WHEN the car you drive is your pride and joy, you want to find a garage that will treat it with the same attention to detail as you. That’s the approach of Autotec Scotland, which is a family business run by real car enthusiasts.
Managing director Robert McKenzie is every bit as passionate about his customers’ cars as he is about his own, which includes a superb BMW M3 that he’s returning to factory-fresh condition.
It’s this that has driven Autotec, based in Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire, to invest in the most up-to-date technology to assess and repair cars. Rather than buying equipment based on the lowest price, Robert has searched the entire world to obtain the best.
That means he now has the only fully operational Hunter Quick Check Lane in the UK. This American-made bit of kit allows a full diagnosis of a car’s major systems in just two minutes.
It scans the wheel alignment, brakes, tyres, battery and reads the on-board computer codes. All of this is offered for free by Autotec, so customers have a clear idea of what work might be needed on their car.
A more comprehensive check is also on offer from Autotec’s skilled technicians, who can inspect the car from bumper to bumper.
If any work is required, they are all fully trained to work on brakes, suspension, clutches, engines, exhausts and air conditioning. They can also carry out MoT work, so your car is completely fit and ready for the road.
Using the same parts as the car’s manufacturer recommends means your vehicle’s warranty also remains intact. Autotec will stamp the service book, too, so you have a full record of what work has been carried out and when. Best of all, this is at prices that undercut most main dealers.
Robert says: “Our aim is to provide a service that’s every bit as good or better than you get at a big dealership but with prices to suit the average driver’s pocket.
“That’s why we’ve invested in the Quick Check Lane and other kit like the wheel alignment and balancer equipment we have. They don’t just do the basics, they get it absolutely right, so the customer isn’t disappointed and has to come back again to sort the same problem.”
As well as all of the services you’d expect of a very capable garage, Autotec also has its own rolling road. This allows the firm to run a car in a controlled environment to check it’s working exactly as it should before it goes back on the road.
It lets Robert and his technicians hook up diagnostics while the car is running so they can be certain it’s fixed and returned to the owner in perfect health. The rolling road has another benefit, too, because it helps with performance tuning of engines, known as remapping.
By reconfiguring the engine electronic “brain”, the motor can produce more power. This helps make the car more enjoyable to drive, but it improves fuel economy as well by optimising its efficiency.
“Remapping a car is a really good way to get the best from it without affecting how well it drives in normal conditions,” says Robert.
“It can cost from as little as £300, depending on the make and model of car. Our rolling road can deal with two and four-wheel-drive cars, so even the latest high-performance models are catered for.”
With so many skills under one roof, Autotec is the ideal place to take your cherished car if you value it as much as friendly, professional service at affordable prices.
