It's a Monday morning, you are late out the door, you get in your car and try to turn it on. Surprise! It won’t start! Do you know how to figure out what’s wrong with your automotive pet? If you have no idea where to begin, it sure will be difficult to repair it. There are a lot of reasons why your car won’t start: - Faulty starter motor - Low voltage/Bad car battery - Bad fuel pump - Faulty crankshaft sensor - Faulty ignition coil - Faulty ignition switch - Faulty ignition relay/main relay. Here is what you can do to get to the bottom of why your car won’t start. 1) Is … [Read more...]
Bumper-to-Bumper: Dangerous Driving
There are many things that get annoying while driving and increase stress, like taking phone calls while driving, speeding in a school area, taking a turn without giving the signal, but one of the most annoying things is when you are in the middle of bumper-to-bumper traffic. According to recent research in the UK, as many as 9 out of 10 drivers found that they had such an experience, and a quarter of those surveyed admitted to having personally driven unsafely close to another driver. The crash results show that 1 in 8 road accidents is caused by such driver behavior, leading to the fatal … [Read more...]
Car Corrosion: The Hazard of Road Salt
It’s common knowledge that snow and icy road conditions can cause car accidents. That is also why salt is used on the roads, since it helps to melt snow and ice, but it also provides some extra traction when combined with sand. That is why washing your car in the midst of winter is important aside from it looking clean, but also in order to remove the salt that accumulates. Cleaning road salt from your car’s surface is the best practice to help prevent rust damage. Brake lines are typically another of the areas affected, so having them checked frequently is important. Road salt is … [Read more...]
4WD vs. AWD: What’s the Difference?
When buying a car in Canada, you have to expect you’ll be driving it in bad weather for the majority of the year, so you’d be remiss not to pay attention to how much traction is offered in the models you’re considering. Traction is critical because it determines how well your tires grip the road. When all 4 tires spin normally while you're driving, your car moves the way it should without any surprises. Good traction comes in handy during inclement weather, less-than-ideal road conditions, and when your car travels on dirt or gravel roads. Vehicles come in various configurations … [Read more...]
The Best Wax for Your Car Is…
You may think that car waxing is something you do only in the summer - to make your car shiny and beautiful when the sun's rays shine upon it, but it’s actually more necessary for winter car protection. It provides your vehicle a protective layer against the elements - snow, sleet, ice on the streets, as well as the salt used by road crews to melt said ice. It likes to stick to the undercarriage, wheels and brakes of your car and lead to corrosion of metal parts exposed to it. But, how to know which type of car wax is the right product for you? Stick with us to find out! If you have … [Read more...]
20 Ways to Reduce Carbon Footprint at Home
If you care about CO2 emissions and want to comply with the Carbon Tax as much as possible, it’s not enough to just drive an electric car or a hybrid vehicle, you ought to implement a whole lifestyle change. You can buy local produce and carry a reusable (cloth) bag, wear clothes for a few seasons and buy new appliances, insulate your home and shift to environment-friendly heating sources, etc. read our new blog post to find all the ways you can make your habits and actions matter. Food 1) Try to eat low on the food chain - mostly fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, and the like. … [Read more...]
Do Electric Vehicles Work Well During Winter? (Infographic)
Electric vehicles are an unknown to a lot of people even today - you wonder how far it can travel, how everything works, what maintenance is like, and of course, how much it costs. With winter closing in, one of the questions most frequently asked about cars powered by electricity is also How well can they stand harsh winter conditions (especially in Canada). Take a look at our new infographic for the answer to this question. If you have any issues with your car, or just want to do a checkup, come to our repair shops in Hamilton and Oakville. … [Read more...]
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Used Tires
Every driver knows that the cost of owning a car will add up over time. Just when you’ve replaced your battery, you learn that it’s time for an alignment. Right after you’ve replaced some belts, you find out that you need new tires. Treating your car well and getting the recommended maintenance on time is the best way to protect your car from unexpected repairs. However, you can’t avoid all these expenses. After all, tires don’t last forever, no matter how often you balance and rotate them, so you may be tempted to try to save money by purchasing used tires instead. However, this is always … [Read more...]
Jeremy Clarkson: A Maker or Breaker in the Automotive World
If you follow the car news - even if you don’t - you can’t have ever missed the name the world’s most famous car show presenter, Jeremy Clarkson. His influence measures in the millions of cars sold just because he deemed them beautiful, or unsold since he said they looked like a frog. (Sorry, Ford Ka.) Let’s see who the man is and what makes him so important. Jeremy Clarkson was born on April 11th, 1960 to entrepreneur parents. To raise money to pay for their children’s education, his parents made 2 Paddington Bear toys (one for each child) and sold it through their business. Mr. … [Read more...]
13 Fuel-Efficient Driving Techniques
Driving in a fuel-efficient manner is good not only for your car and other traffic participants, but also for your wallet and the environment. Yes, the Carbon Tax also gets the latter two points across, but every individual must be willing to go through with the change in order for it to be successful. In that sense, adjusting our driving habits can go a long way. With modern cars, you are already driving more fuel-efficiently as they cave certain features and capabilities previously unavailable and nature-friendly. However, that in itself is not enough. Here is what more you can do. 1) … [Read more...]
