Daytona Toyota Blog

Simple Car Care Tips

This week marked the first day of summer and many of you are finalizing your 4th of July holiday plans that include some considerable car travel. It’s already hot and whether you’re on the open road to enjoy some fun in the sun for a long road trip for a vacation or you are hitting the pavement for business travel, make sure you are ready to handle the wear and tear of the heat on your car. Take these five tips seriously before you hit the gas pedal.

Even if you think your car is in good shape, it’s best to make some routine checks to make sure you reach your destination hassle-free.

1. Kick the tires. And then get out the tire-pressure gauge and check that your tires are inflated to the level recommended in your owner’s manual. Summer heat increases the pressure in tires, so test the pressure before driving far. Don’t forget to check your spare as well.

Underinflated tires run the risk of a blowout, and overinflated ones make hydroplaning more likely in rainy weather. There’s a financial payoff, too: Properly inflated tires increase your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by up to 3%.
Check the tread while you’re down there. Stick a penny in the tread gaps with Lincoln’s head facing down — if the head is fully visible, you need new tires.

Call Daytona Toyota and bring your car in, our expert technicians will check all tires and give you a final recommendation.

2. Check the essentials. Check the oil after running the car for a few minutes. It should be at a sufficient level and appear clean on the stick. Our technicians recommend an oil change every 3,000 miles, so check your owner’s manual for guidance.

Start by washing your Toyota vehicle to remove dirt buildup from the winter/spring. This gives you the opportunity to inspect the paint for nicks and scrapes. Wash dirt and grime from your wheel wells to avoid rusting. Clean the windshield and check for cracks (some chips can be repaired without replacing the windshield). This is important because dirty and cracked windshields can contribute to eye fatigue, says Nicole Niemi, a spokeswoman for AAA in Chicago. Replace worn wiper blades and refill windshield washer solvent.

New windshield-wiper blades are also a good investment for summer driving, if you have not changed them in over a year or two. Thunderstorms often crop up without warning, and the previous winter’s weather may have taken a toll on the blades’ performance.

This is also a good time to inspect brake lights, turn signals and high beams. (There’s nothing fun about driving at night with one headlight.) Don’t forget to give your vehicle a good waxing, which will give it some sheen and help protect the paint.

CHECK BATTERIES: Batteries can fail at any time of the year. Although drivers tend to think they fail more often in the winter, they can also fail in the summer. A professional Daytona Toyota technician can check and maintain routine battery care, like scraping away corrosion and tightening connections.

3. Make a service stop. It’s better to get a maintenance service than to wait for something to fail. Your Toyota service manual recommends a tune-up schedule and stopping by before a long trip is a good idea helps preempt any bigger problems and improves your fuel economy by 4% to 12%.

Call Daytona Toyota and set up your appointment at (386)-255-7475, we’ll analyze your needs and make you safe for the road.

4. Ditch the junk in your trunk. Take out the unnecessary items and pack what you need. The more you haul, the more fuel you burn. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your mpg by up to 2%.

5. Prepare for the worst. You should keep an emergency kit with some necessities in your car in case you get stuck. Daytona Toyota recommends the Toyota Emergency Assistance Kit includes booster cables, tire pressure gauge, hose clamp/tape, pocket tool and work gloves—plus essential emergency supplies such as survival wrap blankets, poncho, flashing LED lights, flashlight/lantern and water bag. Call our Parts Department to reserve your kit - (386)-255-7475.

We don’t want sound like your grandma, but keep in mind that driving faster than 60 miles per hour decreases your fuel efficiency — each 5 mph over 60 is like paying an extra 24 cents per gallon for gas. That money is better spent on a snack at the next rest stop.

Daytona Toyota is here to help you stay safe in this heat. Call us anytime for advice at (386)-255-7475. We are here for you!

Alright, it’s time to head out and have some fun in the sun!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010 at 2:11 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.