SERVICING
Servicing
Southern Cross Mechanical at Sumner Park is your local family-owned automotive service centre. Our experienced mechanics pride themselves on servicing your car as if it was their own. We know your car carries your most precious cargo: your family. We provide quality servicing to the Centenary suburbs and have built a loyal, long-term relationships with our customers and their families, some spanning three generations. We would love the opportunity to offer you the same level of service that we give all our customers.
Fact — Our workshop staff are all qualified mechanics. No trade assistants or apprentices will work on your car’s servicing or repairs. There is no substitute for experience!
It is common practice in both dealerships and workshops for servicing and safety checks to be performed by trade assistants and/or apprentices (increasing their profits).
Statutory Warranty
A used car purchased privately carries no statutory warranty. A used car purchased from a licensed dealer or registered auctioneer may have a statutory warranty only if the vehicle meets certain criteria including being under ten years from manufacture date and having under 160,000 kilometres on the odometer. Protect yourself before a used car purchase by visiting qld.gov.au and becoming informed of your rights.
Used Car Extended Warranties
A used car extended warranty is completely separate to your statutory warranty and may be used by dealers as an enticement for you to purchase today or sold as an add-on to your used car purchase. Every dealer can have their own extended warranty contract, rules, parameters and coverage, meaning warranties from dealer to dealer can differ greatly, including who can carry out servicing and repairs without voiding their warranty (often stipulating only one service and repair centre). Beware these extended warranties can often be very limited on what is actually covered; they may stipulate only specific parts and capped amounts the dealer will contribute towards repairs. Read the contract thoroughly before purchasing a used car warranty.
Minor Service
A minor service is the minimum periodic maintenance requirement for your vehicle. This includes on all makes and models replacement of the oil filter and engine oil using only manufacturer-specified oil. Checking operation of the steering and suspension, brakes and clutch systems, belts and hoses, battery load test and all fluids and refilling as required. All lights are checked and any faults that are found are reported. At Southern Cross Mechanical, only authorised repairs are carried out.
Please contact us for a quote for your vehicle.
Major Service
The replacement of parts and flushes and the lubrication of the steering and driveline components are stipulated by each car manufacturer at either time or kilometres. Note each make, model and year of vehicle will have different requirements at different times and kilometres. Generally, these service schedules can be found in the service/logbook the manufacturer provides. If you’re missing your logbook, call us with the registration number, and we’ll do a VIN search, obtaining all the manufacturer specifications.
Please call us for a quote for your vehicle.
New Car Servicing
A common misconception is that your new car must be serviced by the dealer to retain your new car warranty. When having your new car serviced at Southern Cross Mechanical while it’s under a dealership warranty period, we will point out any faults or issues (that may not be brought to your attention by the dealership) so you may have the dealer address these items under warranty (at no cost to you). We use genuine quality parts, oils and lubricants to comply with the manufacturers specifications, and we have the equipment and the expertise to perform your logbook servicing at the highest standards.
Please contact us for a quote for your vehicle.
Logbook Servicing
The requirements of a logbook service are set by the vehicles manufacturer. It can be a minor service and inspection through to the periodic replacement of differential and transmission oils, air, fuel and pollen filters, spark plugs and brake fluid flushes. It is more common in late model cars for the fuel filters to be located inside the fuel tank with the pump and control module. This adds expense to not only the filter but also the labour involved in accessing the pump assembly. At Southern Cross Mechanical, we know that adhering to your service logbook schedule not only retains your warranty but also helps with resale or trade in value. If all items have not been done, then the log book cannot be stamped.
Diesel Servicing
Since early in the auto industry, the humble diesel engine has been the workhorse of the trade and construction arena. The basic design and operation of the diesel engine has not changed for many years. However, in the last ten years as manufacturers struggle to comply with the constantly changing environmental emission laws, the diesel engine has evolved to include common rail injection, DPF (diesel particulate filters), EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) and computer-driven fuel injectors. Oil companies have had to develop a new range of oils to suit the needs of these new designs. The oils need to be low ash and low sulphur, and regular servicing is vital to the longevity and reliability of your diesel engine. Lack of servicing your diesel by either time or kilometres will result in preventable, expensive repairs and inconvenience with the vehicle off the road. At Southern Cross Mechanical, we understand the importance of your diesel engine's requirements, whether it is a trade vehicle or the family transport.
Fleet Servicing
We currently provide fleet servicing for businesses in Sumner Park, Richlands, Wacol and Synergy Park. We understand that having these vehicle off the road for maintenance and repairs impacts on the efficiency of your business and your bottom line. For prebooked, scheduled servicing we can put two mechanics on your vehicle to minimize downtime. Vehicle pickup and drop-off can be arranged depending on location and time required. Let us at Southern Cross Mechanical take the hassle out of your vehicle servicing and help keep your business moving. Regular maintenance will help minimise your dollars per kilometre expense by preventing foreseen breakdowns and correcting the inevitable wear and tear items before they cause further damage.
Batteries
The battery is one of the most common causes of breakdowns in cars. The starter motor is the biggest current draw on the electrical system so if the battery is not in excellent condition, the starter motor will not be engaged to turn the engine over. Sometimes the engine will turn, but all the power is being used by the starter and not enough is left for the vehicles computer, immobilizer and fuel system.
At Southern Cross Mechanical, we load test every battery as part of every service and report if it is getting low and we can see that a potential no start situation is coming. We stock, supply and install a large range of passenger and light commercial batteries at very competitive prices. Whenever a battery is tested or replaced, the alternator charge rate is checked and noted to make sure there are no underlying problems with the vehicle’s charge system.