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In most areas of Canada, the winter season can significantly affect driving conditions, leaving you more prone to accidents. During the winter, even more so than other times of the year, it’s important to focus on defensive driving to protect yourself and keep your family safe and sound. Driving safely also helps keep your insurance rates down, while minimizing wear and tear on your vehicle. A big part of staying safe in the winter is making sure that your car is adequately prepared to handle whatever driving conditions you may face. Here are some steps you can take to prepare your vehicle and give yourself the best chance of staying safe over the winter months.  1. Make sure you have the right oil for your car.Check your owner’s manual for the right oil for your specific vehicle, but in general oil like 5W30 works better in cold weather conditions than thicker 10W30 or 10W40. The thinner the oil, the more easily it circulates to lubricate your engine in colder temperatures.  2. Make sure your battery is in good condition.
3. Check your tire pressure. Due to the colder air, your tire pressure tends to drop a little bit in the winter. Keeping your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure makes your car easier to handle, making you safer on the roads and will even save you money by improving fuel economy! Most tires lose one pound per square inch for every 5 C drop in temperature, making it critical to regularly check pressure in winter. An improperly inflated tire can cause excessive wear on your tire’s tread, reduces traction for your car, and uses more gas. You can find the right tire pressure (psi) for your car in the driver-side door jamb, on a sticker in your glove compartment, or in the owner’s manual. 4. Make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition. Faulty windshield wipers can significantly impair your ability to see in wet weather conditions. If your wipers are bent, twisted or simply don’t clear your windshield adequately, then replace them. The rubber on winter blades is designed for extreme weather conditions and will help protect your windshield against ice, sleet, and snow so you can see the road clearly. Installing wiper blades is a snap to do, too. 5. Consider snow tires.If your area usually gets a significant amount of snow, it may be worth getting snow tires for your car during the winter months. Snow tires have deeper grooves that provide significantly more traction than all season tires, making them capable of stopping your car as much as 40% faster than all season tires. In addition, snow tires are made of a different type of rubber which allows them to maintain their flexibility even in very cold conditions. You’ll feel safer and more confident in your ability to adequately control your car, no matter what happens on the roads! Winter tires give a better grip and provide up to 50 percent better traction on cold, wet, icy, or frosty roads. Always check your owner’s manual for manufacturer recommendations and make sure you use a set of four identical tires. 6. Make sure your antifreeze mixture is correct.Your coolant should be a 50-50 combination of antifreeze and water. If you’re unsure, you can buy an inexpensive antifreeze tester at most auto part stores. Having less than 50% antifreeze can leave your engine vulnerable to freezing up. 7. Make sure you keep an emergency kit in your car at all times.A well stocked emergency kit can be a lifesaver if you find yourself stranded on a highway in the middle of nowhere. A proper winter emergency kit for your vehicle includes:
8. Keep your gas tank as full as possible.Not only does this prevent you from running out of gas and being stranded, it also lowers the chance that your gas lines will freeze up due to water vapours and condensation in very cold weather. 9. Take your car in for a tune up prior to the first snow fall.Keeping your car well maintained is a good idea at any time, but it’s especially important during the winter when driving conditions are poor and you may be taking lengthy trips for the holidays. Keeping your car in peak condition lowers your chances of getting stranded and gives you the peace of mind to know you’re prepared. 10. Have your brakes checked.
Our service includes but not limited to recommending maintenance and repairs to keep you and your car safe -you decide if you want to go ahead.  At National Tire Wholesale, you're in the driver's seat. Our technicians only recommend maintenance and repairs to keep you and your car safe. 
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Stay a little safer when you hit the road by preparing yourself & your vehicle. Make sure your vehicle is ready for cold weather and winter driving with these easy tips.  1. Get your car winter ready with a maintenance check up.Preventative maintenance is key. Make sure your battery, brakes, lights and fuses, cooling and heating systems, electrical and exhaust systems, and belts and hoses are in tip-top shape. 2. Air Conditioning.While few people think of air conditioning at this time of year in Canada, a properly functioning A/C system is actually a safety feature! When you need to defog your front window, which occurs frequently in our wet climate switching on your A/C will defrost the windshield in a fraction of the time that it takes without the A/C. You’ll also want to make sure your exhaust system is intact to avoid leaking exhaust pipes or mufflers which could cause carbon monoxide poisoning and decrease the efficiency of your vehicle. While you’re at it, make sure that block heater is still working. 3. Brighter Lights.If you find your night vision less than optimal (and it is not your eyes), consider options for brighter headlamps. 4. Fluids, Systems and Hardware.Check, change or top up all fluids. This includes everything from engine coolant and oil to windshield washer fluid and gas. You should always have at least half a tank of gas in the winter because you could be idling longer in traffic jams or in the ditch wanting to warm up with the engine running intermittently. Having a full tank also prevents condensation in your gas tank and lines which can be excessive with winter temperatures. 5. Blades, Battery, Brakes and Belts.Your wiper blades should be changed at least twice a year so they can effectively wipe away blowing snow and rain. Have your battery checked to see if it’s in good enough shape to get your car started and running through the winter. Optimum braking is critical in the winter when your car needs to perform on snow and ice so have them checked along with your engine belts and hoses while you’re at the shop. 6. Tires.Install winter tires. Your winter tires can go on as soon as temperatures hit 7 C. The special rubber compound in your winter tires allows them to stay flexible and grip snow and ice for optimum traction. Check your air pressure in all four tires and your spare tire. Cold air can make the pressure in your tire drop significantly, which can affect your vehicle’s ability to bite ice and snow. It’s a good idea to check the inflation of your spare as well and ensure your tire changing kit is on board and intact. 7. Emergency Supplies.Pack an emergency kit. Your kit should include some supplies for you and your passengers, including a first aid kit, bottled water, health bars, boots, gloves, and an extra winter coat. Remember to dress for winter every day. Even if it looks sunny and mild when you head out, you could be facing a blizzard on the way back. Your kit should also contain emergency supplies for your vehicle, including booster cables, extra oil and windshield washer fluid, lock de-icer, flashlight, flares or safety triangles, an ice scraper, a shovel, a bag of salt or gravel, and possibly even some chains for your tires. Did you know if you only have all-season tires, you are required by law to carry chains on certain highways and mountain passes?. At National Tire Wholesale, you're in the driver's seat. Our technicians only recommend maintenance and repairs to keep you and your car safe.  If you've ever owned a car, chances are you had to change the tires at least once, leaving you with a dilemma as to where to put the used tires?. Photo credits to: Maurício Mascaro Why should I recycle? Not only do scrap tires waste limited landfill space, but they can also contaminate groundwater, and provide breeding grounds for mosquito-borne diseases like the West Nile Virus. Tire Stewarship BC (TSBC) is the not-for-profit society responsible for the collection, processing and environmentally sound management of all scrap tires designated under the B.C. Recycling Regulation.  photo credits to: Magda Ehlers Where can I recycle?
What happens to it?
So the answer is...YES, you should recycle your old tires...And now you know why and how to do it... just do it... so they don't end up in a pile in your near by landfill.  original blog from www2.gov.bc.ca
Originally written by Jason Avant Most non-gearheads’ nonchalant approach to our cars’ tires can be summed up in this lyric from an old Phish song: “The tires are the things on your car that make contact with the road”. (Yes, the Vermont jam band actually wrote a song about tires.) Having the right set of tires on your vehicle saves gas, cuts down on interior noise, makes for a smoother ride, and even decreases the risk of a blowout. Here’s some tips on picking the best tire for your car. Size matters.Pop quiz: do you know how to find out what size your car’s tires are? It’s right on the sidewall, along with a bunch of other numbers:  The tire size in this case is 215 65 R15. (Knowing the rest of that info is helpful as well.) You may want to consider changing the size of your car’s tires. On smaller cars, going a size down can improve your car’s overall ride – increasing the tire’s width and lowering the sidewall makes smaller cars handle better and increases general stability. (The trick is to do so without increasing the overall diameter of the tire; many manufactures make “plus sized” tires which do just that.) For pickup trucks and SUV’s, larger tires may be in order. Increasing tire size on a truck or SUV can improve traction and carrying capacity. Consider your driving conditions.Let’s face it: you’re probably going to use your SUV to haul your kids to their next Little League game, not for an off-road adventure through the Baja desert. So why put those big knobby all-terrain tires on it? Manufacturers are now offering a wide variety of tires for all sorts of driving conditions; for SUV drivers, so-called Sport Truck tires offer a great-looking (and functional) alternative to traditional off-road tires. If you live in parts of the country that get a fair share of rain and snow, and drive a regular car or minivan, consider all-season tires that display the M&S symbol on the sidewall – those tires will perform well during the winter months.  Consider how your car performs.If you own a sports sedan or coupe, you’ll want tires that optimize your car’s abilities. In fact, spending a bit more for high performance tires might be a safer choice. That’s because high performance tires are built to withstand the stress of hard cornering, quick stops, and acceleration – notably, the rubber compound is softer than that of a standard tire, making it “stickier” on the roads. But the truth is that most of us are just fine with all-purpose Touring tires, designed to perform well on highways as well as surface streets. Remember that along with picking the best type of tire for your car, you’ll want to make sure that you know how to maintain those tires, and replace them when it’s time to do so.
A truck lift kit is an after-market modification designed to raise the drive height of a truck or Jeep by raising the body or adding height to the wheel well. In the past, some inventive home mechanics would craft their own suspension lift kits, but the results weren’t always the safest. Thankfully these days leading manufacturers design kits specifically for different types of trucks and some report that a lifted truck handles even better than the standard model. But before you invest in a lift kit it is important to consider the following:
 Image Source: Thundra Headquarters Keep these tips in mind when you’re shopping for your lift kit:
Let our team take the guesswork out of your lift kit. Call us today 604-294-3788 Wheel alignment refers to an adjustment of a vehicle's suspension – the system that connects a vehicle to its wheels. It is not an adjustment of the tires or the wheels themselves. The key to proper alignment is adjusting the angles of the tires which affects how they make contact with the road. Wheel alignment is a big factor in a vehicle's steering response, here are a few reasons why proper wheel alignment is important:  Regularly servicing your car can make the difference between it running smoothly and fuel efficiently, and the risk of it breaking down and incurring an expensive and unexpected repair. Today we're highlighting one of the most important car service, but is often neglected: Brake service. Brake inspections include, but are not limited to:
 Taken from: www.budgetdirect.com.au Being independent, gradual freedom and wanting to get their L or N sign away sooner than later, can be a great push for a new teen driver to pass their Driving test. But the statistics are very sobering: The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16-19-year-olds than among any other age group. In fact, per km driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash. As a parent, you can play and active and crucial role in your teenager’s driving lessons. Here are nine road safety tips to share with your teen to encourage them to be better, safer drivers. 1. Wear your seatbelt
2. Put the Phone AwayLearner and New drivers aren’t allowed to use phones at all while driving. The physical, visual and cognitive distraction leads to unsafe driving and increases the odds of a crash. Before starting the car, have your driver-in-training switch off his phone and put it out of reach. If they need to use the phone, teach them to stop and park where using a mobile phone won’t be a danger to themselves or to other road users. According to researchers, each time a driver writes and sends a text, his or her eyes are off the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, enough time to drive the length of a rugby pitch. Remind your teen that it’s their job to watch the road when driving, and no one else can do it for him.
Unfortunately, the price of gas seems to only go up. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to curb gas consumption and save yourself a little money in the process. Below are 7 tips to help you improve your vehicle’s fuel efficiency so you can buy gas less frequently. 1. Slow downThis is simple and will do wonders for your fuel economy. Many people drive 10 to 20 km/h above the posted speed limit, especially on the highway. While this will get you to your destination a little faster, it can really decrease your gas mileage. Driving the speed limit will help you to conserve fuel.  2. Keep your car maintanedKeep your car maintained and follow your vehicle’s maintenance schedule. According to Natural Resources Canada a poorly maintained vehicle can cost the equivalent of up to 15¢ more per litre on fuel.
4. Less items in the trunkSomething as simple as emptying your trunk can contribute to fuel savings. This might be tough if you’re transporting hiking equipment or other outdoor supplies, but you can start by removing winter gear like salt and tire chains. Objects like bike and luggage racks will also create drag and lower your fuel economy, so store them away after excursions instead of leaving them on your vehicle. 5. Check your air filters
Taken from www.insurancehotline.com/preparing-your-car-for-the-winter-season/ In most areas of Canada, the winter season can significantly affect driving conditions, leaving you more prone to accidents. During the winter, even more so than other times of the year, it’s important to focus on defensive driving to protect yourself and keep your family safe and sound. Driving safely also helps keep your insurance rates down, while minimizing wear and tear on your vehicle. A big part of staying safe in the winter is making sure that your car is adequately prepared to handle whatever driving conditions you may face. Here are some steps you can take to prepare your vehicle and give yourself the best chance of staying safe over the winter months.  1. Make sure you have the right oil for your car.Check your owner’s manual for the right oil for your specific vehicle, but in general oil like 5W30 works better in cold weather conditions than thicker 10W30 or 10W40. The thinner the oil, the more easily it circulates to lubricate your engine in colder temperatures.
3. Check your tire pressure.Due to the colder air, your tire pressure tends to drop a little bit in the winter. Keeping your tires at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure makes your car easier to handle, making you safer on the roads and will even save you money by improving fuel economy!
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