A Brief Guide to Mazda Service Centre Servicing

Many people don’t have any type of relationship with their nearest main Mazda service centre. They often search for the “best car repair near me” when something has already gone seriously wrong with their car. Prevention is better than the cure, and it makes better sense to adopt a proactive approach to the health of your car. When your car is serviced to a high standard on a regular basis, smaller issues can be identified and fixed before they turn into larger problems. Let’s take a closer look at main dealer servicing in this brief guide.

The Value of Car Servicing

For most people, their car is the second largest investment after a home, and it makes good sense to protect it. For this reason, regular high-quality servicing is needed for a number of reasons. Firstly, getting that stamp on the service record for your car has real value when it comes time to sell your car later. A car that has been looked after can command a higher price and it’s likely to sell faster. Secondly, if you have a relatively new car, servicing is necessary. If you don’t want to void the warranty, which can lead to more expensive repairs down the road. Thirdly, a car that’s serviced regularly will run more efficiently saving on fuel purchases at the pump.

What’s Included in a Car Service?

The exact amount of work carried out during a service will depend on the age of the vehicle. However, there are certain basic checks that are always carried out, such as: changing the air filter, changing the oil, checking the brakes, and checking the tyres. Generally speaking, there are three different types of service levels available to choose from; they are a minor or interval service, a full service, and major car service. The type of car service that you need will depend on a number of factors, such as the age of the car, the current mileage, the car logbook and when you last had the car serviced.

The interval car service only covers the basics to ensure that the car is roadworthy. This is enough to get your car on the road with checks, such as: checking fluids, changing spark plugs, checking brakes, and checking tyres.

A full car service is more comprehensive; all of the checks carried out on an interval car service are supplemented with more checks on safety systems. If you’ve skipped a couple of car servicing appointments this is the car service that you need.

A major car service is needed after a great deal of repair work has been carried out. Installing a large number of replacement components can affect how other systems work, and this must be checked. This is the most expensive type of car service, but it’s not likely that you will need one unless you have a car accident.

If you’re looking for the best “car repair near me” get in touch with us here at AHG today.

Is it Safe to Drive on Bad Shock Absorbers?

If you’re driving with bad shocks, it’s crucial to understand that it can be a dangerous way to drive. When your shock absorbers go bad, it will affect how your car’s handling, cornering, and braking. These issues can be detected and fixed by a trained mechanic, so it’s a great idea to book a car service online. Let’s take a closer look at bad shocks and why they are so dangerous for drivers.

4 Telltale Signs of Bad Shock Absorbers
The shock absorbers on your car don’t just go bad overnight, and there are usually four good indicators to warn you that there is a problem.

1. Bad Vibrations
The first thing that many people notice is a deep vibration in their steering wheel as they are driving. This is not the usual vibration that you may receive as feedback from the road surface. This vibration is very noticeable, and it will be evident even on the smoothest and flattest roads. This phenomenon is even more pronounced if you’re driving at higher speeds; the vibrations may be so bad that it could affect the control of your car.

2. Strange Braking Behaviour
Drivers may notice that the nose of their car dips or the front end swerves during braking. The braking could take much longer than usual to bring the vehicle to a stop. This is especially dangerous in wet weather when the braking distances are already lengthened. The braking could even cause the car to swerve from side to side, and this is alarming especially at speed. Good shock absorbers will promote effective braking, and when they go bad, the braking efficiency is severely compromised.


3. Uneven Tyre Wear

When your shock absorbers are worn, you will notice that your tyres will not grip evenly and firmly to the road. This will result in the tyres wearing unevenly, and this is always a dangerous situation. When a tyre wears in this way, it will offer less grip and the car will be dangerous to drive. During wetter weather, the chances of hydroplaning are increased, and the stopping distance will be longer.


4. A “Bouncy” Ride

Most of the cars leaving the production line are fitted with suspension systems that are designed to make the ride smooth and comfortable. When your shock absorbers start to go bad, you may notice that your car bounces more when you pass over a bump. When you turn a corner, you may notice a great deal of body roll and the handling will not be accurate or reliable. When shocks go bad, they simply cannot handle the weight of the car, and this can even lead to other components becoming damaged.

Any problem that can affect your handling, braking and cornering should be treated seriously. Losing control at the wrong moment can result in a road traffic accident, and this is a dangerous situation to handle. It’s essential to contact a good mechanic quickly to get your shock absorbers fixed and make your driving experience safer.

If you’re located in Perth, you can book a car service online and eliminate the risks from driving on unsafe shock absorbers.

2 Things to Avoid When Attempting a Car Repair for Scratches

There are many minor car repair tasks that a driver can attempt without formal training. Many car owners want a car that looks great, and when there are scratches on the paintwork, it can be annoying. A scratch on a car will affect the aesthetic appeal, but it’s also a vector that could allow corrosion to enter the bodywork. As such, it’s a great idea to repair that scratch, but many people approach this in the wrong way, and they may even cause more damage. In this article, we will look at two things that you should avoid when you attempt a car scratch repair.

1. Ignore the Car Scratch

When you think about car repairs in Perth, it’s likely that most drivers will imagine some major problem where the bonnet is open, and mechanics are scratching their head. Most car repairs are not like this at all, and the vast majority of repairs are corrections of minor issues. This is equally true with scratches on the paint; this isn’t a catastrophic situation that will prevent the car from working as intended, but it won’t go away on its own.

When the paint on a car has been scratched the clear coating that offers protection for the car’s bodywork has become compromised. This means that the paintwork is at an increased risk of further damage including corrosion. The longer that the owner waits to resolve this issue the worse it will get. Eventually, the corrosion will penetrate down to the bodywork and rust will begin to form. When you fix the car scratch quickly, you can protect your car and the paintwork from further damage.

2. Just Touch Up the Affected Area

When many drivers notice minor scratches on their car’s paintwork the first instinct is to buy some matching car paint and touch up the affected area. Every driver has seen the little cans of touch up paint at the auto stores, so this must be a valid tactic. Some drivers may even know someone that successfully use touch up paint to get their car looking as good as new again.

Using car touch up paint may be a viable option if you have an older car that would be uneconomical to fix correctly. However, if you have a new car or a classic car that you care a great deal about, car touch up paint is simply not an option worth exploring. In fact, in most cases the touched up area will probably look worse than the car scratches did in the first place.

Car touch up paint is hard to apply, the car body surface has to be prepared in a specific way, and even then the car paint may not cover or stick properly. If you’re planning to do this outside, dirt and dust can settle on the surfaces as you prepare them or as they dry and this will ruin the finish.

If you’re looking for the best “car repair near me” save yourself some time and go with the team at AHG Auto & Tyre Service who can provide you with an obligation free quote for your repairs.

Do You Really Need a Regular Car Service?

Many drivers ask this question; the primary reason for skipping a car service is to save a little money. However, this is a short term way of thinking, it may be possible to save a little money, but the cost could be much more in the medium to long term. Modern new cars can go for around three years before they need a service, but for every other car even those with a lower mileage a regular service is a must. Let’s take a look at why regular car service is essential for hassle-free safe driving.

Why Does a Car Need a Service?

If you’re already thinking about a car service in Perth, it’s likely that you have some concerns about how your car is performing. A regular car service is the only real method to determine if your vehicle is still operating as it should be. Perhaps you have lower fluid levels, or the oil hasn’t been changed in a while, and this can affect how your car behaves. When a vehicle isn’t maintained well, the performance will be compromised, components will fail prematurely, and the car will be less safe on the roads. Drivers may start to notice strange sounds, odd behaviour and a plethora of warning lights scattered across their dashboard. When these issues are ignored, the problem only gets worse over time, and it may cost far more to fix it later rather than sooner.

How Will Your Car Benefit from a Regular Service?

A car is a complex piece of machinery; it has electronic, electrical and mechanical moving parts that need to work in harmony. When one or more of these components fail, it can have a knock-on effect on the other parts in your car. However, regular servicing can detect many minor issues before they can develop into more extensive problems. Smaller issues are usually easier and cheaper to fix, and there are considerable perks to regular servicing. A well maintained and serviced car will handle better, the braking will be improved, the engine will run smoothly, and the fuel efficiency will be improved.

It’s also worth mentioning that regular servicing will protect the value of your car in the future. If you can present a complete service history for your car when it comes time to sell you it will be easier to sell, and you’re more likely to get a buyer that will meet your price. Regular servicing demonstrates to a potential buyer that the car has been well looked after by you and this will improve their confidence to buy your car.

How Can You Get Your Car Serviced?

The car servicing that you need will depend on the servicing intervals and the mileage that’s been put on the car since the last service. A car should be serviced at least once per year or every 10-12k miles whichever comes first. A full service is the best options, but if you have regular car servicing a basic service will keep your car running well.