Garage Journal

Do you really have to service at the dealer to keep your new car warranty? No — and Australian law backs you up. Here's how log book, capped-price and independent servicing actually compare in Melbourne, and how a mobile mechanic can stamp your book for less.

A whining pump and a heavy electric steering wheel are two very different problems. Here's how to tell hydraulic faults from EPS faults in your own driveway before you book a repair.

Owning a grey import in Melbourne means no dealer network, no local logbook and parts that ship from Japan. Here's how to service Skylines, Alphards, Hiace vans and kei cars properly — from ECU quirks to building a maintenance schedule from scratch.

That chirp on a cold Melbourne morning or squeal when you turn the wheel isn't nothing — it's your serpentine belt asking for help. Here's how to read the warning signs, do a two-minute crack test in your own driveway, and why one snapped belt takes out steering, charging and cooling all at once.

A shudder through the wheel when you brake from 100km/h isn't the same as squeaky brakes. Here's how to tell warped rotors from unbalanced wheels or worn suspension — and what a Melbourne mobile mechanic can sort in your driveway versus what needs a workshop.

If your car is your income, downtime is money out of your pocket. Here's a realistic service schedule for high-km rideshare and delivery vehicles in Melbourne — plus how on-site servicing between shifts keeps you earning.

Car shudders and runs rough for the first minute on a cold Melbourne morning, then smooths out? That "cold start then clears up" pattern points at a handful of usual suspects — the EGR valve, the PCV system, or a cold-start sensor. Here's how a mobile mechanic tracks it down with a scan tool.

A crunching gearbox or slipping clutch doesn't always mean a huge bill. Here's how to read the symptoms, tell a cheap fix from a major job, and know what we can sort in your driveway versus what needs a workshop.

Live in an inner-Melbourne apartment and wondering if a mobile mechanic can actually service your car in a shared or undercover car park? Here's what the body corporate allows, what the space needs to look like, and which jobs still belong in a workshop.