We realize that you may have many questions about your vehicle and the services that are necessary to maintain it. Selkirk Diesel Repair & Auto Care Centre has the answers you are looking for. If you have any further question, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Q: What is an Oil Change All About?
Engine oil is the lifeblood of the engine. The oil resides in the oil pan, which is under the car attached to the bottom of the engine. All internal (moving) parts of the engine need to be lubricated by the engine oil. Inadequate lubrication will cause the parts to wear out faster and eventually lead to engine failure. An oil filter keeps the oil clean and free of debris. If the filter and oil are not replaced on a regular basis, it will get clogged and will not be able to pass oil into the engine. Guess what….that’s all included in your package you just won!
Keep in mind:
How we do it:
Our recommendation:
Q: How Important is an Oil Change Service?
Regular oil changes are generally considered the most important maintenance service for your car. To avoid severe engine damage, this simple and inexpensive service should be regularly scheduled.
Q: Why/When Should I Get a Brake Inspection?
Brakes will usually give you a bit of warning before they go. Here's what you may notice:
Please contact us immediately if you are experiencing any of these problems. We'll get your vehicle in for an inspection and tell you what the issue is, give you a firm quote and do the brake repair you need to get back on the road safely, as fast as possible. And while you're here, we'll check the air in your tires and fill them for FREE. We want to see you safe.
Q: What Is a Front-End Alignment?
Whether you drive a car, truck or a minivan, vehicle maintenance is important. Without it, your otherwise smooth ride could end up being a bit bumpy. From oil changes to alignments, your car needs to be serviced regularly. Not to be forgotten is having the front end of your vehicle inspected and aligned. Having your vehicle inspected by a Selkirk Diesel Repair technician on a regular basis is a great way to ensure that your front end is in good shape and keeping you safe behind the wheel.
Q: Why is a Wheel Alignment so Important?
Picture yourself cruising down the most beautiful road in the world. Now imagine driving down that same road with your wheels pointing the wrong way. Not the most beautiful road in the world anymore.
Alignment is a really complex topic covering a variety of terms and a smorgasbord of parts. When your wheels are out of alignment, your tires aren’t pointing in the right direction. This will affect your steering and suspension, but more importantly, it could affect your safety and the durability of your tires and all the parts controlling them
Q: How do Vehicles Lose Their Wheel Alignment?
It doesn’t take much, that’s for sure. There are many ways for your car to lose its alignment. You’ll be familiar with most of the causes, but what you probably didn’t think was that each one could do quite a number on your vehicle’s alignment.
Wheel alignment can be thrown off by:
Alignment angles are measured in tenths and hundredths of degrees or inches. Over time, a slight misalignment can cause a lot of uneven or premature tire wear.
Q: What Happens if I Don’t Get My Wheels Aligned?
We cringe just thinking of someone never having an alignment performed on his or her vehicle. What will ultimately end up happening you ask? You’ll throw a lot of money down the drain on tires because, without proper alignment, tires wear down a LOT faster. Simple as that. And you’ll most likely notice something’s wrong while you’re driving; your vehicle will probably not handle as well as it should and, in the most extreme cases, you could have a pretty difficult time maintaining control of your ride altogether. All this bad news is, fortunately for you, easily preventable by having your wheels aligned when needed.
Did you know? The smartest move is to have your alignment checked every other oil change. Doing so will make your tires last longer.
Did you know? We use a special computerized alignment machine pre-loaded with every vehicle’s alignment specifications. Once the vehicle type is determined, the high-tech and precise measuring begins. Upon completion, you’ll receive a printout displaying the vehicle manufacturer’s alignment angle specifications, what your angles are before adjustments were made and where it stands after adjustments are made. At Selkirk Diesel Repair, we provide alignments for most any vehicle using this special equipment.
Q: What is Rotating My Tires All About?
Rotating the tires on a regular basis will significantly extend their lifespan. The car's four tires wear out differently. If one tire wears out more than the others, the car will start pulling in the direction of the newer tires. For example, if you let go of the steering wheel when driving, (only for a moment!), the car should continue to go in a straight line. If the tires have worn out differently, the car will not travel in a straight line. It will drift in the direction of the better tire. This is also the reason why when you buy new tires, it is best to buy them in pairs. Rotating your tires will help even out tire wear by allowing each tire to serve in as many of the vehicles wheel positions as possible.
During the rotation, the front tires are moved straight back and the rear tires are moved diagonally to the front. This will ensure that every tire will see each corner of the car. Our technicians will inspect for abnormal wear, which may be a sign of other problems.
Keep in mind:
How it's done:
Our recommendation:
Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule and rotate the tires as advised. Rotating the tire once a year is a good idea.
Q: What Are the Common Symptoms Indicating I Need to Rotate my Tires?
Q: How Important is Rotating My Tires?
As you accumulate miles on your vehicle, each of the four tires will wear at different speeds, and in different places. This is because front tires wear differently than rear tires, and right tires wear differently than left tires. If you allow these tires to stay in one position for too long, the wear will and tear will become so abnormal that the car will begin to drift in one direction or another. By constantly rotating the tires you allow all four tires to be subject to the same wear and tear, which keeps their lifespans relatively equal. A car with tires that are wearing evenly should drive more smoothly and in a straight line.
Q: I Have All-Season Tires on my Vehicle, Why Should I Consider Winter Tires?
All-season tires reflect a compromise between long tread life, ride quality, fuel economy and traction. But tires that grip the road in summer heat don’t offer the same traction when the weather turns cold. In fact, the tread compound used in all-season tires offers little cold weather traction and becomes hard, losing pliability and traction in freezing temperatures.
Winter (snow) tires, however, are designed to help deliver safety and control in snow, slush, rain, ice and cold weather. A good analogy of the difference between all-season and winter tires is to compare athletic shoes to snow boots. While it’s possible to walk down a slick, snow-covered sidewalk wearing athletic shoes, it's generally easier and safer to do so with snow boots.
Winter Tire Technology Winter tires have a soft rubber compound that remains flexible as temperatures drop to better conform to the road for more controlled handling. They also have unique tread patterns with wider grooves to enhance traction on snow and ice by providing channels to drain water and expel snow. Typically, they have deep sipes, which are small slits in the tread that help cut through water and slush, avoiding hydroplaning and improving grip. Grip is critical, not just to avoid getting stuck, but to help ensure that the car can stop and steer. The superior traction that winter tires deliver, as much as a 25 to 50 percent more than all-season tires, can very well be the safety margin needed to stop in time or turn to avoid trouble.
Four is Better Than Two Always install winter tires in a matching set of four to help maintain balanced and controlled handling in winter driving conditions. Using just two winter tires on a vehicle creates a traction mismatch that can have serious handling consequences. With front-wheel-drive, putting snow tires on the front only will result in the back wheels not having as much grip as the front wheels. This will make the car much more likely to spin out (oversteer) while braking or cornering. With snow tires on the just back wheels of a rear-wheel-drive car, the front wheels won't grip as well as those that provide the power, so the car may not respond when the steering wheel is turned -- it will simply plow straight ahead (understeer).
Referenced from All State Insurance Company: https://www.allstate.com/resources/allstate/attach...
Q: How Do My Shocks Affect My Vehicle?
The shocks and/or struts on your vehicle are part of the suspension. Their purpose is to help maintain stability throughout your driving, whether in urban or rural conditions, at low or high speeds. The idea behind the suspension is to keep your vehicle on the road, literally. When shocks are worn the balance of weight on your vehicle is no longer evenly distributed and begins to shift toward the front of the vehicle. With more weight in the front braking becomes more difficult for your vehicle shortening the life of your braking system. Tires will also age much quicker when the shocks are worn because of the uneven weight distribution, causing what we like to call the “basketball effect,” named after the cupping appearance of the tire caused by bouncing on the road.
Q: When Should I Look at Replacing My Shocks?
Replacement of shocks and/or struts is suggested around every 80,000km. It is usually at this mile marker that we begin to see the valving and oil inside the shock wearing out. The shock will also lose oil because of the way the shaft moves passed the seal.
Q: What is Included in the Complimentary Vehicle Inspection?
We include this complimentary inspection today because we know how important safety is when you’re driving. Click here to see the Complimentary vehicle inspection we provide.
Q: What is the Nation Wide Limited Lifetime Warranty?
Most of the parts that we install here at Selkirk Diesel Repair have an amazing warranty called the “Peace of Mind Warranty”.
It covers the following:
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