Import Driver? Did you know about these things? Hints and Tips ...

Winter Issues?

2012-06-30T02:02:00.000-07:00

With winter upon us here are a few things you should consider on your vehicle.
As we turn up the heaters in our cars, when was the last time your cabin air filter was changed?

Cabin / pollen filter

This is a minor item ($20-$35) but commonly overlooked. They're usually full of dust, insects, add some heat its perfect place for bacteria and mold to reside. If you have allergies and are susceptible to dust this something you should get checked.

The cold weather also places a greater strain on your battery.

If you're finding your it takes that little longer to start or is just not feeling right, now might be a good time to get your battery checked. With right equipment its quite easy to see if its a charge or battery issue.

Vehicle safety check at Top Secret Service Centre

If you do have any questions or are unsure call our Service Centre and book a free checkup today.

Top Secret Service Centre

t: 02 9621 5700

a: Unit 2, 1-3 Carnegie Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

Top Secret Imports (Showroom)

t: 02 96222 333

a: 36 Forge Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports
w: www.topsecretimports.com.au

Top Secret Service Centre - Blacktown

Avoid expensive repairs! Are you paying attention to these 7 items on your car?

2012-06-16T00:50:00.000-07:00

I see this time and time again with our clients. Wether its a car purchased from the the showroom or for repair at the service centre.
I lot of money and heartache can be saved if we all paid that extra minute of attention to our cars.

Mitsubishi Evo 8 MR clutch fitment at Top Secret Service Centre

You dont have to be a mechanic or a technical person to make these simple observations.
Next time your about to get into your regardless of it being old or new, ask your self these questions.

1. As you walk to your car, are there any tyres which look low or unnecessarily worn?
2. Are there any puddles or fluid leaking from your car?
3. Is my motor sounding or running funny?
4. How does my my steering feel when I drive? Is there a vibration?
5. When I brake is there a shuddering in the pedal or a vibration in the steering?
6. Are there any odd smells, petrol, electrical smell?
7. Most importantly are there any warning lights on the dash?

Once you get used to keeping an eye on the minor items, you'll quickly get a feel for what is out of the normal.
If something doesnt feel right there is no harm in getting it checked. Most reputable workshops are happy to do a quick check at no charge. It will either ease your mind or point out problem well in advance.

If you do have any questions or are unsure call our Service Centre and book a free checkup today.

Top Secret Service Centre

t: 02 9621 5700

a: Unit 2, 1-3 Carnegie Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

Top Secret Imports (Showroom)

t: 02 96222 333

a: 36 Forge Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports
w: www.topsecretimports.com.au

Jack Sandher

Top Secret Service Centre - Blacktown

OK I just got defected what next?

2012-05-22T21:38:00.001-07:00

So you been giving some love by the police and your not sure what to do next?

Heres a few steps that you need to take so that you can get it sorted. Below is a real defect that was issued to one of our customers. I will now step through it item by item to give you a feel of what you need to do so that you can drive your car.

1. Read the defect so you know whats going on. There are usually a few items that you will get written up for.

2. Check wether the defect is minor or major, minor defect means only the item listed will be checked. If the major check box is ticked it means the whole car will be inspected, this is certainly the case for the defect below.

A real example of a defect notice issued in NSW.

3. If you can resolve the issues by yourself to save money then do so, otherwise contact a service centre that can help. Let us now step through each one below:

* Ground clearance is below 100mm - if you have adjustable suspension you can raise the car to ensure it passes.
* Airpod filter not enclosed - If you have standard airpod to install do so, otherwise can buy aftermarket enclosures to take advantage of the power gain and ensure its still legal.

* Blow off valve - this will need to be plumbed back to comply, or might have to be removed.
* Horn not working - You can buy your own or get a workshop to do this for you.
* Rear Indicator not orange - all lights on cars must be specific colours, indicators must be the correct colour. Note even if your light cover is cracked and white light is being emitted this still classifies as a defect.

* Front mount intercooler to comply with standards - Unfortunately these will need to be removed, unless the stock vehicle has these installed e.g. Mitsubishi Evo

* Wheels and tyres fiittd outside the guards - These must remain in the guards.
Note : - they can not be 1 inch bigger than the largest factory rims fitted, BUT ... if you drive for e.g. a R34 with 15" rims, and a GT-R comes out with 17" factory rims you can still goto 18" and remain legal.

* Screamer pipe fitted and disconnected - All exhaust gases need to leave the rear of the car via exhaust and catalytic convertors and muffler. This is more of an emission issue.

* Exhaust to comply with standards - Your exhaust noise must be lower than 90 decibals. The best way around this is to have a factory exhaust. You can have aftermarket exhausts but they must be still be below 90 decibals, we usually need to get a noise test from an exhaust shop. This reading is then used to clear the defect.

Sooner or later you will need to speak to an AUVIS (authorised vehicle inspection station), basically anyone that is licensed to clear defects. If you have any questions or would like to have your defects cleared feel free to contact us on:

Top Secret Service Centre

t: 02 9621 5700

a: Unit 2, 1-3 Carnegie Street, Blacktown NSW 2148
Top Secret Imports (Showroom)

t: 02 96222 333

a: 36 Forge Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports
w: www.topsecretimports.com.au

Jack Sandher

nissan skyline GTR GT-R Mitsubishi Drift JDM JDMST Evo 6 7 8 9 10 V VI VII VIII IX X imports import supra chaser 180ss15 silvia hard tuned importer service repair

6 Questions to ask yourself before you buy a car.

2012-05-13T23:38:00.004-07:00

At the showroom we deal with plenty of enthusiasts, but sometimes clients dont know what sort of car they want. Before you purchase a car, you should ask yourself a few questions. The last thing you want to do is buy a car only to realise its not for you. Then go through the hassle of re-selling and purchasing. As your aware this will cost you more time and money.

Top Secret Showroom

1. What are you going to do with the car?
-Drift, Drag, Track, None?

2. Is it for the weekend?
- Longdrives, cruises, camping?

3. Will you be driving it to work?
- Fuel consumption, reliability?

4. Who else will be driving the car?
- partners, family, do you have kids?

5. Do you plan to modify the car?
- what sort of power are you after? what will this cost?

6. Are you aware of the maintenance and servicing costs of the car?
- what will my servicing costs be? brakes, oil changes?

By beginning with the end in mind you will be able to make a much more informed decision and buy something that suites your needs. If you'd like some help purchasing your next car or some general information regarding this topic please call us at the showroom. If you're in the process of purchasing and would like to receive a FREE vehicle inspection call us at the service centre today! We can also help you with servicing and modification questions.

Top Secret Imports (Showroom)

t: 02 96222 333

a: 36 Forge Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

Top Secret Service Centre

t: 02 9621 5700

a: Unit 2, 1-3 Carnegie Street, Blacktown NSW 2148

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports
w: www.topsecretimports.com.au

Jack Sandher

5 Top Secret Tips to avoid defects!

2012-05-06T18:54:00.002-07:00

Top Secret Evo getting some attention

As expected we do a lot of defect clearance in the service centre side.
In this case the age old saying applies, 'prevention is better than cure', in fact prevention is also cheaper than cure.

Here are the 5 Top Secret tips to avoid the most common defects we clear:

1. Ensure you have a factory airbox or your air intake is enclosed.
2. Your exhaust noise must be lower than 90 decibals. The best way around this is to have a factory exhaust. You can have aftermarket exhausts but they must be below 90 decibals criteria.
3. If you have a Blow off valve, make sure its plumbed back in.
4. Any external gates need to be plumbed in.
5. Make sure the lowest point of your car is higher than 10cm from the ground (its usually the exhaust).

Did you know they can even defect you for, having error lights on your dash?
If your airbag or ABS light is on, they will need to be rectified as they are treated as a safety hazard. This will also not pass a standard blueslip.

If your unsure wether or not your car is defect free give us a call, quote this blog and book in a complimentary obligation free checkup on your car today, on 9621 5700.

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports

Jack Sandher

Top Secret Imports

02 9621 5700

How do I make my car go faster?

2012-04-29T18:54:00.001-07:00

If you've been looking at your car and your bored with the way it feels, perhaps its time for some mods to get it a little quicker.
Keep in mind the following 6 Top Secret items before you start:

1.

Carbon fibre air intake enclosure to suit Evo 7,8,9 from Top Secret Service Centre

Depending on the type of car you have e.g. turbo non turbo, you need to keep in mind the what you can and cant do. For both NA (naturally aspirated) engines and turbo's you need to make sure there is enough airflow. Quite simply oxygen in the atmosphere causes fire to burn. The more cold air we can supply the motor the better your chance of combustion. This is usually via an air pod or filter. Make sure that its legal and enclosed, any fine and defect clearance that is needed will simply out way the reasons not to do this from the start. The aim here is to force cold dense air into the system. A common mistake is to enclose the air filter with a box but not allowing the outside cold air in. Sucking hot air from around the motor will not give you the maximum power gains.

2.

An example of an exhaust system.

More air out, ensure that exhaust gases can leave the engine as efficiently as possible. A nice exhaust system will take care of that. Again there are legalities around the catalic convertors for emissions and noise levels which need to be addressed.
For non turbos you want a good set of tune length extractors, 4-2-1 extractors are for good low end power and 4-1 for high end power.

3.

Intercooler kit complete with front mount cooler and piping.

A lot of the Japanese cars are restricted purposely in the factory to ensure they meet emmisions standards or power standards. Piping around the turbo and intercooler is changed from rubber to metal to help regulate the pressure. Sometimes standard factory pipes can expand or 'balloon' changing the flow of air and causing lack of throttle response.Increase the flow of cold air for the turbo. This is achieved by ensuring you have a larger intercooler and piping. In many vehicles the intercooler may need to be replaced with a larger front mounted intercooler. In some cases a simple piping upgrade will suffice.

4.

A fuel pump with fittings.

Now that the vehicle is unrestricted, and air is flowing freely in and out of the motor, we also need to ensure that there is enough fuel supply going into the motor. Its all about adding enough air and fuel to the combustion mixture. If this ratio is not correct the motor will lean out and require to be rebuilt. In most cases we need to upgrade factory fuel pump, these are usually located in the fuel tank of the vehicle.

5.

HKS boost controller one of the best on the market.

Increase the boost pressure of the turbo, boost is measured in barometric units, also known as 'bar' for short. 1 bar of boost is equivalent to 14.7 psi (pressure per square inch). This will increase the displacement of the motor, in short increase the power. This does place extra stress on internals of the motor. Most good tuners do understand what a good level of boost they can increase from standard as each make of motor is different. Its recommended to have an electronic boost controller to standardise the boost increase. As factors such as the external air temperature will effect the boost levels. (cold air is more dense than hot air).

6.

Project D Drift Schools car being dyno tuned.

We have added a lot of non standard parts by this stage. To me it feels more like a random group of people trying to play in a band together. The factory computer needs to be made aware of these changes and tuned accordingly to achieve optimum results.
After a good dyno tune the power output, petrol consumption and driving response is a lot smoother and better.

In summary, do your basics first, understand what the above modifications will do to your car. By knowing this you can begin with the end in mind. What are you trying to achieve with your car? Do you want it to go a little faster? Are you planning to track? Drift? Drag? What is your budget? When you start to answer these questions you'll get a lot more enjoyment from you car and the value for money from your spend.

If you need more information about any aspects of modifications give Top Secret Service Centre a call and speak to someone in the industry. W can help answer your questions and give you an idea of costs involved as well as recommend products to suite your nees. Top Secret also runs information nights for clients and friends, share a drink and food and learn from the industry experts. Checkout the facebook site and see when the next event or info night is on.
So what next? quote this blog and book in a complimentary obligation free checkup and consultation on your car today, on 9621 5700.

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports

Jack Sandher

Top Secret Imports

02 9621 5700

Can I really budget my car servicing?

2012-04-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

After speaking to hundreds of customers some things are certain, they're are never really aware of what to expect regarding charges for vehicle servicing. Most people will usually call around and find the cheapest quote they're comfortable with and get their car serviced. These are the proactive personalities.

However most of us usually only ever visit the mechanic when something is wrong with the car.
Plain and simply you CAN budget your expenses. All cars have log book scheduled servicing -which new car owners are aware off.
Its usually in the bundle of books they give you that end up being stuffed in the glovebox or boot.

However rest assured for those of us who own cars with no log books or service schedules, most professional workshops and service centres have software to access this information.

Each car is different, some need to be serviced every 5000kms or 6 Months. Others 15000kms and so on. All you need to do is ask a licensed professional what will be my costs for the next 2 services or even 2 years or even longer. Its that easy. Be aware of the mechanics that only ever want to do the basics, i.e. oil and filter. Its a quick easy job yet its not what the manufacturer of the vehicle has specified for that particular service.

Vehicle servicing at Top Secret Service Centre Blacktown branch.

The long term reliability of your car and an increase in repair costs down the track will definitely negate any short term saving. Apart from the safety inspections that happen whilst the car is being serviced. There is also the resale value of the car that is being attended to. Our service centres carry the entire service history of your car. Imagine being able to confidently provide that whilst selling your car.
Better yet imagine sending your potential customer down to your mechanic to discuss the car your about to sell him.

To conclude, make sure you understand the service history and the current condition your car is in. Speak to you local workshop and mechanic. Are they giving you the information that you need to be confident with whats happening with your car? Most importantly educate yourself enough so that you know what is happening to your car every time it does get serviced or repaired.

Top Secret runs information nights for clients and friends, share a drink and food and learn from the industry experts. Below is a link of one that happened just recently: InfoNight (Clickme).

To get a free checkup and inspection report on your vehicle, quote this blog and book in a complimentary obligation free checkup on your car today, on 9621 5700.

http://www.facebook.com/TopSecretImports

Jack Sandher

Top Secret Imports

02 9621 5700