Car Care Tips

At Lube Town we've had a lot of Alberta customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in Calgary. The median age of personal vehicles i

  If you are a driver in Alberta and you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil.Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum b

Ask any Alberta man or woman if they've taken their vehicle in for preventive maintenance lately, and the answer may well be “no.” Surveys indicate that over 80% of vehicles on the road today are in need of some kind of repair or maintenance. Now, ask that same person

  Today in our Lube Town blog, we're going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn't the only aspect of your life in Alberta with recommended intervals: Let's start with twice yearly dental check-ups and reg

The government mandates a lot of equipment on cars in Alberta, Calgary: emission devices and control computers, safety equipment like airbags and crash worthiness requirements. All of this is great for the Alberta motoring public, but it does add quite a bit to the price of a new vehicle.Because new vehicles are mor

  Calgary service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Alberta drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services th

  If you are a driver in Alberta and you aren't currently using synthetic motor oil in your vehicle, maybe now's the time to consider it. Need more information? Well, synthetic motor oil is a substitute for petroleum based oil.Synthetic oil doesn't gel or gum-up like petroleum b

  At Lube Town we get a lot of Alberta drivers asking about vehicle trip preparation. That's a big deal. You could be driving through mountains and deserts in some pretty lonely areas around Calgary, so it's important to know t

About 90% of our driving decisions in the Alberta area are based solely on what we see. So having a good pair of windshield wipers is extremely important.Most Alberta drivers have experienced the frustration and fear of not being

  A lot of Alberta drivers have asked whether or not they should use their severe service maintenance schedule, which is listed in their vehicle's  owner's  manual. It can be somewhat confusing, so we decided to consult an expert. Cricket Killingsworth is from QMI/Heartland, a manufacturer of automotive p

  The hottest Okotoks news story may be different every day, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Alberta. If you feel like most of your paycheck goes into your gas tank, this post is for you. Here are several basic things people in Alberta can do

If you've ever been driving around Alberta and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distract

If you've ever been driving around Alberta and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distract

Good vehicle care for us Alberta residents has always meant taking our vehicles in every spring and fall for a check-up on any services due. Vehicles needed routine maintenance to prepare them for the changes in weather. Today's vehicles aren't quite as sensitive to seasonal change

At Lube Town we've had a lot of Alberta customers asking how they can make their vehicles last longer. These questions are actually a reflection of a trend that's been building for several years in Calgary/Okotoks. The median age of personal ve

Good vehicle care for us Alberta residents has always meant taking our vehicles in every spring and fall for a check-up. Vehicles needed routine maintenance to prepare them for the changes in weather. Today's vehicles aren't quite as sensitive to seasonal change

  Our service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Alberta drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services th

If you've ever been driving around Alberta and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distract

If you've ever been driving around Alberta and had a headlamp go out, you've probably just wanted to replace the bad bulb. If your car uses halogen headlamps, they dim over time. So if you just put in one, they won't have the same brightness, which can be distract

  Hey Alberta - this is something really amazing: Your vehicle uses 12,000 times as much air as fuel when you drive it. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.That's like 100 gallons (380 liters) of air every block! The engine air filter

  Sometimes we hear people in Alberta say, "What's up with all this maintenance stuff? Modern cars just don't break down." While it is true that today's vehicles are extremely reliable, they are also becoming increasingly complicated and use more exotic materials

Ask any Alberta man or woman if they've taken their vehicle in for preventive maintenance lately, and the answer may well be “no.” Surveys indicate that over 80% of vehicles on the road today are in need of some kind of repair or maintenance. Now, ask that same person

  Today's Lube Town article focuses on severe service maintenance. Many Alberta drivers are not aware of them and yet there are also very vocal advocates in Okotoks who think that severe service schedules app

  Lube Town service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Alberta drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services th

In many places, license plates have to be renewed every year or else you can't drive your vehicle legally.  Usually, you'll get a reminder from the agency that issues the plates. That kind of regular attention needs to be paid to your vehicle as w

  High gas prices in Alberta increase the cost of living for Alberta drivers. You've probably budgeted a certain amount for vehicle related expenses. Increased fuel costs now consume a larger portion of our incomes, cau

  The hottest Okotoks news story may be different every day, but there's one topic that seems to come up over and over again – the price of gas in Alberta. If you feel like most of your paycheck goes into your gas tank, this post is for you. Here are several basic things people in Alberta can do

We live in a disposable society. Everything from elaborate packaging to our clothing. Even cell phones are disposable. When replacement is cheaper than repair, the term "buil

A lot of motorists had older vehicles that they wanted to keep. They're good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy the fact that they're paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to

During uncertain times, it's a good idea to spend a little money maintaining your vehicle than fork out a tone of cash to buy a new one.   You know what you have is reliable, good commuters, grocery getters or toy haulers. You may enjoy that fact that they're paid off, or soo

Summer is coming. That means heat, more driving and road trips. It just makes sense to check your fluid levels and do a visual inspection to see that everythin

  People in Calgary and Okotoks have been hearing a lot about higher oil change intervals these days. Maybe you're wondering: What are the key issues?Some new vehicle manufacturers are now recommending much higher oil change intervals than the

needed routine maintenance to prepare them for the changes in weather. Today's vehicles aren't quite as sensitive to seasonal change

If you're reading this article in Alberta, Calgary, then you probably care about your vehicle and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your professional service advisor at Lube Town tells you the manufacturer reco

Myths passed around our Alberta, Calgary community start with a grain of evidence and are then built up with a lot of imagination and very elastic logic. And the internet is a breeding ground for automotive myths. Some bloggers recall the vehicles of yesteryear and declare their modern decedent

We live such busy lives nowadays: work, social events, running the kids all over Alberta. Some days it's all we can do to keep track of everywhere we need to be. That's why you've gotta be organized. Smartphones, calendar apps - we

Have you checked out the price of new vehicles at Alberta car dealers? Ouch! Add financing and insurance and a new ride may not seem so attractive. A lot of Alberta, Calgary, folks are hoping to make their cars last a lot longer.Fortunately, with the current state of automotive engineerin

When it comes to their vehicles, some Alberta residents don't have a maintenance mindset. They know they need to take care of their cars, but it just seems really hard to get them to remember to do it. Alberta drivers generally acc

If you've ever heard a squealing sound under your vehicle hood, chances are it was your serpentine belt. More importantly, the belt powers the alternator. The alternator creates electricity that's used by your vehicle's electrical systems and als

There's a segment of the Alberta area population that's not committed to proper vehicle maintenance. Now, the ignition system in your vehicle is electronic and controlled by the engine management computer. Spark plugs rarely get fouled and w

In our auto video today we'll be talking with Alan Peterson about myths surrounding automotive maintenance. You can lump these myths into the statement that "modern vehicles are so reliable, they are virtually maintenance free."Any good myth has so

? Well, you may be surprised to learn that all but the gummy bears are in the top ten most distracting foods when you are driving. But if you chose 'coffee,' then give yourself an extra two points.  Coffee is the number one food distraction for drivers in Alberta and aro

Every Alberta car owner who has taken their car in for an oil change has been told that their engine air filter's dirty. Here's what goes into the determination of when to change the filter: First, your vehicle owner's manual will have a recommendation of when t

Since driving requirements and lifestyles differ among Alberta drivers, your vehicle manufacturer publishes two auto maintenance schedules: the regular schedule and the severe service schedule. Which schedule should Alberta drivers follow? Here are some questions to ask yourself:Are most of your trips less than four miles/six kilome

Alberta area residents may remember when the U.S. government's “Cash for Clunkers” program made a splash on the news scene. People were offered incentives to trade in old vehicles for n

  Today we're going to be talking about serpentine belts for our Alberta, Calgary, customers. Let's start by talking about the accessories that are driven by the serpentine belt. First is the alternator. That's the device that makes el

Many Alberta car owners have probably wondered: "What's the harm in putting off replacing an engine air filter? The answer is that not replacing it could cause your Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor to fail. This expensive sensor is situated between your engine air filter and your engine. Dirty air filters are a leading cause of mass air flow sen

Sometimes busy Alberta residents dream about going back to the “simpler” days of our grandparents. But if you could travel back in time and take a road trip around Calgary in a Model T, you might change your mind. The improved designs and q

As Alberta consumers, we live in a disposable society. It's amazing all the stuff we throw away.New stuff comes out so fast in Calgary, and much of it is fairly cheap, so we just toss the old and