MATE: Mobile Auto Tech Expert

MATE: Mobile Auto Tech Expert Finally know what your car's telling you. No jargon, just confidence in every car decision.

🇦🇺 Warning lights, find parts and accessories, servicing.

Ask it anything.

Your tyres warn you long before they fail.Moulded into the bottom of the main grooves there are small raised bars. They ...
20/10/2026

Your tyres warn you long before they fail.

Moulded into the bottom of the main grooves there are small raised bars. They sit at 1.5mm. When the tread wears down level with them the tyre is legally finished, and it has been getting worse in the wet for a while before that.

You do not need a gauge for this. Run a fingertip across the grooves and feel for the bars. If your finger sits flush, it is time.

Age counts too. A tyre with plenty of tread and seven years on it has gone hard, and Australian sun does that faster than the tread wears down. The four digit code on the sidewall tells you the week and the year it was made.

Not sure what you are looking at? Send us a photo of the sidewall at askmate.com.au and we will read it back to you. Or call 1300 144 534.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askMATE is M.A.T.E. (Mobile Auto Tech Expert), an Australian-owned car advice and parts business.

The five minute driveway checkNo tools, no workshop, no booking. Five things you can do in your own driveway before a lo...
13/10/2026

The five minute driveway check

No tools, no workshop, no booking. Five things you can do in your own driveway before a long drive.

Oil. Level ground, engine cold, dipstick out, wipe it, all the way back in, read it again.
Coolant. Cold engine only, level sitting between the two marks on the bottle.
Tyres. Pressure including the spare, tread at least 1.5mm.
Lights. Get someone to stand behind you and run through the lot.
Washer fluid. Because you will want it on the one day you have not got it.

That is most of what goes wrong on a long drive, caught before you leave the driveway.

Not sure what you are looking at once the bonnet is up? Send us a photo at askmate.com.au, or call 1300 144 534 and talk it through.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askMATE is M.A.T.E. (Mobile Auto Tech Expert), an Australian-owned car advice and parts business.

Buying a car shouldn't mean surrendering your privacy, says an industry bodyYou might not know exactly what your own car...
09/10/2026

Buying a car shouldn't mean surrendering your privacy, says an industry body

You might not know exactly what your own car already knows about you, and that is exactly the kind of question a privacy law is finally being asked to answer on your behalf.

"Buying a car should not mean surrendering your privacy,"

Source: aaaa.com.au.

If you are ever unsure what a service, an app or a fitted device is doing with your car's data, ask askMATE, we will tell you straight, no sales pitch.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askmate.com.au

09/10/2026

You shouldn’t need to be a mechanic to understand your own car.

At M.A.T.E., we’re a team of people who love vehicles and technology. We bring the two together to help Australian drivers understand what’s happening with their car and feel more confident caring for it.

Because knowing what a warning means, what needs attention and what to do next can make all the difference.

Our goal is simple: make complex vehicles easier to understand, support safer driving and take some of the uncertainty out of car ownership.

Your car. Your Mate.

Find out more at askmate.com.au

How often does it actually need a service?Less often than you have probably been told, and more often than the sticker o...
09/10/2026

How often does it actually need a service?

Less often than you have probably been told, and more often than the sticker on your windscreen suggests.

The real answer is in your handbook, by kilometres or by months, whichever comes first. Short trips, dusty roads, towing and stop-start driving all shorten it. Steady highway kilometres are gentler on an engine than most people think.

Tell us your car and how you actually use it and we will give you the honest interval rather than the one that suits a booking diary.

askmate.com.au · 1300 144 534

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askMATE is M.A.T.E. (Mobile Auto Tech Expert), an Australian-owned car advice and parts business.

56% of Australians say car costs are rising, and Gen Z is hit hardestIf car costs are stretching your budget this year, ...
08/10/2026

56% of Australians say car costs are rising, and Gen Z is hit hardest

If car costs are stretching your budget this year, you are not alone, and knowing what is actually worth spending on now is the first place to save.

"The generational split from the same Youi survey, 79% of Gen Z and 76% of Millennials delaying maintenance, is a useful line for who the paid creative should actually target once that starts."

Source: prnasia.com (PR Newswire APAC).

Got a car question you have been putting off. Ask askMATE, no sales pitch.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askmate.com.au

The ACCC just backed up the case for a fair right to repairIt means your independent mechanic is meant to get the same a...
08/10/2026

The ACCC just backed up the case for a fair right to repair

It means your independent mechanic is meant to get the same access to your car's service data as the dealer, and that fair go is what askMATE stands on too.

"This is a live national story that says out loud what “we tell you straight” and “parts that fit” already argue on their own."

Source: aaaa.com.au, concurrences.com.

Want a mechanic who tells you straight, not just the dealer line. That is what askMATE is built for.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askmate.com.au

The ACCC just forced carmakers to cut repair data fees to about $140 a dayIf an independent mechanic has ever quoted you...
08/10/2026

The ACCC just forced carmakers to cut repair data fees to about $140 a day

If an independent mechanic has ever quoted you a surprisingly high price or sent you back to the dealer, equipment costs like these are often why, and that gap is closing.

"We were concerned that independent repairers were required to purchase expensive equipment if they wanted to access information needed to service and diagnose vehicles."

Source: drive.com.au, aaaa.com.au.

Wondering whether your own mechanic can get what they need to service your car properly. Ask askMATE, we'll tell you straight.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askmate.com.au

Regional Queensland's share of used EV buyers at auction jumped from 17% to 48%If you are eyeing a used EV, ask for the ...
07/10/2026

Regional Queensland's share of used EV buyers at auction jumped from 17% to 48%

If you are eyeing a used EV, ask for the battery's State of Health report before you ask about the price, it tells you more about what you are really buying.

"the broader used vehicle market fell 6.6% in the first half of 2026 while used EV sales rose 54.6%."

Source: The Road Ahead, Spring 2026 (RACQ), p40 to 42.

Got a car question you have been putting off. Ask askMATE, no sales pitch.

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askmate.com.au

What does the ABS light mean?Your normal brakes still work. That is the first thing to know, because this light frighten...
07/10/2026

What does the ABS light mean?

Your normal brakes still work. That is the first thing to know, because this light frightens people into thinking they have no brakes at all.

What you have lost is the anti-lock function, which is the bit that stops your wheels locking up in an emergency stop. So you can drive, carefully, but do not put it off. It is a safety system and right now it is switched off.

Common causes are a wheel speed sensor, wiring, or a low fluid level. Worth reading the code rather than guessing at it.

askmate.com.au · 1300 144 534

She'll be right, just askMATE.

askMATE is M.A.T.E. (Mobile Auto Tech Expert), an Australian-owned car advice and parts business.

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when MATE: Mobile Auto Tech Expert posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category