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The actual cost of running your BMW, Mercedes or Porsche

The actual cost of running your BMW, Mercedes or Porsche in Europe.

There are some interesting cost to compare between two European countries and  Canada when it comes to your most common automotive consumables like fuel and motor oil.

In the summer I had the pleasure of driving true 3 countries, Austria,Germany and Switzerland and I could not help myself but notice the cost of fuel is nearly double in Germany and Austria and Switzerland.

I made the next picture in Switzerland at  August 21, 2014. The gas station is BP (British Petrol)

diesel price in EuropeGas & Diesel Price in Europe

Every time we filled up our diesel car we have seen 1.45 Euro and up for regular diesel and while I was hanging around the gas station I have noticed the astronomical price of high tech motor oil which was 35 Euro at the Shell station per liter.

receiptGas Receipts from Europa

As you can see on the above receipt, I paid for 20 liter diesel fluid 56 Euro, which is around 80 Canadian dollar.

About the motor oil price, I thought it was a mistake so I have taken multiple pictures at multiple stations just confirm it has not been a pricing error and it wasn’t.

Now I know why the European manufacturers want to keep the oil changes to an extended period.

I’m sure the wages are slightly higher in Europe but not in the relation to the 35 Euro per liter of motor oil, which is at the time of the exchange was more than 50 Canadian dollars.

Shell’s motor oil price from  in Germany.

Shell Motor Oil Shell Motor Oil

I also noticed the number of small cars and medium cars with rather small engines are very common in those countries and to boot the majority is diesel as well.

Please take a look at for the price of Castrol motor oil. I  made the photo in in Switzerland (BP gas station) in August 2014.  What is our price?

CastrolCastrol Motor Oil in Europa

So next time if you think how fortunate we are considering the prices in Europe, perhaps you may enjoy your daily driving more , have a happy and safe motoring  in this part of the world.

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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Winter Tires

The seasonal adjustment to our frequently changing weather and climate changes, in other words, the fast approaching winter in your daily motoring and driving habits, may need to be adjusted soon.

winter tires fromt Techmax.ca

The frequent questions we get; When should I switch to my winter tires  from my summers? There is any date you suggest please?

The magic number and date is depend on the temperature.  When the temperature steadily stays bellow + 7 Celsius, which is regarded by the tire manufacturers as the temperature threshold of your summer or all season tires, that is the point where your ordinary tires no longer pliable and will not adhere to the road which will get even worst by adding moisture to the same surface.

Yokohama winter tires from Techmax.ca Yokohama IceGuard

Winter tires as the name says are purpose built for the worst conditions what nature can throw at them so they are made from a softer, more pliable compound and have deeper grooves with micro sipes to  evacuate water, sleet and snow between your tires and the road.

Just as seasonal clothing and shoes in particular are strikingly different and are built for the weather, winter boots and flip flops do not mix well in vastly different weather.

Being prepared is half of the battle, between just being there, and or getting there with confidence and staying in motion when you want to, and or stopping when you need to.

We provide proven winter tires from economy to the best brands like Yokohama, Continental, Pirelli and more.

We wish you a safe and happy motoring through the winter seasons.

Thank you for reading and participating in keeping our roads safer.

Yokohama winter tireThe new Yokohama iceGUARD iG52c is the latest winter tire from Yokohama.

Yokohama Winter Tires from Techmax.ca

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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Suspension Lowering

Lowering your BMW and or any car, should you or shouldn’t you?

Before you  spend your money lowering your vehicle suspension system, you should make sure, the change is compliant with your, country,  province, or state’s, the Motor Vehicle Act.

You should know that: In Ontario any modification in vehicle height of more than 10 cm (lower or higher)  requires the inspection of the vehicle at an approved designated inspection facility to ensure that the modifications meet safety standards.

Modifying your car to a lower stance, will make your vehicle sit closer to the road. It might improve handling, speed and control, but only when done properly. Some car owner  lowering their car for  cosmetic reason.

What ever your reason is to lowering your car, it is fact a lowered car often create rougher ride. However there are car owners that don’t mind because they value aesthetics over the ride.

There  are a lot of different kind of lowering kit are on the market, however any kind of after market suspension lowering kit, and / or suspension system alteration has its own specific effects on a vehicle.

There are pros and cons to lowered suspension systems.

The Pro’s: Lower center of gravity,  to improve the  cornering ability of the vehicle. With a lowered suspension, less air going underneath the vehicle, and this can create a better outcome for wind drag on a car. It’s done on race cars to improve the  cornering ability, to gain speed or keep high speed during cornering..

Lowered suspension also increases camber which will furthermore increase the angle to fight the tire distortion in extreme cornering. It will ultimately cause excessive and extreme tire wear (sometimes less than five thousand kilometers driving).

When the center of gravity is lower, the rollover risk is lower too. The higher the car sits, easier it rolls over.

Take a look at the next photos and you will see, the tires are fairly new, but they have a lot of damage, wear inside and cracks, do to incorrect suspension geometry, and weight delivery.

The con’s: Stiff uncomfortable ride.  Excessive suspension component wear on joints and shafts and unpredictable handling in rough road conditions including bumps and potholes, could cause body damage to suspension mounting points on the chassis. Contact with the ground can cause seriously damaged. The oil pan and exhaust system are particularly vulnerable.

More con’s; The normal ride height is optimized by the suspension engineers to give you proper comfortable ride,  great cornering and optimal tire wear. Furthermore joints and axles are optimized for the original ride height to provide proper suspension travel and suspension and tire wear for the rest of the life of your vehicle.

Shocks and springs are matched to work together regardless of type of the vehicle and for the best ride quality possible considering weight and type of the vehicle.

Low suspensions can get caught up in anti-lock brake apparatus, sway bars, or even with the sidewalls of the tires. An incorrectly set up suspension can actually chew on tires, causing some serious potential risks.

Please keep in mind there is a reaction to every action and suspension geometry is engineered not guessed by the manufacturers by people whom do this for a living with years of experience and knowledge in the field. So when you modify your car beware of the consequences.

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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BMW specialist Mississauga: How to prepare your BMW automobile for winter, at next>>>

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Oil Change Related Frequently Asked Qestions

1, Why do European cars have such a long oil drain interval?
Because the oil’s quality that we use today. Continue Reading…

2, Why don’t American or Asian manufacturers recommend such long intervals?
North American and Asian Import manufacturers have been quietly increasing their oil change intervals as API standards have improved the quality of the standard oils on the market.  Continue Reading…

3, Why do most quick lubes recommend changing oil every 5,000 kms?
Because the oil quality that they use and because oil is cheaper than a motor: While there will be no damage caused by more oil changes, the environmental impact of unnecessary used oil is a high price for the sense of security it gives. Also more oil changes mean more money for quick lubes places.Continue Reading…

4, What do the numbers on the front of the bottle mean?
They are the viscosity numbers and…Continue Reading…

5, I heard some synthetics are just fancy mineral oils, is that true?
Yes and no… It’s true that some oils called ‘synthetic’ are comprised of severely refined mineral base stock, but there is more…  Continue Reading…

6, What kind of synthetics oil does Total use in their oils?
Total S.A. is a base oil producer. Depending on the application… Continue Reading…

7, What is Low SAPS?
Low SAPS stands for low content of Sulphated Ash, Phosphorus and Sulphur.Continue Reading…

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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Skipped Oil Changes

Click on the thumbnail to view bigger photo

The next two photo is show you, how a vehicle’s engine looks like and will look like, if the owner skips the oil and oil filter changes. It can cause significant damage, and costly repair, and or might end up in engine replacement.

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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BMW with high km

Our long term client with his BMW. Click on the thumbnail to view bigger photo.

We have some clients with high km in their BMW. Some of them way over three hundred thousand and one with nearly four hundred and fifty thousand kilometers of daily driving. With proper maintenance, proper oil change these German Import Cars can serve you and your family for a long time.

On the first photo, you can see the vehicle and it’s proud owner. We have been looking after this vehicle for over ten years.  On the second photo is the odometer.

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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The Importance of Oil Changes
Elf Synthetic Motor Oil
Engine Oil Essentials

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German Import Car Oil Filters

Oil Filters for BMW, Mercedes Porsche

Oil filters are the most often replaced part on a vehicle, there are times when some oil filters can be a pain to replace. Removing a spin on oil filter when changing oil is supposed to be an easy job: just unscrew the old filter, catch the oil that dribbles out and screw on and hand tighten a new filter.

As many of you know, what normally should take no more than 30 seconds or so often takes much, much longer because of the filter’s location. Many filters are mounted where they’re extremely difficult to reach even when the vehicle is up on a lift.

On many applications, filter accessibility is a joke because the oil filter is mounted on the wrong side of the engine hidden above or behind a cross member, steering rack, FWD half shaft, brackets, hoses, motor mounts, engine accessories, exhaust pipes and anything else some engineer could hang in the way to make assembly easier at the factory.

It makes you wonder if they forgot that the filter is supposed to be replaced periodically for preventative maintenance. To make matters worse, the filter may refuse to turn when you put your wrench on it. Read More…

Contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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Yokohama AVID Ascend Tire

Yokohama Avid AscendOrange Oil Technology Created the Perfect YOKOHAMA Touring Tire

The ideal touring tire, with the optimum balance of extended tread life, all-season performance and superb fuel efficiency, has long been elusive. But it should come as no surprise that through Yokohama’s technologically advanced Orange Oil compound, Yokohama’s engineers created touring tire perfection.

Yokohama  AVID® Ascend™ is the world’s first touring tire to offer the Orange Oil difference.

By infusing Orange Oil, Yokohama improved the molecular bond between natural and synthetic rubber. The result? Optimized tread life, all-season performance and fuel efficiency.

AVID Ascend just may be the best touring tire available today.

Today’s Orange Oil technology has revolutionized the way we engineer touring tires.
And tests confirm it: The new AVID® Ascend™ eclipses the leading competitor and
conventional touring tires in mileage and rolling resistance.

This translates to a next-gen tire that lasts longer and is far more fuel efficient; a clear winner among its peers… and for any driver. Continue reading or contact us for more details at:  (1) 905.795.0419

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Oil Filter Comparison

After market Made in China oil filter versa original Made in Germany MANN – HUMMEL Mercedes oil filter .

There’s a big difference as you can see, between a Mann  Genuine Oil Filter and a Chinese counterfeit, or Chinese after market oil filter. Although they look slightly similar when they are new, except after use they may destroy your engine by allowing foreign matter to wear out your precision build engine.

The old saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words. Hmm… as you can see bellow it’s quiet self explanatory. Shall we say?

Oil Filter ComparisonA complete fail of any filtration what so ever, the problem is not where it was made. The problem is the quality. Unfortunately a poor quality oil filter may destroy a fine engine unnecessarily.

As a quality  Oil filter goes, they are actually among the most reasonably priced  components you can buy for your car. It’s  common sense not  to install inferior quality  filters since their purpose is to keep your engines vital components live longer.

The savings can’t be justified on a poor quality filter that’s applies to most other filters as well, but none of them as crucial as your oil filter is to your engine’s longevity, naturally goes hand in hand with a high quality motor oil.

We always thrive to provide your fine automobile  with the best there is available today to drive longer and further tomorrow.

Call us for more details at  905.795.0419

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How often should you replace your car’s tire?

Are your car’s tires getting older? Be careful, they might turn into a time-bomb.

There are several factors that can effect a set of tires life time. At first the quality of the tire, than your driving style, and most important maintenance.

Yes tires need maintenance too, like keep them inflated to the factory recommended psi listed on the tires wall, and or owner’s manual. Than the rotation, they should be rotated at least every 10,000 km.

Check the alignment. Is your car pull one our an other direction? Can you see is irregular tire wear? Than you need to get your car alignment checked.

Another factor where do you live. For example if you live somewhere hot and you use tires with very soft compound. Those tires provide you with great handling and grip, but they wont last that long than a harder compound, less grip, and a firm ride tire.

Or if here in Canada, you use your winter tire at summer driving, winter tire are soft soft compound tires, basically you kill your winter tires, you just will leave a lot of rubber on the road.

There are on other factor, that no one really talk about here in North America. In Europe and in some Asian countries too, tire manufacturers inform customers about the dangers of old tires, and the very real dangers of driving on new tires that are actually six years old, or even older. But here in Canada, we are being kept in the dark.

Let me please explain it. You are driving you convertible, that you use only at summer time. The car has only thirty thousand km in the odometer, it looks like a brand new, it smell like a brand new, but it is 6 years old.

You checked the tires, you monitor the tire pressure at all the time, they look great. Plenty of tread, no bald spots, no wear and tear. They look like brand new too. However those tires could actually be ready to break apart at any moment.Porsche Carrera GT

Porsche Carrera GT

Do you remember Paul Walker’s deadly accident with the Porsche Carrera GT ( Fast & Furious Star)?

The final police report states it he’s body was going way too fast (who not with a car like that). The car only had 3300 miles in the odometer, but it was a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT super car. Because the big horsepower and the small size, it’s notoriously difficult to handle. Also had 9 years 4 moths old tires on the car. Even Porsche specifically says no older than 4 years old tires can be used on Porsche Carrera GT, due to six hundred plus horsepower .

Most tires manufacturers recommend replacing the tires at every 6 years or less due to compound degradation. Remember a tire is more than keep your vehicle roll down the road. A tire is more than a cushion between the road and the wheel rims. Your life, your family life and other’s life on the road depends on you tires, so it worth few seconds from your time to take a very close look at them.

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Call us for more details at  905.795.0419