Car maintenance tips for Canadian car owners

Yes, regular car maintenance matters. Being consistent with routine care, like oil changes and brake checks, might not be exciting , but it can help extend the life of your vehicle, optimize your fuel efficiency, and keep your car running the way it's supposed to.

There's another benefit to sticking to a regular maintenance schedule: It helps you spot and repair minor issues early, before they turn into something more serious and costly. Replacing a worn part during a routine tune-up is easier and cheaper than dealing with the stress of an unexpected breakdown that requires major repairs, throwing off your entire day (or even week ). 

Most car maintenance comes down to doing a few regular checks and simple, routine care, such as oil changes and checking your brakes and tire pressure . Your car's owner's manual will give you a list of the essentials, plus a general timeline of when to schedule these services based on your car and your driving habits.

While you don't need to stick to a strict timeline for getting every maintenance task done, there are a few that you should prioritize even if you're busy, such as:

• Oil and filter changes
• Brake inspections
• Tire care
• Fluid checks and top-ups

How long maintenance takes depends on what you're having done. A tire pressure check  usually won't take more than 5  minutes, for example, while more involved work, such as a seasonal tune-up, will take longer. And if you're combining services, or your mechanic has a packed schedule for the day, the service visit might require more hours than usual. 

The best thing to do is to ask how long you'll need to leave your vehicle when you're booking your maintenance appointment. Your service centre will be able to give you a good estimate of how long you can expect the maintenance to take.

Keeping your car well maintained doesn't have to be complicated. Here's a quick list of things to help you stay on top of wear and tear and keep your car ready to face tough Canadian weather:

• Read the owner's manual
• Keep up with basic maintenance
• Get winter tires
• Schedule seasonal tune-ups
• Keep an automobile maintenance log
• Clean leather seats regularly
• Take care of the battery
• Report unusual noises
• Check recall notices
• Warm up your car before driving
• Keep an emergency roadside kit in your car

Electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids typically don't require as much maintenance—but this doesn't mean they're maintenance-free. For example, while regenerative braking means you'll see less wear on your brakes, you'll still need to schedule routine brake inspections. And the extra weight of the battery can impact tire pressure and tread wear, so regular tire care is important. Cooling systems and software updates also need regular checks.

Hybrids still have a gas engine, so if you own a hybrid vehicle you'll need to stay on top of gas-engine-related maintenance, such as oil changes, coolant flushes, and replacing air filters and spark clubs. But the hybrid's gas engine won't run as much since its electric motor will handle more of the low-speed driving, so your maintenance schedule might include more time between some engine-related maintenance tasks.  

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How often your car needs maintenance will depend on a number of factors, such as how much you drive and what conditions you're driving in. For example, the stop-and-go of city traffic, extreme weather conditions, and frequent, short trips are all factors that can help speed up the wear on your car.

The table below gives you a general idea of when common maintenance tasks should happen. But the best way to know how often your car needs maintenance and upkeep? Always follow the schedule set out by the manufacturer in the owner's manual. It's designed with your car in mind, and will usually be based on distance or time (whichever comes first). 

When to schedule car maintenance tasks

EVs and hybrid vehicles usually require less maintenance, but service timing recommendations can vary quite a bit between models, based on how their systems are designed. So, to stay on track with maintenance, always follow the service schedule in your owner's manual.

Good car maintenance comes down to watching for signs of wear and planning ahead to book routine care when its needed. By being consistent with your car's routine care, you'll be better positioned to spot small issues before they grow into more expensive and disruptive problems.