Sample output · default answers
Car Maintenance Checklist — full sample
This is the actual structure our generator produces from the default answers. When you buy, you fill in the form and your version reflects your household — rooms, timeline, province, and everything else.
Vehicle profile
- Vehicles in household: 1
- Primary vehicle fuel type: Gas
- Primary vehicle age: 4–8 years
- Province: ON
- Typical annual mileage: Average — 10,000–20,000 km/year
- Winter tires: Yes
- Oil type: Full synthetic
Monthly quick checks (10 minutes)
- Tire pressure, including the spare — check when tires are cold
- Tire tread depth — legal minimum across Canada is 1.6 mm; replace well before you hit it
- All exterior lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, reverse lights
- Windshield washer fluid — top up with a winter-rated fluid once temperatures drop below freezing
- Wiper blades — replace at the first sign of streaking or skipping
- Dashboard warning lights — note anything new, even if it clears on its own
- Visible fluid leaks under the vehicle after it's been parked overnight
Mileage-based service
- Oil and filter change — follow your owner's manual or oil-life monitor; full synthetic commonly stretches to 10,000–16,000 km
- Tire rotation — typically every 8,000–12,000 km, or every second oil change
- Cabin air filter — typically every 20,000–25,000 km
- Engine air filter — typically every 30,000–50,000 km, sooner in dusty or gravel-road conditions
- Brake pad inspection — have thickness checked at every tire rotation
- Coolant/antifreeze — follow the manufacturer's interval, commonly every 5 years or 100,000–150,000 km for long-life coolant
- Transmission fluid — interval varies widely by vehicle; confirm in the owner's manual rather than assuming it's "lifetime"
Before winter
- Install winter tires once daily highs sit consistently under 7°C — typically late October to mid-November
- Have the 12V/starter battery load-tested — cold weather is when a marginal battery finally fails
- Switch to winter-rated windshield washer fluid, rated well below your coldest expected temperature
- Check coolant concentration — it needs to be a genuine antifreeze mix, not mostly water
- Pack a winter emergency kit: blanket, shovel, sand or kitty litter for traction, warning triangle, flashlight, first aid kit
- Check the block heater cord and outlet if your vehicle has one — a dead cord is a common no-start cause in extreme cold, not the engine itself
Before summer / road trip season
- Have the AC system checked if airflow feels weak — refrigerant loss is gradual and easy to miss until it's hot out
- Check tire pressure again — pressure shifts with the seasonal temperature swing
- Inspect wiper blades and washer fluid after a winter of salt and grit
- Check battery terminals for corrosion buildup from winter road salt
- Reverse winter tires once nightly lows are consistently above freezing
- Top up or replace old windshield washer fluid with a summer bug-and-tar formula
Warning signs — see a mechanic now
- Squealing or grinding when braking
- A new dashboard warning light that doesn't clear after a drive cycle
- Pulling to one side under braking or while driving straight
- A burning smell, especially after highway driving
- Any fluid leak that's new, growing, or a colour other than clear
- A check engine light that's flashing rather than steady — that's an active-damage warning, not a "get to it eventually" one
Registration & insurance
- Confirm your registration renewal date and method — set provincially, so the process varies by where you live
- Renew insurance before the expiry date, and re-shop for a quote rather than auto-renewing every year
- Check whether your province requires an inspection for your specific situation — most of Canada doesn't require a routine annual inspection, but many require one when a used vehicle changes ownership or after a collision
- Update your insurer if annual mileage, commute, or primary driver changes