Mobile Mechanic or Garage? What Can and Can’t Be Fixed on Your Drive

When a car will not start on the drive, or a warning light comes on the morning you need it, the first thing most people search for is a mobile mechanic. It makes sense: nobody wants to arrange a tow or juggle lifts when the problem might be fixable where the car is sitting.

We do mobile repairs as well as running our workshop on Protea Way, so we see both sides of it. Some jobs are genuinely better done on your drive. Others can only be done properly with a ramp, specialist equipment, or a test bay. Here is how to tell which is which.

Jobs that can often be done where the car is

• Flat or failed batteries. Testing the battery and charging system, and fitting a replacement where that is the fault. If your battery keeps going flat, the cause may still need finding afterwards.
• Reading fault codes. A diagnostic plug-in can tell us a lot about a warning light or a car that will not start, and often whether it is safe to drive to the workshop.
• Some non-starts. A failed starter motor, a fuel or ignition fault or an immobiliser problem can sometimes be found and fixed on the spot, depending on the car and the part.
• Bulbs, wiper blades and other small parts on cars where they are reachable without major dismantling.
• Basic checks before you decide what to do: is it worth repairing, does it need recovering, or can it be driven in?

Jobs that need the workshop

The MOT

An MOT can only be carried out at an approved test centre, in a test bay with calibrated equipment such as a brake roller tester, headlamp aimer and emissions analyser. No one can do a legal MOT on your drive.

Anything that needs the car in the air

Exhausts, suspension arms and bushes, CV joints, brake pipes and anything else underneath the car needs a proper ramp to be done safely and properly. Working under a car on axle stands on a sloping drive is how jobs get rushed and corners get cut.

Wheel alignment

Alignment needs a level floor and alignment equipment. It cannot be set by eye.

Air conditioning

Regassing an air con system needs a dedicated machine that recovers the old refrigerant, vacuum-tests the system for leaks and refills it by weight. Refrigerant is a regulated gas and cannot legally be vented.

Clutches, gearboxes, timing belts and other big jobs

These need the car on a ramp, engine and gearbox supports, special timing tools and, frankly, time. They are workshop jobs.

Proper fault-finding

A fault code tells you where to look, not always what is wrong. Tracing an intermittent electrical fault, a misfire or a noise often needs a road test, a ramp and some workshop time.

The questions to ask before booking anyone mobile

• Is there somewhere safe to work? A flat drive or off-road space is fine. The side of a busy road usually is not.
• What if the part is not on the van? Many repairs need a part specific to your car, which may mean a second visit or a trip to the workshop anyway.
• What happens if it is bigger than it looked? A mobile visit should end with a clear answer: fixed, safe to drive in, or needs recovering.
• Is the work guaranteed, and is there a record of it? You should get the same paperwork from a mobile repair as you would from a workshop.

Our approach

When you call us about a car that will not start or move, we will ask what it is doing and give you an honest view of whether it is a mobile job or a workshop one. If we can fix it where it is, we will. If it needs the workshop, we will say so, and if it is safe to drive in, we will tell you that too. That way you do not pay for a call-out that ends with the car going to a garage anyway.

Frequently asked questions

Can a mobile mechanic do an MOT?

No. MOT tests can only be done at an authorised test centre. Some garages offer to collect the car, but the test itself is always done in the test bay.

Is a mobile mechanic cheaper?

For the right job, it can save you the cost and hassle of recovery. For bigger jobs, a workshop is usually quicker and the repair is done better, so it often works out cheaper overall.

Can you service my car on my drive?

A service involves more than an oil change: it includes checks underneath the car and a road test, and the old oil and filters have to be disposed of properly. We do servicing in the workshop, where it can be done properly.

My car will not start. Should I call you or a breakdown service?

If you have breakdown cover and the car is somewhere unsafe, call them first. If it is on your drive and you would rather have a mechanic look at it, call us and tell us what it is doing.

Mobile repairs and workshop in Letchworth

Whether you need someone to look at the car where it is, or you would rather bring it in, call us and we will tell you which makes sense. For workshop jobs, you can book online at a time that suits you.

Dom’s Garage Services, 11 Protea Way, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 1JT. Call the workshop on 01462 671753.