17/09/2026
I had to give a customer bad news earlier this week. Their car was not starting. On inspection the car had almost no compression. When cranking the engine there was not the typical sound of pushing against the compression, it would just spin consistently. I had to give the customer the bad news that their car had most likely skipped timing, leaving the valves open at the wrong time (and probably bent from hitting the piston). It would not run and would be expensive to fix.
So they sent it to the wreckers.
It seemed like extended oil changes and occasionally running low on oil were contributing factors.
The customer had stated that some unrelated issues had been taken to the mechanics but they couldn't reproduce them so they were not fixed.
I really understand not wanting to spend money on an old be**er. A mechanic may charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for a job that doesn't even fix the reported issue. Then the next day some other issue arises. So then it's just a matter of running the car into the ground for as long and as cheaply as possible. I've been there myself but now I'm trying to turn it around.
It's usually better to catch a problem early when it's a small problem before it becomes a big problem. But the time and money needed to hand to do a mechanic make it not worth it. Not to mention all the other pressures from life that get in the way. We need cars and we just need them to work.
Here at kaha tahi we can provide mobile services to save you the hassle of getting to and from the mechanic. Then we will work with you to make the right decision for your vehicle. We're a community focussed business so we aim to keep our prices as low as possible.
If you want some advice on your vehicle, send a message today.
