In 2006 I bought a new car. Unlike any other car I’d ever owned it was pretty high tech for the time. Lots of airbags, traction control, climate air conditioning and the list goes on. To be honest the systems scared me a little bit but I was determined to look after this car. It got washed on the outside and vacuumed on the inside and when it came to service time, I decided it would go back to the dealer to get what it needed. I thought I knew how much it cost to run this car but didn’t fully consider servicing costs. After years of doing all my own servicing and repairs I thought this car was beyond me because of the complex technology involved.
I rang the dealer to book the service on the phone and before I’d finished I asked how much I could expect to pay for the work. I nearly dropped the phone, I was told between $700 - $750! I quickly cancelled and thought I’d better start learning about this car pretty quickly. What I found was that far from being complex to work on this car was incredibly easy to service. The systems it had were very mainstream for cars of the 21st century. There were many tasks that didn’t need doing that I was used to from the cars I’d worked on as I was growing up. The tinkering and adjusting timing, and fuel mixture etc were all taken care of electronically and the car ran very efficiently indeed. This car was easier to work on than any car I’d owned, some of the fluids were a little pricey, the oil had to be synthetic and the cooling system needed special anti-freeze but I found I could do the work for nearly a 10th of what the dealer was asking. It became clear to me that New Zealand motorists pay too much to keep their cars maintained. I also found out that in the modern era, no car manufacturer actually makes their own filters or consumables, but rather contracts them out to one of a few large mass production companies in cheap labour markets. Therefore the same quality and spec products can be purchased much cheaper without the car maker’s name stamped on the side.
In 2014 my wife, three kids and I decided we’d move back to sunny Blenheim after living away for many years. It was then we decided that I would use my knowledge and skills to help Marlborough motorists save some time and money while maintaining their cars.
I travelled to the USA to see what I could learn from the masters of great value while you wait servicing. What I learned allowed me to return to Blenheim, develop systems and seek suppliers to support our goals. We hadn’t been trading long when the Motor Trade Association (MTA) came knocking and invited us to join them. We were already meeting the standards for professionalism and environmental safety and so it was an easy way to endorse what we do.
So here we are; a small local family owned business with a firm focus on helping motorists stay mobile with a minimum of fuss and expense. We try hard to explain your car’s features and requirements in a no-nonsense manner. We want our customers to understand what we do rather than do a heap of stuff and hand them a big bill at the end. All the things I wish the dealers had done for me back in 2006.
Colin Martin
Owner Instant Auto Blenheim.
I rang the dealer to book the service on the phone and before I’d finished I asked how much I could expect to pay for the work. I nearly dropped the phone, I was told between $700 - $750! I quickly cancelled and thought I’d better start learning about this car pretty quickly. What I found was that far from being complex to work on this car was incredibly easy to service. The systems it had were very mainstream for cars of the 21st century. There were many tasks that didn’t need doing that I was used to from the cars I’d worked on as I was growing up. The tinkering and adjusting timing, and fuel mixture etc were all taken care of electronically and the car ran very efficiently indeed. This car was easier to work on than any car I’d owned, some of the fluids were a little pricey, the oil had to be synthetic and the cooling system needed special anti-freeze but I found I could do the work for nearly a 10th of what the dealer was asking. It became clear to me that New Zealand motorists pay too much to keep their cars maintained. I also found out that in the modern era, no car manufacturer actually makes their own filters or consumables, but rather contracts them out to one of a few large mass production companies in cheap labour markets. Therefore the same quality and spec products can be purchased much cheaper without the car maker’s name stamped on the side.
In 2014 my wife, three kids and I decided we’d move back to sunny Blenheim after living away for many years. It was then we decided that I would use my knowledge and skills to help Marlborough motorists save some time and money while maintaining their cars.
I travelled to the USA to see what I could learn from the masters of great value while you wait servicing. What I learned allowed me to return to Blenheim, develop systems and seek suppliers to support our goals. We hadn’t been trading long when the Motor Trade Association (MTA) came knocking and invited us to join them. We were already meeting the standards for professionalism and environmental safety and so it was an easy way to endorse what we do.
So here we are; a small local family owned business with a firm focus on helping motorists stay mobile with a minimum of fuss and expense. We try hard to explain your car’s features and requirements in a no-nonsense manner. We want our customers to understand what we do rather than do a heap of stuff and hand them a big bill at the end. All the things I wish the dealers had done for me back in 2006.
Colin Martin
Owner Instant Auto Blenheim.
