While regular inspections of your vehicles systems are important the most common service required is your engine Oil & Filter change. Various service intervals do exist between manufacturers however, as a rule of thumb regular motor oil should be changed every 5,000km or three months and synthetic every 9,000km or 5 months.

Living the busy lives most of us do in the lower mainland our vehicles are subject to everything from high speed highway driving to daily short trips in stop & go traffic as well as runs up & down the mountain passes. This very normal use of our vehicles wear on our brakes, their various fluids and moving components like suspension. Brakes are and example of “wear items” that are designed to wear down with use, where as the fluids in the vehicle are used for lubricating & cooling and function as a hydraulic fluid as well.

Fluids will break down over time and loose their ability to properly lubricate, cool and provide pressures. If fluids are left to deteriorate the systems they protect will wear and damage themselves through use. Manufacturers provide a service schedule for each vehicle that estimates when each items should be replaced. The service schedule is a fabulous guideline however, it can not dictate how each of our vehicles will wear individually from our own schedule and uses.

At DeRosa Automotive you will receive a FREE Courtesy Inspection on all readily accessible fluids and system components with your regular Oil & Filter change.

We will report on your vehicle’s condition, noting any current deficiencies or upcoming services that may be required.

Suspension technology has evolved over the years from Leaf Springs, to Struts & Shocks, to today’s top of the line Air Bag Self Leveling Suspension Systems. No matter the style of suspension your vehicle has it’s function remains the same; to provide Comfortable Traction, Stability and Control.

Manufacturers suggest the life of suspension components to be approximately 80,000km before they start to loose their performance capabilities. Barring a large defect or collision suspension wear is very gradual to the point where the regular driver of a vehicle may not even notice the loss of traction and stability. Uneven tire wear, shuddering when starting off from a stop and reduced ability to grip the road while cornering and/or braking are serious effects of a warn suspension.

Our technicians will test drive your vehicle and visually inspect your suspension components For Free with your Regular Services at DeRosa Automotive.

Automatic Transmissions are what put engine power through to the wheels either directly or through additional transfer case and differential(s) units. These components require fluid changes at their particular recommended service intervals or when the fluid can be seen to be wearing.

In General Transmission and Drive Line fluids should be changed every 50,000/40,000km before they wear and can no longer perform as a Lubricating, Cooling and Hydraulic fluids. Inspection symptoms of wear are Colour and Smell however, if drive ability symptoms appear such as hard shifting or noises it may very well be too late for a simple fluid change. We highly recommend servicing your Drive Line Fluids at regular intervals to help prevent wear & deterioration of components.

All of these issues are considered and Visually Inspected For Free with your Regular Services At DeRosa Automotive.

Most Import and some Domestic vehicles have Timing Belts that keeps the engines’ internal mechanical components in sink. Interference engines will sustain damage if synchronization is lost and rarely even some non interference engines can suffer damage. This results in very expensive engine repairs.

The average Timing Belt is required to be changed every 148,000km (1 year is worth 20,000km). Replacing the Timing Belt should be done by either Time or Mileage, which ever comes first. While there is always a little leeway and some debate as to when a timing belt should be replaced we highly recommend following the manufactures maintenance schedule for when to carry out this service. If you do not know if your vehicle has a timing belt or when your vehicle’s timing belt should be replaced please call us and we will let you know.

When performing a Clutch or Brake Job it is important to re-surface/machine the Flywheel or Brake Rotors to eliminate any scoring, warping or heat spots before re-installation. This will eliminate vibration, noise and additional heat from a new flat surface trying to mate with a wavy old surface.

DeRosa Automotive Services in North Vancouver is one of the very few private shops on the North Shore with their own Flywheel and Brake Rotor Machining Equipment. It makes proper Clutch and Brake Jobs faster with out having to send the items out to be machined and often more economical as clients are not forced into buying new components for lack of service capabilities. DeRosa Automotive offers a drop off service for other repair facilities and for owners wishing to carry out their own work at home. Costs are $95* per Flywheel  and  $70* for a set of brake rotors (* for most applications).   If you require component machining please feel free to drop your components off to be verified they are machinable, and they will be fit in to that day if possible.  Time frame expectations will be set based on schedule and existing promise times already in place.