Jumpstart spring cleaning with DIY car cleaning hacks!

Balancing a busy work schedule and a demanding social life is the perfect recipe for a messy car. That’s why Toyota of Orlando is here to help you get an early start on your spring cleaning with some DIY cleaning hacks. Follow these car maintenance tips and you’ll be sporting a spotless set of wheels in no time!

DIY Car Maintenance Hacks

• Car Trash Can: When you’re busy it’s easy to let fast food bags, straw wrappers, and coffee cups build up in your car. To avoid this mess make yourself a car trash can. Grab an empty cereal box container and place a small trash bag in it. Place this on the floor of your vehicle in the front or back seat and avoid trash build-up. Make sure to change out the bag once a week! 

•  Armrest Compartment Organizers: Don’t let your armrest compartment turn into a “junk drawer”. Use this convenient space as storage for items you always want on hand. Our Orlando Toyota dealership recommends placing pen holders or cups in this compartment. These containers make for easy storing of pens, chargers, hand sanitizer, tissues and other essentials.

• DIY All-Purpose Cleaner: Once your Orlando Toyota is decluttered, it’s time to clean the interior. Save some money and keep it natural with an all-purpose cleaner you can make right at home! Blend equal parts of water, baby oil and vinegar with a drop of tea tree oil and your favorite essential oil. Place it in a spray bottle and you’re done. This is safe to use on all interior surfaces and it will have your car smelling fantastic! Be sure to add this step to your routine car maintenance schedule to preserve your interior. 

•  Trunk Organizer: Now that the cabin of your car is clean, it’s time to work on the trunk. A great car maintenance trick to avoid a messy trunk is a trunk organizer. Find these online or at your local superstore. Then empty your trunk of all unnecessary items and place the organizer in. Our Orlando service center suggests storing all of your just-in-case items here – jackets, non-perishable snacks, a first aid kit and an extra pair of shoes, to name a few.

• DIY Air Freshener: Now that your car is pristine, make an air freshener to finish it off! There are a multitude of air fresheners to choose from at the store, but they can be expensive and have a short shelf-life. Making a DIY freshener gives you an affordable and natural solution. You’ll need a clothespin, felt balls and your favorite essential oil. Hot-glue a couple of pompoms to the clothespin and add a couple of drops of oil onto them and you have yourself an air freshener. Clip the clothespin onto your air vent and enjoy the sweet smell of a clean car!

 

Get on a good service routine with Toyota of Orlando 

Having a clean car is as easy as that! Try these car maintenance tips and we promise you won’t be disappointed. After all, having a clean car can make your hectic life just a little easier. Stop by Toyota of Orlando and have our service techs set up your routine maintenance schedule. We’re always running service specials to give you the maintenance you need at a price you deserve. We’re located at 3575 Vineland Rd and are open seven days a week. See you soon!

Your Car’s Best Friend: Oil

With so many car maintenance services to worry about it can be difficult to narrow down the ones that are most important and need to be given the most attention. From coils to serpentine belts to wheels to fluids, it can all get overwhelming. That’s why Toyota of Orlando is here to let you in on the one element that is essential to the performance, maintenance, and quality of your ride; engine oil. We’re lending the spotlight to this essential car fluid to let you know why it’s so important and how to keep up with its maintenance. Let’s get started!

Avoid expensive repairs with simple car maintenance

The engine is often referred to as the “heart” of your car. Sounds pretty important, right? Well, it certainly is. In order to avoid dropping thousands of dollars to replace it, you need to keep up with the quality and amount of its motor oil. With all of the moving parts of an engine and all the friction these parts create there needs to be a sufficient amount of oil to lubricate them. If you don’t keep up with this car maintenance, all of these parts will grind together and cause significant damage to your engine. This grinding will cause a heat build-up and your engine will eventually seize up and conk out on you for good. 

Has your drive to work ever felt more like a rollercoaster than a morning commute? Well, that right there is what a lack of oil can do to your car. The more you drive with old engine oil the more it browns and picks up dirt and grime. When this begins to happen, the quantity of your engine oil begins to drop as well. And without enough oil, your engine will start to burn off and break down. In addition to lubricating and maintaining the proper temperature, your oil prevents corrosion of your Orlando Toyota’s metal parts and enhances the sealing properties of your engine. 

To put things into perspective our Orlando service center staff informed us that a bottle of motor oil typically goes for about $20 while an engine replacement will cost somewhere in the thousands.  That being said, there is no reason to put this car maintenance off. 

 

Get the most out of your ride with Toyota of Orlando 

Now that you understand just how important motor oil is to your set of wheels make sure to get yourself on a good car maintenance schedule. Most cars will need an oil change at around 5,000 miles, but if you’re unsure let our certified technicians take a look and give you the date of your next oil change. At our Orlando dealership we are always running auto service specials to make sure you get the car service you need at a price you deserve! We are open seven days a week and are located at 3575 Vineland Road just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall. Call and schedule your appointment today!

4 ways to make your car greener (and save money)

Have you ever wondered how you can make your car greener? Sure, we've got tons of tips on how to enhance your fuel efficiency, and we can also get you into a new green car at Toyota of Orlando to help you cut down on emissions and fuel consumption. But what about making your existing car greener and better for the planet? Check out these four ways to do just that! 

Go green in 2018 when it comes to car maintenance 

1) Stay on top of your routine car maintenance schedule. Keeping to a routine car care schedule will ensure that your car remains efficient and gets the MPG's it's supposed to, cutting down on excessive fuel consumption. Plus, if you get routine car service taken care of at Toyota of Orlando, our techs will give you a complimentary multi-point inspection every time you visit. They'll be able to spot any inconsistencies or problems that could negatively affect your car's efficiency or performance. 

2) Change your air filters routinely. It's important to change your air filter even outside of eco-friendliness because this helps ensure top-notch performance from your car. But looking at it from the green angle, it's smart to routinely change air filters at your Orlando car maintenance appointments because your vehicle will perform more efficiently. If your air filter is dirty or clogged, your efficiency will drop, resulting in your car consuming more gasoline. 

3) Recycle things like oil, tires, fluids, and batteries. At your car maintenance appointments (or your DIY auto service sessions) make sure you check to ensure that things like tires and batteries are being recycled and that your car's fluids are being disposed of in a way that's friendly to the environment. 

Reduce, reuse, and recycle when it comes to your car 

4) Keep an eye on your emissions system. Fuel efficiency is a big deal because the more gas your car uses, the more natural resources it consumes. However, your emissions system can also be very harmful to the environment if it's not functioning correctly. Emissions form smog and pollute the atmosphere, so ensure your emissions system is in excellent working order before you hit the road. Our Orlando car maintenance techs can check it out for you and make sure everything is running as it should. 

Want to schedule car maintenance today to go green in 2018? Call Toyota of Orlando at (407) 298-0001. We're open seven days a week with the longest service hours in Central Florida! 

How To Catch Engine Damage Early On

Your engine is one of the most important components of your car. That being said, knowing how to spot engine damage is essential to being a good car owner. The problem is not everyone knows how to recognize these signs. Toyota of Orlando is here to give you some tips on how to recognize a damaged engine and make you a better car owner!

Catching engine damage early is especially important because a small problem under the hood can turn into a much bigger issue if you continue driving without addressing it. Your engine contains tons of moving parts that all have to work together, and problems with oil, cooling, ignition, or other systems can eventually affect how your vehicle performs.

The good news? Your car will often give you warning signs that something isn’t quite right. You just have to know what to look, listen, and even smell for.

 

Signs you need car maintenance

The key to saving money with auto repairs is catching them early on. When you catch engine damage in its earliest stages your car maintenance costs will be much lower and the damage to your car will be less serious. Acting quickly is always best when it comes to car maintenance. That’s why our Orlando Toyota service center has given us a list of the top signs that your engine is damaged for you to recognize:

Engine Light

The easiest sign that your engine has suffered damage is the check engine light. Even if your car seems to be performing fine this light indicates an issue with one of your vehicle systems – emissions, fuel injection, ignition, etc. The underlying issue could range from something minor to something serious. That being said, this light isn’t something you should be driving around with on. Ignoring it can cause your fuel economy to drop and lead to more expensive car maintenance down the road.

Keep an eye on how your check engine light behaves, too. A light that comes on and stays on should be checked out, but a flashing check engine light can signal a more urgent problem. If you notice the light flashing while you’re driving, it’s best to avoid pushing your car and have it inspected as soon as possible.

And remember, you don’t have to diagnose the problem yourself. Modern Toyotas have onboard diagnostic systems that can help an experienced technician narrow down what triggered the warning light and determine what car maintenance or repairs are actually needed.

Dark Smoke & Steam

An easy-to-catch sign of a damaged engine is excessive steam or smoke. It’s perfectly normal for your car to produce smoke or steam in small doses every now and then, but an excessive amount of dark smoke indicates you have a problem. Our Orlando car service techs warn that a smoking or steaming vehicle can mean oil is entering your combustion chamber; meaning oil and gasoline are being burned together. This combination can be detrimental to your car’s overall health.

You should also pay attention to where the smoke or steam is coming from and what it looks like. Smoke coming from the exhaust can have several possible causes, while steam coming from underneath the hood can indicate that your engine is overheating or that there’s an issue with the cooling system.

If you notice a large amount of steam coming from underneath the hood or your temperature gauge is climbing into the danger zone, find a safe place to pull over and turn the vehicle off. Continuing to drive an overheating vehicle can potentially cause serious engine damage.

Foreign Sounds

Every car owner should be familiar with the sounds their car makes day to day when it’s running as it should. This is important because a foreign sound can indicate engine trouble. Therefore, if you’re ever met with a strange or new sound you need have the engine checked out. The noises that typically indicate a problem are grinding, squealing, thumping, or hissing coming from under the hood.

Different sounds can point toward different car maintenance issues, which is why you shouldn’t assume a strange noise will simply disappear on its own. Knocking or tapping, for example, could indicate an issue with engine lubrication or internal components. A squealing noise could come from a belt, while hissing could be related to a leak somewhere under the hood.

You know your car better than anyone because you drive it every day. If it suddenly sounds different when you start it, accelerate, idle, or turn on the air conditioning, it’s worth paying attention. Catching a new noise early can help your technician identify a problem before it has the chance to cause additional damage.

Interior Emissions

Since cars burn fossil fuels they produce odorous emissions. A properly functioning car will only produce these emissions outside of the car. If you begin to smell the emissions inside your car you have a problem. The smells that specifically indicate engine trouble are burnt rubber, sweet syrup, hot oil, gasoline, or burning carpet. Being met with these smells is something you should never ignore.

Different smells can also provide clues about what’s going on underneath the hood. A sweet smell can sometimes be associated with coolant, while a hot oil smell may indicate that oil is leaking onto a hot engine component. The smell of gasoline can have several causes and should always be taken seriously.

And if you smell exhaust fumes inside the cabin, don’t ignore them. Get everyone out of the vehicle and have the issue inspected. Exhaust gases can contain carbon monoxide, which can be extremely dangerous.

More warning signs of engine damage

The warning signs don’t stop there. Your Toyota may also tell you it’s time for car maintenance through changes in how it actually drives. Pay attention to anything that suddenly feels different behind the wheel.

Loss of power: Does your ride suddenly struggle to accelerate? A noticeable drop in engine power can have several causes, including problems with the fuel, ignition, air intake, or exhaust systems. If your car feels sluggish when it normally doesn’t, schedule an inspection.

Rough idling: Your engine should generally feel smooth while you’re sitting at a stoplight or parked with the engine running. Shaking, sputtering, or inconsistent engine speeds can be signs that something isn’t working correctly.

Poor fuel economy: If you find yourself heading to the gas station more frequently even though your driving habits haven’t changed, your car may be trying to tell you something. A sudden drop in fuel efficiency can be connected to several maintenance issues.

Fluid leaks: Take a quick look underneath your Orlando Toyota every now and then. If you suddenly notice spots or puddles where you park, don’t just assume they’re harmless. Your vehicle relies on several important fluids to keep its systems operating correctly, and losing those fluids can eventually contribute to bigger problems.

Overheating: Your temperature gauge is there for a reason. If you notice your engine temperature climbing higher than normal, don’t continue driving and hope it fixes itself. Overheating can cause serious engine damage if it isn’t addressed quickly.

Prevent engine damage with routine car maintenance

Recognizing the warning signs is important, but preventing engine damage in the first place is even better. One of the easiest ways to protect your engine is simply staying on top of your recommended car maintenance.

• Oil changes are especially important. Engine oil lubricates the moving parts inside your engine and helps reduce friction and heat. Driving too long with old, dirty, or insufficient oil can put additional stress on your engine.
• You should also pay attention to your car’s coolant, filters, belts, hoses, and other maintenance items. These components may not seem as important as the engine itself, but they all play a role in helping it operate correctly.
• It’s also smart to occasionally pop the hood and take a quick look around. You don’t need to be a mechanic to notice obvious changes like a low fluid level, damaged hose, loose connection, corrosion, or leak. If something looks different than it normally does, let a professional take a closer look.

Most importantly, don’t put off car maintenance because your Toyota still seems to be driving normally. Preventative maintenance is designed to catch wear and tear before it becomes a major repair.

  

Affordable auto service in Orlando

Trust Toyota of Orlando with your car maintenance needs and we’ll be sure to have your car running at its best! Whether you’ve noticed one of these warning signs or you simply want to stay ahead of potential engine damage, having your vehicle inspected sooner rather than later can help you avoid bigger problems.

We’re open seven days a week and are located at 3575 Vineland Rd. just off I-4. Call and schedule your appointment today!

Orlando DIY Car Maintenance: Headlight Bulb Replacement

One of the most important safety features of your car are your headlights. Nothing can put a damper on your day like a headlight going out. And with winter in full effect and an earlier sunset they're even more important. Not only are you at a higher risk of getting in an accident without the proper exterior lighting, but you’re also at risk of getting pulled over and even worse, a ticket. That being said, this is no car maintenance repair you want to put off.

Quick and easy car maintenance

That’s why we sat down with our Orlando car service techs and got the 411 on how to change a burnt out headlight at home. According to the professionals, this is one of the quickest and easiest car maintenance jobs you can do. It can be done in five easy steps and should only take about five minutes.

Let’s get started!

Step 1. Find the Bulb Holder

After your Orlando Toyota is parked and completely off, look around to make sure you’re in a spot where you can work safely. Now open the hood of your vehicle and find the back of your headlight. This is where the bulb holder is located. If you have located the right part, you will see a trapezoid plug with three different wires extending from it.

Step 2. Disable Wiring

The three wires mentioned in step one should be attached to the plug located at the headlight base. You will notice the plug is held by a screw cap, metal clip, or plastic cap. How you disable the wiring depends on how your headlight plug is held in place.

• Screw cap: Rotating counter-clockwise, simply unscrew the cap. 
• Metal clip: Pull the clip up and away from its attachment. It should come off with little effort.
• Plastic cap: Locate a lever at the top of the plug. Using your thumb, push down on the lever while simultaneously pulling up on the plug. The plug should slide off gently.
  
  ***Make sure to pull the plug gently with this step.

Step 3. Install the New Bulb

With this DIY car maintenance, we suggest cleaning the new bulb with a cloth or tissue to ensure you don’t get oils on the new bulb. This is very important since the oils on your skin can cause the bulb to burn out. Once you’re certain the bulb is oil-free hold the light’s end and place it where the old bulb was (the back of the headlight). Ensure it is securely in place by checking to see if it’s lined up evenly and the rubber of the bulb is not visible.

Step 4. Test Out the New Bulb

With your vehicle still off, plug the wiring back into the new bulb. Then turn on your headlights. If the new bulb does not turn on double-check that the wiring is in the correct place and securely connected.

Step 5. Hit the road!

Enjoy driving worry-free!

Affordable car service in Orlando

And voila! It’s as simple as that! By doing this at home car maintenance you can save yourself a lot of time and money. However, if you still have questions or want to watch our certified Orlando technicians do it first, feel free to stop by Toyota of Orlando. We’re always running service specials to help keep your car running at its best. We’re open seven days a week and just a quick stop off I-4. Safe travels!