisey Brakes.

Squeaky brakes!

Is there anything worse than trying to sneak out of a campground first thing in the morning, with brakes screeching and squealing?

Over the weekend I was staying in a campground in Byron Bay, I tried to sneak out at 5am for an early surf before the crowd and I am fairly certain I woke up all of Northern NSW. Not only did I not get the uncrowded surf I was hoping for, or the most popular camper award in the campground but I was now also worried I was going to have to do the four-hour drive home with dodgy brakes.

But alas, calling in sick because I had squeaky brakes and needed to stay on holiday wasn’t going to fly with the boss. It turns out, that although noisy brakes are a big concern for most people, it can in fact be normal.

Squeaking brakes are one of the most common noise complaints from car owners. Sometimes the reason behind this high pitched, head turning symphony is worn out brake pads. If you have not been sticking to service intervals and suspect that it could be worn brake pads, it is recommended that you or your mechanic check them as soon as possible. Brake pads should be checked every 10, 000 Km’s.

However, worn pads are not always the reason. Modern brakes use a cast iron disc squeezed between two brake pads lined with friction material. Pads that have not achieved a 90% surface area contact with the disc will always squeal. This is due to vibration. Brake squeal is basically just high frequency vibration. With vibrations possible between the pads and rotors, pads and calipers or the calipers and mounts, it’s easy to understand why the squeal is so common.

BRAKE
So if you’ve got squeaky brakes, and are sure it’s not worn out pads you have two choices. Let the squeak live and use it as a means to let every one in your street know when you are coming and going or you can silence the squeak with these steps.

1. Check for lose parts – Try wiggling the brake pad, calipers, and other brake components. They should not move with just your hands.
2. Replace any clips that may be missing or damaged. If you’re not sure how to tell or do this, it may be better to see your mechanic.
3. There are a few products on the market made to reduce brake noise. Visit your local auto supply store to find out more.
4. Try different brake pad material. Again speak to your mechanic if you are unsure how to go about this.
5. Check the brake rotor or drum for scoring, grooving, or other wear. An irregular brake rotor or drum surface can cause the brake pad to jump and chatter in the brake assembly and caliper.
(Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Noisy-Brakes)

If you’re squealing with every stop, and need some advice on what to do next feel free to give one of our friendly service techs a call on 5451 0433.

Cars that Shaped the World War 1 – ANZAC DAY 2016

World War One – the first major war our world had seen involved 28 countries, cost over $200 billion dollars and killed over an estimated 15 million people.

The tragic four years from 1914 – 1918 had a drastic effect on technology and revolutionised modern warfare. The war began with soldiers riding horseback with rifles and ended with troops armed with machine guns in tanks, submarines and bombers.

So what role did the humble car have in the First World War?

Type D Vauxhall – Britain

The Type D Vauxhall first rolled of the production line in 1915 and crossed battlefields on the western fronts. The Type D was reserved for military higher –ups and made an appealing alternative to travelling through conflict zones by horseback

Rolls Royce Armoured Car – Britain

Britain’s Royal Naval Air Service raised the first Rolls equipped armoured car squadron and had vehicles at the front line within weeks of the outbreak of war. The Rolls Royce was highly effective in the field and civilian production of the car essentially stopped. The armoured vehicle was constructed on ‘the Ghost’ which first built in the 1906 was the only vehicle built by the Rolls Royce company until the launch of ‘Phantom 1’ in 1925.

Renault AG1 Landaulets – France

In 1914 the Renault Taxi was re-purposed to ferry troops from Paris to the frontlines in the famous ‘Battle of Marne.’ Weeks after First World War One erupted, the French capital was under threat from German invaders. French military chiefs requisitioned hundreds of taxis and their drivers, giving them the risky mission of getting thousands of troops to the battlefield. With British troops at their side, France had the first victory and saved Paris from German invasion.

Ford Model T – United States of America

The earliest Fords were used only as Ambulances as Henry Ford, who publicly opposed the war, refused to let his cars be used in combat roles. Prior to America’s involvement in 1917, Ford authorised the sale of the Model T to British Military strictly for Ambulance use only. Once the United States became involved Ford’s disposition changed and thousands of vehicles were sold to the United States Military. A year before World War One erupted Henry Ford and his team created the first automobile assembly line. These techniques ended up proving to be crucial to the war efforts.

Gas Bag Cars

During the First World War in many areas of the UK and Europe petrol supplies were tight to non-existent for civilian vehicles. All petrol was diverted to the Militaries efforts and as such passenger cars, taxis, buses and trucks were unable to access fuel supplies. They instead sought alternative energy sources and Coal gas became popular. The gas was stored in large rubber bags which were attached to the roof of the vehicle. Due to the size of the balloons drivers were urged to stay below 30 miles per hour (48KM’s) due to potential hazards of overhead bypasses and bridges as well as to keep the bags secure to the roof.
oil care

Oil Care

Why do I need to change my car oil regularly?

oil care

Recently we have had a lot of new customers book-in saying they have missed their last service (sometimes a few services) on their car.  It is really important to have your car serviced regularly as per the manufacturers service interval.

 

Two things that are replaced EVERY TIME your car is serviced is the Oil and Oil Filter

 

Oil is the most important element when it comes to keeping our cars running well and efficiently.  So regularly checking oil levels and completing routine oil changes, prevents unnecessary wear and tear, and expensive repairs.

 

Oil is what keeps the engine running effectively and the engine is what makes and keeps the car running.

 

No oil = no engine = car no go.  

 

Oil’s primary role is to act as a lubricant between moving metallic parts. With very high levels of heat present in the cars engine and friction between moving parts creating even more heat, oil acts as lubricant keeping friction low, and preventing metal parts rubbing on each other.

 

With low or contaminated oil, the moving parts will be rubbing on each other, this rubbing causes high friction(heat) and the heat will cause the components to expand. This expansion will in turn cause the moving parts to ‘bind’ up or seize, as the modern engine is built with extremely tight tolerances. Generally, when a seizure occurs expensive bits break – an engine seizure is as bad as it sounds. Some customers have been known to have a seizure of their own when quoted for the repairs.

oil care

Bent pistons & conrod in an engine because the moving parts seized up from lack of oil (lubricant)

So now we know why it’s important to maintain oil levels but why do we have to change the oil altogether?

 

In addition to being a lubricant, oil also acts as a detergent designed to collect any particles that may be in the engine.

 

If not changed the oil will become full of particles and motor debris, causing it to become black sludge and not work effectively as a lubricant. As mentioned this will result in the engine overheating and you sitting at a bus stop checking your Facebook Newsfeed for the 54th time that morning.

 

Checking your oil levels once a week and sticking to routine services really can save you a lot of time and money!

oil care

Two Commodore Rocker Cover’s – the left has been regularly serviced & had oil changes. The right hasn’t and the oil has sludg’ed up which will considerably reduce the life of the engine as it will be starved of oil.

 

Check out this video on how to check your oil levels!