12 Steps to Having a Greener Car

Whether you’re driving around in a vehicle that’s old or new, large or small everyone can do a better job at “greening” up your car. We can all make our cars a bit more environmentally friendly by following some simple preventive maintenance steps that in turn will save you money in the long run.

1 - Keep your car tuned up: Changing the spark plugs in your car will help improve its gas mileage and reduce emissions. Can improve your gas mileage by up to 4% with a proper tune up

2 - Check and replace dirty air filters: A clogged air filter chokes off the air and can affect the overall performance of your car.

3 - Maintain the cooling system: Having your coolant, radiator, water pump and fan checked on a regular basis (at every oil change)

4 - Air Conditioning maintenance: Your vehicle’s air conditioning system should be inspected on a yearly basis

5 - Vehicle fuel system: your car’s fuel filter should be changed every 2 years or 24,000 miles. (varies with manufacturer and make)

6 - Emission systems: Exhaust and pollutants emissions are cut down by an array of sensors, computerized engine controls and exhaust components. Your technician has diagnostic computers to help determine if there are issues with your emissions

7 - Gas cap: A cracked or loose gas cap allows gas fumes to escape wasting fuel and polluting the air

8 - Tire checks: Maintaining proper tire pressure can improve gas mileage by over 3%

9 - Lighten the load: Carrying around a car full of junk causes an increase in gas usage.

10 - Drive smart: Avoid sudden stops and starts and stay close to the speed limit. Aggressive driving, rapid acceleration, speeding and braking can cause a loss of over 30% in gas mileage

11 - Oil changes: Regular oil changes help keep your car's engine running smoother and will increase the life of your car

12 - Brake, power steering and transmission flushes: Dirt, moisture, rust and corrosion can be kept at bay with regular flushes helping keep your vehicle on the road longer and with fewer repairs.

Maintain and repair your vehicle as needed. Regular service and maintenance is the most important thing you can do for your car to keep it running better and longer.

Pictured below is the sludge build up from not having regular oil changes costing the customer a very expensive valve job.

Information provided by The Car Care Council

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