Featured project
BMW E36 track car
Number 12 wears the DAP logo on its doors and lives its life at full throttle. Big wing, low splitter, a cage inside and a front end that means business: a car built for the circuit, not the school run.
FRFT
Fix Right, First Time.
Diagnostics, servicing, repairs and performance work by DAP Development and Performance. Tell us what the car is doing and we'll call you back to book it in.
Mon to Fri 07:00 to 17:00, Sat 08:00 to 13:00
Services
Pick your vehicle, then the part that's giving trouble
Cars, motorcycles and caravans. Select a system to see what we look at and the symptoms worth booking in for.
Engine diagnostics
A fault code tells us where to start looking, not what to replace. We scan the engine computer, then test the sensor, wiring or component the code points at before quoting.
Book in if
- The check-engine light is on or flashing
- It idles rough, misfires or hesitates
- It's slow to start or stalls
- Fuel use has jumped for no clear reason
What happens
- Diagnostic scan and live data read
- Physical checks to confirm the cause
- A quote before any repair starts
Brakes
Pads, discs, drums, callipers, brake fluid and handbrake. We measure disc and pad thickness so you know how much life is left, not just whether it's worn.
Book in if
- Squealing or grinding when you brake
- The pedal feels soft or sinks
- The steering wheel shakes under braking
- The car pulls to one side when stopping
What happens
- Wheels off, measured and inspected
- Fluid condition checked
- Quote for what needs doing now and what can wait
Suspension & steering
Shocks, springs, bushes, ball joints, tie rods and steering racks. Worn parts here eat tyres and make the car harder to control in an emergency stop.
Book in if
- Knocking over speed bumps or potholes
- The car wanders or needs constant correction
- Tyres wear unevenly on one edge
- It bounces or dips more than it used to
What happens
- Lifted and checked for play and leaks
- Road test to match the noise to the part
- We'll tell you if an alignment is needed afterwards
Transmission
Gearbox faults get expensive when they're left to get worse. We check fluid level and condition, read transmission codes and road test before recommending a repair.
Book in if
- Gears slip, jump or are hard to select
- Harsh or delayed shifts
- Whining or clunking when you pull away
- Red or brown fluid under the car
What happens
- Fluid check and fault code scan
- Road test with you if you'd like
- Repair options with costs before work starts
Heating & aircon
Pretoria summers are hard on aircon systems. We look for the reason it stopped cooling, whether that's a leak, a compressor, a fan or an electrical fault, rather than only topping up gas.
Book in if
- The aircon blows warm or takes ages to cool
- A musty smell from the vents
- The heater doesn't warm up in winter
- Noise when the aircon switches on
What happens
- Pressure and temperature checks
- Leak and component testing
- Quote for the repair, not just the regas
Electrical
Batteries, alternators, starters, lights, fuses and wiring. Electrical faults are often intermittent, so tell us when it happens: cold mornings, over bumps, with the lights on.
Book in if
- Slow cranking or a flat battery again
- Lights flicker or dim at idle
- Warning lights come and go
- Windows, locks or gauges act up
What happens
- Battery and charging system test
- Circuit tracing to find the actual fault
- Quote before parts are replaced
Exhaust
Leaking joints, blown silencers, broken hangers and rattling heat shields. A leak near the front of the system can let fumes into the cabin, so don't leave it.
Book in if
- The car is suddenly louder
- Rattling from underneath
- You can smell exhaust inside the car
- Something is hanging low
What happens
- Lifted and inspected end to end
- Repair or replace the damaged section
- Mounts checked so it doesn't happen again
Preventative maintenance
Oil, filters, fluids, belts, plugs and a once-over of everything else while the car is on the lift. Bring your service book and we'll follow the manufacturer's schedule for your mileage.
Good times to book
- Your service interval or date is due
- Before a long road trip
- After buying a second-hand car
- Before winter or summer
What happens
- Service to the schedule for your car
- Brakes, tyres, lights and leaks checked
- A list of anything that will need attention soon
Engine & fuel
Misfires, flat spots and hard starting usually come down to fuel, air or spark. We read fault codes where the bike has them, then check the carbs or injection, plugs and compression before quoting.
Book in if
- It's hard to start or won't idle
- It hesitates or pops on the throttle
- A warning light is on
- It's running rich, smoky or thirsty
What happens
- Fault code read (if the bike has a diagnostic port)
- Fuel, air and ignition checks
- A quote before any work starts
Brakes
On two wheels the brakes are the whole safety margin. We check pads, discs, callipers, lines and fluid, front and rear.
Book in if
- The lever or pedal feels spongy
- Squealing or grinding
- Pulsing through the lever
- The fluid is more than two years old
What happens
- Pads and discs measured
- Fluid condition checked
- Callipers checked for sticking pistons
Forks & shock
Tired fork oil, leaking seals and a worn shock make a bike vague in corners and nervous under braking.
Book in if
- Fork seals are weeping oil
- The front dives hard when you brake
- The rear wallows or bottoms out
- Clunks over bumps
What happens
- Forks and shock inspected for leaks and play
- Steering head and swingarm bearings checked
- A quote for seals, oil or a rebuild
Chain & sprockets
A worn chain wastes power and can snap. We check stretch, tight spots and sprocket wear, and replace them as a set when they're done.
Book in if
- The chain slaps or jumps
- Tight and loose spots as the wheel turns
- Sprocket teeth look hooked
- Snatchy drive when you open the throttle
What happens
- Chain stretch and adjustment checked
- Sprockets inspected for wear
- Clean, lube and adjust, or a quote for a new kit
Clutch & gearbox
Slipping clutches and missed gears are usually adjustment, cable or plate wear. We find out which before replacing anything.
Book in if
- The clutch slips under power
- It's hard to find neutral
- Gears jump out
- A heavy or dragging lever
What happens
- Clutch free play, cable or hydraulics checked
- Road test to confirm the fault
- A quote before parts are replaced
Electrical
Batteries, charging, lights and wiring. Bike charging systems work hard, so a flat battery is often a symptom, not the fault.
Book in if
- The battery goes flat after standing
- Lights dim at idle
- Indicators or horn come and go
- Fuses keep blowing
What happens
- Battery and charging system test
- Wiring traced to the actual fault
- A quote before parts are replaced
Tyres & wheels
Two small contact patches hold the whole bike up. We check tread, age, pressures and the wheel bearings behind them.
Book in if
- The tread is low or squared off in the middle
- Cracks in the sidewall
- A wobble or weave at speed
- Loose spokes (spoked wheels)
What happens
- Tyre condition, age and pressures checked
- Wheel bearings checked for play
- Fitting and balancing quoted
Service
Oil and filter, air filter, plugs, chain, fluids and a full safety check, done to the schedule for your bike.
Good times to book
- Your service interval is due
- Before a long ride or tour
- After the bike has been standing
- After buying a second-hand bike
What happens
- Service to the manufacturer's schedule
- Brakes, tyres, chain and lights checked
- A list of anything that will need attention soon
Chassis & undercarriage
The chassis, A-frame, jockey wheel and corner steadies carry everything else. Rust and damage hide underneath, especially on a caravan that stands for most of the year.
Book in if
- Rust or flaking on the chassis
- It's been standing for months
- Corner steadies are stiff or bent
- The jockey wheel is damaged or seized
What happens
- Lifted and inspected end to end
- Fixings, welds and mounting points checked
- A quote for any repairs
Suspension
The axle, suspension units and dampers keep the caravan stable behind the car and protect everything inside it.
Book in if
- It sits lower on one side
- It bounces or sways when towing
- Uneven tyre wear
- Knocking from underneath
What happens
- Axle and suspension units inspected
- Ride height compared side to side
- A quote for replacement parts
Brakes
Overrun brakes, the damper, cables, shoes and drums, the handbrake and the breakaway system. Badly adjusted caravan brakes make the car do all the stopping.
Book in if
- The caravan pushes the car when you brake
- Brakes drag or the wheels run hot
- The handbrake doesn't hold
- The brakes haven't been adjusted in a year
What happens
- Drums off, shoes and cables inspected
- Overrun damper checked
- Brakes adjusted and tested
Lights & wiring
Tail, brake, indicator, number plate and marker lights, plus the tow plug and the wiring between them.
Book in if
- A light isn't working
- The indicators flash too fast
- The tow plug is corroded or loose
- Lights work on one car but not another
What happens
- Every light tested with the caravan connected
- Plug and wiring checked
- Faults repaired and lamps replaced where needed
Tyres
Caravan tyres usually age out before they wear out. Sun and long periods standing crack them from the inside.
Book in if
- Cracks in the sidewalls
- The tyres are more than five years old
- Uneven wear
- The spare hasn't been checked
What happens
- Tread, age and pressures checked
- Spare wheel checked
- A quote for replacements
Wheel bearings
Hub bearings run hot on long trips. A dry or worn bearing can seize and take the wheel off with it.
Book in if
- Rumbling or growling from a wheel
- A hub is hot after a trip
- Play in the wheel when you rock it
- Before a long trip
What happens
- Hubs checked for play and heat
- Bearings repacked or replaced
- Hub nuts torqued to spec
Coupling & hitch
The coupling head, its wear indicator and the safety chain or breakaway cable: the parts that keep the caravan attached to the car.
Book in if
- The coupling clunks when you pull away
- The coupling or tow ball looks worn
- The breakaway cable is frayed
- The hitch won't lock cleanly
What happens
- Coupling head and wear indicator checked
- Safety chain or cable inspected
- Worn parts replaced
Pre-trip check
A full safety check before you hook up and go: everything on this list, tested with your car connected.
Good times to book
- Before the December holidays
- Before a long trip
- After months of standing
- Before a roadworthy test when you sell
What happens
- Chassis, suspension, brakes, bearings, coupling and tyres checked
- Lights tested with your car
- A list of anything that needs attention
How it works
From your first message to driving away
-
01
Tell us what's wrong
Send a call-back request, WhatsApp us or call. Noises, warning lights and when it happens all help.
-
02
We call to book it in
During workshop hours we call you back to agree a day to drop the car off.
-
03
Diagnosis, then a quote
We find the cause and give you a quote. No work goes ahead until you approve it.
-
04
Collect with a warranty
Parts we fit and the labour to fit them carry at least the 3-month warranty set by the Consumer Protection Act.
Makes we
work on
Builds & projects
From track cars to overland rigs
DAP stands for Development and Performance. Alongside everyday repairs we take on builds, performance upgrades and the bigger mechanical jobs. A few cars that have been through the workshop:
Also through the workshop
-
Land Rover Defender 110
Built for where the tar ends. Lifted, caged and lit up, on rubber that will take it anywhere a weekend in the bush leads.
-
Mercedes-AMG G63
A twin-turbo V8 in a box-shaped icon, finished in an orange you can spot from across the car park.
-
Mazda RX-7 (FD)
Japan's rotary legend in a yellow that stops traffic. The bonnet is up for a reason: under it is half the show.
Warning light on? Strange noise?
Don't wait for it to get worse. Call the workshop and we'll tell you whether it's safe to drive in.
Hours & directions
Units 9 & 10, 651 Dewar Street
No. 2 Unit, Mondustria Park, Derdepoort, Pretoria, 0182
Drive into the No. 2 Unit complex and look for warehouses 9 and 10. The workshop is inside both.
Moving on 30 November: our new workshop will be behind Graaff Brakes in Montana. Moving details
| Monday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Thursday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Friday | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Saturday | 08:00 to 13:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Public holidays: 08:00 to 13:00, the same as Saturday.
Request a call-back
Tell us what the car is doing
We'll phone you back during workshop hours to talk it through and book a time. Requests sent after hours are picked up the next working day.