Toyotas are known for their safety features. They are one of the highest quality cars on the market because of their rather low maintenance and long lifetimes. They employ different types of safety procedures to best protect and serve the owners of their cars. For all of the protection that the cars provide to you, it is in your best interest to protect and repair your Toyota the moment it needs it. Avoid myths and procrastination when it comes to your car, because if there is something wrong with your car, it needs to be fixed by people who know the issues and can predict future problems.
All cars and machines have scheduled maintenance that should not be ignored during the life of the object. Toyota has attempted to mitigate the option to ignore the maintenance, because in going to the checkups, your car will run the best it ever has, while you rack up the miles. This is one of the signs that your Toyota needs to head into a shop to be looked at, since any issues that have been found will be found during this check-up, and most likely if you are going in for factory scheduled maintenance, you’re also within the warranty limits. It’s also worth mentioning that Toyotas bought from dealerships often come with those millage warranties, and commonly the dealership gives the impression that only the dealership is able to apply the warranty to your car. However, you should be able to approach repair shops outside of the dealership to explore your options. We, at Toy Car Care, are one of these shops which will take warranties given out by dealerships.
Avoid Working on Your Own Car
A lot of times, people are convinced that they can fix their own car issues. And some things can be fixed at home—but others cannot be home-remedied. These are machines which need to operate at their best for their entire lifespan, and the ability to treat issues like a professional verse a DIYer, separates the serious issues from the superfluous. If your Toyota is experiencing an overheating engine, a defective transmission system, a problem-child suspension, or a timing-belt issue, it’s time to bring the car into the professionals. Most of the time these issues are cause by multiple factors, and the layman may be well versed in cars and still miss the cues that will indicate other issues within the machine. That’s not to say that you are unable to change the tire on your car, but it is a mistake to think that a spare tire on a car is capable of everyday driving like a regular tire.
Signs of Immediate Issues
Even automotive illiterates know a few basic rules about the huge machines they drive every day. It is up to you to be able to adequately and correctly identify issues which will destroy your vehicle. Your car is good at giving insight into its issues, it’ll give cues and warning signs of something being wrong. Some of these signs include:
- Any of the warning lights being on, on the dashboard, especially the check engine
- Any sign of transmission oddity, including delayed shifting or weird, sudden smells
- Any strange sounds, like loud, screeching brakes, thumping sounds or grinding
It’s important to note here, that while the occurrence of odd sounds is an indicator of something going awry, the absence of sounds does not mean that everything is perfect. A silent car is not necessarily a healthy car, which is why we suggest a check-up every 10,000 to 15,000 miles.
Any sort of leaking fluid when the car has stopped for any period of time.
All of these are immediate issues which need to be addressed by professionals. They can be symptoms of larger issues which would require specialized tools and training to correct. The best thing you can do if experiencing these issues, is to get off of a busy street, park, and call a tow company to take you to the nearest shop. The continued life of your car is at risk when these symptoms begin, so it is a necessity that they are fixed as quickly as possible.
Elevation Tune-Ups
If you’re new to the Centennial, Colorado area, you may be in need of getting an elevation tune-up. This is the case when you (and your car) have traveled from very high elevations or very low elevations for extended periods of time. The necessity behind the tune-up is huge, because it will assess how your car is doing in the environment and what changes need to be made to make it run better and more efficient. There are some instances when a car will refuse to start due to a combination of sparkplugs and poor reaction from the elevation change. Or, there can be a change of tire pressure between the origin of the car and the current destination. For other cars, the elevation will do nothing to the systems—but if you’ve recently moved from another elevation, and you can’t understand why your car is not responding properly, it’s a good idea to have it taken to the professionals, so that we can access the changes that need to happen to make it drivable again.
Take Ways
We love our Toyotas, and we know that you love your Toyotas too. We want to do everything possible to ensure that your car stays on the road, keeping you safe, and we keep it safe. There are a variety of ways to help your car through its inevitable issues, and by paying attention to the differences that can change as you wear down the car, you can identify large issues that require maintenance by professionals. We recommend bring in your car any time there is a large change in the way that it drives or sounds or smells—on top of getting routine check-ups every 10,000 to 15,000 miles.
If you’d like to schedule an appointment, or give us a call, please visit our website—or if you would like to read more about your amazing Toyota and it’s features visit our blog.