Mechanical

MechanicalWhat is a Hemi Engine?
The return of the 5.7-litre HEMI V8 in the Ram 1500 —and the 6.4-litre HEMI V8 in the Jeep Wrangler —for the 2026 model year has made plenty of headlines. Even though there are more modern and more powerful options like the twin-turbocharged six-cylinder Hurricane engine from Stellantis, many drivers …
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MechanicalThe Best Repair Shops for Your Car in 2025
Owners in Canada are opting to hold on to their aging vehicles longer, and the trend is resulting in a growing number of trips to auto service shops for maintenance and repairs. According to J.D. Power’s 2025 Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study, the average number of annual dealership service …
MechanicalThe Best Repair Shops for Your Car in 2024
It’s no surprise that vehicle maintenance and repair costs continue to climb, as highlighted in J.D. Power’s 2024 Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term Study released today. Consider this: the average cost of a visit to a car dealership has increased from $432 a year ago to $465 this year. When it …
MechanicalHow Can Identical Engines Have Different Power Ratings ?
I've noticed that some models of the same make but in different categories have engines with the same number of cylinders and displacement (for example, a 2-litre in-line 4-cylinder), but different power ratings. How can this be? --------------------------------------------- Hello Philippe, The number of cylinders and the displacement of an engine …
MechanicalThe Best Repair Shops for Your Car in 2023
Canada’s auto service market has declined to a pre-pandemic level of $9.1 billion this year, down from $10.9 billion in 2022, according to the J.D. Power 2023 Canada Customer Service Index—Long-Term (CSI-LT) Study released today. Dealerships have grown their overall share of the market to 61 percent in 2023 from …
Features and Tips5 Myths About Motor Oil Changes
Whether you do it yourself or let a professional mechanic do the work, changing your motor oil is one of the most crucial maintenance tasks to keep your vehicle in good health. Some myths persist, however, and we thought it would be a good idea to set the record straight.
Features and TipsWhat Does the 'Snow Mode' Do?
For motorists, good winter tires are just as important in the cold season as vigilance on the road. Modern vehicles certainly make it easier for us with their various electronic control systems, which sometimes can be set depending on your current needs. For example, a good number of vehicles feature …
Features and TipsLimited-Slip Differential: How Does It Work?
Four-wheel and all-wheel drive systems help improve a vehicle’s grip in various conditions, but another device called “limited-slip differential” also serves that purpose in many performance cars, including the Mazda MX-5 , the Porsche 911 and the Honda Civic Type R , but in SUVs that are focused on off-road …
Features and TipsWinter Tire Exemption: Where and How?
If you still haven't purchased your winter tires, you really should hurry, because the deadline is approaching fast. Just in case you forgot, winter tires are mandatory on all road motor vehicles registered in Quebec, including rentals, from December 1st to March 15th inclusively. Motorists who don’t comply with the …
Features and TipsShould You Put Nitrogen in Your Tires?
We’ll say it again: improperly inflated tires can have a significant impact on your driving, your safety, and your fuel consumption, not to mention the resulting premature wear. In Canada, an estimated 25% of all road vehicles have at least one tire with a pressure that’s too low by 20% …
Features and TipsHow Useful Is the Start-Stop Technology?
Technologies are everywhere in modern vehicles, but they were not all created equal. Some are far more useful than others and can have a big impact on performance and handling. The device we will focus on today is the idle start-stop, a system designed to reduce fuel consumption. With the …
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