In hot weather, it's good to know what to do if our car overheats. Imagine a typical Aussie summer day. You're on our way back from the beach in bumper to bumper traffic and the needle on your thermostat starts to rise. What do you do?

If this happens the first thing to do (unfortunately) is turn off the air-conditioning and open the windows. This will relieve some of the strain on the engine.

If this isn't helping then you might need to try turning the heater and fan on. This draws heat away from the engine and into the passenger compartment. It's good for the engine but not so good for the people in the car.

If you are in start-stop traffic try putting the car in neutral and revving the engine. This makes the fan and water pump speed up drawing more air and liquid through the radiator when the car is stationary.

Lastly, if you're in any doubt that your car is about to boil over ... PULL OVER, or risk serious damage to the engine! Open the hood and let the engine cool down.

Warning: do not open the radiator cap or try and fill it with water. firstly, this is dangerous as boiling water and steam could come exploding out of the radiator and cause serious injury. Secondly, adding cool water into the hot radiator could cause radiator and engine damage.

The best thing to do is make sure your cooling system is functioning well long before there is a problem. Next time you're at your local mechanic, ask for a check up on the cooling system. A good mechanic will keep on top of this as part of their regular car services. But if you're not in a good rhythm with regular servicing, then it might be as simple as adding a good coolant yourself until you can book your car in with a mechanic you trust. Find out more about coolants here.

RAS Auto Facts - Cooling System Hoses

Imagine a typical Aussie summer day. We're on our way back from the beach in bumper to bumper traffic and the needle on our thermostat starts to rise. What do we do...

Radiator & Cooling System services in Temby Auto Service

Does your car get too hot under the bonnet?

We've all heard of timing belts. We all know they are expensive to replace. But NOT replacing your timing belt in good time is far more expensive. Here is why...

The timing belt is a rubber band with rubber teeth on it. It winds around the crankshaft and the camshaft ensuring that their rotation is synchronised. To understand the importance of a timing belt you need to know a little about how an engine works. Knowing a little bit can help but don't worry, you don't need to be a mechanic to read on!

The intention of the engine is to turn the crankshaft which, via the gears, turns the wheels.

Car engines can have between 4-8 cylinders. Within in each cylinder is a piston. Each piston is attached to a connecting rod that is connected to the crankshaft.

The cylinders are little pressure chambers. At the top of each cylinder are valves that let air and petrol into the cylinder and exhaust out of it. The valves are opened and closed at different stages in the cycle of the piston's movement. The opening and closing of valves is controlled by the camshaft.

Each piston goes through 4 movements in a cycle:

In the first movement, the piston draws downward pulling air and fuel into the cylinder. At this stage the valves that let in air and fuel are open.

In the second movement, the piston returns upward putting the air and fuel mix under pressure.

At this point a spark ignites the pressurised air and fuel mix and creates an explosion forcing the piston down again.

In the fourth stage, the piston returns pushing exhaust out of the exhaust valve. At this point the exhaust valve must be open.

If the camshaft and the crankshaft are not synced perfectly, can you imagine what might happen? Well the cylinder might not receive a full amount of fuel and air and the exhaust might not properly escape. This would result in a less efficient engine. The car wouldn't go so fast and would use a lot of fuel. But worse than that, the pistons may collide with the valves and break them. This is very expensive to fix.

That is why it is very important to change a timing belt before it breaks.

Unlike other parts of the car, there are no symptoms to tell you that your timing belt is being worn down or about to break. The service guidelines in your manufacturers log book recommend when its time to replace the timing belt. If you can't find this information or are unsure whether your timing belt needs replacing you can easily contact your local mechanic at Temby Auto Service!

The timing belt is a rubber band with rubber teeth on it. It winds around the crankshaft and the camshaft ensuring that their rotation is synchronised. To understand the importance of a timing belt we need to know a little about how an engine works...

What is a timing belt and why is it important?

With timing belts, time is of the essence.

It's your car and it's your choice!  Temby Auto Service is fully qualified to service your new car and maintain your log book schedule whilst the car is within the warranty period.

The ACCC has confirmed that under Australian Consumer Law you can choose who services your new car and your right to a warranty is protected. 

Get the facts about New Car Servicing and watch our AutoFacts Video

New Car Warranties … the Facts.

If you're concerned about preserving your statutory rights to a new car's warranty, but also want to obtain expert service at competitive rates, Temby Auto Service can help.


When it comes to reliable log book service, here's a few reasons why you  can trust Temby Auto Service - your local Repco Authorised Service  mechanic.

Repco Authorised Service Centres operate a national service information system that includes the latest diagnostic techniques that are specifically designed for today's cars. Auto-Tech provides continual training, so our service technicians can stay up to date with modern vehicle technology.

Repco branded products are manufactured to stringent Repco quality standards, and are covered by the Repco exclusive Nationwide Warranty. All Repco Authorised Service Centres are carefully selected to ensure that only suitably qualified and equipped staff will work on your car.

Repco Authorised Service is Australia's largest service network. Every service we perform is supported by our nationwide network of over 500 outlets - you are covered wherever you may be.

At Repco Authorised Service Centres, we explain all of our work in a straight forward manner and we advise you in advance of any extra work that may be needed.

You can rely on your local Repco Authorised Service centre Temby Auto Service in Eltham!

It's your car and it's your choice!  Your local Repco Authorised Service centre is fully qualified

New Car Warranty Log book Service in Eltham

It can be obvious when our cars are having engine problems because the symptoms are usually far from a pretty sight.

But what causes these symptoms and when are they the sign of a "dead" engine? In terms of the cause, common culprits of engine problems can be:

In terms of symptoms, one of the worst indicators can be extreme smoke coming from your tailpipe. Other symptoms showing our engine might be going kaput can include:

water getting into the air cleaner and/or radiator.

The good news is that just because we are seeing smoke, doesn't necessarily mean our engine is "dead". Rather, it could mean that it is getting old (but isn't "dead" yet) and we need to be more vigilant with oil top-ups. The important thing is that we need to get the diagnosis as soon as possible because it could mean the end is nigh and a catastrophe is awaiting.

If our mechanics diagnosis is a "dead" engine rather than an "old engine that needs a bit more lovin'", the next question is:"Do we rebuild/replace the engine or do we replace the entire car?". It's a tricky question, because rebuilding/replacing the engine can be an expensive operation so it's easy to start dreaming about the new car we can buy instead of fixing the old.

If it's not only the engine, but also our car that's on its final legs, then a case can be made to replace the whole car. However, when we're doing the sums, we mustn't forget about the "hidden costs" in buying a new or used car.

If our car is in reasonable nick aside from the engine, disposing of it may not be the most cost effective alternative - even with the cost of rebuilding the engine. 

Why? Rebuilt engines are often better than the originals installed by the factory, with the new components regularly exceeding original equipment performance and standards. Rebuilt engines also get better fuel mileage and are better for the environment as they emit fewer pollutants and conserve less energy and resources required to manufacture a new engine.

How do we avoid a smoky situation in the first place?

Given that smoke coming from our tailpipe is the worst symptom indicating the engine is on its last legs, we can avoid this by booking our cars in for a regular service with a trusted local (Melbourne) mechanic who will usually be able to anticipate this sort of a problem before it happens. We also need to make sure that our radars are alert to the frequency of oil top-ups. Not only should we make sure it is being topped up regularly (especially for older cars), we should keep notes on how often the top-ups are happening, so that we can easily see if the frequency is significantly increasing.

Weighing up how many years our car has left on the road, the cost of engine rebuilding or replacement and the costs of buying a new car (including the hidden costs) is highly recommended. Jumping into buying a new car without doing the considering all of these factors might leave us short of cash and still with a problem.

It can be obvious when our cars are having engine problems because the symptoms are usually far from a pretty sight...

Signs of a "dead" engine

Signs of a "dead" engine and when to replace our car

Absolutely .... over time, our engine oil can break down and become pretty contaminated with dust, dirt and debris from the surrounding environment. 

Proactively changing our car's engine oil will not only help our engine to work at its best, but also will prevent costly repairs down the track. Let's explore the benefits of getting an oil change in a little more detail.

1. Engine lubrication so it functions easily

Our car engine is made up of many moving parts rubbing up against each other to help create energy. These parts need to be kept lubricated to prevent wear and tear (or stopping to work all together). Oil provides this essential function.

Our engines demand a lot from the oil we use and over time will eventually break down the chemical construction of the oil so it can no longer provide lubrication. This is why old oil needs to be drained and new, fresh oil needs to be added to ensure proper lubrication.

We now know that the moving parts within our engine create a lot of friction. This in turn creates heat. Maintaining clean and sufficient amounts of oil ensures our engine is kept lubricated so it does not become overheated.

Dust and debris are deadly to our engines. Over time they will cause corrosion which will decrease the life of our engine. They also cause our engine oil to turn into 'sludge', decreasing lubrication and not allowing the oil to serve its primary function - lubrication. We want to keep our engine oil as clean as possible so it can perform at its peak, which is why removing the dirty oil and replacing it with new oil is essential.

If our engines are not lubricated properly, it makes internal components work harder, leading to increased fuel consumption and a dent in our pockets. An engine that also has to work harder leads to problems down the track, shortening the lifespan of our vehicle or requiring us to fork out a bunch of cash to get expensive components replaced. An oil change is a small investment to prevent issues down the road.

By getting regular oil changes with each car service we are helping to maintain the health of our vehicles and engines. Like most car maintenance jobs, it is a small cost that will save us in the long run!

Over time, our engine oil can break down and become pretty contaminated with dust, dirt and debris from the surrounding environment. So why does this really matter...

Why getting an oil change is so important

Your vehicle has a number of different filters and each one works in a different system in your car. Temby Auto Service knows those systems inside and out. For servicing in Eltham and surrounding suburbs you can count on us.

Quite simply- a filter traps particles which should not be present in, or could do damage to, the system which it filters. Therefore all filters have a lifespan - once they get congested with the particles they are filtering - replacement is a must. Not replacing filters in your car when they need to be changed can lead to expensive breakdowns in some very important parts of your vehicle.

Oil Filter: Cleans the oil and allows it to flow through the engine better
Air Filter: Traps dirt particles which could damage cylinders, walls and pistons
Cabin Air Filter: Keeps pollen, dust and bacteria out of the ventilation system
Fuel Filter: Filters harmful contaminants which could do damage to carburettors or fuel injectors

Types of Filters in your vehicle include:

At Temby Auto Service we provide a full 65 point vehicle inspection report upon request with every full car service. This includes a check of your cars filters to help avoid expensive breakdowns in the future. 

Your vehicle has a number of different filters and each one works in a different system in your car. Quite simply- a filter traps particles which should not be present in, or could do damage to, the system which it filters.

A reconditioned car engine can often be less expensive than having your vehicle's motor replaced with a brand new engine. The team at Temby Auto Service are qualified car engine reconditioning mechanics can perform expert Engine reconditioning service.  

A reconditioned car engine can often be less expensive than having your vehicles motor replaced with a brand new engine.

Engine Reconditioning in Eltham

Engine Recon

AAAA

IAME

RACV

MTAA

VACC

We advise that our workshop will be closed for the Christmas period from the close of business on Thursday the 21st of December and reopening on Tuesday the 2nd of January. Emergency phone number is Luke on 0404 068 809

We advise that the workshop will be closed over the Easter long weekend reopening on Tuesday the 11th of April

We also advise that we will be closed Tuesday the 25th of April for ANZAC Day reopening Wednesday the 26th of April.

We wish to advise that we will be closed for the public holiday on the 29th of September. Apologies for any inconvenience.

We wish to advise that we will be closed on Monday the 6th of November and Tuesday the 7th of November. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Temby Auto Service take great pride in offering their clients personalised, and friendly service at all times. 

Temby Auto offers a one stop solution to all your car needs . We fix everything properly and test our repairs before you drive away safely. We get it right with great pride and care. 

Conveniently located in Eltham, the business is a member of the Repco Auto Tech training program, ensuring their technicians are kept fully up to date with modern vehicle repair methods.

Temby Auto Service have a wealth of experience in servicing all makes and models, including commercial fleet vehicles. As a Repco Authorised Service centre, they have a commitment to high quality workmanship, ensuring the very best in automotive care.

Temby Auto Service

Engine reconditioning

Related articles

Does your car get too hot under the bonnet?

With timing belts, time is of the essence.

New car service in Eltham

Signs of a "dead" engine and when to replace our car

Is getting an Oil change important?

Automotive Filters