Oakville Auto Repair

Canada’s long, harsh winters not only add stress to our lives, but also to the systems that keep our vehicles safe and reliable and that means a spring makeover should include more than just cosmetics. While your immediate focus will likely be on restoring your car, van, SUV or truck’s exterior and interior to pristine condition, make sure you also give its mechanical systems a careful once-over to ensure they’re ready to deal with the hot summer weather ahead, particularly if its an older or high mileage vehicle. You can have your service technician do this for you – and many service shops offer spring service special deals - but by following some basic procedures you can spot potential problem areas yourself and then have them dealt with if necessary by a pro. You should have been keeping your vehicle washed regularly to help keep rust at bay, but if you haven’t you need to do so before checking it over as it will be easier to s ... read more

As temperatures cool across the nation, drivers need to start thinking about winter driving conditions and how to protect themselves and their passengers on the road. While it's important to adjust driving habits to weather conditions, according to Marc Brazeau, President, Automotive Industries Association (AIA) of Canada, the most imperative thing Canadians can do to protect themselves and their loved ones is transition to winter tires. "The idea that all-season tires are as effective as winter tires is a dangerous misconception," said Brazeau. "The design and durability of winter tires improves performance and enhances safety in a variety of road conditions. They're the one and only choice for winter driving." Rubber in all-season tires starts to lose elasticity and harden at around 7°C, significantly reducing the tire's ability to grip the road ... read more

September Means Back to School Driving 7 Car Maintenance Signs Your Teen Needs to Know for a Better, Safer Car SIGN #1 - Car AlignmentPotholes. There are many things that can cause car misalignment. One of these causes is constantly hitting potholes. We all hit them, but if your teen just got access to a car and the car was perfect beforehand, then he/she might need to be told about avoiding potholes. Hitting Curbs. There are also alignment issues from hitting curbs. There aren't many reasons why your teen should be hitting the curb. Perhaps your teen is in need of some more parking lessons. Speed bumps/Railroad Tracks. Another cause of misalignment is going over speed bumps and railroad tracks too fast. Even after many years of being on the road, adults also tend to forget there's a speed bump until it's too late to slow down. You might let that one slip a little except driving too fast is dangero ... read more

Summer Travel Season is Upon UsAdvice such as buying gasoline in the cool of the morning or leaving the tailgate down has been tried -- with disappointing results. There are a lot of smart ways to save on gas. For instance, you can use a website such as GasBuddy to find cheaper gas stations in your area, buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle or drive less aggressively so your car uses less gas. These are all proven methods for reducing how much you need to budget for gas, but there are other widely used methods that don't pass the smell test. Here are a few: Buy gas early in the morning. Gasoline is denser at colder temperatures, so the theory here is that if you fill up early in the morning while it's still cool out, you'll get more bang for your buck -- a gallon of gas bought cold will expand to be a little more than a gallon when it gets warmer. But as we explained in our look at c ... read more

Many cars nowadays have a cabin filter, which is built in the air conditioners. In the last decade many car air conditioning systems have been built with this type of air filters. The cabin air filter is placed outside the area of the engine. It helps in filtering the air which is entering into the air conditioning system. This helps in getting rid of a large amount of pollutants which can enter the cabin of the car. Thus it is useful for the people who are sitting in the vehicle as they are protected from the harmful elements. It has been seen in recent surveys that most of the vehicle owners do not know about this feature. Many of them do not even know whether or not their vehicle has cabin air filter. These filters have been in use for the last twenty years. During the middle part of the 1980s they have been used in the European vehicles. From the beginning of last decade they appeared in the American market. Nowadays these filters are quite common in many countri ... read more

Every region has its version of spring. Spring time usually means spring cleaning, a “fresh” start, out with the old in with the new. Cleaning the house, cleaning the car, an cleaning the dust of the bikes in the garage. Many of us just look forward to that day when they instinctively know that the last severe winter storm has come and gone. But that doesn't mean there won't be a late freeze or surprise snow flurry. It does mean, however, that these hardy souls can start attending to their cars after a too-long winter, a process shared by everyone in varying degrees. Cleaning Up As you're putting those heavy coats back into mothballs, it makes sense to do a little post-winter clean up on your vehicle. After all, it takes the brunt of winter's misery, whether in the form of torrential downpours, freezing rain, or mountains of snow. Tires First, tend to your tires, even if you drive on what the industry refers to as "all season" tires. Heavy, consiste ... read more

Keep a watchful eye with arrival of pothole season As the ravages of winter subside and temperatures rise, there is probably a pothole out there with your name on it, cautions Car Care Canada. Cold temperatures, snow and rainfall create the perfect storm for the motorists' dreaded "perils of potholes period." Drivers know immediately when they hit a pothole. The heart-stopping, teeth-jarring noise is hard to mistake. However, it's not always immediately clear if hitting the pothole caused damage to the vehicle, and to what extent. Hitting a pothole can damage tires, wheels, steering and suspension, wheel alignment and more. Car Care Canada recommends that motorists who experience any of the following warning signs after hitting a pothole should have a professional technician at their local repair shop inspect the vehicle: Loss of control, swaying when making routine turns, bottoming-out on city streets or bouncing excessively on rough road ... read more

Although you may want to get rid of your present vehicle in favour of a new car, taking better care of your current set of wheels may make much more sense in the long run-helping you achieve a goal of financial freedom. "We advise our clients that if they want a 10 percent increase on their investments every year, they need to cut down on their expenses," said Terry Mulcahy, vice president of investments for R.W. Baird. "A new automobile is, for most people, their second biggest investment next to a home, so a great way to save money and increase financial assets is to hang onto their current vehicle rather than buy a new one every few years. Budgeting for and doing preventative maintenance on your car is one of the best ways to cut your costs and keep your car." Car Care Canada estimates that more than $2 billion in vehicle maintenance and repair is not performed every year, evidence that there is considerably more that consumers should be doing to protect their au ... read more

Some insurance companies are offering discounts for using Winter Tires - Ask Yours!Mark's Auto Service offers these great services:The facts about winter tires and why all-season tires just won't do. Ever since the introduction of the all-season tire, Canadian drivers have slid and spun their tires through the coldest months of the year. Here's the kicker: it doesn't seem to matter whether there's snow on the ground or not. Unlike all-season tires, winter tires (identified by mountain and snowflake symbols on their sides) have tread patterns and softer rubber compounds that are tailored for colder conditions. And that helps them perform better once temperatures plummet, whether or not they have to dig through the white stuff. All-season tires can turn into four round black rocks when the cold hits. Even on dry pavement, this starts at about 7c. So have them installed at Mark's anytime after Labour Day. Don't wait until November ... read more

Air Conditioning, which was once considered a luxury, is now a common feature on most cars and vehicles today. While the servicing of modern car air conditioning systems is best left to professionals, you can get the most enjoyment from your A/C system if you know a bit about how it works and what malfunctions you should be on the lookout for. 1. Odd smells coming from the air conditioning may be caused by bacterial build-ups in the A/C system. As your car becomes older, or when the air conditioning system is used infrequently, bacteria, micro-organisms, mold and fungi may start growing, just behind the dash panel on the evaporator causing some very unpleasant odors. Some even claim this can result in headaches and flu like symptom sometimes referred to as "sick car syndrome." This problem can be solved by using an anti-bacterial treatment that destroys the bacteria growth and leaves your car smelling fresh again. 2. If your automobile does ... read more