When preparing for a road trip, we often think about the essentials to pack, the route to take, and the sights to see. However, the readiness of your vehicle for the long journey ahead is a crucial aspect that should never be overlooked. Regular car service plays a pivotal role in ensuring your vehicle is up to the task, providing safety, reliability, and peace of mind. Here's why making that service appointment before hitting the road is more important than you might think.

Getting Your Car Road Trip Ready with Regular Servicing

Regular car servicing is not just about meeting manufacturer requirements or keeping your warranty intact; it's about ensuring every component of your vehicle is operating as it should. Much like a health check-up, a car service inspects, repairs, and maintains essential parts of your vehicle to ensure it performs optimally. This is particularly important before embarking on a road trip, where the demand on your vehicle is significantly higher.

Safety is paramount when preparing for any journey, and this starts with your vehicle's condition. During a service, critical safety components such as brakes, tyres, lights, and steering are thoroughly checked. Worn brake pads, for instance, can be a hazard, reducing your car's ability to stop effectively. Ensuring these are in top condition before a road trip can significantly reduce the risk of accidents, making your journey safer for you and your passengers.

Tyres are your vehicle's only contact with the road, so their condition can greatly affect your safety and comfort. Regular servicing includes tyre checks to ensure they have adequate tread depth and are free from damage. This not only enhances safety but also improves fuel efficiency, a welcome benefit during long road trips.

The heart of your vehicle, the engine, requires regular attention to perform at its best. Services often include oil changes and checks on the engine's components to ensure everything is running smoothly. This can prevent breakdowns and avoid costly repairs down the line, ensuring your road trip isn't cut short by engine troubles.

A well-serviced vehicle runs more efficiently, saving you money on fuel - an important consideration for long trips. It can also improve performance, making your journey smoother and more enjoyable. Regular servicing can identify and rectify issues such as clogged air filters or spark plug problems, which can hamper your vehicle's performance.

Consistent servicing not only keeps your vehicle in top condition for road trips but also extends its overall lifespan. By identifying and fixing issues early, you prevent them from becoming major problems that can shorten your vehicle's life expectancy. This means you can enjoy more road trips in the future without the worry of frequent car shopping.

Comfort is key on long journeys, and a serviced vehicle provides just that. Issues like air conditioning faults or worn suspension can be identified and corrected, ensuring your ride is as comfortable as possible. Furthermore, knowing your vehicle has been professionally checked gives you peace of mind, allowing you to focus on the adventure ahead.

Today's vehicles are equipped with complex navigation and electrical systems that are vital for a successful road trip. Regular servicing ensures these systems are functioning correctly, avoiding the inconvenience of a malfunction when you're miles away from home.

A well-maintained vehicle is not only good for you but also for the environment. Regular servicing helps to ensure your car is running as cleanly as possible, reducing harmful emissions. This is an essential consideration for those conscious of their environmental impact, especially when undertaking long road trips.

There's nothing worse than an unexpected breakdown in an unfamiliar place. Regular servicing greatly reduces the risk of surprise mechanical failures, ensuring your road trip goes as smoothly as possible. Being proactive about your vehicle's maintenance means you can address potential issues before they become real problems.

Getting your car ready for a road trip involves more than just packing your bags. Regular servicing is essential to ensure your vehicle is safe, reliable, and comfortable for the journey ahead. At The Bald Lad Automotive, we're committed to helping you prepare for your next adventure with our comprehensive service offerings.

 Remember, a well-maintained vehicle is the key to a successful and enjoyable road trip. Get regular car servicing from the experts at The Bald Lad Automotive in Kingsbury and take some of the worry out of getting ready for your next road trip well ahead of time...

Discover how regular car servicing at The Bald Lad Automotive can enhance your vehicle's safety, performance, and road trip readiness. Keep your journeys smooth and secure...

Ensure Your Vehicle's Road Trip Readiness with Regular Car Service

Brake fluid transfers the pressure you put on the brake pedal through to the actual brakes.
Without the brake fluid your brakes quite simply would not work. As everyone knows - not having brakes is a huge problem! In fact even slightly affected brakes are very dangerous.


Brake fluid absorbs moisture very easily. Brake fluids are also subject to very high temperatures and so they are designed to have a high boiling point to stop them from boiling and evaporating- when brake fluid has accumulated too much moisture- this lowers its boiling point and it can boil off more easily causing low levels. Low levels of brake fluid affect your braking performance and could mean your car will fail to stop.
Brake Fluid that has absorbed too much moisture will also shorten the life of your braking system including damaging the callipers, wheel cylinders and anti-lock braking systems.

Why is brake fluid replacement necessary?

Your manufacturer's log book will advise how regularly your brake fluid should be changed or flushed, we recommend a drain and replacement every two years however it is wise to have it regularly checked by an expert at every service to make sure the levels are not reducing too fast (a sign of a leak) or that the moisture levels have not reached a point that could be damaging your system.

How often should I replace my brake fluid?

At The Bald Lad Automotive we offer a full 65 Point Vehicle Inspection report, upon request, with every full car service which includes a written review of your brake fluid, master cylinder, front and back discs and pads, callipers and cylinders and more. This inspection helps to identify any issues in your vehicle which should be addressed and our mechanics will certainly advise you if they feel your vehicle might need a brake fluid replacement, or an out of schedule brake system service or repairs.

Do you check the brake fluids during a car service?

Without the brake fluid your brakes quite simply would not work.

Brake fluid - what is it and why do I need it? 

Simply put - You increase the likelihood and risk of having an accident. You also increase the probability that you will have to eventually replace other more expensive critical brake or vehicle components.

You should always pay attention to any signs that suggest your brakes may require service and respond accordingly. One indication your brakes might need attention is if your brakes seem to be responding more slowly than usual when you press them down. This can be a sign of worn brake pads, (or it could be low brake fluid levels, or other brake system-related issues). Regardless of the cause you should get your brakes seen to by a professional to avoid more serious problems down the track.

The increased risk of having an accident aside, there are three other very good reasons for not ignoring signs your brake pads are getting to worn to do the job well;

Everyone wants to feel safe when travelling in a vehicle and an ideal situation, your vehicle will slow down in a smooth manner. But when there is an issue with the brakes, it will result in shaking throughout the car and can be noticed on the steering wheel when you depress the brake pedal. If this is the case, you should look into having your brakes serviced. The end result at best is that passengers (and even drivers) will experience a less comfortable ride - we don't even like to think about the worst case scenarios...

Your vehicle's braking system is a complex arrangement of interdependent components, and when one is damaged, it can have a detrimental effect on other elements. For instance, when your brake pads wear past a certain point, it is likely to damage the brake rotors. When braking, the pads will squeeze the rotor, and if they are too worn, the exposed metal on them will cause them to grind against the rotors, resulting in an unpleasant noise and  potentially causing harm to the rotors. 

Avoid unnecessary  damage to other brake components such as rotors or calipers

Furthermore, the heat produced by the metal-on-metal friction due to the worn pads compressing the rotor may lead to warping or cracking. Although, typically, the rotors should outlast the pads, not replacing the pads on time can damage them, and as a result, require frequent repair. Thus, regularly having the pads changed and the brake system inspected will extend the life of all its components, preventing costly and avoidable repairs.

It may be hard to believe, but if your brakes are not in good condition, they can also have a negative impact on your tires. Brake pads that are worn down, (or problem with rotors, calipers and other parts of the brake system)  generally necessitate frequent and forceful braking, which can eventually result in tyres becoming unbalanced or wearing out much quicker or unevenly. Therefore, taking care of your brakes means taking care of your tyres too.

It is possible to drive with worn brake pads, however, it is STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED if they are extremely or inconsistently worn. Safety aside, it is beneficial to have the brake pads changed as needed and the brake system maintained on a regular basis. This will not only increase the longevity of the brake components, but also ensure brake safety and improve your driving experience.

The brakes in your car consist of many different pieces, which all need to work in tandem to properly operate. When one part is damaged, it can affect the wear of other components as well. So don't ignore any signs your brakes need attention. See the experts at The Bald Lad Automotive immediately to address any brake problems you have.

See the experts at The Bald Lad Automotive immediately to address any brake problems you have - Then sit back and enjoy the ride...

We don't recommend it. The brakes in your car consist of many different parts which all need to work in tandem to properly operate. When one component is damaged, it can affect the wear of other brake components as well as your tyres...

Can you drive with worn brake pads?

What happens if you drive with worn brake pads?

The Bald Lad Automotive are experts in servicing and repairing European Cars

The Bald Lad Automotive have the expertise and knowledge to perform repairs, diagnostics and service on all European and Luxury vehicles including Alfa Romeo - Audi - BMW - Citroen - Ferrari - Fiat - Land Rover - Mercedes Benz - Mini Cooper - Peugeot - Lexus - Porsche - Volvo and many more in our well equipped Kingsbury workshop.

Do European vehicles need a European car specialist?

To service or maintain European cars to the standards they deserve specialised knowledge of their distinctive craftsmanship and highly tuned engines is required. Cutting edge technologies often found in Luxury and Euro vehicles require cutting edge expertise.

We are Repco Auto-Tech training programme members - Australia's leading provider of automotive technical training and information, so you can be certain that The Bald Lad Automotive are completely up to date with all modern vehicle servicing techniques. Through the Auto-Tech encyclopaedia and SmartQuote programs The Bald Lad Automotive have complete access to the complete service schedules for all makes and models of Luxury and Euro Vehicles.

Our fully qualified technicians know exactly how to take good care of all European and Luxury Vehicles, from choosing the right quality parts through to using European car specific software for diagnosis.

If you're looking for an Audi service, an experienced BMW mechanic or someone to help maintain your Luxury investment with qualified European car expertise contact us or book a service today.

The Bald Lad Automotive have the expertise and knowledge to perform repairs, diagnostics and service on all European and Luxury vehicles...

European car service in Kingsbury

Your Local Mechanic in Kingsbury, The Bald Lad Automotive take great pride in offering our clients the very best in car servicing and automotive repairs.

 (*Please Note: Trading hours may be subject to change without notice).

Prior to the business being taken over by current owner and operator Ivan Basile and renamed The Bald Lad Automotive, Kingsbury Motors operated at this location (under a different ownership/management).

Ivan grew up working on cars with his dad, a hobby which evolved into a career inspiring him to complete an automotive apprenticeship. Now having been in the trade for more than 25 years Ivan has taken the step of turning his passion into a business - at The Bald Lad Automotive working on cars is not just a job, it's a passion.

The Bald Lad Automotive care about the environment and have Arctick Authorisation (AU51515) to reliably and responsibly conduct vehicle air conditioning regas, repairs, inspection or servicing.

At The Bald Lad Automotive, we understand the reliance on our vehicles for our day to day lives and appreciate that owning a car can be a big investment.

This is what makes finding a mechanic you can trust so important. The Bald Lad Automotive is a local family owned and operated independent workshop offering servicing and repairs to all car makes and models.

With 25+ years automotive industry experience, we take the time to give you a full picture of what work your vehicle needs ensuring you have a clear understanding of the works being undertaken.

If any safety concerns or other issues requiring attention on your vehicle are discovered during planned servicing or repairs, we will contact you to discuss and work through an approach to managing these. Additional work will not be undertaken without customer confirmation.

We pride ourselves on our high quality workmanship and professional approach to all service and repair works, however big or small.

Why bring your car to The Bald Lad Automotive for service or repair?

25+ years experience in automotive industry (4WD's, prestige vehicles)

Local family owned & operated independent workshop providing the ability for you to interact directly with the mechanic completing the works on your car

Able to arrange a loan car on your behalf (small fee involved) through relationships with other local business

Close proximity to tram and bus services, short walk to local cafe, supermarket

Neighbouring business (under different ownership/management) is a Caltex service station

We offer Saturday mornings by appointment

If located in the surrounding area, our mechanics can also pick up your car for servicing and return it to your location

Conveniently located in Kingsbury, The Bald Lad Automotive specialise in car servicing for all makes and models, including commercial fleet vehicles. We regularly service and repair vehicles in and around Bundoora, Reservoir, Macleod, Rosanna, Thomastown, Watsonia and the surrounding areas.

Our fully qualified log book servicing ensures your car is in safe hands, and we provide quality car service and repairs on all models... including four wheel drive and Diesel vehicles.

As a Repco Authorised Service centre, The Bald Lad Automotive have a commitment to high quality workmanship, ensuring the very best in automotive care. Our Business is a member of the Repco Auto Tech training program, ensuring each mechanic is kept fully up to date with modern vehicle repair methods.

So rest assured - with The Bald Lad Automotive your car is in safe hands.

For friendly car service from a trusted independent mechanic, you can rely on the team at The Bald Lad Automotive

The Bald Lad Automotive 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.  (*Please Note: Trading hours may be subject to change without notice)...

Automotive Servicing and Repairs in Kingsbury

When it comes to brakes, you should never wait until brake repairs are necessary.  

Proper testing and routine checkups, such as our 65 Point Vehicle Inspection which we provide with all full car services, are important to ensure your vehicle's brake system is in top condition. Our expert team of technicians will be happy to advise you when they suspect that service or repair of your brake system is indicated to stop it becoming a bigger issue.

Brake services we perform at The Bald Lad Automotive include:

Brake Disc/Rotor and Drum Resurfacing or Machining

If you recognise any symptoms that your car's braking system could possibly need service or repairs simply book online with us and have the brakes of your vehicle assessed through our Kingsbury workshop today.

When it comes to brakes, you should'nt wait until brake repairs are necessary, get tested regularly.  

Brake and Clutch Service in Kingsbury

Brake and Clutch

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The Bald Lad Automotive take great pride in offering their clients personalised, and friendly service at all times.
Conveniently located in Kingsbury, 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.
The Bald Lad Automotive 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.


The Bald Lad Automotive

Brake and clutch

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Ensure Your Vehicle's Road Trip Readiness with Regular Car Service

Brake fluid - what is it and why do I need it?

What happens if you drive with worn brake pads?

European and Luxury car service

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