Seven Ways You Could be Killing Your Car

The car you own can either be a nightmare or a dream depending on how well you take care of your vehicle. The following are seven things that motorists do that can harm their car and wallet.

• Ignoring the check engine light. Ignoring an illuminated check engine light can result in serious engine trouble and costly repairs. At the very least, this warning light could alert you to an engine problem that is negatively impacting fuel economy.

• Failing to change fluids and filters. Many fluids are required for the operation and protection of systems and components. Checking and changing fluid levels regularly along with the filters helps ensure that your vehicle runs dependably and extends vehicle life. This includes oil changes, transmission, power steering and brake flushes.

• Not following a service schedule. Because many car parts and components wear out or become damaged over time, vehicles need to be routinely serviced in order to perform over time. Routine safety inspections and timely repairs will help keep your car running efficiently and will help you avoid more expensive repairs down the road.

• Neglecting your tires. Your vehicle’s tires should be checked frequently for inflation and tread depth. Underinflated tires can wear out more quickly, needing to be replaced sooner, and can negatively impact safety, gas mileage and performance.

• Being a severe driver. Whether it’s stop and go traffic, extreme weather, rough roads or heavy loads, it can sometimes be difficult to limit severe driving conditions especially in the Atlanta area. Maximize your trips and errands by doing several at the same time or at low traffic times.

• Keeping a dirty car. Allowing your car to go too long without a wash leads to buildup of damaging chemicals and dirt and interferes with proper visibility needed for safe driving.

• Avoiding needed services from ToyoTechs. By not having your car serviced on a regular basis your vehicle will not run as well and the life of your car will be shorter.

Please keep up with your car care, you’ll be glad you did in the long run. Your car will last longer and have a better value by being well kept.

Reducing Your Vehicle Maintenance Costs

Unexpected surprise maintenance costs can be avoided by sticking to a strict scheduled preventive maintenance plan. While it might sound counter intuitive to spend money to save money, a scheduled maintenance practice will keep your vehicle running in good health ensuring you get the most out of all those expensive to replace parts.

Keeping your car’s fluids clean and new is a top priority when it comes to minimizing future costs. By that it’s not just oil changes that need to be done, brake fluid flushes, transmission fluid flushes and power steering fluid flushes also need to be done. Fluid changes done as needed will prevent the buildup of harmful dirt and debris deposits that cause corrosion and eventual breakdown.

With all vehicles it is a good idea to have your oil checked on a regular basis. The same applies for your car’s brake fluid, transmission fluid and power steering fluid. Learning to check these fluids is a good idea, however a lot of people don’t want to so it’s a good idea to keep a regular maintenance schedule with ToyoTechs..

While it’s always a good idea to peruse through your owner's manual to learn more about your vehicle’s scheduled maintenance Truthfully most our customers have come to trust ToyoTechs Technicians to keep up with what services need to be done now and what can wait till later.

Whether or not you have us maintain your vehicle these services need to be done. They will keep your vehicle running better and add extra years to the life of your car at the same time saving you money.

Time to Keep Falling Leaf Debris Off Your Car

Why You Need to Change Your Cabin Air Filter

OK I know the headline sounds a little goofy however this is truly an important subject especially for people who park their cars around trees with falling leaves. When the the leaves, dead bugs and other debris falls it gathers around the bottom of your windshield covering the vents that carry the airflow into your car's cabin air filter. The air then flows into the interior of your car and into the air that you breath.

The leaves, dead bugs and road debris then slowly works through your vehicle's airflow system. Over time the debris will work it’s way to your A/C’s  evaporator core. Eventually as the debris starts building up in your evaporator core the trouble will begin with your A/C system.

You do not want to have to replace your A/C’s evaporator core. That repair is around a $2500 repair and requires the whole dashboard to be removed. Our Technicians make this repair on more than a few vehicles per month.

As part of the regular maintenance of your vehicle you do want to have your cabin air filter checked and changed typically at least twice a year. The cost of a new cabin air filter $45 is so much cheaper that a $2500 A/C evaporator core.

So as silly as it might sound keeping the leaves, dead bugs and debris off your car is an important part of your maintenance that can possibly save you a lot of money. So clean the leaves off your car !

Please see the picture below. This is the cabin air filter taken out of a customer's car yesterday. The complaint was not much air was coming out of the vents.  Yikes !! They were breathing air that came through that mess.

Is it Time to Have Your Battery Replaced

Just a few thoughts on batteries

It may be surprising to you that it’s the heat of summer that’s harder on your battery than the cold of winter. Yep that’s right, everyone thinks the winter cold kills your battery which it does (your battery works harder in winter to start your car) but only after the heat of summer has weaken it. High heat causes battery fluid to evaporate, thus damaging the internal structure of the battery and when it gets cold the battery often will not have enough juice to get your car started.

There can be several other reasons for a dead battery or a shortened battery life. The reason may be your battery is overcharging due to a dead cell in the battery, alternator issues or the voltage regulator. Also a battery that is being overcharged can cause damage to your alternator. All these possible issues need to be checked out when you bring your vehicle in for a weak battery or charging problems    

Batteries today are usually maintenance free batteries (other than keeping the connects clean) however most batteries have caps that can be removed with a screwdriver. If low on water they can be refilled with distilled water if necessary. We do recommend that if you believe your battery needs help, please have your Atlanta Hybrid Repair Technician check it out.

It is a good rule of thumb that if your vehicle's battery is 3 years or older you should consider purchasing a new battery before winter.

10 Signs That Your Brakes Need to be Inspected

Your car's brakes system is the most vital component that keeps you safe while driving. Paying attention to the different signs of brake wear will save you money and keep your vehicle from bouncing off the car in front of you.

ToyoTechs recommends routine brake inspections as they are essential to safe driving and maintaining your vehicle. As responsible car owners we need to stay on top of brake maintenance. Your brakes are at the top of the list for vehicle safety. We all need to have our brakes checked at least once a year or more often if you drive a lot. Neglecting your braking system will lead to increased cost of repairs and leave you on the side of the road or worse.

Here’s what to look for to indicate your brakes need to be inspected and possibly replaced.

• Noise: screeching, grinding or clicking noises when applying the brakes
• Pulling: your car pulls to one side while braking
• Low Pedal: brake pedal nearly touches the floor before engaging
• Hard Pedal: must apply extreme pressure to the pedal before it engages
• Grabbing: brakes grab at the slightest touch to the pedal
• Vibration: brake pedal vibrates or pulses, even under normal braking conditions
• Light: brake light is illuminated on your vehicle’s dashboard
• Emergency Brake: weakness felt when applying, or you notice the brake not holding
• Smell: a bad odor after coming to a hard stop
• Stopping: the feeling that the vehicle should of stopped sooner or not stopping
• Doubt: if you have any doubt about your vehicle's braking ability, stop your car and call for tow, or slowly bring your car in NOW

Brakes are a normal wear item on all vehicles and will eventually need to be replaced. There are many factors that affect brake wear such as driving habits, operating conditions, vehicle type and the quality of the braking materials used. (cheap brake pads and shoes are cheap for a reason)

If you have not had your brakes inspected in a while please make an appointment for a safety check.

Learning to Save Gas Without Driving Less

With gas prices still hovering above the $2 mark you don’t have to drive less to save gas. You can help control your gas mileage by following some simple and inexpensive vehicle maintenance tips.

Most of us don’t really have an option to drive less when gas prices go up however we can cancel out some of the increases by making sure our vehicle’s are getting the maximum fuel economy available. The amount of fuel used is directly related to vehicle maintenance and driver behavior. Both can have a huge impact on how much fuel is used.

Here are some simple steps we have put together to save gas without driving less.

• Keep your car properly tuned to improve gas mileage by an average of 4 percent.
• Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by 3 percent.
• Replace clogged and dirty air filters on older vehicles to improve gas mileage by as much as 14 percent.
• Replace old and dirty spark plugs. Dirty plugs reduce gas mileage by 2 miles per gallon
• Change your oil regularly and gain another mile per gallon.
• Check your gas cap. Damaged, loose or missing gas caps allows gas to vaporize into the air.
• Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 mph
• Avoid excessive idling. Idling gets Zero miles per gallon. Warming up the vehicle for 1 - 2 minutes is sufficient
• Avoid quick starts and stops. Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by 33 percent on the highway and 5 percent in the city.
• Consolidate trips. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much gas as one longer multi-purpose trip
• Don’t haul around unneeded items in your trunk. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces fuel economy by 1 - 2 percent.

I know recently as this past fall I had fallen behind on my own scheduled maintenance and on top of that I had a small oil leak (gasket) which meant I was using much more oil than I should of been using. My vehicle has a lot of miles on it and I questioned whether the money spent on maintenance and repairs would be worth it.

Many people including myself thought we were saving money by putting off needed vehicle maintenance and repairs. However what I now realize today is that by neglecting routine maintenance and repairs it could of ended up costing me a lot more in the end. I found that my own car was using a lot more oil and gas than I thought and am very fortunate that I did not blow up my engine.

So a new gasket and some spark plugs got my vehicle running amazingly like (almost) new. I have 294,000 miles on my 2011 Scion and my car really runs great and the expense of the repairs has been well worth it. I do get better gas mileage, my car runs smoother and has better get up and go !!

information supplied by The Car Care Council

Will Your Warranty Still Be Good if You Use ToyoTechs ?

Did you know when your vehicle’s under warranty you don’t have to go to “the dealer” to have your car serviced ? It’s a false assumption that unless you use “the dealer” that your warranty can be voided. It is perfectly fine to have ToyoTechs perform your vehicle’s scheduled maintenance and repairs while under warranty.

According to the Car Care Council consumers are protected by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act that is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. (FTC) It is illegal for a dealer to deny warranty because you had routine maintenance or repairs performed by another company.

All you need to do is maintain the service records on your vehicle making sure you are adhering to the manufacturer's scheduled service requirements. If a warranty claim happens the records you keep will provide proof that the scheduled required maintenance has been performed.

It would be the actual warranty work that you need be done at the dealer. An example would be if your transmission failed when you only have a few thousand miles on your vehicle. Your drive train usually is under warranty for 36,000 miles, however some manufacturers have upped the mileage to 100,000 miles. All new vehicles have very specific warranty coverage. This would be a case that the dealer has to be the one repairs the problem.

So don’t ever be afraid of bringing your your vehicle in for service and repairs. We always keep a record of your visit and give you a copy for your records.

Several customers asked that I do a follow up on recalls and gathering up the links for all the car manufacturers. I will get back with you about the Takata airbag recall as soon as I hear anything more.

We know everybody doesn't own a Toyota or Lexus so I have included the links to the top 11 auto manufacturers. The Takata airbag was installed in most of these manufacturers models excluding Hyundai and Kia.

Often a recall can be very serious and possibly life threatening such as the Takata airbag recall that affects between 35 - 40 million vehicles. It's been several months since I was issued a Takata recall on my own car however Toyota has not offered a remedy as of yet. My current solution offered by Toyota is still “we recommend that you do not operate the vehicle with an occupant in the front passenger seat”  That statement does nothing to comfort me about the state of my car. I will follow up with another email once I finally received word of a solution from Toyota.

There is no shortage of recall notices on most every vehicle, we just have to decide whether it is a serious problem or not. Often times recalls are more of a frivolous nature such as a recent recall because the lack of power window switch lubrication.  

 To check your vehicle for all recalls just enter in your VIN (17 characters and numbers ) ) located on your dashboard at the bottom of your driver's side windshield. These sites will tell you of the Takata recall or any other recalls that might be for your vehicles.

http://touch.toyota.com/recall   - Toyota, Lexus and Scion

http://recalls.owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls    - Honda

 http://owners.acura.com/service-maintenance/recalls     - Acura

 http://www.infinitiusa.com/recalls-vin#/     - Infiniti

 http://www.nissanusa.com/recalls-vin#/     - Nissan

 https://www.mazdausa.com/owners/recalls    - Mazda

 https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/campaignhome     - Hyundai

 http://www.kia.com/us/en/content/owners/safety-recall - Kia

 https://my.gm.com/recalls   - GM

 https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/maintenance/recalls.html   - Ford

 http://recalls.mopar.com/    -  Chrysler

 http://www.safercar.gov/checkforrecalls    -  US government page for all recalls

 http://www.safercar.gov/rs/takata/index.html    - US Government recall page for Takata air bags

Once again I will be back with you when I find more important information on the Takata recall.

What to do if Your Car Breaks Down

So often we’re diving down the road and see a vehicle broken down on the side of the road and we feel terrible for that person and at the same time grateful that it’s not my car. If you are having a breakdown have you really thought through what you would do? We have put together some suggestions and thoughts on what to you should try to do to be as safe as possible. So here are some helpful ideas for you to think about. Remember these are just basic thoughts and you have to be the one to make the critical choices at the time as the situation unfolds can be very dangerous.

1 - When driving along and you feel your car’s performance change indicating that there is a problem (slowing speed, noises, smoke, flat tire, out of gas) slow down or coast to the right side of the road onto the shoulder if possible.

2 - Let other drivers know that your vehicle is in trouble by turning on your flashers immediately.

3 - If you're on a highway and you don’t make it off the road you have two choices. Get out of the car and make a mad dash to the shoulder which is very dangerous or stay in the car until help arrives. Sitting in a car with traffic driving by is a scary proposition however in most cases it is probably the safer choice than taking a suicide run through traffic.

4 - If you are stuck in the middle of the highway call 911 and then for a tow truck.

5 - If you're able to get your vehicle to the side of the road, move off to the right as far as possible. Pop your hood as it is a good sign your vehicle is in distress and you need help. Keeping a white rag in your car is also another good thing to have so you can hang it from a window as another sign showing distress. When exiting your car make sure to look 2-3 times as the oncoming traffic is moving faster than you think.

6 - Often times someone will stop and offer assistance. Be careful about accepting help if you're in an isolated area. There are a lot of wonderful people out there that will change a tire or offer you some kind of assistance just be careful.

7 - It is better to stay with your vehicle however if you decide to walk for help stay as far off the road as possible. Just because you're walking in the emergency lane dosen’t mean you're safe. Be aware of your surrounding as people swerve into the emergency lane all the time.

There is a lot to think about with a possible breakdown. What would you do? Do you have emergency phone numbers handy. Do you belong to a roadside assistance program? Do you have a road emergency kit with reflective lights or road flares?

These are good questions not only for young drivers but also yourself. Most breakdowns are not totally awful events but they can be if not handled with the best thought process. A breakdown usually requires some quick thinking and not being panicky. The purpose of this email is just to have you think about what would you do and hopefully help you be a little better prepared by thinking about the possibility of a breakdown in advance.

Hopefully it will never happen to you however I myself have had several flat tires through the years and once ran out of gas which is a funny story now however it was not funny when it happened. In short I had a project that I had been procrastinating about so I wrote a reminder note on a folded piece of paper and placed it on my dashboard. So I’m driving towards downtown where I worked when my car “broke down” right before I 285 on I 85. I was barely able to make it to the side of the road where there is only a small emergency lane and a large 30 foot wall so there was not anywhere for me to go to get away from the road where the drivers are going 60+ mph. I had no idea what had happened until I moved the piece of paper on my dashboard and then became enlightened. This dummy had put the paper in front of the gas gauge so I could not see it and I had run out of gas. That was a very scary situation. Fortunately a friend lived only a few minutes away and was able to bring me a can of gas. Those 25 minutes sitting there with thousands of cars going by so fast was very unnerving.

Thoughts: Pre Purchase and Safety Inspections                                                                                                                                                        

Over the last year I have put out information that is both useful and infused with money saving tips. I’ve written about Pre Purchase Inspections in the past however another situation has popped up. A customer recently purchased a used car without getting a pre purchase inspection and then brought the car in for a safety inspection. This was an absolutely beautiful vehicle inside and out until we put it up on a lift and looked underneath. OUCH !!! This car came from up north and apparently the years of road salt had totally damaged the underside of the car. (see pictures below) Telling you about the amount of rust on this vehicle cannot be overstated. The whole underside of the vehicle is so incredibly damaged we’re not sure how long this car will be driveable. If your are purchasing a used vehicle PLEASE have us inspect it first. It is a slight inconvenience and will take about 30 - 45 minutes however it could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of heartache.

I also put a lot of information out about having a safety inspection on your vehicle at least twice a year, more often if you drive a lot.  During this inspection we inspect tires, hoses, belts, brakes, all fluids, the cooling system and suspension. More often than not the safety inspection is performed during your regular oil change. However we always do a safety check when you come in for any service. I cannot tell you how often we find coolant leaks, oil leaks, worn belts, brakes and other problems during this check. That's the bad news. The good news is how often these problems are caught in the nick of time so that you don’t end up with a blown engine or stuck on the side of the road. Yes the found repairs cost money however it’s always better to catch the problem now instead of later.

The idea I am trying to present to you it’s always better to take a little time and money now than a lot of time and money later. We will fix your vehicle when you have a major repair however we would like to see you avoid the time and expense of these problems if possible.

As I have said before, we are here to serve you and help keep you safe from the villains in the car sales business.