Sinnot Auto Services
114 Sinnott Rd M1L4M9 Toronto, ON, Canada

Hybrid hood up, waiting for air filter to arrive.

Warranty validity. Some dealers will tell you that you have to get the recommended service items done at their shop to keep your warranty in force. They may even tell you that you have to follow their supplemental service list. Not true. You can get service done anywhere; you can even do it yourself. Just keep records and receipts, should any questions arise over a warranty claim. What is true, however, is that doing no maintenance -- oil changes and filters at recommended intervals -- can void a warranty.

Injection deception. Sometimes cleaning fuel injectors means adding a bottle of fluid to the gas tank; other times it's a mechanical procedure involving a sort of pressure cleaning and chemical wash, and it can be pricey. Either way, don't do it unless called for by the manufacturer. Few of them do. Gasoline is required to have a certain detergent component that will keep injectors and combustion chambers clean. If your vehicle is running rough, there are likely other causes and injector cleaning isn't likely to help over the long term.

Hot flushes. It used to be conventional wisdom that you drained your radiator twice a year at spring and fall. But most cars now have closed systems that don't lose coolant over time, and modern coolant fluids -- antifreeze in our parents' jargon -- can last two years and more before losing effectiveness.

Transmission-friction fiction. Flushing the automatic transmission system also is often recommended by service centers as a routine maintenance item. But most manufacturers say it's not needed until at least 60,000 miles -- if then. If your transmission has a filter, check the owner's manual for when it should be replaced.

Filter fantasy. There are a plethora of filters -- oil, air, fuel, transmission -- on modern vehicles, and they all need replacing at some time or another. But not at every oil-change interval. Air filters often can be blown clean with compressed air and then replaced at every other oil change. Check the owner's manual for recommended replacement intervals for all filters.

Find the recommended maintenance schedule for your vehicle. Select your vehicle's year, make and model. Your Maintenance Schedule will show you what your vehicle requires and when it's due for a visit to your mechanic.

Looney tune-ups. Computer-controlled engines have made the standard tune-up a thing of the past. It used to be a tune-up called for new spark plugs and ignition parts such as a distributor cap, points and rotor. Aside from spark plugs, cars don't have points and rotors, and many don't have traditional distributor caps.

Come on by. Say "Hi" to Russ and let him know you've seen his FB Page.

Un-classy chassis. If someone says your chassis needs lubing, check it out before doing anything. Most cars built in the last couple of decades don't require lubrication. And if the mechanic says he can put in a fitting so the chassis can be lubed (pumped full of grease), don't fall for it. Adding grease where none is required could lead to problems.

With coolant systems that are entirely recirculating and with coolant manufacturers making strides in their products' chemical components, the seasonal radiator flush is becoming a thing of the past.

Spark plugs typically don't have to be changed for at least 100,000KM.

Depending on how you drive, manufacturers say it's possible to see 10,000 miles or more between oil changes.

What is the right maintenance schedule for your car?

A word of caution about owner's manuals: Some dealers, in an effort to boost profits, give buyers a "supplemental" owner's manual or service guide that calls for more frequent servicing. Don't be fooled into thinking you have to follow these recommendations -- it's just the dealer's way of competing with the fast-lube places for your money.