3 Maintenance Tips for Keeping Your Car in Good Shape

In Ottawa, we need our cars to be able to handle all kinds of different weather. In the winter, we have to be ready for snow and ice. In the spring and fall, we often get a lot of rainy, windy weather and our summers can be blistering hot — so you want your air conditioning to work properly. One of the best ways to ensure your car keeps running smoothly, no matter what the weather, is to make sure you keep on top of maintenance. These are the most critical things you need to check:

• Tires
• Fluid levels
• Critical parts such as lights, brakes and windshield wipers

Another essential part of keeping your car protected is making sure you have the right auto insurance.

Inspecting and Maintaining Your Tires

Keeping your tires properly inflated and in good shape is essential. If a tire blows out while you’re driving, you could be seriously hurt. These are the most important steps to keeping your tires working properly:

• Check your tire pressure monthly. Tires can lose pressure at a rate of approximately one pound per square inch of air (PSI) a month – and this rate increases in cold months. Under-inflated tires make it harder to steer your car and can even cause a tire blowout.
• Check your tires don’t have any cracks or bulges – and look for punctures caused by glass or nails.
• Make sure your tires are regularly rotated. By regularly rotating your tires, you are ensuring they get worn down evenly which can help extend the life of your tires.
• Never overload your vehicle. If you’re going on a long trip, don’t be tempted to squeeze as much as you can into your car. An overloaded car puts added stress on your tires, causing them to wear out more quickly or even overheat.

Keeping Your Car Fluid Levels Up

You’ve probably thought about what would happen if your car ran out of oil. Have you ever thought about all the other fluids in your car you need to make sure are properly topped up or replaced? You should regularly check the following fluid levels in your car:

• Engine oil
• Coolant
• Power steering fluid
• Brake fluid
• Transmission fluid
• Windshield washer fluid

If any of these fluids are lower than expected, check your car for leaks. Some of these you can easily top up yourself such as coolant and windshield washer fluids, whereas power steering and brake fluids are best left to the professionals.

Maintaining Critical Car Parts

Now that you’ve checked your tires are in good shape and that your car fluid levels are all topped up, it’s time to check all the critical parts of your car are working properly. You don’t want to find out the hard way that your lights aren’t working or that your windshield wipers streak. The following critical car parts must be properly maintained:

1. Check your lights are working properly, especially your headlights. It’s very unsafe to drive with broken or malfunctioning lights. What’s more, you could also get a traffic ticket and an expensive fine. Replace bulbs and fuses as necessary when they burn out.
2. Check your windshield wiper blades. We don’t just sell auto insurance — we live here too! We know what it’s like driving through a snowstorm or trying to clean slush off your windows – you need to have your windshield wipers working properly to be able to see.
3. Have your car’s brake pads regularly inspected to make sure they aren’t worn out. If you hear a scraping sound while driving, this may be a sign that your brake pads need to be replaced.
4. Belts and hoses. These are just some of the parts that help keep your car running. They suffer wear and tear, so it’s important to make sure they are in good working order.

How can Oegema Nicholson help me get the right auto insurance in Ottawa?

While it’s important to keep up with regular physical maintenance for your car, it’s also important to think about maintaining your car insurance too. A lot of people just stick with the same company year after year without shopping around to see if they can get a better rate. Or they don’t contact their current company when they may be eligible for a new discount. At Oegema Nicholson, we’re here to get you the right auto insurance. We’ll work with you to put together a customized insurance package that suits your needs. We can talk to you about:

• What’s mandatory and what’s optional when it comes to car insurance. We’ll discuss what types and amounts of coverage are best for you.
• The kinds of discounts we can offer you. Don’t drive very often? We have a discount for you. Want to insure more than one car? There’s a discount for that too! We even offer discounts on your insurance for installing winter tires.

When it comes to auto insurance, we’ve got the coverage you need!

Keep Your Car Ready For The Road

You want your car to be ready for Ottawa weather — when it’s rain, snow, sleet or sunshine! To ensure that your car is always ready to hit the open road, no matter what the weather, we’ve made a list of the most important things to maintain:

• Your tires
• Your fluid levels
• Critical parts such as your lights, brakes and windshield wipers

We’ve also talked about how important it is to maintain your auto insurance in Ottawa. Make sure you’re paying the right price for auto insurance coverage. For more information on auto insurance in Ottawa, call Oegema Nicholson at 613-519-2030 or contact us here.