All Posts by Jehan Marmita

How Often Should I Service My Car?

If you’re wondering how often you should service your car please give us a call and we’ll be happy to help you work it out. If you’re wondering whether you can skip this year’s service because funds are a bit tight – our advice is: DON’T!

Why shouldn’t you delay? 

So often people come into Wembley Autocare with an issue with their car and tell us: “I thought my car was fine, it didn’t have this issue yesterday” or “It hasn’t been making strange noises, I don’t understand how this could suddenly happen”. The truth is, your car is a complex machine and sometimes issues can develop internally without strange noises occurring or your check engine light blinking until the problem is severe. Over time many parts throughout your car will become less effective if not maintained. This can cause a plethora of issues outlined here that can be quite expensive, not to mention significantly decreasing the safety of your car and/or its resale value.

So how often should you service your car?

Many mechanics will tell you that every car requires two services a year. This isn’t exactly true. A little known fact is that 99% of Mitsubishi’s, Ford’s, Volkswagen’s, KIA’s and Hyundai’s that were manufactured after 2000 only require one service a year because of their superior quality compared with other brands and older cars. This is specified by the manufacturer to fit with the engineering of the vehicle however some dealerships will still ask you to come in every 6 months. Most cars will tell you through one of means outlined below.

If your car is newer, it may have a light on your dash that looks something like this:

However, if your car does not have this indicator there are a few other ways to know that you’re due for a service.

For most cars over 15 years old, if you’ve driven 10,000km or for 6 months you may be due for a service. If your car is newer, this number will usually be 15,000km or 12 months.

Check your car’s logbook or owner’s manual. This will tell you the exact service interval by both time and kilometers. It is important to come in at least once every 12 months regardless of how many kilometers you drive, as old engine oil can cause internal sludge build-up which is quite bad for your engine. You can think of it as being like cholesterol deposits building up in your arteries!

Your check engine light is blinking or your car is making strange sounds. To some, this is an obvious sign that you need to take your car to the mechanic, but in our experience, many people regularly ignore these warning signs – our advice: DON’T

Top 5 Hidden Day Trip Destinations Near Perth

Little known to the majority of Perth locals, there is a vast array of natural locations that are little more than 2 hours away from it’s CBD. Get your walking shoes on, it’s time to explore the Top 5 Hidden Day Trip Destinations Near Perth!

1. Wungong Regional Park

Regional Park, Bedfordale

Ranging from breathtaking views of our city, walking trails with dramatic slopes and inclines, gorges to explore, several waterways and many serene picnic areas to put your feet up, this location has something for everyone. The highlight of this park is the Gorge Walk spanning a distance of 15km. While the views are spectacular, the trail is not for the faint-hearted, the slopes are intense and the trail is rough so bring good shoes if you’re planning to conquer this walk. A true gem of Western Australia that is a must-see.  

2. Yanchep National Park

Trip Time From CBD: 40 min | Location: Yanchep National Park, Yanchep Beach Rd &, Indian Ocean Dr, Yanchep

This location is perfect for the family. The national park includes many picnic spots, a 240-meter koala boardwalk to full of many wonderful Australian animals, loads of wild Western Grey Kangaroos, over 400 caves to explore and the Tree Adventure which includes wobbling wooden bridges, tight ropes, cargo nets, zip lines and more for walkers to navigate through. An easy, yet adventurous day trip for the whole family.

3. John Forrest National Park

Trip Time From CBD: 36 min | Location: John Forrest National Park, Park Rd, Hovea

Here at Wembley Autocare, our team rave about this location all the time. What keeps us going back is the spectacular wildlife, plant varieties and numerous walk trails. What we love the most however is the vast array of waterfalls that this park has on offer. Make sure to bring your bathers, the water looks so nice you’ll want a dip for sure! Another highlight is the abandoned railway tunnels that used to transport miners. After a day of exploring you can relax at the many picnic tables around the park right next to some friendly Kangaroos. If you’re looking for a beverage, the John Forrest Tavern is open right next to the picnic area and has a great selection on offer.

4. The Secret Garden

Trip Time From CBD: 16 min | Location: Secret Garden, 2 Careniup Ave, Gwelup

Hidden in the heart of Suburban Gwellup, visiting this garden feels like you have stepped into a wonderland. Posited on top of a vast system of wetlands, the small, yet majestic walk trail will leave you stunned. There are paths to find, bridges to cross and vine covered trees to discover. Careful in the wet months as the ground can get quite mushy, but a good pair of shoes should make exploring easy!  

5. Bells Rapids

Trip Time From CBD: 44 min | Location: Bells Rapids Park, Orlov Trail, Cathedral Ave, Brigadoon

Home of the Avon Decent, a yearly canoe race, the rapids are a true delight for anyone looking to get out of the house. Bells includes two unique walk trails, the 2.5km River walk and the 3km Goat walk, as well as Bells Falls spotted on the bottom right. The locations true gem is the walk bridge over the Swan River where the rapids lay, not ideal for swimming but ideal for exploring. Bring your walking shoes as the ground can be tough to walk on throughout the year.

We hope you’re one step closer to a wonderful day trip…Have fun exploring!

Female Friendly Mechanics

Creating an environment where women feel comfortable and in control is Wembley Autocare’s #1 priority.

Many workshops purposefully attempt to mislead and intimidate women in hopes of ripping them off – and that is not okay! At other workshops you might have experienced;

• An invoice that you suspected was too high for the work you needed
• A condescending / rude tone from the mechanic
• Confusion about the exact work being done

At Wembley Autocare, we believe that it is important for women to have the option of going to a female-friendly mechanic where they feel comfortable and in control.

So how do we ensure a female-friendly culture?

• All our staff are respectful and courteous no matter what.
• We don’t believe in making a profit by misleading or intimidating any customers.
• We always make a point of ensuring that every customer knows exactly what work is being done to their vehicle, so you’ll never be out of the loop.
• We encourage all customers to speak up with whatever query or concern they may have, and that’s the way it should be.
• Our female management ensures a female-friendly culture

Book with Wembley Autocare today to get the service you know you deserve!