Stop first if it's one of these
A red warning light, steam from under the bonnet, a burning smell, or brakes that feel soft or pull hard: pull over somewhere safe and switch off. If the brake fluid is below the minimum line or the reservoir is empty, RAA says not to drive the car. Call roadside assistance if you have it, and call 000 if anyone is hurt or in danger.
What Adelaide's roads wear out
Brakes on the run down from the Hills
The South Eastern Freeway's descent into Glen Osmond is a long stretch of braking, with two arrester beds for runaway trucks. RAA says brake fade (brakes losing grip as they overheat) happens when the brake fluid boils, and that riding the brake causes it, so brake briefly and firmly instead. If you do that drive every day, ask for the brakes to be measured at every service. Brake repairs explains the job.
Heat on rubber and coolant
Adelaide's 40 °C days put the cooling system under pressure, and RACQ says even minor leaks may fail in hot weather. A small drip found in spring is a smaller job than a hose that bursts in January. Radiator and cooling repairs in Adelaide has more.
South Road's traffic lights
Until the River Torrens to Darlington section of the North-South Motorway opens, many cross-town trips still stop and start through South Road's intersections. That's steady wear on brakes, clutches and automatic gearboxes.
Holdens
Elizabeth built Holdens until 2017, and Holden stopped trading at the end of 2020, but a Holden can still be repaired by an independent mechanic. The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association said in 2020 that independent workshops with a paid subscription can get Holden's parts lists, fault codes and software updates by VIN. Find a Holden mechanic.
How a repair should go
Get a written estimate before anything is done. Consumer Affairs Victoria's checklist is a sensible one anywhere: the work, the parts, the time to finish and the estimated parts and labour, and a clear instruction that you must be called before any work you haven't approved.
Under the Australian Consumer Law, repair services must be supplied with due care and skill, be fit for any purpose you specified, and be finished within a reasonable time if no time was set. Ask about the warranty on the parts and on the mechanic's work, and make sure both are written on the invoice.
Questions worth asking before the work starts
- What do you think is causing it, and how did you work that out?
- Is it safe to drive while I wait, and what happens if I leave it a month?
- Which parts will you use, and what warranty comes with them and with your work?
- If you find something else once it's apart, will you ring me first?
- Can I have the old parts back?
Our take
We'd describe the symptom, not the fix: "a clunk from the front left over bumps" tells a mechanic far more than "I think it needs shocks". Then we'd get the estimate in writing before saying yes, and keep the invoice with the service book for whoever owns the car next.