How Often Should I Replace my Car Battery?

A car battery may not be something you think of often. You probably go to your car, turn on the ignition and expect it to work every time.

A car battery is an essential piece of equipment in your car, and it is what starts the motor. If your battery is flat, your car will not start.

What are the signs that my battery needs replacing?

It goes without saying that your battery will need to be replaced if your starter no longer turns on the ignition. However, there are signs that it needs changing before going through the inconvenience of your car not starting.

When you start your car, it should ideally begin straight away. If your car does not start as quickly as it used to, it is probably a sign that your car needs a new battery.  It may appear to be lethargic and reluctant to start.

If you are aware of what you are looking for when you lift your bonnet, you can check to see if the battery case looks normal or if it is swollen. If swollen, it could mean the heat has caused it to expand, and this can shorten the life of your battery.

If you notice that your battery fluid level is low, your battery should be changed. Part of your battery’s casing should allow you to check the fluid level, but if you are not sure, bring it to Roseland Automotive where our Earlwood mechanic can check it for you. 

Your engine light is there to indicate if there is a problem. If you notice that your engine light is lit up on your dashboard, it is a clear sign that something is not right with your engine. It could mean that your battery power is low, or it could indicate another problem. A Bexley mechanic will happily check your car over for you.

Like any rechargeable battery, they do not last forever and to ensure your car is running at its optimum level, your battery should be changed when necessary. A battery should last you for about 3 years. After this time, we recommend getting it checked annually to ensure it is performing as it should.

Roseland’s Automotive Centre: for all your car’s needs

To have your battery checked to see that it is working correctly or to have your battery replaced, contact Roseland Automotive today and we will get your car sorted.

4 DIY Car Maintenance Tasks That Will Save You Money

Keeping a car on the road can be very expensive, especially if you’re driving an older vehicle. If you’re looking to save a few dollars, rather than take your car to your local Lakemba mechanic for regular servicing, there are a few maintenance jobs that are easy to tackle yourself with a little bit of knowledge.

Let’s take a look at 4 DIY car maintenance tasks that will save you money and keep your vehicle running smoothly. 
1. Changing the Oil

Changing the oil is a relatively easy task as long as you have the correct tools and equipment. To carry out the oil change, you’ll need a jack and jack stand, a socket wrench, a drain pan, funnel and oil filter wrench.

You can find out what type of oil you need from your owner’s manual or by checking online, where you’ll also find step-by-step instructions on how to change the oil. If it’s your first time, you may want to have someone with you who’s experienced in carrying out oil changes.

2. Changing A Tyre

Many people don’t know how to change a tyre but rely on roadside assistance to help out. Depending on where you are when you get a flat tyre, this can prove to be a very costly experience. If your car has a spare tyre, learning how to change it could save you hundreds of dollars!

You’ll need a properly inflated spare, a jack and jack stand and a lug wrench and for safety, it helps to have a reflective vest, gloves and a flashlight just in case it’s dark. With practice, changing a tyre should take thirty minutes or less.

3. Jump Starting Your Car

If you’ve ever experienced a flat battery, you’ll know how frustrating it can be. However, jump starting your car is a relatively simple task.

All you need is a set of jump leads and another car of course. However, you do need to know what you’re doing with the leads as the process can cause hydrogen to be released from the battery, which may explode should it come into contact with a spark from the engine.

If in doubt, ask your Kingsgrove mechanic to show you how to jump-start your car the next time you take it in for a service.

4. Replacing Brake Pads

Changing brake pads is a more difficult and complex task, and it may be that it’s one job that you prefer to leave to your Earlwood mechanic. However, learning how to do it could save you hundreds of dollars and, with practice, will only take about an hour to complete.

You’ll know when your brake pads need replacing as they will start to squeal.

If in doubt, visit your local service centre

While ‘doing-it-yourself’ can save you a considerable amount of money, if you have any concerns about your ability to carry the job out safely and correctly, you should always take your vehicle to a professional.

Are My Wheels Correctly Aligned?

Ask any Belmore mechanic why it’s important that your wheels are correctly aligned and he’ll tell you that if they’re not, you’ll have to change your tyres more often than you would if your wheels were aligned correctly. But what causes misaligned wheels? Read on to find out more.

What Causes Misaligned Wheels?

Wheels become misaligned due to a misalignment of the suspension and in some cases, the chassis of the vehicle. Although the misalignment can sometimes be so slight that you hardly notice it, it’s likely to affect the fuel economy and the ride of your vehicle.

How Can You Tell That Your Wheels are Out of Line?

When your wheels are properly aligned, your vehicle is stay straight if you let go of the steering wheel. So, one of the easiest ways to check if you have problems is to let go of the wheel briefly on a straight stretch of road to see whether your vehicle veers off course. Misaligned wheels will cause it to pull either to the right or the left.

 You may also feel that you have to exert excess pressure on the steering wheel to keep it straight, which is an indication that one or both of your front tyres are pointing inwards or outwards.

Another way to check the alignment is to take tyre measurements from the centre of the left front tyre to the centre of the right front tyre when the vehicle is parked with the front wheels facing directly ahead and then compare them with the same measurements for the rear wheels. If they don’t match, you can safely say that your wheels are not aligned and that you need to pay a visit to your local Bexley mechanic.

Make Sure to Rotate Your Tyres Regularly

One of the most obvious signs that your wheels are out of line is uneven wear to the tyres. If you’re in the habit of regularly rotating your tyres but they still show uneven wear, you have misaligned tyres.

While rotating your tyres won’t stop your wheels from becoming misaligned, it will help you to see if the tyres are not wearing evenly. Mechanics and tyres suppliers recommend that you rotate your tyres on a regular basis and make sure that they’re always at the correct air pressure in order to get best use from your tyres.

Get Your Wheels Professionally Checked

If you do suspect that you have an issue with alignment, the best thing to do is get them checked over by a professional who will be able to rectify the problem for you.

5 Things Your Mechanic Wants You to Know but May Not Tell You

Whether you’re booked in for a service or your car needs an emergency repair, there are a number of things that you can do that will help your local Lakemba mechanic to carry out the work quickly and efficiently.

Mechanics are usually willing to accommodate customers, especially if your car breaks down and you need it up and running urgently.

However, when some customers consistently bring in vehicles with empty fuel tanks, dirty interiors and missing wheel lock keys and then ask for a job to be done as soon as possible, it can test the patience of even the most accommodating mechanic.

So we’ve put together five things that mechanics would like you to know before you bring your car to the service centre.

1.    Tidy and Clean the Interior of Your Car

If you’re having any interior work done such electrical wiring behind the dashboard, your Kingsgrove mechanic will thank you if you make sure that the interior of your car is clean and tidy.

You wouldn’t like to have to work surrounded by used tissues, empty drinks and food cartons and your smelly gym kit and neither do we!

2.    Make Sure There’s Fuel in the Tank

We often need to test drive your car to replicate and experience the problems that you’re complaining about first hand.

We also test drive your car once we’ve finished the repair. We don’t want to feel that we’re going to run out of fuel and if we do have to put some gas in the tank, you’ll be charged a premium for the inconvenience.

3.    Make Sure Your Wheel Lock Key is Accessible

If you’re booked in for a brake check or you’ve asked us to change or rotate the tyres, we’ll need access to your wheel lock key. We don’t want to spend our precious time searching for it and if we do, the time it takes will be charged.

4.    We Don’t Mind You Calling for An Update

Most mechanics won’t mind if you call for an update. However, always remember that sometimes things are just outside of our control.

It may be that it takes longer to get spare parts than we’d anticipated or that what appeared to be a relatively simple job proves to be more complicated than we originally thought.

Always bear in mind that it may be necessary for you to make alternative arrangements if we can’t complete the work on time.

5.    Don’t be Scared to Get a Second Opinion

We know that sometimes customers feel that mechanics are taking them for a ride. However, reputable mechanics will want to keep their reputation. So feel free to get a second opinion if necessary before you agree to the work.

Build a Relationship with Your Mechanic

Taking the above points into consideration when taking your car to your local Earlwood mechanic will go a long way to help build a good working relationship.
And the better your mechanic knows your car, the better the job they’ll be able to do for you.

Routine Car Maintenance 101

While most car owners in Lakemba rely on their local Lakemba mechanic to service and repair their vehicles, taking the time to learn a few basics about how your car works and keeping on top of routine maintenance tasks yourself can help you to prolong the life of your vehicle.

How Your Car Works

You press the ignition, and the car starts as if by magic. But how does this happen?

Put simply, when you press the ignition the car battery delivers power to the starter. This turns the crankshaft which puts the pistons in motion. These, in turn, fire the engine.

Air is then pulled into a chamber where fuel is added. As you step on the accelerator, the throttle valve opens allowing the gas and air mixture to pass through the intake manifold.

This mixture is then passed into the cylinders where the distributor causes the spark plugs to spark and ignite the gas and air mixture to enable it to depress the piston inside the cylinder and rotate the crankshaft. And it’s this rotation of the crankshaft that causes the wheels to turn.

As you can imagine, as metal turns against metal friction occurs, and that’s why your engine needs oil. In addition, it’s important to keep the transmission well lubricated to ensure that the moving parts don’t cease up.

Routine DIY Tasks

•  Checking Levels of Oil and Transmission Fluids. This involves removing the appropriate dipsticks and ensuring that the fluids are at the levels recommended by the manufacturer. If it’s dropped below the level, it will need topping up.


•  Checking the Air Filter. You can find the location of your air filter by consulting your vehicle’s manual. Remove the filter, check to see how clean it is and replace it if necessary. A clean air filter will enable your vehicle to run more efficiently.


•  Check the belts. If you notice any cracking or other signs of wear and tear, you should take your vehicle to your local Kingsgrove mechanic so that they can be replaced.

•  Inspect the Battery. If your battery becomes corroded, eventually it won’t start. When checking a battery always wear rubber gloves and eye protection. First of all, you will need to remove the battery cables.

Remember to disconnect the black negative cable first, then clean the battery posts by applying a mixture of baking soda and water with an old toothbrush. Further corrosion can be prevented by applying a layer of grease or petroleum jelly to the terminals. When reconnecting the battery always reconnect the positive cable first.

The Bottom Line

Regular oil changes and lubrication are key to keeping your vehicle running at its best. While it’s possible to do these at home, you will need some special tools, and you will need to dispose of used oils correctly and safely.

This is why most Earlwood vehicle owners prefer to take their car to their local Earlwood mechanic to ensure that the job is done properly.

3 Noises Your Brakes Shouldn’t Make!

If you start to hear unusual sounds coming from your vehicle’s brakes, it’s time to take it to the garage or your local service centre. Don’t put your safety at risk – strange noises arising from your brakes indicate that there’s something wrong and that they need attention – fast!

We asked your local Lakemba mechanic for more information about what kind of noises we should be listening out for.

A High Pitched Squeal

Apparently, there are typically three different noises that indicate that all’s not well in the brake department. The first noise that you’re likely to hear is a high-pitched squeal. This usually goes away when you apply the brakes.

So, if you hear this irritating noise but it stops as soon as you touch the brakes, you should take it as your first warning sign. 

If you get your car booked in for an inspection as soon as possible after you first hear the noise, you’ll find that the repair job will be less expensive than if you leave it until you hear the next warning sound, which is…

Grinding or Hard Growling Noises

This noise indicates that the brake pads have worn through completely and that they are now grinding into the rotor. It sounds bad, and it is! So, if you hear an ‘abrasive’ grinding noise, take your car for immediate attention otherwise it’s going to prove to be a very expensive repair.

Even driving with this noise for 2 or 3 days will mean that it’s likely that the calliper will also need to be replaced and that’s a more serious job that can run into several hundreds of dollars.

Squeaking When You Stop

If your brakes squeak when you stop, you can breathe a sigh of relief. While it still indicates that the vehicle needs attention, the squeaking is likely to be caused by poor instalment or insufficient lubrication.

This can be easily resolved by taking everything apart and then putting them back together correctly, or you can simply put up with the noise, although your neighbours and other drivers won’t thank you for it!

Avoid Issues with Your Brakes

One way to avoid issues with your brakes is to book your vehicle in for regular servicing. During a service, your brakes will be routinely inspected, and any defects highlighted. Regular servicing may seem like an unnecessary expense but is likely to be more cost-effective in the long run.

After all, driving with defective breaks is not just illegal but it’s dangerous too, and you don’t want to put yourself or your passengers at risk. 

If you hear any of the noises described above or you haven’t had a recent Car Service Lakemba
car owners should schedule an appointment with your local garage or car service centre. As we all know, it’s better to be safe than sorry!