As the air in our environment becomes increasingly polluted, we all must do our part to reduce pollution to show respect and consideration for the people around us. A good place to start is vehicle emissions. Even car manufacturers are looking for new and improved ways to make vehicles more environmentally friendly. Keeping your car running clean is not just a demonstration of good faith and concern for your neighbors, it is also a legal obligation in the province of Ontario. If you are a car owner, I am sure you aware that most vehicles must pass an emissions test at some point in order to be deemed road worthy. Depending on the type of vehicle, this test typically becomes mandatory after about 7 years. At this point, the vehicle must pass a standard emissions test, or it will not be allowed back on the road.
Environmental Impact
Climate change is happening all over the globe, and Canada is no exception. In order to curtail these unwelcome and potentially calamitous changes, we should all take time to consider the impact we are having on our immediate surroundings. Vehicle emissions are one the biggest causes of air pollution. The detrimental effects of these harmful emissions are being felt in cities all over the world in the form of smog. Car owners can be responsible by reducing the emissions they are expelling into the air.
Emissions Test Ontario
The purpose of an emissions test is to see how well your vehicle scores when measured by the standards set out by the province of Ontario. It is also known as the Drive Clean test. By law, certain vehicles must pass this Drive Clean test in order to be given license to drive on the road.
How to Prepare for the Drive Clean Emissions Test
The are several things you can do as a vehicle owner to get your car in optimal condition to pass the emissions tests. Some things you can do are:
Pay attention to the weather on the day of your test – cold days will require longer warm up time
Do a battery test
Change your oil
Use premium gas
Use a cleaner fuel source – such as biodiesel or ethanol
Change filters
General tune up
Emissions Testing Brampton
Are you looking to have a Drive Clean emissions test done in the Brampton area? If so, Valvoline Express Care is a wise selection. First of all, Valvoline Express Care is a certified emissions testing location, authorized by the Ontario Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Secondly, the experts at Valvoline Express Care can help you prepare for the emissions test, put you in a prime position to pass with flying colors.
Valvoline Express Care Brampton
The Valvoline Express Care Centre in Brampton is an ideal choice for emissions testing for a variety of reasons. Some of the benefits include:
Fast and efficient
Earn points
Pre-test process
Safe choice
Fast and Efficient
The qualified and experienced team at Valvoline having been doing emissions tests for years, knowing what to expect and what to look for. The refined testing process will have you back on the road in no time.
Earn Points
Earn points and discounts on other services when you download the Valvoline app.
Pre-Test
A Valvoline technician will do a walk around your vehicle to do a visual check before administering the actual test. This is done to ensure your vehicle is ready to go and there are no outstanding issues.
Safe Choice
Having your Drive Clean emissions test done at Valvoline Express Care ensures you are making a safe choice. Safe for your car, safe for license, and safe for the environment.
If you own a car with tires on it, then you should be having them rotated on a consistent basis. If you are not sure how frequently the tires should be rotated on your particular vehicle, you can consult the owner’s manual for more detailed information. You will undoubtedly find a suggested schedule for keeping up with tire rotation.
Why the need for tire rotation?
The main reason that most vehicle owners are diligent with tire rotations is because of the money it saves. Rotating your tires on a regular basis means buying new tires less frequently. Some good reasons to rotate your tires are:
Promotes even wear
Keeps proper alignment
Maintain equal tire pressure
Improved safety
Enhanced fuel economy
Longevity
Why should you not miss a scheduled tire rotation?
One of the big reasons that you should never skip rotating your tires when it is time to do so, is that your tires wear unevenly if not rotated. The effects of cornering and weight are different for each tire, based on where it is positioned on your vehicle.
Front Wheel Drive vs. Rear Wheel Drive
If your vehicle is front wheel drive, then the bulk of the force and energy from the engine is placed on the front tires. In front wheel drive cars, the back wheels basically just fall in line with the front tires and kind of go along for the ride. For automobiles with rear wheel drive, most of the stress will be put on the back tires. The responsibility for handling the steering duties, will still fall on the front tires. For either type of vehicle, tires will not wear evenly unless they are rotated. The tire with the heaviest burden will always wear out more quickly than the others.
How often should you rotate your tires?
Although the recommended schedule for tire charge may vary slightly, from vehicle to vehicle, the general consensus is that tires should be rotated every 5000 kms or so. The frequency will depend on vehicle type, driving conditions, tire quality, etc.
So, what happens if you don’t rotate your tires?
The first thing we will look at is uneven wear.
Uneven Wear
For this example, let’s put our focus on just one tire out of the set. Let’s say the front left tire. So, if the front left tire stays in the same spot and is never changed, it will wear differently than the others. Every time you make a left turn, more stress is being put on the outside edge of that tire. If the car is front wheel drive with the engine in the front, the stress on that tire will be even greater due to the added weight. Once the tire begins to experience heavy tread damage, that damage cannot be repaired. Changing it to another position at that point is ineffective. You will need to replace the whole set. Rotate your tires before it is too late, and irreversible damage has already been done.
Can uneven tires compromise safety?
Yes, they can. Unevenly worn tires can be dangerous for drivers, passengers, and other vehicles on the road. A severely worn tire can negatively affect handling and braking capabilities. If the tread is seriously worn, it may result in a blown tire with a potentially catastrophic outcome.
Tire Rotation Brampton
Don’t risk your safety, your passenger’s safety, and the safety of other drivers. Make sure your tires are in good working condition and are being rotated consistently. Valvoline Express Care is an automotive service provider that has been maintaining vehicles and keeping them safe in the Brampton area for over 20 years.
When looking for the best method for protecting your vehicle with rust proofing services, the Rust Check approach continues to rank at the top of the list.
What is Rust Check?
Rust Check is a top of the line protector for the body, panels, and all metal components of your car. The product itself comes in the form of a pressurized spray that is perfect for reaching all the hidden cracks and cavities in your vehicle. This includes those difficult to get at parts like seams, folds, welds, and joints that can be found hidden away inside the sections of the car’s body. The reason the Rust Check product works so well, is because it is very light weight and fluid in nature. It also contains a mixture of special additives that actively help protect your vehicle.
How does the Rust Check spray work?
The Rust Check spray is a very efficient and effective rust proofing product for several reasons. The spray works to protect the metal components of your vehicle by expelling moisture and covering metal surfaces with a light coating of active corrosion inhibitors. The forms a secured and sealed layer to keep rust out. Since the formation of rust is caused by prolonged exposure of oxygen and moisture to a metal surface, the Rust Check spray stops rust before it has a chance to start.
How is the Rust Check spray applied?
The product is applied using a specialized method that involves a two-step process. The procedure uses two steps because your vehicle has different parts and components that may need a different approach and products.
Step 1
The first step involves a careful application of the Rust Check spray to all the areas inside the body panels that are difficult to reach. The penetrating and permeating spray gets at the crevasses and crucial areas like joints and spot welds that can cause serious problems if they start to rust. I have actually witnessed a car door falling right off because a connective joint was completely rusted out. Rust Check services are not just to keep up the appearance of your car, but also to keep it intact and performing at a high level.
Step 2
After all the hard to reach spots have been attended to, the next step is to coat and protect the undercarriage. During this stage a coating will be applied to the exposed areas underneath your car. This forms a moisture resistant adherent that that is resistant to cracking and peeling.
Why use Rust Check instead of a rust proofing sealant?
There are lots reasons and arguments in favor Rust Check rust proofing over applying a thick sealant to keep the rust out. Some advantages of Rust Check include:
Rust Check repels and removes moisture that is hidden in cracks, while a sealant may end up trapping the moisture, accelerating the rusting process
Rust Check is non-drying which means it won’t crack or peel
Rust Check does not contain any toxic or odorous ingredients
Rust Check contains self-healing chemicals
Rust Check is effective for new vehicles as well as older ones
Rust Check provides lubrication as well as protection
Rust Check will not damage you paint job
Rust Check gets reapplied once a year to provide optimal ongoing protection
Rust Check offers its own renewable warranties
Where can I get Rust Check rust proofing services?
The Valvoline Express Care Centre in Brampton provides full Rust Check services for your vehicle. The expertly trained technicians go through a rigorous Rust Check process to ensure your vehicle receives the ultimate protection against rust and corrosion.
Rust Check is a type of rust proofing that can be used to maintain and protect your vehicle. It is a light-weight spray that is applied to the body, inside sections and panels of your car. Established way back in 1973, the Rust Check method has been proven to be a successful and effective approach to preventing and managing rust and corrosion. One of the greatest advantages of the Rust Check method is that is permeates all the hidden cracks, joints, and folds that are difficult to reach inside your vehicle. These are the places where rust and corrosion typically begin to form and develop in unprotected automobiles. Rust Check rust proofing products have the necessary airy consistency to travel far and wide into all your car’s defenseless areas that are susceptible and open to a rust attack. The Rust Check product also contains specialized active additives that help safeguard against the formation of rust.
How does Rust Check work?
Rust Check operates by protecting all the metal components of your vehicle by repelling and removing moisture. Rust is originally formed when any water or moisture come into contact with oxygen and metal for an extended period of time. Rust Check uses corrosion inhibitors to form a secure, protective layer on all the metal surfaces of your car. Although this layer is invisible to the naked eye, you can picture it as a defensive tarp adhered to the surface, to prevent contact from water molecules. Rust and corrosion are incapable of developing without direst contact from moisture.
Other Types of Rust Proofing
Rust Check is one type of rust proofing that is effective for protecting your entire vehicle against rust. Some other types of rust proofing services include:
Sealants and coatings
Tar-based undercarriage spray
Oil sprays
Electronic
Sealants and Coatings
Sealants and coatings are often referred to as undercoating services to your vehicle. This service typically consists of a tar, wax, or oil based sealant being applied to the undercarriage of your car. With this service, basically all of the focus is on the underside of the vehicle, with little concern for the upper body. The problem with this approach is that rust can form on any metal surface in your car, not just underneath. Especially since cars are becoming more and more streamlined for improved gas mileage. To achieve this enhanced fuel economy, cars are now being designed with lighter, sleeker metal in the upper body. This thinner metal is more susceptible to rust and corrosion, and should certainly be protected. Another issue with applying sealants and coatings is that because they are so thick, they are not able to get into those hard to reach places where rust generally begins to develop. Plus, these coatings are also vulnerable to cracking. This leaves open areas exposed, for moisture to get in and form rust, which can actually end up expediting the rusting process.
Tar-based Spray
This type of rust proofing is also applied to the underside of your vehicle. Because this spray is tar-based, it provides a thick coating. It should only be applied to fairly new vehicles that are free of rust.
Oil Sprays
There are a couple different types of oil sprays available for rust proofing. Typically, they are available in:
Drip oil spray
Dripless oil spray
Both are oil-based sprays obviously, the difference being that the dripless spray is more viscous and more difficult to get into cracks. The drip spray is more versatile, but may leave a mess on your driveway.
Electronic Rust Protection
This approach uses electronic pulses to interrupt the charge between metal and oxygen to prevent rust.
Valvoline Express Care Brampton
At Valvoline Express Care in Brampton you can expect to receive the best rust check treatments available. The rust proofing technicians can help protect your vehicle from harsh environmental elements.
A lot of vehicle owners are wondering about the worth of rust proofing services, and are concerned about the necessity of having them performed on their vehicles.
So, are rust proofing services a worthwhile endeavor?
A few different factors may come into play here, when deciding whether or not rust proofing is a rewarding investment. Here are a few questions you might ask yourself, to provide a clearer picture about the advantages of rust proofing.
Do I want to protect my car?
Do I want to keep myself and passengers safe?
Do I want my vehicle to last a long time?
Do I want my vehicle to preserve its value?
Do I want to avoid hefty mechanic bills?
If you answered yes to these questions, then you may want to look into rust proofing services a little further.
Ignoring Bad Advice
You may come across some advice online that argues rust proofing is a waste of time and money. The first thing you should consider when encountering these types of statements is who is saying it. The next thing to think about, is that person’s motivation for opposing rust proofing services. What do they have to gain from unprotected vehicles? Typically, anyone devaluing rust proofing services and saying they are not worthwhile, are people that have something to gain by doing so.
Manufacturer Rust Proofing
One of the main arguments out there against rust proofing, claim that rust proofing services are not necessary because of the advancements in rust proofing technology during the manufacturing process. Most of this advice is broadcasted by the manufacturers themselves. They obviously have a self-serving interest in this situation. The less rust proofing you have done to your vehicle, the sooner you will need to buy a new car. While it is true that improvements have been made in manufacturer rust proofing, they still do not match the quality of rust proofing services done by a professional. Due to restrictions placed on manufacturers, they not able to use the same caliber of rust proofing technology.
Types of Rust Proofing Available
There are several rust proofing options offered by professionals that can help protect your vehicle. Some of the choices are:
Dripless spray
Drip spray
Coatings
Electronic
Rust check
Dripless Spray
This method involves applying a thick spray to the metal components and undercarriage of your vehicle. Due to this viscosity of this spray, it may not reach into the all the cracks and crevasses that need protection.
Drip Spray
This type of spray is thin enough to permeate those hard to reach places, but leave a mess on your driveway.
Coatings
This approach involves a thick material applied to the underbody of your vehicle for protection. This method is more for new cars, as it can lock in existing rust and make the problem worse if not dealt with properly.
Electronic
Electric volts are used to break up the rust formation process. The jury is still out on the reliability of this method.
Rust Check
Rust Check is a very effective rust proofing service that employs a method similar to the drip spray, but with no mess.
Rust Proofing Services Brampton
If you are looking for a reliable, affordable, and effective rust proofer in the Brampton area, Valvoline Express Care Brampton is an excellent choice. Valvoline Express Care employs the Rust Check method for rust proofing, which has been proven to be an effective way to fight rust for over 40 years. So, that brings us back to the original question…
Is rust proofing worthwhile?
Yes, yes it is. Especially if you like saving time and money.
Fluids are what keep your vehicle running. They are needed to carry out all of the processes that combine to allow your car to run smoothly and efficiently. You can think of these fluids like water for the human body. Necessary for function, and if left untended or ignored, the results can be devastating. Consistent maintenance is what keeps a vehicle performing at its optimal level. Just like your own body, without regular maintenance some serious problems will start to develop. Some of which are irreversible. There are some fluids that are critical for your car’s operation, and they need to be tended to on a consistent basis to avoid massive mechanic bills, or a complete vehicular break down. Some examples of these crucial fluids are:
Oil
Coolants
Transmission fluid
Brake fluid
Oil
Oil is the most essential fluid to your vehicle’s performance. It is definitely the most recognized of all vehicular fluids, and the one that requires the most attention. Oil is what keeps the moving parts in your engine lubricated, so they are able to operate without friction. Without it, the metal components in your engine would constantly be scraping against each other, causing the engine to overheat and eventually seize up. This is why your oil needs to be changed regularly. Old oil gets dirty and viscous, failing to protect your engine from getting too hot and component damage. Over time dirt and debris accumulate in the oil, compromising its effectiveness and performance. If left too long, it can begin to turn into sludge which can result in permanent damage and potentially having to replace the engine. The general consensus is that oil should be changed every 5000 kms or so, depending on driving conditions. If driving in extreme conditions on a regular basis, it is suggested to have more frequent oil changes. Consult your car owner’s manual more specific maintenance schedules and advice.
Coolants
Several coolants are used to help regulate running temperatures. They are helpful to prevent overheating in the hot weather, and to prevent the engine from freezing and seizing up in cold temperatures. Examples of coolants are anti-freeze, radiator fluid, and air conditioning coolant. All coolants should be kept and regulated levels for optimal performance.
Transmission Fluid
The transmission fluid in your vehicle serves to keep the transmission lubricated, and your vehicle moving properly. It also acts as a coolant for the transmission. Transmission fluid should be checked regularly for both quantity and quality. If levels are low, a top up may be needed to keep the transmission operating effectively. Also, if there is dirt and debris floating around in it, it is time to have the transmission fluid changed.
Brake Fluid
Similar to transmission fluid, brake fluid should also be checked consistently for quantity and quality. The brake fluid uses a pressurized system to add power to the act of braking. Insufficient levels or quality of the brake fluid may lead to less responsivity and slower stopping times.
Power Steering Fluid
This hydraulic fluid is used to make steering and handling and effortless process for drivers. It provides extra power on turns and other maneuvers. If you have ever driven a car without power steering, you can appreciate just how much force power steering fluid provides you with. When fluid levels get low, or the fluid needs to be changed you will likely be able to tell by the sounds the car makes during turns, or the increasing effort you have to expend to make it happen.
Valvoline Express Care Brampton
For efficient and affordable oil changes and regular coolant inspection, Valvoline Express Care Brampton is your one stop solution. With over 20 years experience in the automotive industry, the expert technicians at Valvoline can provide your vehicle with all the maintenance it needs to continue running at an optimal level.
