How To: Changing Your Wiper Blades

There is nothing worse than getting to your car in the morning when you are late for work, only to find your windshield frozen over.  Often times, people will run their blades over the frozen windshield in order to clear it. This severely reduces the life span of your wiper blades. Wiper blades frequently get neglected on most cars and yet, they are constantly used and exposed to harsh conditions.  We recommend that you change your blades at least once a year, preferably every 6 months.

If your wipers are rattling, streaking or simply not cleaning your window, it is time to replace them.  This also goes for wipers that are cracked, torn, nicked or damaged.  Winter especially can have an effect on your blades with cold/freezing temperatures, causing them to crack and split.  If you are unsure whether or not it is time for a change, perform a simple check with your washer fluid.

Changing your wiper blade yourself, believe it or not, is one of the easiest maintenance jobs that can be performed on your vehicle.  I discovered this myself last week when I realized it was time for new blades, and had our friendly service advisors show me how.

Please watch our quick “How To” video on changing your wiper blades – you’ll be happy you did!

If you are in need of new wiper blades, please call our service centres and we will be happy to assist you! www.queenstonchev.com

OnStar Family Link Service

Have you every worried about a loved one who is making a long trip or driving in poor weather conditions? Maybe you have a new driver in the family and want to ensure their safety.  Now you can have peace of mind with OnStar Family Link.  This service is an opt-in extension to your monthly OnStar subscription and is made available to you for a nominal fee.  With no limit to the number of vehicles you can add, you will always be able to track your vehicle on the road without bothering the driver.

Upon sign up, you will be given direct access to the location of your vehicle by viewing a map, as well as the ability to schedule email or text message notifications with Family Link’s unique “Vehicle Location Alert”.  You can even personalize the system by setting the day, time and frequency of your alerts.

This year in the United States, OnStar was awarded a 2013 Silver Edison Award for the Family Link service.  Jon Lauckner, GM’s chief technology officer and vice-president of Global Research & Development was quoted as saying “These awards reaffirm our ability to lead in the transformation of the automotive industry with a commitment to innovation that benefits our customers around the globe”.

If you are interested in subscribing to this feature, please sign up at www.onstar.com/familylink and make sure to visit our award winning vehicles equipped with OnStar at www.queenstonchev.com

By: Amy Cochren

GM Canada

Canadianautodealer.ca

GM DEXOS OIL

The quality of oil is extremely important when it comes to your vehicle and can have a positive effect on your engine’s capabilities.  That’s why General Motors has developed DEXOS, a synthetic blend oil.  Dexos not only increases your fuel efficiency, but extends the life of your emissions system, requires fewer oil changes on your vehicle and has a positive effect on the environment by producing fewer emissions.  This high quality oil has been formatted to demanding specifications in the industry. Its requirements have been made up from a combination of some of the most rigorous tests in the industry, such as those from the American Petroleum Institute and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.  A higher viscosity oil, Dexos is half the price of synthetic oil, yet it has the same qualities and advantages as synthetic.   

All General Motors 2011 and later models are required to operate on Dexos oil.  Only oils displaying green or blue Dexos ™ trademark icon on the front label, have been certified and licensed by General Motors as meeting the tough performance requirements.  If the oil you are considering does not have this symbol, be assured it has not gone through GM’s rigorous testing.

The key features to take away are:

GM Dexos1 ™

  • Exhibits improved oxidization and water performance which provides improved fuel economy.
  • Increased piston cleanliness delivers maximum engine performances.
  • Lower volatility delivers reduced oil consumption.
  • Greater viscosity control helps deliver improved fuel economy.

If you have any questions about DEXOS Oil or would like to schedule an oil change, please feel free to contact us at one of our two locations – Queenston on Centennial or Queenston on the Mountain.

By: Amy Cochren

Credit: General Motors Canada