Most Common Car Problems to Leave you Stranded on the Side of the Road

Driving along and all of a sudden you have car failure leaving you on the side of the road is one of the most uncomfortable things that can happen. Often times as car owners this happens because we have the “ignore it and it will go away” attitude about our cars. Who needs the expense and hassle of making the time for repairs sometimes comes all too easy. However many times breakdowns can be avoided if we just keep up with the regular maintenance on our vehicles.

Here are the 8 most common reasons for your vehicle to breakdown.

• Engine - often times breakdown stems from lack of maintenance, oil changes and tune ups.
• Belts - old belts wear out and break, need to be checked for wear and replacement. Timing belt replaced.
• Transmission - lack of service, transmission flushes as needed
• Cooling system - cracked hoses, leaking water pumps or radiator
• Electrical systems - battery and alternator failure, bad switches, relays or starter. The summer heat is particularly hard on your car's battery
• Brakes - pads and shoes needed to checked for wear. Brake flushes as needed.
• Tires - should be rotated and checked on a regular basis
• Suspension or steering - Shocks, tie rods, ball joints, bushing and control arms are subject to wear and breakdown.

So these are the 8 areas that breakdowns occur most frequently. Most of these breakdown issues can be avoided by coming in for regular oil changes. During every oil change our technician will perform a safety check on your vehicle with a visual examination on all these areas that are subject for failure.

The regular maintenance of changing your oil, brake, transmission and power steering flushes at regular intervals are the most important things you can do for your car to keep it running longer.

Teach Your Nose to Recognize These Six Vehicle Warning Signs  

When you purchase your new vehicle it comes with a “new car smell”. However there are smells more specific that a car owner should know about to avoid the hassle and expense of a breakdown.

 Odors from your vehicle may be a sign of serious trouble, and possibly the potentiality of a costly repair. Catching that odd odor and acting quickly by having your vehicle checked out immediately you may save your car from more damaging repairs such as a blown engine.

 Here are the six warning smells:

 1 - The smell of gas is usually associated with a gasoline leak such as a fuel injector line, or the gas tank. This could result in a possible fire hazard so bring your vehicle in immediately. If you see leaking gas do not start the car, call for a tow.

 2 - The smell of burnt hot oil could mean that oil is leaking from several possible places such as a gasket needing replaced or a leaky oil pan. Look for smoke coming from the engine and also look for oil on the ground. Bring the vehicle in soon.

 3 - The odor of rotten boiled eggs coming from your vehicle is usually a problem with your catalytic converter. Bring your car in soon.

 4 - A sweet syrupy smell could be a sign your engine is leaking coolant. Do not touch the engine or try to take off the radiator cap off when the vehicle is hot. If your car is running hot stop and give us a call.  

 5 - Burning carpet smell could be a sign of brake trouble. This could be a safety hazard. Have your brakes checked immediately especially if this odor happens during normal driving conditions. Bring your car in immediately.

 6 - The smell of burning rubber could be anything from drive belts, frozen pulleys or a loose hose rubbing against a moving part of the engine. This needs to be checked out soon.

If you smell a strange odor coming from your car, don’t ignore it. Bring your car into ToyoTechs as soon as possible.

Information provided by the Car Care Council

Keeping Your Cool with ToyoTechs Air Conditioning Service

With the temperature running in the 90’s the last place you want to be is sitting in traffic with an air conditioner that is not functioning properly. To help avoid this situation ToyoTechs recommends having your air conditioning checked on an annual basis to make sure it's functioning at a peak performance. Our Master Technicians have all the latest diagnostic equipment to find and repair any air conditioning issue you may have with your vehicle.

When you come in for an air conditioning inspection or service ToyoTechs will complete the following:

• Inspect the air conditioning cooling ability
• Check the refrigerant level and pressure
• Overall visual inspection
• Examine all A/C and cooling system hoses for cuts, abrasion, weak spots, and signs of leakage
• If your system is low on refrigerant a dye test will be performed to find the source of the leak.
• Replace broken and worn out parts
• Add refrigerant as needed

Keeping you cool is a top priority during these hot summer months.

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your car running and save money on repairs in the future.

Below Master Technician Jeff Newsome is removing the evaporator  core of the A/C  system.

Traveling for the Summer Holidays, Get a Safety Inspection Before Your Trip

Before you pack and head to the beach, mountains or back home for the holidays, ToyoTechs reminds you to make sure your vehicle is ready for the trip. With the high heat of summer your car is working all that much harder. Having a thorough vehicle  inspection is a must to avoid the inconvenience and safety hazards of breaking down miles from home.

ToyoTechs recommends a check of the following, tires and tire pressure, batteries, brakes, hoses, belts, air filters, wipers, fluid levels including engine oil, windshield wiper solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

We also recommend that you keep a emergency travel kit in your car. The emergency kit should include a first aid kit, jumper cables, a flashlight and water.

It’s very important to remember, always get a safety check before traveling !

Call 770-457-9991 for an appointment.

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your car running and save money on repairs in the future.

Thanks

Benefits of Regular Oil Changes     

A good number of motorist don’t take the time to have regular oil changes. Something so simple as an oil change can have multiple benefits to your car's performance and add to a longer life for your vehicle. Your vehicle should have a simple oil change every 3 months or 5,000 to 7,500 miles depending on whether you're using synthetic oil or conventional oil. The oil should be changed more often if you do a lot of hard driving. Regular oil changes will keep your vehicle running smoother and is the most inexpensive way to quality maintenance and prevent common issues due to age and wear.

During a oil change the old dirty oil and filter will be replaced. This may not seem like a big deal however it’s one of the biggest concerning the health of your car. Small particles of dirt and debris get into the engine and begin to corrode away or wear down the moving parts. When your engine oil is dirty it will not properly lubricate and protect your moving engine parts.

Besides the reasons given above there are payoffs when your vehicle is properly lubricated. You vehicle will run at a better performance level not having any debris or sludge running through your engine. This helps in boosting your gas milage and lowering your emissions and basically you have a smoother ride.

The regular maintenance of changing your oil, brake, transmission and power steering flushes at regular intervals are the most important things you can do for your car to keep it running longer.

Make Sure your Vehicle is Ready for the Summer Heat

We all know how uncomfortable the weather is when it gets into the 90's. Well the hot summer is here to stay with temperatures expected to be in the high 80’s to mid 90’s the rest of the summer.  As much as this heat drains us the heat also makes your car work all that much harder. There is nothing worse than having your vehicle break down or not having your A/C during these long hot days.

With the extra stress of the summer heat on your car’s engine our Technicians recommend an overall safety inspection of the following: air conditioning, tires, tire pressure, batteries, brakes, hoses, belts, air filters, wipers, fluid levels including engine oil, windshield wiper solvent and coolant.

Remember every time you bring your car in for an oil change we do a overall inspection.

Regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your car running and save money on repairs in the future.

Make your appointment today:

Pictured below is a coolant leak in the valley of the engine found during an engine inspection

Just a reminder to all our customers. ToyoTechs has a second location, Atlanta Hybrid Repair / ToyoTechs 2 that does all the same service and repairs that are done in the main shop. Atlanta Hybrid Repair / ToyoTechs 2 has all the latest up to date diagnosing equipment for any service or repair needed. Atlanta Hybrid Repair / ToyoTechs 2 also has access to Toyota Information Systems, known as TIS, a web based information system for Toyota, Lexus and Scion automobiles.

If you have another brand of vehicle other than a Toyota or Lexus, Atlanta Hybrid Repair / ToyoTechs 2 is now servicing all Gas Powered Vehicles of the following makes, Honda, Acura, Mazda, Nissan, Infiniti, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia.

Our General Manager at this location is long time ToyoTechs employee Master Technician Kenny Hancock who has been with the company for the last 19 years. The first 15 years Kenny was the lead Master Technician at ToyoTechs and promoted May 2011 to be the General Manager at Atlanta Hybrid / ToyoTechs 2.

For an appointment call

770-492-7437

or click

https://www.facebook.com/atlantahybrids/app/111689078859535/

Atlanta Hybrid Repair / ToyoTechs 2

5630 Peachtree Blvd.

Chamblee Ga. 30341

1 mile inside I-285 across from the Kia dealership

Congratulations to all our ToyoTechs employees for working so diligently in helping keep our customers happy and safely on the road. Here at ToyoTechs we work hard to diagnose, repair and return your vehicle as quickly as possible. This is the 4th year in the last 5 that we have won the coveted Angie's List Super Service Award. Along with that we also won the “People Love us on Yelp  Award for 2015”

Our real appreciation goes out to all of our customers who continue to be loyal and support ToyoTechs. We will always continue to work hard to keep winning you over and over again.

           Fred Johnson Owner of ToyoTechs

Remember regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your ride happy and save money on repairs in the future.

For those of you who suffer from allergies, this blog is for you! While your nose might be getting stuffy by the seasonal pollen outside, you can be breath easier in your car thanks to its cabin air filter. Your car's filtration system works with its heating and air conditioning components to create a clean, comfortable, and temperature controlled driving environment. The cabin air filter in your vehicle is responsible for removing pollen, dust, and debris from the air that is being circulated throughout the vehicle.

The cabin air filter is a paper filter that is mounted to a frame and placed in front of the Air Conditioning system—usually behind glove box. When you adjust the temperature in your vehicle, the A/C's fans pull outside air into the car and pushes it through the A/C components. As the air's temperature is adjusted, it is flows through the cabin air filter and into the car.

Over time, the cabin air filter will become clogged, causing a decrease in airflow. The air filter is checked during every oil change and should be replaced as recommended by your ToyoTechs Technician.

In the photo below you can see how dirty a cabin air filter can become and the poor quality of the air that will be entering this auto.

Is it time for your next appointment ?

Remember regular preventive maintenance is probably the single thing you can do as a car owner to keep your ride happy and save money on repairs in the future.