As a Chevrolet owner, it's essential to maintain your vehicle's quality and performance by using genuine Chevrolet parts and service. While some car owners may consider cheaper alternatives or independent mechanics, there are numerous benefits to buying from a certified Chevrolet dealer like Jim Tubman Chevrolet in Ottawa.

Here are some of the key benefits of genuine Chevrolet parts and service:

1. Quality Assurance

When you purchase Chevrolet parts from a certified dealer like Jim Tubman Chevrolet, you can be sure that you're getting high-quality parts that are specifically designed for your vehicle. These parts are manufactured to meet Chevrolet's rigorous standards, ensuring that they are reliable and long-lasting.

2. Warranty Coverage

One of the most significant advantages of using genuine Chevrolet parts is that they come with warranty coverage. This means that if there are any defects or issues with the parts, you can get them replaced or repaired under the terms of the warranty. You won't have to worry about any out-of-pocket expenses if something goes wrong with your vehicle.

3. Expertise and Knowledge

Chevrolet dealerships like Jim Tubman Chevrolet have a team of experienced technicians who are trained to work on Chevrolet vehicles. They have the expertise and knowledge to diagnose and fix any issues with your car, ensuring that it runs smoothly and efficiently.

4. Access to the Latest Technology and Tools

Chevrolet dealerships have access to the latest technology and tools to diagnose and repair any problems with your vehicle. They use state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that your car is running at its best.

5. Genuine OEM Parts

Using genuine OEM parts means that you're getting parts that are specifically designed for your Chevrolet vehicle. These parts are made to fit and function perfectly with your car, providing optimal performance and longevity.

6. Cost-Effective

While some car owners may be tempted to save money by purchasing cheaper aftermarket parts, these parts may not last as long or perform as well as genuine Chevrolet parts. In the long run, using genuine Chevrolet parts can save you money by reducing the need for repairs and replacements.

In conclusion, buying genuine Chevrolet parts and service from a certified dealer like Jim Tubman Chevrolet in Ottawa is essential to maintaining the quality and performance of your vehicle. With quality assurance, warranty coverage, expertise, access to the latest technology and tools, genuine OEM parts, and cost-effectiveness, there's no reason not to choose a certified Chevrolet dealer for your car's maintenance and repair needs.

As a vehicle owner, it's important to keep up with regular maintenance to ensure that your car runs smoothly and lasts for years to come. Regular maintenance not only helps prevent breakdowns and expensive repairs, but it also keeps your car safe and efficient on the road. At Jim Tubman Chevrolet in Ottawa, Ontario, we believe that regular vehicle maintenance is essential for your car's performance and longevity. Here's why.

Preventative Maintenance

Regular maintenance is preventative, meaning that it helps prevent issues from occurring in the first place. By performing regular maintenance, our certified technicians can catch potential problems early on and make necessary repairs before they turn into major issues. This not only saves you money in the long run, but it also keeps you safe on the road and ensures that your car is running at its best.

Optimal Performance

Regular maintenance also helps ensure that your car is performing at its optimal level. For example, changing your oil and oil filter regularly helps keep your engine clean and lubricated, while rotating your tires helps ensure even wear and better handling. By following your vehicle's recommended maintenance schedule, you can help ensure that your car is running smoothly and efficiently.

Longevity

Regular maintenance also helps extend the life of your vehicle. By taking care of your car and staying up to date on recommended maintenance, you can help prevent premature wear and tear on your car's components and ensure that your car lasts for many years to come. In fact, regular maintenance can add thousands of miles to the life of your vehicle.

Safety

Finally, regular maintenance is important for your safety and the safety of others on the road. By performing regular maintenance, our certified technicians can catch potential safety issues early on and make necessary repairs to keep you safe on the road. For example, regular brake inspections can help prevent brake failure and ensure that your car can stop quickly in emergency situations.

In conclusion, regular vehicle maintenance is essential for your car's performance, longevity, and safety. At Jim Tubman Chevrolet in Ottawa, Ontario, our certified technicians are dedicated to providing top-quality maintenance services to keep your car running at its best. Whether you need an oil change, tire rotation, or brake inspection, we have the expertise and equipment to get the job done right. Schedule your maintenance appointment today and let us help you keep your car in top condition!

Properly maintaining your car will not only assure its safety and dependability but may also boost its fuel efficiency and performance. Many automobile problems can be avoided simply by adhering to your vehicle's regular maintenance routine. For many drivers around Ottawa, avoiding costly mechanical repairs down the road is very important.

Vehicle maintenance requires a little time and money, whether for trucks like the Silverado or any other type of vehicle. However, taking care of your vehicle pays off in many ways. If you'd like to get the most out of your truck, learn more about following a Chevrolet Silverado maintenance schedule.

Why Is Routine Chevy Maintenance Important?

Routine maintenance activities, such as brake servicing, battery testing, oil changes, and tire rotations, are all vital to the mechanical health of your Silverado. This is true regardless of whether you drive a 1500, 2500, or 3500 model. Like the occasional checkup appointment for your own health, taking care of these details will pay off in the future, and not just by avoiding future repair expenditures.

Like all vehicle manufacturers, Chevy provides scheduled maintenance suggestions, with recommendations on when to do brake checkups, timing belt repairs, and oil changes. The instructions usually have windows to get certain things done based on your vehicle’s mileage or how many months have passed. There are numerous advantages to having your car serviced according to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule, so let's explain them in detail.

Save Money on Your Truck

Regularly servicing your car saves you money in the long run. For example, your vehicle may experience a transmission fluid leak. If the fault is not identified quickly, the transmission components will begin to slip, causing long-term damage. Instead of just repairing the leak, you may have to pay for a transmission repair or replacement, which is significantly more expensive than regularly scheduled Silverado maintenance.

Stay Safe and Avoid Accidents

Failure to have your vehicle serviced regularly increases the likelihood of a breakdown. Even a breakdown with no crash could be dangerous, for example, if you're stuck outdoors in bad weather. If your insurance company doesn't cover towing, you may have to hire a towing agency to get your vehicle to a service center. These and other details aren't a concern if you never experience a breakdown or accident.

Improved Silverado Performance

The Chevy Silverado is one of the most powerful and efficient trucks of its class. However, properly servicing your vehicle's oil and other fluids, as well as adjusting and replacing internal mechanical parts when necessary, will keep everything running optimally. This reduces internal wear and leads to a smoother-operating, better-riding vehicle in just about every way. It can also boost engine and drivetrain part durability because everything works in harmony.

When something in your vehicle needs a tuneup or replacement, or if it's time to install an accessory or two, be sure to check for any currently available service specials. Jim Tubman Chevrolet is the best place in Ottawa to save money on maintaining and enhancing a Silverado.

Chevrolet Silverado Maintenance Schedule

Whether you have a light-duty Silverado 1500 or a muscular Silverado 2500HD, you likely rely on it to work as hard as you do, perhaps even towing or carrying goods every day. Maintaining the grit and power of your Silverado requires the occasional Chevy service appointment, and Jim Tubman Chevrolet makes it simple.

Following a maintenance plan at a top-rated Chevy dealership ensures that your Silverado is running smoothly and efficiently while also detecting any irregularities early. Take a look at the detailed Chevy Silverado maintenance schedule below.

After 7,500 Miles

A routine oil change is one of the most important Silverado maintenance tasks. Roughly every 7,500 miles, you should completely drain and refill the pan with fresh oil and replace the oil filter. It’s not advisable to skip this service since filthy oil or a blocked filter might cause serious harm to the engine. You may also perform wheel balancing and alignment at the 7,500-mile checkup if your technician finds it necessary.

After 22,500 Miles

It's time to bring your truck in for a few other filter changes after 22,500 miles on Ottawa's roads and highways. You must replace the passenger compartment air filter, which removes pollen and dust from the air in your vehicle. Second, you should change the gasoline filter, as it’s probably clogged enough to reduce engine performance and accelerate wear.

After 45,000 Miles

You should change the engine air filter at least every 45,000 miles. If you experience sluggish acceleration or the need to refill more frequently, it's time to replace this long-lasting but critical component. For a Silverado with an automatic transmission, you must also replace the transmission fluid at this time.

After 97,500 Miles

By this point, you should have replaced your spark plugs. You may experience harsh idling, difficult start-ups, and poor fuel economy if you leave the old spark plugs in for an extended period.

After 150,000 Miles

After 150,000 miles, you will most likely need to flush out and replace your coolant if you didn’t do this at some point earlier. Coolant is partly used to protect engine components from oxidation, but the rust-prevention capability will deteriorate over time. You should also examine the engine accessory belts at this point. If you ignore a weakened belt, it'll eventually snap, likely resulting in a breakdown by the side of the road.

Silverado Maintenance Schedule Tips

These intervals are a solid guideline to follow when looking after your Silverado. Some circumstances, however, may influence how quickly you have to perform particular services, such as frequent driving in heavy traffic, driving in hot weather, driving on steep paths, or towing heavy weights. Try to keep these things in moderation, and you should get each of the services above at the times described.

Service Your Chevy Silverado at Jim Tubman Chevrolet

Jim Tubman Chevrolet provides Chevrolet automotive repair and maintenance services for folks all over Ottawa. Our Chevrolet service center has cutting-edge tools and the skills to satisfy your needs, from oil changes to tire alignment and suspension repair. Call our dealership or use our form to schedule Chevy service online.

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Checking the amount of air pollutants your vehicle emits is part of a driver's responsibility in Ontario. Maintaining your vehicle with regular inspections and small repairs helps keep your automobile running smoothly and efficiently with fewer greenhouse emissions. Matching Ontario's commitment to reducing air pollutants, emissions testing through the DriveON program ensures any vehicles on the road meet rigorous standards to protect the environment and the atmosphere.

Read on to learn more about the emissions testing process for certain vehicles.

Do Passenger Vehicles Need an Emissions Test?

Light-duty or passenger vehicles aren't currently required to complete emissions testing. The Canadian government enforces standards for new vehicle manufacturing, and current regulations require all new light-duty vehicles to operate emissions-free by 2035. Under the DriveOn program, passenger vehicles don't need to complete official tests; however, in the future, this may change as the DriveOn platform creates a national system for testing and storing emissions data on drivers and vehicles.

What Is an Emissions Test?

An emissions test is a vehicle assessment used to determine the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted by a vehicle while in operation. The purpose of the test is to limit the release of designated pollutants into the atmosphere by enforcing standards required to drive a vehicle throughout Ontario. If a vehicle fails to meet the requirements determined by the Emissions Performance Standards program, drivers are subject to fines or mandatory repairs. Emissions tests involve three parts: the pre-test inspection, the opacity test and an onboard diagnostic systems check.

Pre-test

Before completing a check of the vehicle's emissions, technicians look for possible malfunctions or obvious problems with the vehicle. The pre-test section involves several visual and verification checks including:

• Monitoring the fuel system for any leaks or problems.
• Securing gas caps by identifying any missing or broken parts.
• Checking the vehicle's catalytic converter.
• Confirming legal and updated vehicle records and permits.
• Ensuring the motor governor works properly.
• Watching for excessive smoke or other heavy emissions lasting longer than five seconds.

Opacity Test

If your vehicle passes the pre-test, technicians continue with the opacity test. This part of the assessment involves a more specific examination of the vehicle's exhaust emissions. Opacity checks ensure a vehicle doesn't exceed the acceptable emission percentage. Regulations allow for up to 40% opacity percentage in vehicles produced during or before the year 1990. Automobiles manufactured from 1991 to 2007 are allowed a 30% opacity percentage while the newest vehicles manufactured from 2008 to the present pass with a 20% opacity percentage.

Computer Diagnostic Check

Finally, the last step in an emission test involves scrutinizing the correct operation of onboard computers. During this final phase, technicians check to see if the emission control systems of the vehicle operate correctly. This check only applies to vehicles weighing between 4,500 and 6,350 kilograms. However, some heavy diesel vehicles may be exempt from testing. Check with the DriveON program to find up-to-date information on exempt vehicles.

When Is an Emissions Test Required in Canada?

According to the DriveOn: Emissions and Safety Inspection Program, emissions tests are required for all heavy diesel commercial motor vehicles with a registered gross weight of over 4,500 kgs. You're also required to complete the test for heavy commercial vehicles when you register a vehicle as a new owner (unless the vehicle is the current model year) or you're renewing a license plate sticker for an automobile over seven model years old. Ontario requires you to test heavy diesel commercial motor vehicles annually.

Drivers whose vehicles require emissions tests receive a renewal notice through the mail with more specific details about the timeline for completing the assessment. You must complete the emissions testing on time to renew your vehicle registration in Ontario.

Where Do You Go to Get an Emissions Test?

As of February 2023, you can only complete an emissions test from a certified DriveON center. While in the past, most repair shops could perform an emissions test before or after maintenance, the new program requires technicians to get certified by the Emissions and Safety Program. DriveON offers a searchable database to help you find a government-approved vehicle inspection center nearby. If you're used to visiting a specific place, check with your local repair shops, dealerships, and oil change services to find DriveOn-certified technicians to perform your emissions tests.

Technicians who want to become official emissions testers must register with the DriveON program and undergo training. They are also required to purchase a tablet computer to process the digital files used to document and certify the test. Facilities currently offering emissions testing must also register to transition to the DriveON program. If you've completed a test from a technician in the past, they may still operate the test under the new requirements.

What Happens After an Emissions Test?

Following a successful emissions test, you'll get a digital PDF file of your results which lasts for 12 months. If you fail the test, you'll receive a report detailing emission problems and instructions about repairing your vehicle before retaking the test. Once you complete repairs, you can retest to qualify for registration renewal.

After the vehicle undergoes an emissions test, you can search its history by looking up an emissions inspection report. Just locate the vehicle identification number (VIN) and enter it into the database to view the report. You can find a VIN number in any of the following places:

• On the dashboard of the vehicle.
• On the green ownership certificate from the Ministry of Transportation.
• On your vehicle insurance form.
• On the Statement of Compliance label, found on the driver's side door opening.

What Is the Purpose of the DriveON Program?

Ontario's new DriveON program is an initiative combining safety inspections and emissions tests for heavy diesel commercial motor vehicles into one digital platform. The program aims to eliminate or lessen harmful emissions but also protect consumers. The DriveON program is designed to reduce fraud and save money and time for commercial vehicle owners. DriveON also ensures that only safe vehicles travel Ontario's roadways. By conducting tests through approved vehicle inspection centers, drivers can confidently renew their registrations through an efficient assessment process.

Check with our service department to learn more about the emissions testing process and requirements or to schedule maintenance. When you're ready to find your next car or truck, stop by and check out our inventory of brand-new and pre-owned vehicles including all-electric models and certified pre-owned automobiles.

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If you're looking for a way to spruce up your vehicle for the new year, a few smart upgrades may be in order. You don't always need to purchase a new car to get a like-new driving experience. Consider these upgrades to help your Chevy ring in the new year with a fresh style:

Chevy Performance Chip

A Chevy performance chip is one of the best upgrades you can invest in because it essentially translates into a slew of upgraded features for your vehicle. Today’s vehicles are increasingly becoming controlled by computers. From the air-fuel ratio to the ignition, nearly everything that your vehicle does comes back to that chip delivering essential instructions for its performance on the road.

An upgraded Chevy performance chip recalibrates your vehicle's operating parameters. You can find many different types of performance chips, each tailored to address a different aspect of your vehicle’s performance, such as horsepower, torque, fuel economy, and throttle response. The performance chip communicates with your vehicle's electronic devices and gives it different directions than what the manufacturer originally set.

The performance chip slips in between the engine and computer. It's easy to install and equally simple to remove. Unlike other upgrades for your Chevy, this one won't leave a noticeable footprint, so you can easily get rid of it if you decide to sell your vehicle and upgrade to a new model entirely.

Upgraded Exhaust System

Chevrolet offers a wide selection of upgraded exhaust systems that you can purchase right from the manufacturer. These original equipment manufacturer systems perfectly fit your vehicle, giving you enhanced performance backed by the renowned quality and reliability that you've come to expect from Chevrolet products. Upgrades like this can keep your New Vehicle Limited Warranty intact while boosting your vehicle's capabilities. Some of the options that you can purchase include the following:

• Chevy Colorado 2.8L Diesel Exhaust Tip Relocation Kit: Improve your exhaust tip clearance with this kit that lifts the exhaust pipe, so you can better tackle rock crawling and other off-road adventures. This kit can give you up to two inches of additional clearance, as well as an enhanced exhaust tip angle that's adjusted up to 9 degrees.
• Chevy Colorado 3.6L Single-Exhaust Upgrade System: Designed to enhance the sound and appearance of your truck, this exhaust system kit features 3" diameter piping and a high-polish stainless steel tip.
• Chevy Silverado 5.3L Single-Exit Exhaust Upgrade System: This kit will help reduce back pressure up to 35% to increase performance. It can add up to 7 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and provide as much as four more lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm.
• Chevy Silverado 5.3L Dual-Exit Exhaust Upgrade System: This exhaust upgrade kit adds as much as 10 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and six more lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm by reducing back pressure up to 41%.
• Chevy Silverado 6.2L Dual-Exit Exhaust Upgrade System: By reducing back pressure by as much as 40%, this upgrade can give you a boost of up to 12 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and eight additional lb-ft of torque.

Air Intake System

Upgrading your vehicle's air intake system essentially helps it breathe better. Delivering cleaner air throughout the system can improve horsepower, torque, and gas mileage. Chevy offers factory-engineered intake upgrades, such as the 3.6L cold air intake system. This installation will reduce your air intake restriction by as much as 20% at peak airflow. The 5.3L cold intake system is another manufacturer part that will improve air flow by as much as 15%. These upgrades are 50-state emissions compliant, and neither will void your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Enhanced Suspension

Installing an enhanced suspension on your Chevy will give you a smoother ride that can make even an older vehicle feel like new. Some options that you might want to consider include the following:

• Leaf Spring Upgrade: Leaf springs eliminate the need for separate links, providing a lighter, simpler system with improved handling. They also control axle damping and chassis roll effectively. Rear leaf springs serve as an outstanding towing upgrade on select Silverado models.
• Heavy-duty coil springs: Equipped with shock absorbers right inside the spring unit, this type of upgraded suspension will increase your hauling capacity while providing a smoother ride.
• SuperSprings: SuperSprings engage when your factory leaf springs have hit their maximum load capacity. These springs simply bolt onto the existing leaf springs to instantly improve your towing and handling with heavy loads.

Rear Wheel Well Guards

Rear wheel well guards are an outstanding upgrade for any Chevy truck trim that encounters challenging roads. These guards protect the wheel wells from sprays of dirt, gravel, rocks, and salt. They can keep your suspension, fifth wheel components, and air bag safe in rugged conditions. The rear wheel well guards add aesthetic appeal to your vehicle, giving it a cleaner look all while making it easier to keep clean.

Tire Upgrades

Upgrading the tires is one of the easiest ways for you to give your Chevy a new look and greater driving capabilities. If you've made other upgrades to your vehicle to increase its power and performance, you may find it necessary to also upgrade your tires to really get the most out of your new features. You can often improve your handling with a wider tire that has a greater diameter. This gives you extra contact with the ground and the capacity for a wider tread with more grip.

When you're upgrading tires, always make sure that they're designed for the specific make and model of your vehicle. This will give you the proper fit and ensure that your enhanced tires don't cause any problems or touch parts of the vehicle that they shouldn't.

If you need assistance upgrading your Chevy vehicle, contact our service center at Jim Tubman Chevrolet in Ottawa, Ontario. We can assist with repairs, maintenance, and more. Contact our professionals to learn more about the best upgrades for your Chevy and how you can enhance your vehicle while protecting your warranty. We're on hand to help.

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By Brian Turner, Your Corner Wrench, PostMedia - We've all seen more than a few examples of drivers piloting rides that really shouldn't be on the road, or doing something to their chariot that's sure to lead to an unhappy ending, but some of us just need a little knowledge to avoid being one of those.  When you consider the wide range of personality types behind the wheel, there really isn't anything you can accurately name a "no-brainer", since there's almost always someone who didn't realize something was unsafe.

Temporary spares really are just temporary:  this has to be one of the most committed sins in the driving handbook.  We've all seen vehicles sharing the roads with us, driving on small temporary spares, but it would surprise you to know how many of those have been tooling around for weeks on that little donut.

Their size and limited tread contact with the road makes them very risky.  In the event of any type of panic maneuver, such as hard braking or steering, they're very likely to cause a loss of control.  As well, their much small circumference (as compared to the full-sized tires on the vehicle) can cause expensive damage to drive-lines if they're left on too long.  How long is too long?  Anything more than the time and distance it takes to get from where the tire went flat to the nearest tire store.

And don't be smug just because your vehicle has a 12-volt compressor and tire sealant can in place of a spare.  If you add any type of tire sealant liquid to your flat tire, it will need to be removed as soon as possible.  At any speed the liquid inside the tire will throw it wildly out of balance and if you let that wheel shake long enough it can stress and damage things like wheel hub bearings or steering linkages.

Missing lug nuts?  This scenario is really common during seasonal tire change times.  Usually someone has lost a nut either because they didn't keep track of them during a DIY change-over or one fell off because it wasn't properly tightened.  With many small cars using only four lug nuts per wheel, having one missing means reducing your safety by 25 percent.  This one makes less sense than most when you consider you can get replacement lug nuts at almost any auto parts store for just a few dollars.

Is your door ajar?  I guess if you've got the heavy-metal turned up loud enough to drown out the wind noise and door warning chimes, you might be excused for this.  But in a collision, any door only fastened by its secondary catch is bound to fly open leaving passengers exposed to a world of nasty.  If your door refuses to latch and simply rebounds open when you slam it, check to see if the latch on the door is already in the closed position.  On most vehicles it will show as a small metal loop blocking off the area where the door striker pin (on the body's opening-frame) has to locate itself when the door is closed.  If this is the case, take a pen to the exposed latch on the door's edge and with the door handle held in the release position, flip the latch bar to the open position and try re-latching it.

What's that gassy smell?  With most vehicles now having tethers to keep you from forgetting the gas cap on the station pump, this one's not as common as it used to be, but it still happens.  Those tethers are usually made of plastic and can wear out.  Of course the first reminder you'll get when you forget a gas cap is a check engine light on your dash, but that usually won't come on until the next day.  The biggest risk you run is having a fire, especially if you've just tanked up the vehicle on a hot day with little wind.  The fuel coming out of a gas station's underground tanks is usually much cooler than the ambient temps on a hot day.  This means the fumes can vent out of the filler neck and if there's a smoker around, boom!  Note:  replacement fuel caps aren't expensive (less than $30) and most new ones come with a new tether.