Be Safe on Halloween

Halloween is coming up Thursday. I have so many fun memories from when I was a child about all these people giving me candy for no reason. I know when my daughters were growing up this was absolutely their favorite night of the year. (well Christmas Eve also) The excitement is huge for so many young children and adults who love to dress up in costumes for parties and go trick or treating.

This is also the one night of the year when you really need to be extra careful driving when entering or exiting driveways and streets. Driving slow on Halloween is a must. Children get so excited with the thought of more candy by getting to the next house faster. They will run out in front of your car. So on this one night drive like a snail and everyone will be safer.

• Vehicle Lights - Check that all your lights are working for maximum performance and visibility on Halloween. This year the end of Daylight Saving Time isn’t till Nov 3rd which means that children will be out at dusk trick or treating. Driving at dusk is difficult because although the sky is bright. Objects on the road can blend in with the shadows and fade into the darkness. My eyes aren’t what they used to be so when I am driving at dusk this time of year I have to drive slower because everything seems to blend together and the details of what I’m seeing are hard to distinguish .

• Windshield Wipers and Fluid - A dirty windshield cuts down on your visibility to see the children and other vehicles. If the weather turns rainy as it often does on Halloween cracked or torn wipers will also pose a problem to visibility. 

• Street Safety - Parents and adults need to remind their little ghosts and goblins to stay out of the way of cars and walk up on the sidewalk or curb on the opposite side of the street facing traffic if possible. All children should wear bright, reflective clothing. Larger groups of kids are easier for drivers to see so encourage your children to stick together. Flashlights are a great idea for every child to carry.

Be safe and everybody have a fun Halloween

Repair Your Car Instead of Buying a New One

We are fortunate to have so many regular customs that are just plain awesome. Besides being the office manager I am also a good customer of ToyoTechs. I have 337,000 miles on my 2011 Scion XB and plan on driving it a few more years. The question so many customers have to decide as do I, do you want to put money in an older car or purchase new. Well there are several ways to look at this issue. 

From time to time my car needs a tune up, new brakes and some other occasional repairs. Sometimes even more expensive repairs. My vehicle is 8 years old and even with 337,000 miles on it, it still runs great. I have made the choice to keep having regular maintenance done my car instead of buying a new car. This car should last me another 3 - 5 years with regular maintenance.

The maintenance on my vehicle runs $500 - $2000 per year. That being said the rest of the money I am not spending on a new car goes into my 401 K. I would love a new car however perhaps not so much when it comes with a $500 - $700 a month car payment. That’s $6000 - $8000 a year that could go to so many other things.

Vehicles made in the last 15 years are not made like they were years ago when your car’s odometer rolled over to 100,000 miles it was time to get a new car. They just weren't made to last 200,000 - 300,000 miles. Any Toyota or Lexus made in the last 15 years should last 200,000 - 300,000 miles or more.

I have to say last year I helped my daughter find a new car and went through a period of “new car fever” and started looking for a new vehicle. I liked this one and especially that one with all the new bells and whistles. Ahh the new car smell and look. No scratches dents or dings. It was almost like a touch of insanity entered my mind. The thought I then remembered was how glad I was when I made that last payment and the previous months looking forward to not having a payment.

Well so far I have not purchased a new car and the “new car fever” is gone for now.

This is all food for thought mostly about not being afraid when your car is getting a little older or around 100,000 miles and needs some repairs. New cars are nice however so is money in the bank.

(And I still kind of have that new car itch, I’m just not willing to scratch that itch...yet)

Crit

October is Fall Car Care Month: Let’s Keep Your Car on the Road

Since October is Fall Car Care Month I want to take a few minutes to help you become a little more car care aware. You can do this by taking a proactive approach to help you be aware about preventive maintenance that helps ensure safety, reliability and fewer unexpected repairs. 

Getting your vehicle ready for the colder months while the weather is still mild. Now is a good time to keep your car in good continuous running order. The following are the basics of keeping a good running vehicle. Here are the inspections we perform every time you come in for service.

• Check all fluids including oil. Transmission, power steering and brakes as well as antifreeze/coolant and windshield solvent
• Check all hoses and belts to make sure they are not brittle, cracked, frayed or showing signs of excessive wear
• Check the braking system, pads and rotors inspected at each oil change. 
• Check the battery and replace if necessary. 
• Inspection of the exhaust system for leaks, damage or if there is an unusual noise. Exhaust leaks can be dangerous and should be corrected immediately.
• Check the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system. Proper heating and cooling is critical for interior comfort and for safety reasons such as defrosting the windshield. 
• Inspection of the steering and suspension system including shock absorbers, struts, ball joints and tie rods.
• Check the tires, tire pressure and wear. Uneven wear is a sign that you need a wheel alignment. 
• Check the wipers and lighting so you can see and be seen. Especially important as the time changes in the fall and it’s dark by 6 pm.

This email as with most of the emails I send are to help you become aware that keeping up with the maintenance on your vehicle is important to keeping a better running car that in turn means keeping your car on the road longer. There is no reason with how well car’s have been made in the last 15 years that your car should be able to go 250,000 plus miles if taken care of properly. My 2011 Scion XB has 337,500 miles on it and runs 

great. 

We want your car to run smoothly for years