Regular Maintenance

If you feel a vibration or hear an unusual sound when braking, you should make sure that all of the braking system’s components are in good condition.

Yearly maintenance is recommended and should include cleaning, applying lubricant to and adjusting all moving parts. This will not only ensure your brakes continue to function properly, but will also make them last longer.

Be sure to use the parking brake regularly to keep it in good working order. This will help prevent any of its parts from seizing or sticking.

Tire wear

Regularly check your tires for wear. A simple visual inspection can tell you what condition they are in.

Here are some examples of abnormal tire wear:

• If your tires are underinflated, you will see more wear on both edges of the tire tread, whereas if they are overinflated, there will be more wear in the middle of the tire tread. Check your tire pressure regularly. For more information, refer to the Tires: Check Their Pressure section.
• Wear on just one edge of the tire tread may mean that your wheels need to be realigned.
• Uneven tire wear (bald spots) is usually caused by your tires being out of balance or a bent or worn-out suspension component. If your tire is deformed, you need to replace it as soon as possible.

Tire Damage

Make sure that your tires are not deformed and that there are no deep cuts or foreign bodies lodged in the tires. Otherwise, this could indicate that the tread is about to burst. 

Tire Tread Depth

Minimum tire tread depth is the subject of regulation. It must not be less than 1.6 mm (2/32 in). In the case of heavy vehicles, the tread depth of tires mounted on steering axles must not be less than 3.2 mm (4/32 in). Furthermore, none of the tread wear indicators should be in contact with the road surface. These regulatory limits help estimate a tire’s residual lifespan and determine when it should be replaced. 

Tire traction will generally begin decreasing right after manufacturing, until treads reach the regulatory limit. Therefore, even with new tires, it is possible to hydroplane. You should always adapt your driving to weather conditions and take tire wear into account. This is why it is recommended to install the tires with the least wear on the rear axle of the vehicle. If the rear of the vehicle skids unexpectedly, the vehicle can spin out of control. At that point, you will be unable to regain control of the vehicle, as opposed to if skidding was caused by the front axle. 

Tire quality affects grip, rolling noise and lifespan. 

At all times, it is important that you adapt your driving by taking into consideration road conditions and the quality, wear and age of your tires. 

To learn more, including how to find out the age of a tire, see the Winter Tires: Safe Winter Driving and Winter Preparation sections.

Excessive fluid consumption could be a sign that one of the system components is defective. Adding more fluid may be a temporary solution, but it won’t fix the underlying problem.

Periodically change the fluids in your vehicle. Some components, such as the oil filter, must also be changed in order to ensure maximum filtration and maintain the validity of the manufacturer’s warranty.

Before heading out, make sure all your vehicle’s headlights and lights, including its daytime running lights, are working properly and have maintained their original brightness. Regular inspections are recommended.

While a burned-out headlight or light may seem minor, it can have many consequences. In some cases, it may cause other road users to misread a situation.

Here are a few ways to check whether your headlights and lights are working properly:

• Pay attention to your turn signal indicator. If it is flashing or clicking more rapidly than usual, this may be a sign that one of the bulbs has burned out.
• With your lights on, point the front or the rear of your vehicle at a vertical surface. This will allow you to verify whether your lights are working properly.

Even if your lights are working, their brightness may be affected by lenses that have become cloudy or discoloured, or that are covered in snow, mud, etc. If this is the case, your ability to see when driving after dark could be greatly diminished. Before heading out, make sure your headlights are clean and free of any obstructive material. For more information about lenses that have become more opaque over time, refer to the Headlights: Have Them Polished section.

Get into the habit of always turning on your headlights and lights whenever you start your vehicle. At night, or when it is dark out, the dashboard on certain vehicles automatically lights up when the vehicle is started. You may therefore mistakenly think that your other lights are also on, when this is not the case. If you drive without turning on your other lights, your vehicle will not be very visible to other road users.

Many vehicles are equipped with a green indicator light on the dashboard that lights up when the vehicle’s low beams are on. It is important not to mistake this light for the high beam indicator light.

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If you notice that the blue indicator light shown below is lit up on your dashboard, that means that your high beams are on. If you are driving in an urban setting or meet another vehicle, make sure your high beams are off by switching to your low beams.

Before driving off, make sure you have enough windshield washer fluid in the reservoir. Not all vehicles have an indicator light on the dashboard that lights up when the level of windshield washer fluid is low.

Also check the effectiveness of the vehicle’s windshield wiper blades. If they leave streaks and uncleared spots on your windshield, it’s time to replace the wiper blades.