Garage near Rothwell Heights

Blair Road down to the highway

Rothwell Heights sits up on the ridge above the Ottawa River, and getting to Star Top Road means coming down off it. Take Blair Road south to the 174, take the ramp for Highway 417 East (Cornwall, Montréal), and get off at Exit 112 (Innes Road). Turn right on Innes, then right on Star Top Road. Unit 1 is about 350 m up on the right.

It is 8.3 km and about 12 minutes, most of it the long run down Blair Road. The shop is at 1541 Star Top Road, Ottawa, ON, in the Cyrville industrial area.

Hills, curves and brakes

The streets in Rothwell Heights wind and climb between big wooded lots, and the drive out is downhill. Holding a car back on a grade, especially with ice under the tires in January, puts a lot of heat into the front brakes. Brake fluid absorbs water over the years, and old fluid boils sooner under that heat, which is when the pedal starts to feel soft.

Brake repair starts with measuring pads and rotors and checking the fluid. If the parking brake has not been used in a while, ask us to look at it too. On a car parked on a slope, a seized cable is a common surprise in spring.

Cars that don’t do many kilometres

Not every car in the Heights is a daily commuter. A second car, or one that mostly does short trips, can go a year and barely move the odometer. That does not mean it can skip maintenance. Oil oxidizes in the pan, coolant loses its protection, and wiper blades and belts crack from age, not use.

A tune up and yearly maintenance visit is $150. It covers filters, plugs, fluids and a full once over, and we tell you what is worn before you leave. For a low mileage car, once a year on the calendar is a better rule than waiting for the kilometres to add up.

Batteries that sit

A car that sits for days loses charge to the clock, the alarm and the computer modules, and a short trip down the hill and back does not put it back. Shaded driveways under big trees make it worse in winter, since the car never warms in the sun.

For battery testing and replacement the battery gets a load test and the charging system is checked before anything is sold. Price depends on the make, model and year and on the battery you choose. If the car will sit for weeks at a time, for example over a winter trip, a battery that tests weak in the fall is worth replacing before you leave rather than after it strands you in the driveway.

Heat for the cold mornings

At minus 25 you want heat before you reach Montreal Road, not halfway down the 174. If the gauge sits low and the vents stay lukewarm, a thermostat stuck open is the usual cause. If the engine is warm but the air is cold, look at the coolant level, the heater core or the blend door. Heater repair checks those in order.

If a warning light comes on along with any of this, a computer diagnostic is $50 and reads what the car has stored.