Logbook Servicing
Whenever you purchase a new vehicle, the manufacturer provides you with a warranty that covers the cost of parts failure. This warranty is only valid however, if you have the vehicle regularly serviced by a certified mechanic, who records and stamps these services in your vehicle’s logbook. Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, our expert mechanics can provide logbook servicing for the following kinds of vehicle:
- Petrol vehicle
- Diesel vehicle
- LPG vehicle
- Electric/hybrid vehicle
Roadworthies & Inspections
As a Vicroads Licensed Tester, we are fully equipped and skilled to provide you with a comprehensive, thorough roadworthy inspection.
Whenever you are planning on selling or otherwise transferring ownership of a vehicle, you are legally required to obtain a roadworthy certificate before you can even advertise the vehicle for sale. The roadworthy certificate, issued by a licensed tester, ensures that your vehicle meets the safety standards to be legally driven on Victorian roads.
If you are thinking about buying a second-hand vehicle, we would heartily recommend bringing it in for a pre-purchase inspection. The pre-purchase inspection is a thorough inspection that ensures you know exactly what you’re buying, and helps you avoid any nasty surprises.
When you’re planning a long road trip, or a camping trip, we suggest bringing your vehicle in for a pre-trip inspection. It’s a much better feeling to discover an issue with your vehicle in a mechanic’s workshop than in the middle of the bush!
BG Products Fuel Service
Carbon deposits can build in your fuel system after just 8,000km. These deposits decrease engine performance, power output, and fuel economy.
BG Products Fuel service provides a thorough cleaning of the fuel system which dissolves and flushes away these carbon deposits, increasing your performance and mileage. The most dramatic results are with older vehciles (which will have bigger carbon deposits) but most cars will see a quick return on investment after only 40 refills.
Save yourself money today and contact one of our friendly staff for more information about the fuel service.
Brake Services
Your brakes are the most important safety feature your vehicle has. While other safety systems only mitigate the severity of an accident, your brakes can also act preventatively, and the condition of our brakes is often the deciding factor between an accident and an emergency stop. Your brakes suffer a surprising amount of wear, routinely bringing over a tonne to a complete stop, several times a day. For this reason, we recommend getting your brakes checked at least once a year.
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs our experienced technicians can help you with:
- Component replacement (pads, rotors and drums)
- Brake machining
- Brake hose repairs
- Brake restorations
Steering & Suspension
Faults and flaws in your steering and suspension affect handling and ride comfort, causing play in the steering wheel and body lean through corners. Your suspension is also responsible for maximising the grip your tyres exert on the road surface, so a poor suspension will also increase your stopping distance.
Heidelberg Automotive Repairs can provide the following steering and suspension services:
- Wheel alignments
- Shock absorbers, springs and struts
- Wheel balancing
- Bushing replacement
- Power steering repairs and replacement
- Lift kits and 4WD upgrades
Air Conditioning
Nothing ruins a summer drive faster than faulty air conditioning. The air conditioning actually degrades more from disuse than from use, as the rubber tubing and seals that make up the aircon dry up and crack, allowing the refrigerant to leak out and rob your AC of its cooling power. Heidelberg Automotive Repairs can fully repair your air conditioning, starting by replacing broken compressors and condensers, then replacing cracked tubing and seals, and finally recharging your system with refrigerant once we’re certain its airtight.
Clutch & Transmission
Responsible for transferring power from the engine to the wheels, the clutch and transmission are some of the most intricate and precise machinery in your vehicle. Due to their sophisticated nature, even minor flaws can quickly escalate into very costly repairs.
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, our expert technicians can provide the following driveline services:
- Transmission servicing
- Clutch repairs and servicing
- Automatic and manual transmissions
- Differentials
- CV Joints
Engine Repairs
As the motive power for your vehicle, it is imperative that the engine is kept in good condition. Preventative maintenance is much cheaper than repairs, so we would recommend having your engine checked at least once a year.
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, our skilled technicians can help you with:
- Engine rebuilds
- Engine reconditioning
- Testing
- Engine blocks
- Cylinder heads
- Camshaft
- EFI Diagnostics
Cooling System
If your cooling system is malfunctioning, the overheating damages the gasket head and engine block, decreasing engine power output and fuel efficiency, even reducing engine lifespan as leaking coolant and overheating damages your engine. If these problems are ignored for long enough, they will render your vehicle immobile, with the cost of repairs being comparable to that of buying a second-hand vehicle!
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, our expert technicians can provide the following driveline services:
- Radiator/heater repairs and replacement
- Head gaskets
- Coolant flush and leak check
- Thermostat check and replacement
AUTO ELECTRICAL SERVICES
As modern vehicles have increased in complexity, more and more functionality is being handled by the onboard auto electrical network. This network handles everything from monitoring fuel consumption and playing music, to assisting with braking and gear changing, even putting your vehicle into limp mode if a serious flaw is detected, to prevent lasting damage.
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, our expert technicians can provide the following auto electrical services:
- Alternators and starter motors
- Battery check and replacement
- Component check and replacement
- Diagnostic check and replacement
Other Services
Here at Heidelberg Automotive Repairs, we offer a wide range of other services as part of our comprehensive repair service, including, but not limited to:
- Tyres from major brands for all makes and model of passenger car and 4WD
- Trailer repairs
- Windscreen repairs
- Towing
- Car detailing
- Quality oils, parts and products
Pricing
How much for a service?
This is the most common question we are asked, and a lot of factors contribute to the end cost.
Example: Cost of Regular Service for a 4 Cylinder 2010 Toyota Corolla
Parts and materials: $145.00 including GST
Labour to perform this particular service: $145.00
Included in this service:
- BG Engie oil system flush
- BG Fuel system treatment
- 4.0 litres of Castrol 10w30 Semi-Synthetic engine oil
- Engine sump washer replacement
- Oil filter
- Top up of all fluid levels
Service Procedure:
Check fluid levels first, then road test. Full brake inspection, brake disc measurement, visual inspection of brake pads, hand brake adjustment if required, tyre rotation if required, inflate all tyres including spare tyre, test Brake fluid moisture and condition test, PH test of Radiator coolant, Pressure test cooling system, visual inspection of hoses and if visual, water pump, test air conditioning system, inspect air filter and cabin air conditioner, inspect windscreen washer and wiper blades, check headlamp aiming using Bosch headlamp testing equipment, check all other lights, including interior lamps, check drive belt, check battery condition and security, test alternator charging system, check seat belts, horn, and warning lamps, lubricate door checks and hinges.
Stamp service Logbook.
Final road test, prepare invoice, make note of any faults or impending known faults on invoice.
How long ago was the vehicle serviced: Time and distance is an important question! We first ask if your vehicle is on our data base, then we can check or you can opt for a reminder from us at the due time.
Driving habit: Do you travel more than 10,000km per year or maybe only 6,000km per year? If you travel 10,000 km or more per year, we recommend an annual service and inspection, if it’s 6,000km or less, a 6 monthly service and inspection is recommended.
With regular servicing a major factor is also a safety inspection of the vehicle’s wear and tear items: Tyres, steering, suspension, brakes, lights, wipers, cooling system, air conditioning system, drive belts, there are many other checks as well as to the overall condition.
Travelling 6,000km per year is approximately 250km per week. You may have started your car 20 or 30 times, travelled a short distance, say a 10 minutes’ drive, followed by the engine being switched off for an hour or two, then you jump back in the car and drive back to your home or office. It takes 30 minutes of driving to burn off excessive start up fuel required in the engine warm up period. With cold start-ups and travelling short distances, your engine oil is being diluted by the excessive fuel effectively “watering down” your oil, contributing to oil consumption, therefore the 6 month service interval is recommended to change your diluted oil and maintain the life of your engine, not only the oil but a maintenance and safety inspection carried out in the schedule.
Regular servicing and inspections will help:
- Reduce the risk of unexpected breakdown
- Reduce overall repair costs
- Reduce vehicle downtime
- Help maintain and prolong the life of your vehicle
Larger Vehicles
6 and 8 cylinder cars, diesel vehicles and SUV/Commercial vehicles attract a higher service and parts charge due to oil type and quantity, oil filter type, and time taken to complete the service and inspection. Prices can be made available upon request.
What is a Roadworthy Inspection? What is checked?
The roadworthy inspection is a check of the vehicle to make sure that key components are in a good enough condition for safe road use. The safety inspection specifies the minimum acceptable limits in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, some of the areas covered include:
- Wheels and tyres
- Brake discs, brake drums, brake pads, brake linings, brake hydraulic systems
- Steering & suspension
- Seats & seatbelts
- Lights & reflectors
- Windscreen & windows including front wipers and washers
- Vehicle structure
- Other safety related items on the body, chassis or engine
A certificate of roadworthiness (also known as a ‘roadworthy’ or ‘RWC’) shows that your vehicle is safe enough to be used on public roads. A roadworthy is required whenever a vehicle is sold, if it’s being re-registered, and to clear some defect notices. A certificate of roadworthiness isn’t a guarantee that a vehicle’s mechanically reliable, it just shows that it’s safe enough to be driven.
What isn’t checked
The roadworthiness test isn’t a check of the mechanical reliability or general condition of a vehicle. A certificate of roadworthiness does not mean that:
- The vehicle is in top condition without any wear or deterioration
- Non-safety related accessories ( such as the air conditioner, rear window demister, electric windows and rear-window wipers) are working
- The items checked during the roadworthy inspection will continue to function after the inspection, e.g brake light can stop functioning at any time after the inspection
- The vehicle complies with all of the Australian Design Rules (ADRs)
Who issues certificates?
A certificate of roadworthiness can only be issued when a licensed vehicle tester, operating from a nominated garage or service station, believes the vehicle is roadworthy. A certificate can only be issued when a vehicle passes the inspection.
How long does a RWC remain current?
A roadworthy is considered ‘current’ if it was issued less than 30 days before you present it at VicRoads (e.g. when you visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to transfer or re-register a vehicle)
Note: This is not a guarantee that a vehicle with a roadworthy certificate will necessarily continue to remain in a roadworthy condition for 30 days from the date the certificate was issued.
The cost of getting a roadworthy can depend on the age, type and condition of a vehicle.
What if my vehicle fails the test?
If an item fails to meet the requirements, we, the vehicle tester, will issue a rejection report. You’ll be given 7 days to repair or replace the rejected item(s) and have them re-inspected.For customer convenience, we can provide these repairs and replacements in our workshop.
If more than 7 days goes by, another full inspection will be required.
Roadworthy Inspection Costs:
Standard vehicles from $220.00
Larger Commercial and SUV type vehicles from $250.00
Modified vehicle from $295.00
Re-inspection charge: $99.00
(no charge for retest if we carry out your repairs in our workshop, however, the second inspection must be completed in 7 days)