Mark Nixon Automotive

01/09/2026

It has been bought to our attention that if you search our business on Apple Maps it comes up stating we are permanently closed.

This couldn’t be further from the truth!!!

We are definitely open and aren’t going anywhere. We have too many amazing customer to close permanently!

Bare with us while we get this sorted. I have checked all other platforms and they seem to be ok.
Remember there are multiple ways to contact us if you’re not sure.

- Facebook
- Instagram
- Email
- Phone

Please let us know if you do see an anomaly so we can get it sorted.
Have the best day!

-Matt
Mark Nixon Automotive

31/08/2026

We’re excited to announce that we are trialing a 9 Day Fortnight, which means we will now be closed every second Friday.

We’re making this change to support our team and provide an even better work-life balance, while continuing to deliver the high level of service you’ve come to expect from us.

We’d like to thank you for your continued support and understand. We are looking forward to a busy & exciting end to the year as we head into the Christmas season.

Matt & Kim.

27/08/2026

Whether it’s the older Defender or the New Generation Defender we have you covered for all your servicing, diagnostic and repair work.

We are equipped with the latest electronic diagnostic tooling to be able to fault find and read live data on the new Defenders.
You don’t need any of that fancy stuff on the older Defenders. However, what you do need is some mechanical knowledge and some basic tools and you can fix anything on the old girls.
They did make them to be giant meccano sets.

26/08/2026

Ever had a “Park Brake Fault” in your Land Rover with an electronic park brake?

It could have been due to a faulty switch among other things.
9/10 times when the switch fails it’s due to the fact it’s had years of food,coffee and other things spilt all over it.

We have just replaced this switch in a Discovery 4 and you can see the years of debris built up around the lever of the switch.

25/08/2026

We've had this a fair bit lately, and it almost seems like these parts have an exact use-by date.

Jag and Land Rover are almost identical in this regard, too.

After six years, all flexi-hoses within the vehicle should be thoroughly inspected, with the logbook even mandating replacement of the brake hoses.

They are a necessary component as they stay flexible in minimal spaces and are very hard to kink, but by nature, they are prone to wear and splitting over time.

Sticking to your manufacturer logbook schedule (at a minimum!) ensures these critical flexi hoses are inspected and replaced before they leave you stranded.

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19/08/2026

Over time, keeping your vehicle mechanically "perfect" can get harder, with some services being more costly than others.

One thing we take pride in is truly knowing our clients' vehicles. While we can't remember every bolt on every car from memory, we take photos and keep clear records of areas worth monitoring.

We photograph and document all findings on your vehicle, even minor ones, so we have a visual database to refer back to at your next service.

This lets us see whether a specific concern is progressing in severity or staying stable.

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12/08/2026

"Clunk over speed humps" is one of the most common complaints we hear on a Discovery 4 past 120,000 km.

Unlike a ute or a live-axle 4WD, the D4 runs a double wishbone front end carrying close to 2.6 tonnes, and the upper arm is what sets camber and caster. Every corrugation, every load, every hot day works the rubber bushes and the ball joint boot.

Once that boot splits, the joint is finished.

Water and grit get in, the grease washes out, and the taper begins wearing into the knuckle, which turns a straightforward arm replacement into a much bigger job.

Worn upper arms don't just clunk. They let the geometry move under load, so the vehicle wanders in ruts, feels vague on the highway, and feathers the inner edge of the front tyres.

The bush bolts must get torqued with the suspension at ride height, not hanging on the hoist.

Tighten them with the arm drooped and the rubber sits pre-loaded for the life of the part, you'll be doing the job twice.

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04/08/2026

Cost of ownership" is not a term that should be used by salespeople.

Regardless of the make, it's a common term used, and if true, every car could run for 10 years perfectly with nothing but an oil change...

The truth is, even in an age of "lifetime fluids", opening up a rear diff after 10 years or 260,000 km could reveal a whole heap of issues that could have been avoided 5 years ago and caught early as a partial failure, rather than something catastrophic requiring full replacement.

True "cost of ownership" comes down to attention to detail, like checking grease levels where regular techs would overlook them.

Our standard services ALL come with a comprehensive mechanical inspection, not just a visual inspection. Over a vehicle's lifetime, this will save an owner thousands..

TRUSTED MECHANICS IN TOWNSVILLE YOUR INDEPENDENT LAND ROVER SPECIALISTS CALL US ON (07) 4775 2155 OUR SERVICES ALL MECHANICAL REPAIRS Here at Mark Nixon Automotive, we provide services to keep your car in top condition so that you can drive it in its best condition. We deliver each of our services i...

22/07/2026

"Blow-back" is something just about all common rail diesels are susceptible to after 100,000 km.

Other than incorrect seating, this is usually the result of a copper washer deteriorating. This allows high-pressure gases to push through, causing a sludge-like reaction that leads to significant wear and potentially catastrophic results.

Unlike older cast or alloy rocker covers, the 3.0L TDV6/SDV6 uses composite/plastic valve covers that double as part of the intake system.

Superheated combustion gases blowing past the copper seal don't just vent; they heat up the plastic injector tube and seal region.

Carbon-contaminated, degraded oil drastically reduces lubrication efficiency. On most common rail engines, blow-by usually clogs the oil pickup screen first. On a 3.0L Land Rover, oil contamination directly threatens the main crank bearings.

As an owner, any irregular ticking or diesel smells shouldn't be ignored.

For us, injector seal replacement should be scheduled and proactive.

TRUSTED MECHANICS IN TOWNSVILLE YOUR INDEPENDENT LAND ROVER SPECIALISTS CALL US ON (07) 4775 2155 OUR SERVICES ALL MECHANICAL REPAIRS Here at Mark Nixon Automotive, we provide services to keep your car in top condition so that you can drive it in its best condition. We deliver each of our services i...

16/07/2026

Suspension systems on traditional 4WDs are mechanically quite simple to diagnose.

In this case, without the right tooling, trying to narrow down the issue among hydraulic components, wiring, height sensors, front and rear pressure valves, the compressor, or a simple air leak can take quite some time.

It's a trade-off and a compromise that owners are happy to make.

When you leave the pavement, the Range Rover’s computer instantly opens the hydraulic valves in the anti-roll bars. This completely uncouples the left and right wheels, giving the vehicle massive vertical travel to crawl over deep ruts and rocks. Performance-focused rivals remain much stiffer, which causes them to lift wheels off the ground sooner and lose grip.

On the road, the hydraulic pumps instantly pressurize the sway bars to keep the heavy vehicle flat and composed through high-speed turns.

It successfully hides the vehicle’s immense weight on the road without sacrificing any of its legendary mud, sand, and rock-crawling capability.

TRUSTED MECHANICS IN TOWNSVILLE YOUR INDEPENDENT LAND ROVER SPECIALISTS CALL US ON (07) 4775 2155 OUR SERVICES ALL MECHANICAL REPAIRS Here at Mark Nixon Automotive, we provide services to keep your car in top condition so that you can drive it in its best condition. We deliver each of our services i...