FAQ’s

Yes we do, for $50/season for a set of tires.

We recommend the middle of October for most clients, however, it depends on your regular driving distance and the local temperature.

We have tried many different brands of tires over the years and have fallen in love with TOYO for their overall value, quality, and the amazing traction they provide.

There is no comparison between the two. Winter tires have sipes (grooves) that allow for flexibility and provide biting edges that grab the ice like a million little bristles on a brush. All season tires have limited biting edges and no flexibility like winter or ice tires do.

If it fits your budget then we would suggest a separate set of rims for winter and summer. The cost savings over 2.5 years, having tires mounted on rims, usually makes up for the price of purchasing the second set of rims. The price of seasonal tire installation is roughly half the cost when the tires are already mounted on rims. It is also easier on the tires not to be stretched on and off the rims every seasonal change.

We are incredibly particular about cleaning the rust off the wheel/hub mating surface. The rust that builds up on the back of the rim and the front of the brake surface can cause the wheels to loosen off and not torque properly if not cleaned. When we install the wheel, we ensure that we have a flat surface free of rust so that the torque measurement of the wheel nuts meets your manufacturer specification. Our procedure is to clean the surfaces, lower the vehicle and perform the first torque, then we test drive the vehicle and perform a second torque. Finally, we ASK the client to return after 100km to have the wheels torqued one last time. No appointment is required for the final retorque, just stop by the shop and we will do it quickly in the parking lot.

Our suggestion would be to grab a 20-pack of Timbits and stop along your travels at another shop with said Timbits. Any shop should look after you quickly. We always have your vehicle torque spec on hand, so just ASK us and we can tell you what it is ahead of time.

It is our mission to inform you of everything that we see about your vehicle. From there you can make the most educated decisions related to maintenance and repairs with our guidance.

We recommend to our clients to have a Seasonal Multipoint Inspection done twice a year. After the inspection, we provide our clients with a report card on their vehicle from the roughly 300-points noted by our technicians. From there, we help build a plan that’s broken down in three categories: Immediate Needs (Level 3), Should Do (Level 2), and Could Do (Level 1). From this list, we can help each client make decisions to match their vehicle and budget.

You can sell a vehicle without a safety inspection, however the new buyer cannot license it until they get a safety inspection done. To sell your vehicle for the best price, having a safety inspection done or even having the list available of what the vehicle needs is best.

Absolutely! This is by far the best thing you could do when thinking about buying a vehicle. We have had many clients purchase a vehicle that cannot pass a safety inspection to be legal on the road, as they had not chosen to have a pre-purchase inspection.

We suggest not pushing the intervals at all as today’s engines run much tighter tolerances, and have smaller filter screens and passages that can plug up faster than the older vehicles. Even though today’s oils are amazing and take longer to break down, one of the main purposes of an oil change is to change the filter and prevent the sludge from building up. Most vehicle manufacturers actually extend their oil change intervals significantly to benefit them as having a smaller carbon footprint. At ASK, we are looking at the longevity of the motor to prevent expensive repairs down the road.

Performing fluid maintenance at designated intervals can save you thousands of dollars in repairs over the lifespan of your vehicle. Just ASK us for a plan tailored to suit your vehicle.

Feel free to call us or pop the hood and look at what it says on the top cover. Direct injection means the fuel sprays right into the cylinder. This new design does not wash the carbon off the back side of the valves, causing carbon to build up and restrict the airflow. This causes us to use extensive procedures to remove it. Performing regular maintenance to the system with a Fuel Induction Service keeps the carbon from building up, which we recommend doing every 24,000km.

Just ASK us about your vehicle’s best practices for fluid maintenance. Based on your current mileage and the fluid maintenance services we recommend having performed, we may be able to get lifetime warranty on various systems on your vehicle.

You can look up the symbol in your vehicle’s manual or on Google, then give us a call or stop by so we can look into it for you. We will scan your vehicle to get some general information about the codes on your vehicle before moving forward with a plan for maintenance and repairs.

If the check engine light is flashing please pull over when it is safe to do so, if you are currently driving it. Do not continue to drive as you can cause damage to the engine and exhaust system as the light indicates a misfire in the engine. Towing the vehicle is suggested to prevent further damage.

Common Disc brake systems on most vehicles involve the brake pads needing to slide in a tongue-and-groove slot, each time the brakes are engaged. The brake caliper needs to be able to slide back and forth on two slider pins each time the brakes are applied, or the pads will wear unevenly and the effectiveness of the brake system will be compromised. In our area of Ontario, with heavy use of road salt in winter, we often find these important components of the brake system seized or stiff and not working to their full potential. We recommend inspecting the system twice a year, during a Seasonal Multipoint Inspection, and servicing the brake components every year or two as required. Drum brake and parking brake components also need servicing of the shoe mounting points and their various components such as adjusters and springs.

As long as you follow your manufacturer maintenance plan and the work is done at a Licensed Service Shop, such as Auto Service Kingston, your vehicle warranty will remain intact.

We highly suggest Krown undercoating and believe it is the best way to protect your investment from rust. There are dramatic differences comparing two vehicles, one that has been sprayed annually and one that has not. Our goal is to protect the longevity of your vehicle, and after undercoating your vehicle, we see fewer issues from rust to components such as frames, body panels, brake and fuel lines, and suspension components. A vehicle that has been undercoated annually, does not ever need to be replaced due to rust problems. The only thing that cannot be undercoated is the structure of the vehicle and if it is still solid then we can always keep the rest functioning. Reach out to us when booking in your maintenance appointment and we will work directly with Krown to simplify the booking process for you.

If you are having streaks or missed spots while using your wipers, swing by the shop as we have several different sized blades in stock that should fit your car and we can install them while you wait.

Simply looking at your tires to see if they visually look low is the first step. If you don’t have your own gauge, come by the shop and we can check the tire pressure. If the pressure is good and the warning light is still on we may have to scan the system with our computers to pinpoint the fault.

Ward’s Towing (613-546-0272) is our preferred local company. If you have CAA, Jack’s Towing (613-900-0702) is likely the primary contact. We can include the price of the tow on your invoice for your convenience.

Some of us here at Auto Service Kingston would say weekly, however just a friendly wave or high-five, an email to say hi, or a review of our services would be thanks enough!