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Car Care Tips for your Kanata/Stittsville Auto

Spring cleaning and a spring checklist for making sure your care is road ready for summer road trips.

Check The Oil, Filters, And Fluids
If you want to maximize your engine’s life, don’t just rely on the check oil light – which basically comes on during oil armageddon.  Pop the hood and check your oil while you fill up.  Not every time and maybe not every third time, but often enough to know you have it covered.

Every three months or 3,000 miles, get your car into an Ottawa garage to get the oil changed and any reputable garage in the Kanata/Stittsville area (like G&I) can and will check your other fluids like brake, transmission, power steering, coolant, and windshield washer fluids when you are in there.

And when you are in for your regular oil change (seriously, get our oil changed regularly, not kidding), the Ottawa garage will check your car’s filters and hoses. Make sure you look at a filter or a hose before you have it replaced.  Filters that need replaced are pretty obvious – they are more than a little discolored – they are brown or black and kind of disgusting.  have hoses replaced if  they are leaking, brittle, cracked, rusted, swollen, or restricted.

Finally, keep track of your timing belt and when your manual says to change it. Don’t take this lightly. Changing it isn’t as expensive as you think and it beats the heck out of all the damage and costs associated with one that breaks.

Your Brakes
There is no telling how long your brakes will last as some are harder on brakes than others. City driving with lots of lights and traffic are also hard on brakes. And some of us just drive more miles than others.  You know how hard you are on your brakes, so consider it is recommended that you get your car into a Kanata/Stittsville garage once a year to check the brake system every year. You can also have brake linings, rotors, and drums inspected at each oil change.

Battery Connections
The next time you are checking your oil or filling up your wiper fluid, take a look at your battery connections and make sure they are corrosion free and the battery is securely mounted. batteries tend to last 3-4 years, so if you are in that timeframe you should have your Kanata/Stittsville garage test it and replace if necessary.

The Exhaust System
Check the exhaust system for leaks, damage, and broken supports or hangers if there is an unusual noise. Exhaust leaks can be dangerous and must be corrected without delay.

Tires
Check the pressure of all tires and check the tread for uneven or irregular wear and cuts and bruises along the sidewalls. Have your car’s alignment checked at least annually to reduce tire wear and improve fuel economy and handling.

Schedule A Tune-Up
A tune-up can help the engine deliver the best balance of power and fuel economy and produce the lowest level of emissions. G&I can handle this entire list and more, keeping you safe and on-the-move this summer.