Oakville Auto Repair

With over 780 million people around the world who do not have access to clean water, our goal is to change the lives of those in El Salvador by distributing and providing clean water - but we can't do it without your support. There is an estimated 842,000 people dying each year from diseases caused by unclean water, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene habits, the majority of which are children in developing countries. In March of 2017, we will be embarking on a water project to provide clean water to many communities in the area to instill a positive, holistic change to some of El Salvador's more impoverished communities. With the final distribution stage only weeks away - we're still very short of our financial goal of $10,200 to help with transportation costs. We need your support to help ... read more

When the weather outside is frightful, a little advance preparation will take the scare out of winter driving. At Eastside Auto Service we recommend taking a few preventive vehicle maintenance steps to help keep you from being stranded in severe winter weather. A breakdown, an engine not starting or any issue that leaves you stranded is scary. When it happens in freezing winter weather it can be downright dangerous. An investment of an hour or so to have your vehicle checked will pay off and help make sure your winter driving is safer for you and your loved ones. Recommended steps for winterizing your vehicle: Check the battery and charging system for optimum performance. Cold weather is hard on batteries. Clean, flush and put new antifreeze in the cooling system. As a general rule of thumb, this should be done every two years. Make sure heaters, defrosters and wipers work properly. Consider winter wiper blades and use cold weather washer fluid. Typically, wiper blades should be replac ... read more

We've all been there - that out of nowhere damage to your vehicle and it's now out of commission to get fixed - with unexpected costs that come with it. Your car is the reliable member of your family, but even the healthiest of people get sick and need to go to the doctor's office sometimes. But what happens when the injury to your car is so big and it provides an equally large hit to your credit card statement? Fortunately, you now have the option of financing your payments for auto repairs so you don't get hit all at once - and protect your savings account from taking a hit as well. Why finance your car repairs? Car problems are an unfortunate by-product of owning a vehicle, and they usually happen out of the blue at the most inconvenient time possible. And given all the other financial responsibilities one has in this day and age, it's not always the easiest to pull together the funds needed to get your car back on the road. As car owners ourselves, we know how comf ... read more

Your brakes need a yearly checkup just as you would go to your doctor for a physical. Neglecting your brakes can be costly and detrimental to the overall health of your vehicle. Brake systems over the years haven't changed a great deal, but technology in most vehicles still has the hydraulic brake system, with anti-lock brake and ABS. And to keep the brakes lasting longer, they need periodic maintenance - and will ultimately save you money. Here's how your brakes work It might seem like a mystery when you press down on the brake pedal to stop this 3,000-pound missile on a dime - but the mechanics of it are rather simple. Your brake pedal activates the cylinder that applies brake fluid to the calipers that then engage your brake pads. This chain-like reaction will then apply force to the rotors, which create the friction needed to stop the en ... read more

There are a few things in summer that are an absolute must: road trips, beach days - and air conditioning! Keeping your window down the entire road trip won't bode well for your guests - or the free flow of conversation to talk over all that wind. Air conditioning helps make the summer heat bearable. Given this heat wave that descended upon Southern Ontario this summer, we've been fielding a lot of questions lately about Air Conditioning and the importance of maintenance. Understanding the anatomy of your A/C Not many people know, but maintaining your air conditioning is just as important as getting an oil change. Your air conditioning compressor has oil in it, and has to be changed out on a regular basis to keep the A/C system running at maximum capacity and longevity. Your car's air conditioning system works just like a refrigerator or your home air conditioning, with the primary pu ... read more

Vehicles are one the biggest investments you can make in your life. When you take pride in taking care of your car - your car will take care of you. Your car is a part of the family and when you think about it, it can be a significant part of your life in terms of how often you rely on it to power your days. Just as you would take care of your body, showing obvious signs of neglect or abuse can greatly reduce the overall health of your car. According to Consumer Report, the average age of all cars on the road is more than 11 years, up from about 8 years in 1995. If properly maintained, vehicles can go over 15 years and past 300,000kms. With that in mind, here are five key areas to be mindful of in order to beat the test of time. 1. Rely on the experts Remaining diligent with your oil changes and regular lubricant changes will prevent friction fr ... read more

Picture this - you're taking off for the family vacation, disconnecting from the real world for awhile as you set out on the open road - and then all of a sudden your dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree putting a pause on your getaway! As car owners ourselves, we know that is one of the worst feelings ever, putting quite the damper on your family vacation. That's why we're here to put your mind and wallet at ease as we gear up for the summer months. Our proactive approach will maintain your car before anything like this happens. This incredible offer includes: Oil, Lube and Filter change, Tire Rotation, Plus our exclusive comprehensive multi-point visual inspection digital report card! ​ This report card comes complete with detail photos of your vehicle and an explanation of the service we recommend. We'll also follow up with you ... read more

Winter can be rather unforgiving to cars in Southern Ontario. And with an extremely unpredictable season coming and going, problems can arise within our cars unexpectedly and build up over time. With winter (hopefully) in the rear-view mirror and summer road trips taking shape in front of us, it's wise to take preventative measures and have repairs done to your car to avoid any inconvenience and stress when you hit the open road for a vacation this summer. With countless decades of experience servicing cars, there are a few crucial areas of concern that stand out every spring. Here are our top 8 areas of focus. Steering, Suspension and Alignment Winter can be especially savage against your wheel alignment. Especially with all the potholes existing on our roads these days. Salt damage is also prevalent in the spring due to the salt put down on icy roads to help with winter driving conditions. It can make st ... read more

Wow the roads are quite a mess right now! I can't remember the last time there were so many potholes on our roads and highways. The other day I was traveling along the 401 towards Scarborough to take my son to a swim meet at the Pan Am Centre, and hit a pothole that had to be at least two feet square. The uneasy feeling of the vehicle as it walloped into the pothole sent chills down my spine as I imagined the punishment it had taken on my vehicle. Luckily my vehicle did not suffer any ill effects, but here are some symptoms to be aware of if you hit a pothole: A shaking feeling in your steering wheel Your vehicle pulling to one side whereby you constantly have to keep correcting the vehicle to keep going straight down the rod Your steering wheel being off centre Or worse case scenario - a catastrophic immediate failure of a suspension or steering component rendering the vehicle immobile ​ Potholes are formed ... read more

Click here to read Christian Skovbjerg's full letter to the entire Aktive Motors community Aktive Motors is a full service SAAB & European Car specialty shop located in Oakville. Christian Skovbjerg is the owner and founder of Aktive Motors and an expert in automotive engineering. His passion for the SAAB brand has seen him working with several SAAB dealers across the GTA and eventually back to his native Sweden in 1994 as a Service Educator for SAAB at their head office. After many years dedicated to his craft and growing his business, Christian made the tough decision to move towards a new career change. Like any good business owner that cares for his customers, he wanted to make sure that they were in good hands during this transition period and to find a mechanic that falls in line with his ideals and culture - and more importantly, one that will look after his community. Christian and I met several times over the course of a ... read more