Photo: iStockphoto

We've all been through it: you're approaching a light when the vehicle next to you gives off a high pitch squeal as they come to a stop.  The driver, red with embarrassment looks away as you stare and think to yourself - "What's wrong with your car??!!!"
 
Well, that high pitch squealing noise is letting the driver know it's time to change their brakes!
 
Most vehicles today are equipped with disc brakes (at least in the front) with the main components being a caliper, rotor and a brake pad. The brake pad receives the most wear and tear. Why? A moving vehicle has a certain amount of kinetic energy. When you apply your brake pedal, the idea is to remove the kinetic energy in order to stop. Your brakes do this by converting the kinetic energy to heat, generated from squeezing the brake pads on the disc. So, as you can imagine, constant friction between the brake pads and the disc cause the brake pads to wear out.

We don't usually talk about Petro-Canada products here on PumpTalk - but for several months, fans of our high performance fuel Ultra 94 have been asking us when Ultra 94 would be available at our stations outside of Ontario.

Well, Alberta drivers, rejoice! Ultra 94's High Octane Performance fuel is now available at select locations across Alberta!

What's the deal with Ultra 94? The number "94" refers to the octane content in the gasoline.

Basically, the higher the octane rating, the better the fuel performs, making Ultra 94 ideal for high performance vehicles. It's popular with both professional racers, like Canadian racing legend and NASCAR driver Ron Fellows, and with performance driving enthusiasts.

Ultra 94's unique performance and higher detergency helps to:

• Clean your car's fuel injectors - and keep them clean
• Optimize fuel economy 
• Reduce emissions
• Improve the overall performance of your vehicle year-round

To find out if Ultra 94 is available at a station near you, visit our Petro-Canada site locator. We're always adding new sites, so stay tuned.

Whether you're a big performance driving fan or you just want to talk cars with other car lovers, you can connect with other drivers and racing fans on our Ultra 94 Facebook page (English Only). There you can upload photos of your sweet ride, swap stories with other car enthusiasts, get performance driving tips from driving experts, and enter great contests. Become a fan today to keep up on the latest high octane news!

- Rose R.

Photo: iStockphoto

You see it there between Park and Drive, that ambiguous "N" staring back at you. You may think “When am I ever going to use it? I drive an automatic!”

Well, you're not alone - many drivers often think the same thing. But contrary to popular belief, "N" does not stand for "Never use" in an automatic transmission vehicle! There are times when it's appropriate to use Neutral - and times when it isn't.

In a manual vehicle, Neutral is used to buffer the engine when switching gears in order to disengage the engine from the transmission. In an automatic, there are fewer uses for Neutral. One of the biggest misconceptions about Neutral is you can save on fuel by using Neutral to coast to a stop while driving.

The team here at PumpTalk is thrilled to feature the first of our guest posts by our partner, CAA Ontario (Canadian Automobile Association). We look forward to sharing CAA’s tips for driver safety, automobile maintenance and a variety of other topics with our readers.

Photo: CAA Ontario

Motorists and cyclists are equally responsible for keeping each other safe on our roads.

That’s the message being conveyed by CAA this summer. In partnership with a number of stakeholders, CAA has planned various events to help promote safe passage on our roadways whether by bike or car.

As of June 12th this year there had been 208 cyclist-motorist incidents on Toronto streets alone, highlighting the need to remind both groups of how they can adopt safer habits on the roads.