R. Rose Automotive

04/11/2026

15 new arrivals in the line and ready to roll. Trucks, Vans, SUV, and Cars... tons to pick from stating at from $4950+

03/16/2026

Not-So-Smooth Operator (Transmission Signs of Trouble)

You are heading down a flat, newly paved street when all of a sudden you feel it. Your vehicle jumps a little bit when you're accelerating and changing gears. You know it's not the surface of the road because it's smooth as silk. So what did you just feel?

That kind of jumping—or grinding or slipping—during gear changes could be a sign of trouble in your automatic transmission. And it's important to get it checked out fairly soon because some transmission problems that aren't fixed early can lead to more involved and expensive repairs.

By far most vehicles on the road in North America have automatic transmissions, and they are workhorses. Unlike early cars with balky, hard-to-shift manual transmissions, the latest automatics allow you to drive without having to even think about gear changes. But you should know about a few signs of trouble to look for if they ever start showing up.

When you first get going and shift your vehicle from Park into Drive, do you feel a slight pause?
How about when you shift into Reverse? Is there a little lag?
Does your vehicle sometimes shake when you're traveling down the road?
Do you smell something burning in your engine compartment?
Do you hear a clunk when your vehicle shifts?
Do you have spots of a reddish or brown, oily fluid in the driveway under your vehicle?
If you do, these are worth getting checked out at our service center. When automatic transmissions start to show signs of wear and age, it can be because of a number of reasons. They can be caused by your transmission fluid getting old and contaminated, or its level may be low. The gears can be worn. You may have a leak somewhere in your transmission. Or transmission problems might be caused by a computer problem.

Transmission issues aren't always expensive to repair. Sometimes there may be a leak in a hose or gasket. Or a computer needs to be reset. Other issues may be much more involved. This is why it's important to get your vehicle checked out when you do notice something doesn't feel, look, shift or smell quite right. Everyone wants their automatic transmission to be a smooth operator.

03/09/2026

Getting the Right Wheels and Tires

A lot of Kemptville drivers want custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes they just don’t fit right: The tires rub in turns or over bumps. Consulting your tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First we will ask you a series of questions about your driving needs and what you want in your new wheels.

Now, not every wheel can go on every vehicle. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside. If you don’t want to make any modifications to your car, you would need to focus on a wheel and tire combination that would fit. With trucks, some Kemptville folks like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most drivers don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong sensor information.

If you go with a different rolling diameter, your vehicle control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then we can talk how big the wheel should be and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

03/04/2026

Shocks & Struts Wear Factors

In straight forward terms, springs hold up the body of your car. There are several types of springs: coil, leaf, torsion bar, etc. Their vital job is the heavy lifting.

Shocks and struts, on the other hand, are dampeners that keep body movement within the necessary range and press the tires to the road to maintain adequate traction.

Shocks and struts have a chamber filled with hydraulic fluid. Bumps activate a piston that pushes the fluid through a series of valves to dampen the bounce. Then a rebound spring pushes the piston back in place.

Stage 1 is for the millions of small bumps Kemptville drivers encounter in everyday driving. The 1st stage valve is a notched disc through which fluid flows at a controlled rate.

Stage 2 is for mid-sized impacts: things like dips, driveways, expansion joints, as well as forces encountered in turns and when stopping and accelerating. These bumps and forces are not severe, but they come in various shapes and sizes. 2nd stage dampening is performed by a set of flexible discs that fit inside the shock/strut chamber. When drivers hit this type of bump, the fluid is compressed against these discs and they flex to allow fluid passed. The bigger the bump, the more they need to flex.

Stage 3 is for harsh impacts like curbs, potholes, etc. 3rd stage dampening is accomplished by restrictive ports in the stage 3 valve. This is the last stage in maintaining proper tire and body control.

It is the Stage 2 flex discs that wear over time. The metal becomes fatigued and flexes too easily, allowing fluid passed to the Stage 3 valve. This is why one of the characteristics of worn shocks is a harsh ride: you’re getting to the restrictive 3rd stage too soon.

Severely worn shocks/struts cause your tires to have reduced contact with the road. When taking a curve at a higher rate of speed or in an evasive maneuver, the body leans to the outside of the curve - literally trying to pull your car off the road. A hard stop throws the body forward, significantly increasing your stopping distance. Acceleration causes the rear end to squat, and thereby diminishes traction on the front tires.

Loss of tire and body control can greatly lessen the effectiveness of your car’s vital crash avoidance systems like traction control, stability control, and anti-lock brakes.

Your shocks and struts wear slowly so it’s hard to consciously observe a change in their performance. How soon drivers shocks and struts wear is influenced by the loads they carry and the condition of the roads on which they drive.

A good rule of thumb for drivers is to have them evaluated with a road test at 80,000 kilometers, by that time your shocks/struts will have moved up and down 75 million times.

Your advisor can inspect and test your suspension system and help you choose the right parts to restore or improve your car’s designed performance.

02/23/2026

R ROSE AUTOMOTIVE Automotive Tips: Oxygen Sensor

Many Kemptville drivers hear the term “Oxygen Sensor” and figure it must have something to do with sensing oxygen, but don’t really know much beyond that. Let’s break it down: your vehicle has an oxygen sensor in the exhaust manifold that measures how much unburned oxygen there is in the exhaust. The sensor reports its findings to the engine control unit (ECU), which knows how much oxygen there should be in the exhaust. Based on that information, the ECU will adjust the amount of fuel it sends to the engine.

This feedback and adjustment loop is non-stop. The goal is to have the optimal air to fuel ratio for performance, efficiency and to lower harmful emissions.

Now there is a second oxygen sensor located in the exhaust pipe after the catalytic converter. It too measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust after it has been treated by the catalytic converter. As this measurement is reported back to the ECU, the computer compares the oxygen levels before and after the catalytic converter to determine if the converter is still functioning properly.

So, 4-cylinder vehicles have two oxygen sensors. V-6 and V-8 engines have four sensors, two for each bank of cylinders. As you can imagine, the oxygen sensor lives and functions in a pretty hot environment so they do wear out over time. Substances in the exhaust can also damage them leading to failure. Outside elements like water and road salt can corrode an oxygen sensor. When the sensor goes bad it simply needs to be replaced.

Drivers may be interested to know that oxygen sensors are often replaced needlessly. When the oxygen sensor returns a measurement that is out of the specified range, it may trigger a trouble code in the ECU and the Check Engine Light is illuminated. Inexperienced do-it-yourselfers may read a trouble code that reports an out of range sensor reading. That could mean that the sensor is bad, but it could also mean that the sensor is accurately reporting a condition caused by some other malfunction. A skilled diagnostician can sort this out and will only replace the oxygen sensor when it has truly failed.

When you have a Check Engine Light come on and stay on, it’s good advice to have it diagnosed by a qualified technician. The cause may be minor or quite significant, so it’s best to play it safe and let the professionals weigh in.

02/19/2026

Coolant Replacement

Your cooling system’s job is to keep your vehicle engine cool while driving around. Coolant (also called antifreeze) mixed with water flows through your engine and absorbs heat. The mixture then flows out to the radiator where it’s cooled by air flowing over the radiator. From there the cooled mix circulates back through the engine to absorb more heat.

Coolant, or antifreeze, is specially formulated to keep your vehicle engine safe in a wide range of environmental and operating temperatures in ON. Without coolant, the metal engine parts would expand so much that the engine would seize up and stop running. Many pricey parts could be broken or warp so badly they would have to be replaced. It could even be so bad that the whole engine is ruined and has to be replaced. Also, if it’s freezing outside, the water in your vehicle engine could freeze while your vehicle is sitting out in the cold.

This is why it is wise to check coolant levels frequently and have the vehicle cooling system inspected at for leaks. Also your car maker has a maintenance requirement for draining and replacing your coolant. These car maker recommendations can vary widely, so check your owner’s manual or ask your service advisor.

The reason you need to change the coolant is that it has additives in it to protect the cooling system. As you can imagine, with all the heat, the cooling system’s a pretty harsh environment. The additives keep the fluid from becoming corrosive and damaging the vehicle radiator and other cooling system components.

Over time, the additives are depleted and the coolant just has to be replaced. A simple pH test can measure the coolant’s acidity. You may have noticed that there are different colors of antifreeze: it is vital that drivers use the correct type. The different coolant types are different colors so you don’t mix them up.

Manufacturers use different materials to make the cooling system, and they require different types of antifreeze to protect them. So check with your service advisor or car maker's owner’s manual for the right kind, because using the wrong coolant can void the warranty for your cooling system.

Stop by or give us a call.

R ROSE AUTOMOTIVE
4062 County Rd 43
Kemptville, ON K0G 1J0
613.258.5209

01/26/2026

Fuel Saving Tip: Alignment

Imagine you’re up in the arctic on a dog sled. Your dog team is pulling straight and true. You can cover a lot of ground fast. Now imagine what would happen if one or two of the dogs wanted to go their own way and were pulling off to the side. That would slow you down. You would have to work harder to keep the sled going where you want it. The dogs are all working as hard as before, but you’re covering less ground for the same effort. You’re wasting kibble.

The same is true of your vehicle when the wheels are out of alignment. That wheel that’s pulling to the side is dragging down the rest of the car – so you push a little harder on the pedal to keep up your speed on the roads. You’re wasting fuel.

So have your wheel alignment checked at least once a year. We can help you with that. Get it checked right away if you feel the car pulling to one side. Sometimes we bump a curb or hit a pothole and knock our wheels out of alignment. An accident can take the wheels out of alignment as well.

So make sure you’re tracking straight, you’ll save cash at the pumps and your tires will last longer. Now, mush!

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01/20/2026

We are so honoured to have been nominated and would love your support in adding another plaque to our wall! If you have a few minutes to spare please vote! 🥰🙏

Polls are open and we want YOUR Votes in the Ottawa Readers' Choice.

01/19/2026

What's Shakin' with my Brakin'? Bad Vibrations (Brake Rotor Replacement)

If you’ve ever stepped on your brake pedal and felt your vehicle vibrate, that’s a signal that you shouldn’t ignore. A pulsating brake pedal is a sign that something is wrong. Braking action should be smooth, sure, and quiet, not shaky and noisy.

Most newer vehicles have disc brakes, called that because they have a round, flat disc connected to each wheel. Those discs are the rotors. Other parts called brake pads are squeezed against those discs when you press on the brake pedal.

Remember that vibration we mentioned? That can be caused by the rotor not having a straight, true surface. Rotors can heat up from friction and warp. They can become thinner from constant wear. Rotors can rust from the elements they’re exposed to, such as rain, snow ice, and salt. They can get grooves in them from so many contacts with the pads.

The signs of worn rotors are vibrations, grooves on the rotor (which you can see sometimes through open spots in the wheel) noise such as squealing or scraping when you brake, and increased stopping distance.

While it used to be common for rotors to be machined (shaved down to restore their flat surface), newer vehicles have thinner rotors, so your service adviser may suggest you replace rotors when they start showing signs of significant wear.

Brakes are important safety equipment for every vehicle. They enhance your control while driving, so it’s important that they be regularly inspected and maintained. A good time is when you have your tires rotated. A technician can then look at all components of your brakes and recommend any service you may need to keep your brakes in top shape.

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01/16/2026

Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched 😬 My staff just think they are soooo funny 🥴

01/16/2026

Friday Funny 🤣