Car care notes
Plain answers to the questions people ask at the counter, written for the salt, potholes and minus 25 mornings of Ottawa.
- Car heater blowing cold airThe usual reasons a heater blows cold in an Ottawa winter, roughly in order of how often they turn out to be the cause, and what you can check in the driveway.
- Pothole damage signsYou hit one hard on the way home. Here is what to look and listen for in the next few days, what each sign usually means, and what can wait.
- Synthetic vs regular oilHow synthetic and regular oil actually differ, why it matters at minus 25, which engines leave you no choice, and how to tell what yours needs.
- What a diagnostic scan tells youWhat the computer in your car stores when the check engine light comes on, what a scan can read from it, and why the code alone is not the answer.
- Car won't start in the coldWhat the sound your car makes on a frozen morning tells you, how to boost it without hurting anything, and what to do if it still will not go.
- When to put on winter tiresThe temperature that matters, why waiting for the first snow costs you a week of bad roads, and how to get your swap booked before the November rush.
- The Ontario safety certificateWhat a Safety Standards Certificate is, when you need one, what the inspection covers since DriveON, and why Ottawa cars fail it.
- Is rustproofing worth itAn honest look at the three kinds of rust protection sold in Ottawa, what each one really does against road salt, and when a yearly coat pays for itself.
Written for driving in Ottawa
These notes cover the questions that come up most at the shop on Star Top Road, from when winter tires should go on to what a check engine code actually tells you. They are written for Ottawa, ON conditions. Salt on every road from November to April, freeze and thaw that opens potholes on the 417 and the 174, and cold starts that find every weak battery in the city.
If you are deciding whether to spend money on something, start with whether rustproofing is worth it or synthetic versus regular oil. If you are buying or selling a used car, read how the DriveON safety certificate works. For winter, there are notes on when to put on winter tires, a car that won’t start on a cold morning and a heater blowing cold air.
When a note points to work on your own car, the services pages list what is done here and what it costs, and you can book online at any hour.
Book a time that suits you
Pick a time on the booking page whenever it suits you, describe what the car is doing and add a few photos. Drop it off by 2pm on the day you picked.