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Maintenance tips
Get Your Car’s Heating System Ready
While you may be ready for chilly winter temperatures just by throwing on a few extra layers, your car needs more of a head start on the season. Run through…
Maintenance tips
How Long Do Winter Tires Last?
Changing over to winter tires is one of the most important parts of preparing your car for winter. Remember to inspect your winter tires each year and…
Maintenance tips
Sunroof Maintenance & Service
During the summer, a sunroof is a great way to enjoy the fresh air and make your car feel slightly more spacious. To help you get the most out of it,…
Maintenance tips
Replacing Shocks: When Is it Time?
Replacing shocks on your car can dramatically improve your vehicle’s performance. These crucial components play a pivotal role in your suspension system…
Expert advice
5 Repairs you Should Stop Putting Off Until Tomorrow
There are certain jobs that are just no fun. Some repairs require using special tools or getting at hard-to-reach spaces. Others take a solid day of wrenching…
Expert advice
5 Repairs you Should Stop Putting Off Until Tomorrow
There are certain jobs that are just no fun. Some repairs require using special tools or getting at hard-to-reach spaces. Others take a solid day of wrenching…
Maintenance tips
Evolving Modern Engines Change the Maintenance Equation
The internal combustion engine is still going strong after nearly 150 years. Lenoir, Otto, and Benz, engine and automobile pioneers, would be astonished…
Maintenance tips
10 Ways Your Car Is Telling You It Needs Brake Service
Brakes are often overlooked and taken for granted until a significant problem arises. When it comes to the most important safety mechanism on your…
Maintenance tips
Tips for keeping your car in good condition during COVID-19
As you may not use your car or truck as much, it is important to know what to do to keep your vehicle in perfect condition: you will avoid troubles the…
Maintenance tips
Tire Inflation Tips for Better Fuel Economy, Safety, and Longer-Lasting Tires
Tire pressure is very important, but many car owners don’t give their tires a second thought once they’re installed. By following a few simple tire…
Maintenance tips
Know Your Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Checking a vehicle’s tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is as easy as getting into the car and turning the ignition on. If the TPMS indicator light…
Maintenance tips
Wheel Alignment and Balancing: Shake, Rattle and Roll
Wheel alignment and tire balancing are often small adjustments with big consequences. Beyond being part of routine tire maintenance, keeping…
Maintenance tips
5 Oil Myths Debunked
Humankind has been using oil for at least 4,000 years, and oil myths go back just as far. Ancient people believed crude oil had medicinal benefits…
Maintenance tips
Checking Tire Pressure in the Winter Is Critical
Managing tire pressure in the winter isn’t quite the same as it is during the summer. Why? Because cold weather can have a serious impact on the level…
Maintenance tips, Seasonal maintenance
Do I Need to Warm Up my Car? A Winter Weather Primer
Whether or not to warm up the car is a frequent debate when you live in a climate where the mercury often drops well below freezing. Whether you’re…
Maintenance tips
Winter Electric Car Maintenance Tips for the First Time EV Owner
Electric vehicles (EVs) are far more prevalent today than they were just a few years ago. Car makers have jumped on the trend, and EVs are now a common…
Maintenance tips
Winter Driving Techniques: What’s Changed With Modern Vehicles
While most traditional winter driving techniques are still helpful today, modern vehicle design has introduced a number of wrinkles into how to safely…
Maintenance tips
5 Signs That It May Be Time To Change Your Battery
No car battery lasts forever. It’s important to stay alert for signs that your own power pack might need to be replaced before it ends up letting…
Maintenance tips
3 Engine Cold Start Urban Legends
Winter can be a stressful time for your car as the cold temperatures, snow, and ice strain your vehicle’s various systems. Over the years, a virtual…
Maintenance tips
Traction Control: When to Deactivate It
Traction control is one of the most useful electronic safety systems found in modern automobiles. It serves as a watchful eye that constantly assesses…
Maintenance tips
How to Prepare Your Car for Winter
Winter weather means tough times for your car. For months, it experiences an onslaught of cold, salt, snow, and ice. However, if you prepare your vehicle…
Maintenance tips
Should You Get a Second Set of Rims and Tires for Winter?
Seasonal changes bring different challenges, and Canadian winters are no exception. Many drivers will mount their winter tires before the first frost…
Maintenance tips
Winter Tires: When Should You Make the Seasonal Switch?
When is the best time to put on winter tires? If you ask three friends or family members, you’ll most likely get three different answers. The best way…
Maintenance tips
Synthetic Oil—Is It Worth It?
If you’re buying parts and supplies for your next oil change or scheduling your next maintenance service, you might be debating whether to choose conventional…
Maintenance tips
How to Store Your Summer Tires
Given the weather extremes we experience here in Canada, many Canadians must have two sets of tires: dedicated snow tires for winter and all-season tires…
Maintenance tips
Engine Block Heaters: A Winning Tool for Winter Weather
Winter’s chill can have devastating effects on your car—particularly overnight, when your vehicle sits in sub-zero temperatures. During the coldest…
Maintenance tips
Why Your Auto Mechanic Needs to See Your Car Regularly
The two main reasons why people bring their car to an auto mechanic are: (1) for regular scheduled maintenance and (2) because they noticed a problem.…
Maintenance tips
Do Driving Assistance Technologies Require Extra Maintenance?
Modern cars are full of driving assistance technologies that are intended to help ease the burden on longer trips, as well as keep you safer on the road…
Maintenance tips
Top Six AWD & 4X4 Maintenance Tips
Across the country, all-wheel-drive (AWD), four-wheel-drive (4WD), and four-by-four (4X4) vehicles are more popular than ever. Not only is AWD great for…
Maintenance tips
Every Car Owner Should Read the Owner’s Manual
While it would be unfair to say that no driver has ever read the owner’s manual for their vehicle, those who have are a rarity. Across all forms of…
Maintenance tips
What Is a Tune-Up on a Modern Car
Regardless of what vehicle you drive or how well you drive it, your car won’t last very long without regular maintenance and the occasional tune-up.…
Maintenance tips
Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance: What to Know
Like conventional vehicles, hybrid vehicles need regular maintenance to deliver peak performance and fuel economy. But when it comes to engine oil changes…
Maintenance tips
What to Do About the Check Engine Light
Since Karl Benz paired the internal combustion engine with wheels, engines and cars have become ever more powerful and efficient. Thanks to the addition…
Maintenance tips
Truck Maintenance You Might Have Missed
Whether you’re commuting, hauling, towing, or vacationing, your truck’s abilities come with a price. Truck maintenance is critical to retain the power…
Maintenance tips
Raising Your Truck’s Suspension—Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Raising your truck suspension is not all about off-roading. With a lifted rig, you can see better and tow and haul better, too. Some lift their trucks…
Maintenance tips
Is It The End of The Road for Manual Transmissions?
So far this year, manual transmission sales have made up just two percent of American car sales—and just 20 percent of 2018 models even offer…
Maintenance tips
Aftermarket Auto Repair: Will It Void a New-Car Warranty?
Congratulations, you just brought home your new car! How great is driving something new and exciting and reliable? Thanks to the new‑car warranty, even…
Maintenance tips
Summer Road Trip Tips
Whether you pick a favourite destination or decide to explore someplace new, embarking on a vacation is a popular summertime rite of passage. While flying…
Maintenance tips
Towing a Trailer: Know Before You Tow
By Benjamin Jerew Towing a trailer seems simple – install a hitch, hook up, and go, right? Mere appearances cannot guarantee your vehicle is capable…
Maintenance tips
Eleven Tips to Extend Automatic Transmission Life
By Benjamin Jerew Over 90 percent of Canadian vehicles are fitted with an automatic transmission, and most drivers cringe at the words “transmission…
Maintenance tips
Five Tips to Prevent Rust
It has been said that the Europeans invented rust, but the Japanese perfected it, but our oxygen-rich atmosphere guarantees all cars and trucks rust over…
Maintenance tips
Five Used Vehicle Inspection Tips
By Benjamin Jerew Depending on what stage of the buying a used vehicle you’re at, your state of mind could range from overwhelmed to exhilaration. To…
Maintenance tips
Need Help Choosing Brake Pads for your Ride?
Choosing brake pads is not likely something you consider often, unless your brakes are telling you they need attention. Looking at new brake pads, it…
Maintenance tips
Why A Brake Service Is Important in Canada
Brake service and brake repair aren’t the same. It takes longer for brakes to wear than to rust. You can’t afford to ignore your brakes in the…
Maintenance tips
Suspension Noises – Potholes Got You Hearing Things?
Suspension noises, things that rattle, squeak, thump, and go bump in the night or any time of day are telling you your suspension has worn out. It’s…
Maintenance tips
Spring Cleaning Tips to Get Rid of Winter Salt
Getting out of another harsh Canadian winter, it’s time to start thinking about Spring Cleaning. Of course, you need to clear road salt and sand from…
Maintenance tips
Motor Oil 101 – What You Need to Know
Whatever vehicle you drive, you might get an oil change every 7,500 to 15,000 km, but what exactly does motor oil do? What is motor oil made of? Why do…
Maintenance tips
Tire Season – The Best Time to Put on Summer Tires
By Benjamin Jerew Spring is finally here, and summer quickly approaches, which means it’s time to head to your local tire shop to take off your winter…
Maintenance tips
THREE WAYS YOU MAY NOT REALIZE YOU’RE DRAINING YOUR CAR BATTERY
Car batteries tend to die at the most inopportune times. Sometimes you’ll get the usual warning signs, such as an engine that’s slow to turn over…
Maintenance tips
GET YOUR CAR’S HEATING SYSTEM READY FOR WINTER IN THREE EASY STEPS
Is your car’s heating system ready to deal with chilly winter temperatures? It’s easy to forget about your heater during the summer months, but you…
Maintenance tips
BRAKE NOISE: TELLTALE SIGNS OF TROUBLE
Wouldn’t it be great if our cars told us when something is wrong? In a way, they already do. Modern cars have instrument panels with dozens of symbols…
Maintenance tips
3 COMMON CAUSES OF ENGINE OVERHEATING
The most common causes of engine overheating are fortunately all very preventable. Keeping your vehicle’s motor running smoothly and at the proper temperature…
Maintenance tips
THE GAS LIGHT GOES ON: HOW MANY KILOMETRES UNTIL EMPTY?
Who hasn’t played the “kilometres until empty” game? You know, the one that starts when the needle hits E, the gas-light fires up on your dashboard…
Maintenance tips
3 CRUCIAL USED CAR INSPECTION TIPS
A used car inspection can save you a lot of grief down the road. Vehicle history reports are helpful, but investing some time and money in a trusted mechanic…
Maintenance tips
SELLING A USED CAR: HOW TO MAXIMIZE VALUE
If you’re in the process of selling a used car, you can maximize its value by taking several low-cost steps ahead of the sale. In doing so, you’ll…
Maintenance tips
HOW TO STORE TIRES SAFELY FOR THE NEXT SEASON
How to store tires is probably not something you have given much thought. After all, aren’t tires the toughest part of your vehicle? Don’t they take…
Maintenance tips
TRACTION CONTROL: WHEN IT CAN—AND CANNOT—SAVE YOUR LIFE
If your car or light truck is relatively new—say, 10 years old or less—it may be equipped with traction control or its more sophisticated cousin,…
Maintenance tips
Winter car wash: more than keeping up appearances
You probably won’t want to hear it, but those frigid, snow-filled winter months are when it’s most important to wash your car. Often overlooked or…
Maintenance tips
Maintenance Makes Your Car Last Longer
It’s abundantly clear that these days, any vehicle can operate smoothly for more than 10 to 12 years and cover hundreds of thousands of kilometres.…
Maintenance tips
Choosing the right fuel
You want to make the right choices for your car, but with all the options out there, it’s easy to get confused! Gasoline is a good example: what exactly…
Maintenance tips
Automotive Safety Goes High Tech
Automotive manufacturers continue to develop new technology for today’s cars. The purpose of most of this technology is to increase the safety of passengers…
Maintenance tips
Oil—One of Your Engine’s Essential Fluids
In an increasing number of new vehicles on the market, the oil level is indicated directly on the dashboard. But that doesn’t mean you should stop…
Maintenance tips
Is Anti-Rust Protection Required?
Finding rust on your vehicle can be a nightmare come true, but it’s going to happen one day or another. What can you do to fight it? Rust-proofing claims…
Maintenance tips
Brake Maintenance Is a Must!
Unless you take your vehicle with you to Florida in the winter, the harsh winters can really put your brakes to the test. And just how do brakes keep…
Maintenance tips
Reading the sidewall of a tire
The sidewalls contain a lot of information that will come in handy when you have to purchase tires. The code indicates, from left to right, the type of…
Maintenance tips
A job for the injectors
For over a hundred years, internal combustion engines have worked by drawing a mixture of ambient air and a small amount of gasoline into a carburetor…
Maintenance tips
The Importance of Proper Wheel Alignment
Over the course of the thousands of kilometres that your vehicle will travel, your car’s wheel alignment will be put to the test by all the…
Maintenance tips
It Takes Four Wheels, a Steering Wheel… and a Whole Lot of Computers!
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Maintenance tips
Pimp My Ride!
Owning a car is great, but pimping it is even better! There are tons of accessories out there, if you want to add a personal touch to your car. What’…
Maintenance tips
Understanding and Maintaining Your Steering System
A classic steering system generally has a steering rack that links the steering wheel to the front tires of a car. Now in common usage, power steering…
Maintenance tips
Are You Up to Speed on Transmissions?
Until recently, everyone knew how to drive stick. Things are different now—manual transmission vehicles are slowly disappearing. Whether it’s because…
Maintenance tips
Getting to Know Your Suspension
There’s no doubt that a vehicle’s suspension gets a good workout in the spring. During the spring thaw, road surfaces become more precarious and tons…
Maintenance tips
Your Hauling Capacity Depends on What You’re Driving
With the arrival of spring, many people are getting ready to take out their campers, moving trailers, boats, ATVs, and other toys. Before you hit the…
Maintenance tips
A Complete Tune-Up
This spring, you get out your lawn-mower and it just won’t start. You’ve nearly ripped your arm off trying to pull the starter rope, but the engine…
Maintenance tips
Shock Campaigns – a Drive Safely Reminder to
We just can’t say it enough: driving safety affects us all. Shocking ad campaigns meant to hit an emotional nerve are fairly common. Whether you’re…
Maintenance tips
Child Safety in the Car
It used to be that kids could sit wherever they wanted in the car: on Mom’s lap, between Mom and Dad in the front, or even standing up in the back,…
Maintenance tips
Muffler or Exhaust?
Originally mufflers comprised a long pipe that channelled exhaust fumes to the back of the vehicle and a resonator that cancelled out the sound from a…
Maintenance tips
The Golden Rules of Tire Storage
Tire storage has been on the rise in the last decade with the increased use of bulky tires (especially for SUVs and performance vehicles). Since many…
Maintenance tips
Women in the Automotive Industry
These days it’s common to see women in the automotive industry, but this hasn’t always been the case. Apart from the iconic women at the starting…
Maintenance tips
Air filters
If your vehicle is less than 10 years old, there’s a good chance it has two air filters. Most people are aware of the engine air filter, but not…
Maintenance tips
Vehicle maintenance and the manufacturer’s warranty:myth vs. reality.
Having your vehicle serviced by an Automotive Service Professional is a guarantee of safety and gives you peace of mind. But who should you trust with…
Maintenance tips
When the Check Engine light comes on…
You break out in a cold sweat, convinced your engine is going to give out at any second, and call your mechanic in a panic. Take a deep breath—it’…
Maintenance tips
Do you rotate your winter tires?
You may have noticed chalk markings on your tires the last time you got them changed. That’s because the technician marked the place where each tire…
Maintenance tips
Understanding fuel consumption ratings
You bought a vehicle with fuel consumption ratings that fit your budget, but you’ve noticed that consumption is 10 to 20% higher than expected. You…
Maintenance tips
Your Diesel Car Is Not a Monster!
Unless you’ve been living on another planet, you’ve probably already heard that automotive manufacturer Volkswagen got caught red-handed using a software…
Maintenance tips
A Smarter Car
Who hasn’t dreamed of being able to eat breakfast and answer emails while driving? The driverless cars of the future promise to make such things possible…
Maintenance tips
Windshield Wipers: A Part That’s Often Overlooked
Sometimes we forget that cars are much more than just four wheels, an engine, and a steering wheel. Cars have many parts that make the ride more enjoyable…
Maintenance tips
Oil 101
Despite the number of new car technologies out there, some maintenance jobs will always be the same—like a good old oil change. Even if oil itself has…
Maintenance tips
Shocks 101
We’ve all seen clunkers that rattle on the road. More often than not, those noises aren’t due to a lack of love or poor maintenance—but age. These…
Maintenance tips
Brakes 101
When we were three, four or five years old, we all fell from our bike at least once because we had pressed too hard on the brakes. That was a first encounter…
Maintenance tips
Sensors get hi-tech
When we were kids, we’d imagine that a cardboard box was a spaceship. These days, we dream of self-driving cars. Until this dream becomes reality, car…
Maintenance tips
Anti-rust and hybrid/electric cars
Is it time to think about getting a new car? Does your family need a second vehicle? With all the compact cars and SUVs out there, have you considered…
Maintenance tips
It’s Road Trip Season!
1-2-3—it’s summer! In our family, we always yell this out when the bell rings on the last day of school. How do you mark the start of summer vacation…
Maintenance tips
Rotating Your Tires
Everyone knows they have to check the air pressure and wear of their tires—but what about rotating your tires? Here are some tire rotation tips so you…
Maintenance tips
Motor Oil 101
You need water and food to survive, but your vehicle needs gas and oil. To keep your vehicle in good mechanical health, it needs regular tune-ups and…
Maintenance tips
Battery 101
It’s one of the essential components in a car, for the starter, the radio or the info-entertaining system. Here are some basic facts about this much…
Maintenance tips
Spring is finally here! (Final part)
Winter is over and it’s time to clean your car for spring. The road salt, snow, and slush have taken their toll on your car both inside and out. Spring…
Maintenance tips
Spring at Last!
Whatever Mother Nature decides to send us in the way of weather for March and April, mild, balmy weather will end up returning officially… sooner or…
Maintenance tips
Doctor, We Have A Problem!
Who am I? Every vehicle has one like me on its instrument panel, but most drivers prefer to ignore it. The answer: the warning light indicating an engine…
Maintenance tips
Shedding New Light on Headlamp Changes
For driving in the dark, such as by evening or night, to be entirely safe and pleasant, you need bright headlamps in good condition. However, these often…
Maintenance tips
Does It Matter What the Groundhog Says?
This winter’s degree of harshness will have depended upon the region where you live in Canada. Anyhow, some regions will have contended with impressive…
Maintenance tips
Ode to My Car
O! You, my car, my high-powered beauty Yet the one I neglect a “little bit”!Still, you’re always there for me In good or bad weather At all times…
Maintenance tips
New Year’s resolutions for your car
The New Year is traditionally a time for resolutions. If you can make resolutions for yourself, why not for your car? After all, your vehicle is also…
Maintenance tips
Final pre-winter sprint!
Early snowfalls this year have prompted Quebecers to install their snow tires far sooner than the December 15 deadline, but that does not mean their cars…
Maintenance tips
NAPA AUTOPRO Receives Top Award
For the fourth year in a row, NAPA AUTOPRO ranks “Highest Overall Customer Satisfaction Among Service Provider Brands”. According to the J.D.…
Maintenance tips
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
It’s Never Too Early to Prepare for Winter! When the mercury drops and the leaves start to change, you know it’s time to get your car ready for Quebec…
Maintenance tips
Know your car battery, help it make it last!
In preparation for the colder months ahead, now’s a pretty good time of year to check your car battery. Did you know that 70 percent of batteries don…
Maintenance tips
Is your air conditioning losing its cool?
People don’t give their automobile air conditioning a second thought, until it breaks down in 30 degree weather, that is. Automotive AC systems have…
Maintenance tips
Seasonal maintenance: Get your car ready before the heat is on
Let’s see, you changed the oil in April when you put your summer tires on. So you’re done with maintenance until the next tire change, right? Better…