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Prep Your Ottawa Car for a Summer Road Trip

You know what time it is – summertime in Ottawa. And with summer comes road trips.  If it is an especially long trip and you haven’t taken your car in for a while, you will want to make sure your Ottawa auto gets in for a tune-up. If you take care of your car and bring it to a Kanata/Stittsville garage often, you will at the very least want to run some basic auto maintenance and checks on your own, including:

When is the last time you had a radiator flush?  It may not be Miami beach here in Kanata/Stittsville, but your coolant doesn’t last forever – check your manual for how often it should be changed as if you end up with cooling problems you will end up paying much more at an Stittsville/Kanata garage for a new radiator… no fun!

Oil changes every 5,000 km and change your air filter twice a year… I am sure you visit a Kanata/Stittsville garage to do both… right?  No?

Just because you are not dealing with Canada snow doesn’t mean that you should neglect checking your tires. The tread on your tires needs to keep you safe from summer rain and wet roads. Don’t stop at the tread – check your pressure as a low tire might be a sign you have a nail in it… and a possible flat in your future.

We rely so heavily on our windshield wipers in the winter that the abuse can leave them a bit tattered come the summer months… replace them!

Checking your brakes is always a good idea as the sooner you catch a brake issue, the more affordable the fix is.  Visit your favorite Kanata/Stittsville before you do any summer trips – especially if you are traveling long distances and/or into the mountains.

Finally, check your headlights and brake lights to make sure there are no burned-out bulbs. replacing them can be either easy or difficult – if you need help, feel free to stop by.