“This business started in the early ’90s in Braddon with a large portion of the work undertaken servicing the nearby dealerships,” says Ashley Deadman, owner of City Centre Auto Electrical.

“This included fitting all the features which are now standard including cruise control, CD players and alarms along with rebuilding starter motors and alternators for both trade and private customers. We formerly operated as an NRMA recommended repairer helping local and interstate motorists passing through the region.

“I purchased the business in 2008 and we stayed in Braddon for a few years, but the writing was on the wall with automotive repairers slowly being pushed out of the CBD. With not a lot of viable options to relocate close to the city we chose to become a mobile service in order to maintain our customer base.

“As a mobile business our focus has changed and we now primarily provide services to local mechanics. We also expanded our trade customer base from the city to an area covering Gungahlin to Queanbeyan. We service all areas in and around the ACT and Queanbeyan regions. All our work is fed to the business via trade customers or referrals.

“We currently have a small team of two qualified auto electricians,” he says. “We are looking to expand our workshop capability and this would mean we would be able to take on an apprentice in the near future if things go well.”

Having made the shift to Queanbeyan, “The best part of working in our town is the people we meet and deal with on a daily basis. Even when people are stressed due to a broken-down vehicle and an unexpected repair bill we still [find they are] good down-to-earth and reasonable customers that we work with.”

City Centre Auto Electrical mobile service and workshop at 135 Gilmore Road, Queanbeyan. Call 0435 651 686.

As auto electricians they’re not limited to a singular make or model.

“Our speciality is in factory engine management systems and diagnostics for them. As such we strive to keep one step ahead. We have access to a technical information library to give us the technical information we need, in conjunction with several different diagnostic scan tools including the factory GM Tech2 and six other automotive scan tools and a PWC laptop scan tool as well. We provide ECU replacement and programming [of] GM and most common makes of vehicles.”

Plus “We specialise in air-conditioning re-gas repair and all the electronic controls that operate them. 

“In the less busy winter months we help with customers rewiring classic cars and engine conversions.  There are not many electrical jobs that scare us given enough time to do them. 

“The larger workshop means we can now deliver a better standard of work on large fit-outs for caravan and 4WD accessories, and we will carry a good stock of batteries.

“We have been operating behind the scenes working for a lot of trade customers from large chain stores to small local repairers. Why not deal direct with the people who have the technical experience for the hard jobs and the knowledge for the easy ones too?

“Our service vans are equipped with all the air-conditioning equipment and diagnostic equipment we need to complete most jobs on site.” Meanwhile the workshop is also good for “customers who need a quicker repair time or have tricky and intermittent faults that need to be diagnosed.

“There are quite a few people who have never had the need for an auto electrician and are not sure what we as a trade do. As cars become mobile computers everything is becoming more electronic. We do anything that is electrical or air-conditioning. Jobs like power windows, dashboard removal for new heaters, lighting faults, [and] 4WD accessories including lights and dual batteries.

“The benefits of skilled technicians in a diagnostic field are pretty obvious [when] you start to look at the price of parts that are fitted incorrectly or if a mistake is make and an ECU is blown up. 

“Electronic modules these days are not DIY friendly now being a blank module and need to be factory flashed and then diagnostic equipment needed to pair it to the vehicle. Gone are the days of [simply] swapping computers between cars.”