Fault finding that finds the fault
Auto electrical repairs
Something has stopped working, the dash is lit up, or the car will not start, and nobody has been able to tell you why. Electrical faults get expensive when they are guessed at, because you end up paying for parts that were never the problem.
Car will not start
It is nearly always the battery, the starter motor or the alternator, and from the driver seat all three feel about the same. We test all three rather than replacing the cheapest one and hoping. A battery that keeps going flat is usually a charging fault or a drain, not a bad battery, and replacing the battery on its own just resets the clock.
- Battery and charging system testing
- Starter motors
- Alternators
- Parasitic drain tracing
- Ignition and starting circuits
Fault finding and diagnostics
Scan tool diagnostics across engine, ABS and body systems, plus the old fashioned part where somebody actually traces the circuit. A fault code tells you where to look, not what is broken, and the difference between those two matters a lot to your bill.
Wiring and repairs
Wiring repairs, damaged looms, corroded earths and the sort of connector rot that the wet season produces up here. Rodent damage, trailer wiring gone bad, accessory installs that were never fused. We repair it so it is right, not so it lasts until you are out of sight.
Mechanical too
We handle general mechanical work alongside the electrical side. On the Tablelands, where the nearest alternative might be a tow into Mareeba, one visit that fixes both is worth a lot more than two bookings.
Common questions
Auto electrical repairs, answered
My car will not start. Is it the battery?
Maybe, but not always. If it turns over slowly it is usually the battery. If it clicks but does not turn, it is often the starter. If it starts then dies, or the battery light is on, it is more likely the alternator. We test all three before replacing anything.
What does auto electrical fault finding cost?
It depends how long the fault takes to trace, so we will not quote a number blind. What we will do is tell you what we have found and what it will cost to fix before we do the work, so there are no surprises when the bill arrives.
My battery keeps going flat. What causes that?
Usually a charging fault or a parasitic drain, meaning something is drawing power while the car is off. A new battery on its own will not fix either, it will just go flat again in a few months. We trace the drain instead.
Also from Nixon
What else we do
Farm machinery auto electrics
A machine that will not start in the middle of a job does not cost you a repair bill, it costs you the day. And on the Tablelands the alternative is a float and a tow into town, which costs more again. So we bring the workshop to the paddock.
Read moreAuto air conditioning
This is Far North Queensland. Air conditioning is not a luxury item, and a car with no air con in February is close to unusable. We fix the reason it stopped rather than just filling it back up with gas.
Read moreDual battery & 12V setups
A 12V setup either holds together on corrugated roads or it does not, and you find out which a long way from town. The difference is almost always in the fusing, the cable size and how the joins were made.
Read moreMechanical repairs
Being an auto electrician and a mechanic in the one van is the whole point. Out here the alternative is often a tow into Mareeba and two separate bookings, and a fault that crosses the line between electrical and mechanical is exactly the sort that gets passed back and forth while nobody fixes it.
Read moreLogbook servicing
A logbook service is the manufacturer schedule done properly: the right parts, the right oil and fluids, and the book stamped at the end. You do not have to take a new car back to the dealer to keep the warranty, and because we are auto electricians as well as mechanics, anything electrical that turns up can be sorted in the same visit.
Read moreBrake repairs & servicing
Wet roads, red dirt that turns to slurry and steep runs off the range all ask more of a braking system than a dry winter does. We inspect the whole system, tell you straight what needs doing and what does not, and cover the electrical side of braking as well as the mechanical.
Read moreECU tuning & remapping
A remap changes how the engine actually behaves: where the power comes on, how it tows, and how much fuel it drinks doing it. Done properly it makes a vehicle nicer to drive and cheaper to run. Done badly it costs you an engine.
Read moreBased in Atherton and mobile across the Tablelands, including Tolga, Yungaburra, Kairi, Herberton, Walkamin, Malanda and out to Mareeba, Millaa Millaa, Ravenshoe. See the full service area.
Get in touch
Tell us what
it is doing
Send through a few details and we will get back to you with what it is likely to involve. If it is urgent or the vehicle will not start, ring us. That is always faster.
Call the workshop 0439 064 720