Built for a few vehicles, not a few hundred
Large fleets have contracts with dealers and national chains. A plumbing company with three vans, a landscaper with two pickups, a home care agency with a handful of cars, those usually just have an owner who also has to remember when everything is due. That is who this is for.
The Cyrville and St. Laurent area is full of small businesses that run vehicles. 2 and 1/2 Mechanics sits right among them at 1345 Marchand Street, Ottawa, ON, so a driver can drop a van off on the way in and be back on the road without crossing the city.
Keeping vehicles earning
A van in the shop is a van that is not earning, so the aim is fewer visits and shorter ones. Drop off is by 9am on the booked day, and we call the person who approves work as soon as we know what the vehicle needs. Saturday hours, 8am to 3pm, mean a vehicle that works Monday to Friday can be serviced without losing a working day.
For a business, the most expensive repair is the one that happens on a job site. Planned maintenance is cheaper than a breakdown with a crew standing around waiting.
The O-Train helps as well. Cyrville station is about 300 m from the shop, so a driver can leave the van, ride Line 1 back toward downtown or out toward Blair, and return for it after we call to say it is done. Nobody has to follow the van over in a second vehicle.
Posted prices for the routine work
Routine work uses the same posted prices as any other customer, before tax.
- Full synthetic oil change, from $99
- Brake change, from $180 depending on the vehicle
- Seasonal tire swap on rims, $75
- Tires mounted and balanced onto rims, $140
- Inspection and diagnosis, $120 an hour
Parts are quoted per vehicle once we see it. What each price covers is explained on the oil change and brake repair pages. Posted prices mean you can budget the routine work for the year without phoning around for quotes.
Who approves the work
Nothing gets done at this shop without approval, and for a business that matters more, not less. When you set up, tell us who can approve repairs, up to what amount, and how to reach them. The driver who drops a van off is often not the person paying for it.
When we find something on one vehicle, such as worn pads or a seeping axle seal, we tell you what needs doing now and what can wait for its next scheduled visit. That lets you plan the cost instead of reacting to it.
Work vans wear differently
Commercial use is severe service by any owner’s manual definition. Vans that carry tools, ladders and stock all day are heavier than the car they were designed around, and that shows up in specific places.
- Brakes wear faster, especially the rears on loaded cargo vans.
- Rear springs sag and shocks fade under constant load.
- Tires wear quickly on the edges, and underinflated tires on a loaded van overheat.
- Idling on job sites adds engine hours the odometer does not show, so oil wears faster than the kilometres suggest.
- Salt and slush in the winter attack brake lines and exhaust hangers on vehicles that never get washed.
We recommend the severe schedule for vans like these, and our scheduled maintenance page explains why most Ottawa driving qualifies for it.
Winter tire season for a fleet
Late October and November is the busiest stretch of the year for tire swaps. If you have several vehicles, book them across a couple of weeks before the first snow rather than all on one day, so no driver is caught on summer tires when the weather turns. In April the same goes in reverse.
One record per vehicle
When you book, the booking page lets you scan each vehicle’s VIN with a phone camera, so every visit is tied to the right vehicle and we have the exact engine and trim. Add the unit number or the driver’s name in the notes if that is how you tell them apart.
Getting started
Book the first vehicle online and mention that it is one of several business vehicles, how many you run, and what they do. We will start from there, one vehicle at a time.
Questions
Do you service small business fleets in Ottawa?
Yes. 2 and 1/2 Mechanics in Cyrville services vans, cars and light pickups for small businesses, from oil changes and tire swaps to brakes, diagnostics and repairs. Each vehicle can be booked online, and work is done only once the person you name has approved it.
How much does fleet maintenance cost?
The routine work uses the same posted prices as any customer, before tax. A full synthetic oil change starts at $99, a brake change starts at $180 depending on the vehicle, and a seasonal tire swap on rims is $75. Diagnosis and inspection time is $120 an hour, and parts are quoted per vehicle.
Why do work vans need more frequent maintenance?
Work vans carry heavy loads, idle on job sites and make many short trips, all of which count as severe service in most owner's manuals. Brakes, rear springs, tires and oil all wear faster as a result. Following the severe schedule costs less than replacing a part after it fails mid route.
Can I book maintenance for my work vehicles on a Saturday?
Yes. The shop is open Saturdays from 8am to 3pm as well as weekdays from 8am to 5pm. Bringing a van in on a Saturday keeps it working during the week.
How do I keep track of maintenance for several vehicles?
Keep one record per vehicle with the date, the kilometres and the work done, and book the next service by kilometres or months, whichever comes first. Booking each vehicle online under its own VIN means every visit is tied to the right van.
