10.5 Vehicle Maintenance, Fuel-Efficient Driving & Towing a Trailer

Vehicle Maintenance, Fuel-Efficient Driving & Towing a Trailer

Quick Summary: Chapter 5 of the handbook, "Your Vehicle," is part of the G1 rules material. It is illegal to drive a vehicle in dangerous condition, and police or ministry inspectors can inspect your vehicle, and any trailer, at any time. This section covers the handbook's daily and trip checks, tire rules, winter supplies, fuel-saving habits, and the licence, registration, equipment and driving rules for towing a trailer or a disabled vehicle.

1. Maintaining Your Vehicle

A police officer or Ministry of Transportation inspector can examine your vehicle, its equipment and any attached trailer at any time. If it is unsafe, it may be taken off the road until fixed. Good maintenance also improves fuel economy, resale value and the environment.

Driver Habits: Every Time You Drive

Regular and Winter Maintenance

• Follow the manufacturer's schedule, by distance or time, whichever comes first: oil and filter changes, fluid checks, air and fuel filters, tire rotation and brake inspection.
• Winter emergency supplies: a shovel, booster cables, emergency flares or warning lights, a blanket, and a chain for towing. Carry extra windshield washer fluid.
• Exhaust leaks are especially dangerous in winter, when windows and vents are closed. Have a noisy or rattling exhaust checked.

Tires

• Replace tires when the tread is less than 1.5 millimetres deep or when the tread-wear indicators touch the road. Vehicles over 4,500 kg must replace front tires with less than 3 mm of tread.
• Replace tires with bumps, bulges, knots, exposed cords, or cuts deep enough to expose cords.
• Tires age even when unused. The handbook says they should not be older than 10 years.
• Tires must not be smaller than the manufacturer's minimum size, or so large that they touch the vehicle. Use similar tires on all four wheels.
• For winter, the handbook recommends four winter or all-weather tires with the same tread pattern. Studded tires are legal in northern Ontario.
• For longer tire life, keep the right air pressure, inspect for wear, rotate regularly and drive smoothly.

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2. Driving Efficiently

Gasoline and diesel vehicles emit pollutants that form smog and acid rain and add to global warming. Cars produce nearly half the carbon dioxide from all transportation because so many people drive them. The handbook's tips also save money:

Before you drive: combine errands into one trip; avoid rush hours; pay attention to smog alerts; walk or cycle for short trips; use transit or carpool (many areas have free carpool lots).

While driving:

• Turn off your engine if you will be parked more than 10 seconds. Engines warm up within 30 seconds, even in cold weather.
• Obey speed limits; high speed burns more fuel.
• On the freeway, use overdrive and cruise control in good conditions.
• Remove extra weight (heavy baggage, wet snow, winter sand or salt) and unused roof racks.
• In city and stop-and-go traffic, use windows and vents; at high speed, air conditioning is usually more efficient than open windows.
• Don't top off the tank; spilled fuel releases harmful vapours.

At the garage: keep the engine tuned; fix fluid leaks; keep tires properly inflated; check alignment.

The Handbook's "10 Ways" to Safer Roads

1. Don't drink and drive, or drive on medication that affects your driving.
2. Always wear a seatbelt and use the right child seat for passengers.
3. Obey speed limits and slow down in poor conditions.
4. Don't take risks: no cutting people off, sudden lane changes or running yellow lights.
5. Don't drive tired, upset or sick.
6. When in doubt, let the other driver go first.
7. Keep at least a two-second space behind the vehicle ahead.
8. Cut distractions: don't overcrowd the vehicle or play loud music.
9. Always check your blind spot before changing lanes.
10. Check traffic in all directions, including sidewalks and paths, before entering an intersection.

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3. Towing a Trailer

Licence, Registration and Equipment

• Licence: A Class G1, G2 or G licence (or higher) lets you tow a trailer with a gross vehicle weight up to 4,600 kg. Larger loads may need a higher licence or an oversize permit.
• One trailer only: It is illegal to tow more than one trailer behind a non-commercial vehicle.
• Registration: A trailer is a separate vehicle. Register it at ServiceOntario (one-time fee), put its plate on the back where it is clearly visible, and carry its permit or a copy.
• Brakes: A trailer with a gross weight (trailer plus load) of 1,360 kg or more must have brakes strong enough to stop and hold it.
• Lights: a white licence-plate light, a red tail light and two red rear reflectors as far apart as possible. Trailers wider than 2.05 metres also need two yellow front clearance lights and two red rear clearance lights or reflectors.
• Other equipment: mud guards or flaps so you don't spray traffic behind; extra mirrors if the load blocks your rear view; two separate means of attachment. Safety chains must be crossed under the tongue, with hooks that cannot come loose accidentally.
• No passengers may ride in any towed trailer, including house and boat trailers.

Loading and Hitching

• Use a hitch rated for the trailer's gross weight, with the ball set so the trailer sits level.
• Put more of the load in front of the trailer axle. About 5 to 10 per cent of the trailer's total weight should rest on the hitch, within the hitch's rated limit. Too much weight at the back causes sway or fishtailing and can separate the hitch.
• Tie everything down; a load that can fall off is an offence. A heavy tongue load can lift your front end, affecting steering, headlight aim and mirrors.

Driving With a Trailer

• Before each trip: check the hitch, wheels, tires (pressure when cold and loaded), lights, load balance and security.
• Curves and turns: Stay near the middle of the lane on curves. For a sharp right turn, move ahead until your front wheels are well past the curb before turning. For a left turn, drive well into the intersection and swing wide.
• Stopping: Leave extra following distance. A sudden stop can make the trailer jackknife, slide sideways, or shift its load. Keep out of the fast lanes.
• Passing: You accelerate more slowly and your vehicle is much longer, so leave more room before moving back in. Cutting in too soon can make the trailer sway.
• Being passed by a truck or bus: The wind blast can push the trailer sideways. Don't brake. Steer carefully back into position; a slight increase in speed may help. If you are holding up traffic, pull over and let it pass.
• Backing up: Go very slowly, with someone outside guiding you. To back the trailer to the right, steer to the left, and to the left, steer right. Practise in an empty lot first.

Towing a Disabled Vehicle

Get help from a tow truck designed for the job. If you must tow with another vehicle, use warning signals or flashers, attach the vehicles securely, and have someone in the towed vehicle use the brakes to keep the cable tight. Don't tow a vehicle with power brakes and steering if its engine can't run, and never try to start a vehicle by towing it.