August is Brake Safety Awareness Month. 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 can 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 vehicle 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 at 770-457-9991

The Not’s and Don’ts of Car Ownership, Part 1

As car owners we often don’t drive or take care of our vehicle’s like we should. (including me and especially my daughters) I have put together a list of some things to think about and at some time hopefully act on. (Me included) I hope you’ll find these helpful.

1 - Ignoring warning lights. The warning lights on your dashboard should not be ignored. Each light means something and some could mean something critical. For safety sakes get these checked out ASAP.

2 - Not having your oil changed. Engines can go longer between oil changes than they used to, however that's no excuse for not regularly having your oil changed. When your car has reached the interval listed in your owner's manual or your car's maintenance reminder light comes on get it done soon.

3 - Don’t put off repairs. Repairs can be costly however often times putting them off can cost you even much more. For example, delaying purchasing new brake pads when needed can lead not only to safety problems but also lead to the need to replace additional expensive components.

4 - Not keeping to a maintenance schedule. The maintenance schedule published in the owner's manual is a guide for what’s best to keep your vehicle in the most desireable operating condition.

5 - Not paying attention to leaks.  If there’s leaked fluids on the floor of the garage, your car is trying to tell you something. (A pool of clear water coming off of the air conditioning compressor is OK) Often times leaks can be the beginning of some bad stuff happening. Nip it in the bud and possibly save hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

6 - Not washing your vehicle regularly.  Washing your car does more than just make it look good. It gets rid of dirt and chemicals from the road that can cause damage to the paint. During the spring and summer, tree sap and bird droppings left on vehicles can eat into the paint and need to be removed as soon as possible

7 - Not waxing your vehicle regularly. Waxing your car a few times a year provides a barrier that protects its clear coat and the paint below it. Waxing creates a layer that takes the abuse and sheds dirt and other chemicals.

8 - Not using your emergency brake. When you park and rely on your transmission to hold the car, you risk costly transmission damage and create a possible safety hazard when you don't use the parking brake. Leaving the car in park alone can put tremendous stress on the transmission especially on the hills in the Atlanta area.

9 - Not using the correct fuel.  Surprisingly a lot of folks use the wrong fuel in their vehicle. Simply using premium unleaded in a car that only requires regular unleaded won’t cause you any trouble but in your wallet. Doing the opposite might cost you some power, but it usually won’t damage anything. However, using ethanol (E85) or diesel in a car not designed for it is a route to costly repairs. See your owner's manual for the correct fuel for your car.

10 - Don’t overfill your gas tank. Topping off your gas tank can compromise your car’s performance, damage your paint, and increase air pollution. When you overfill the tank, excess fuel can flow into the car’s vapor collection system, allowing liquid into a charcoal canister that is intended to hold fuel vapor, not fuel itself.

11 - Don’t run out of gas. When you run the car out of gas, you risk damaging your fuel pump, which is cooled and lubricated by the flow of gas. This obviously also can cause an unsafe situation.

12 - Not slowing down enough for speed bumps. Speed bumps are designed to slow your pace through neighborhoods and other congested spaces. If you do them right, they increase safety and won’t affect your car. Do them wrong, and you risk damaging your suspension, bumper, and underbody.

Don't forget about our other shop Atlanta Hybrid Repair. AHR is equipped to handle all your Toyota and Lexus service needs. AHR is smaller, so often it's easier to get an appointment. Gas powered and hybrids are welcome. Located at 5630 Peachtree Blvd. 1 mile away from the main shop across the street from Wendy’s and the Kia dealership. Call Robbie for appointment at 770-492-7437

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.