Auto Spares Specials in Potchefstroom

Where Potch buys spares

Two counters cover most of what goes wrong on a Potchefstroom car. Midas is the one to walk into with a part number — spares, oils and accessories for every make on local roads. Auto Zone carries the fast-moving service items at trade-friendly prices: brake pads, filters and batteries for most makes, straight off the shelf.

Both keep normal Potch trading hours — weekdays to around half past five, Saturday mornings only. If you are doing a Saturday service, get there before midday or you are waiting until Monday.

Know these three things before you go

• Your engine code, not just the model. A 2015 Polo can take three different filters. The code on the block or in the service book settles it in one trip instead of two.
• Oil grade matters more than brand. 20W-50 suits older, higher-mileage engines; most newer cars want a thinner modern grade. Check the cap or the manual before you pay for the wrong five litres.
• Brake pads are sold per axle. A "set" is the two wheels on one end of the car, not all four. Budget for both ends if it has been a while.

Doing the service yourself

An oil and filter change is the cheapest job to take off a workshop bill, and the parts below are the whole shopping list. If you need a trolley jack, axle stands or a torque wrench for the drain plug, tool hire in Potch is cheaper by the day than buying tools you will use once a year.