Service Centre

Car Connection in Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin, offers WoFs and servicing. With a convenient location and opening hours, it’s an easy choice for Dunedin drivers. We offer transmission servicing and a range of preventative maintenance including coolant, brake fluid and power steering flushes. If you need some mechanical repairs, we offer a courtesy car. If you’re looking for a place in Dunedin to get honest and reliable car advice with your Warrant of Fitness, vehicle service or mechanical repairs, you’ve come to the right place.

Vehicle Warrant of Fitness Checks

Need a Warrant of Fitness for your car in Dunedin? A WoF is a general safety check. Car Connection is a member of the Motor Trade Association (MTA) and offers WoFs of cars, trailers and caravans. A comprehensive WoF ensures the safety of your vehicle on the road, and all inspections follow the same guidelines to ensure our roads are much safer for everybody.

How often should I get a vehicle WoF?

How often you need one depends on when the vehicle was first registered. If it was registered before 1 January 2000, a WoF is issued for six months. On or after that date, it’s issued for 12 months, unless it’s never been registered or was recently first registered. We highly recommend you keep on top of your WoF due dates and if anything comes up before your WoF is due, get it checked regardless. If something doesn’t seem right with your vehicle, it always pays to get it checked

What’s included in a Warrant of Fitness check at Car Connection Dunedin:

• Brake operation check
• Tyre condition (including checking tread depth)
• Structural condition (looking out for rust)
• Lights are checked
• Glazing (is the windscreen safe?)
• Windscreen washers and wipers are checked
• Doors (do they open and close safely?)
• Safety belts (can’t be damaged or overly faded with the buckles working properly)
• Airbags are checked (if fitted)
• Speedo (must be working)
• Steering and suspension is checked to ensure it’s safe and secure
• Exhausts are checked
• The fuel system is checked for leaks

Have you modified your car, motorcycle, van or vehicle? You might need a low volume vehicle certificate which we can arrange for you.

What’s not included in a WoF?

Some things that aren’t included in a WoF, but that you should get checked regularly and keep an eye on. Luckily for you, they’re part of your economy service (as they’re pretty important) at Car Connection.

• The engine, clutch, gearbox, and differential condition
• Brake pad thickness or life expectancy (unless they’re really bad of course)
• Paintwork condition and some rust in non-structural areas
• Lubricant levels and condition

A WoF is not a pre-purchase inspection. If you’re looking at buying a car, and want a pre-purchase inspection, just get in touch or call us.

What if my vehicle fails its WoF?

We want you back on the road as soon as it’s safe to, that’s why we have expert advice and mechanics to help get your ride rolling in no time. Small things can often be completed that day, or we’ll let you know the options.

Servicing and tunes ups

Car Connection offers basic vehicle servicing and full vehicle servicing. Whether you’re proactively looking after a car, van, ute or SUV, Car Connection can help you stay on top of the key maintenance areas of your vehicle. 

Why get a vehicle service?

We recommend you get a vehicle service regularly, to identify any issues before they become major problems. An economy service is the best piece of preventative car maintenance you can do to enhance the reliability and longevity of your car.

What’s included in an economy service at Car Connection:

• Checking tyre pressure (including the spare tyre)
• Checking the condition of the tyres
• Checking fluid levels
• Changing the oil and filters
• Adding injector cleaner to the fluid tank
• Adding windscreen washer additive
• Inspecting the CV boots
• Inspecting the suspension or shock absorbers for leaks
• Visually inspecting the breaks
• Inspecting underbody of the vehicle

Transmission servicing

Car Connection offers transmission servicing for automatic and manual vehicles.

An underperforming or malfunctioning transmission can leave your vehicle compromised and potentially even dangerous, it’s best to get it serviced regularly and consider it part of your regular, preventative maintenance. Besides, when it boils down to it – the cost of servicing your transmission by changing the fluid and filter is negligible compared to the potential cost of a complete transmission overhaul. 

Car Connection can flush and change the transmission fluid, fit transmission coolers and fit second-hand transmissions. If needed, we can also get your transmission rebuilt by specialists.

How do I know that my transmission requires servicing?

Some indicators your transmission needs servicing include:

• You are losing drive intermittently
• There is a delay or shuddering between gear changes
• The reverse gear doesn’t always operate correctly
• Fluid leak from the transmission (if it’s reddish in colour, then it’s likely from the transmission itself)

As a general rule, your transmission should be serviced every 50,000 km but it can depend on your make and model.

Why should I flush my transmission fluid?

It can be an effective way to clean out the transmission of any build-up, which can help prolong the life of our engine. When build-up occurs, the engine has to work harder to push it through. 

Other Preventative Maintenance:

Power steering flushes

A power steering flush is great preventative maintenance, that is often overlooked but will save you money in the long run. How often should you get your power steering flushed? It can depend on your make and model, but a general rule of thumb is about every 50,000 km.

Why should I get my power steering flushed?

Dirty and neglected power steering fluid can greatly resemble used engine oil and compromise the performance of your vehicle. It may even create damage to your steering system. Neglecting to flush the contaminated fluid may lead to noise, reduction of steering effectiveness, hard steering, harden seals, leakage and wear acceleration. 

Coolant, antifreeze or radiator flushes

What’s a coolant flush? With a coolant flush, any contaminants that have built up in the system will be flushed out.

Why should I get my radiator flushed?

Flushing your radiator provides many benefits to your vehicles cooling system. Over time, rust and scale deposits build up within the radiator. A flush helps remove these deposits, which if left, these build-ups can cause overheating or even damage your radiator. Flushing out our radiators can help extend the life of your cooling system, as well as make it operate more efficiently.

Brake fluid flush

Brake flushing involves removing all the brake fluid from the system and getting all-new, clean fluid inside. It’s different from brake bleeding which means removing enough brake fluid to get air bubbles out of the brake line.

Why should I get my brake fluid flushed?

Brake fluid attracts moisture, and this moisture can rust the inside of the brake system. Over time, it can cause corrosion to the brake system components.

Mechanical repairs

Need your car repaired? The qualified mechanics at Car Connection can help with automotive mechanical repairs on cars, diesel and 4WD vehicles.

Car Connection’s mechanics can help with:

• Minor rust repairs
• Seat belt replacements and repairs
• Power window and door repairs
• Oil leaks
• Cambelts
• CV joint repairs
• Tune-ups
• Basic electrical work
• Drive belts
• Starter motors – replacing or repairing
• Alternators – replacing or repairing
• Water pumps – replacing or repairing

Our advice is don’t delay mechanical repairs, they can cause deterioration in other parts of your vehicles and drastically affect the overall life and running of any machine. Get honest, reliable automotive repairs and advice. When it comes to something you drive, don’t skimp on safety. Get in touch today.