Is your car's coolant dirty?

 Your engine coolant is critical to your car's performance. That's why we're always telling you to check it and fill it when necessary - it keeps your engine cool and prevents overheating, which can result in catastrophic damage to your car. Coolant flows through your Toyota's radiator, water pump, hoses, and the engine itself to ensure that everything under the hood maintains a cool enough temperature to function normally. 

Why is engine coolant so important? 

If your engine coolant level is too low or the coolant is too dirty to do its job, it can cause major issues for your Orlando Toyota. Your engine can overheat, as we mentioned, resulting in extremely expensive if not irreparable damage to your vehicle. And not only does your coolant run out over time, it also gets dirty. Remember, it's flowing through the cooling system and while it does, it picks up dirt, debris, and contaminants. So how can you check it? 

First, you'll want to check your coolant level. The easiest way to do this is to turn your Orlando Toyota off, pop the hood, and physically look in the coolant reservoir to see where the level is (there should be a line indicating how high the level should be for optimal performance). Once you've assessed the level, you can check the color of the engine coolant. Normal coolant ranges in color; it can be blue, green, red, or orange depending on which one you use. Rule of thumb, though: it should be translucent (you can see through it). If it's cloudy, opaque, or sludgy, it's dirty and needs to be changed out. Dirty engine coolant becomes thicker and can't flow as easily; it also can't do its job of cooling the engine properly. 

Here are a few other warning signs that your engine coolant is dirty: 

• Your coolant level light and/or check engine light comes on in your dash 
• You have steam coming out from under the hood of your Orlando Toyota 
• You have a coolant leak, which results in puddles under the car of the same color as your engine coolant 
• Your engine's temperature gauge is in the red (your car isn't running cool enough) 

If you notice any of the above signs, it can indicate that your coolant is dirty and you need to visit the Toyota of Orlando auto service center. Our techs can help! In this scenario, it's best to do a coolant flush. And no, we're not trying to upsell you - hear us out. You can drain all the old coolant out and put new coolant in, but that doesn't get rid of the residual dirt and grime left in the lines, hoses, engine, and radiator. A flush will push all of that out so when you put fresh coolant in, it'll stay cleaner longer (saving you time and money). 

Schedule engine coolant service at Toyota of Orlando 

Think you need auto service regarding your engine coolant? Schedule it at our Orlando Toyota service center today. You can schedule online, call (407) 298-4500, or swing by! We're open seven days a week with the longest service hours in Central Florida at 3575 Vineland Road, just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall. 

How do you know if your engine oil is dirty? Toyota of Orlando explains.

 Do you bring your car into our Orlando auto service center regularly to get oil changes? If you do, congrats... and if you don't, you should be. Oil keeps your engine cool and also keeps all of its moving parts lubricated so your car can have a long and efficient life. That's why it's important to keep your vehicle equipped with the proper level of clean engine oil. 

However, as oil circulates through your engine, it's bound to pick up dirt, debris, and grime. Over time, this makes it thick, dirty, and unable to do its job, which means if you don't change it, you're highly likely to have major issues with your engine. How do you know if engine oil is dirty? Toyota of Orlando's car care experts are here to help you spot oil that needs to be changed. 

Toyota of Orlando's instructions on how to check engine oil 

First things first - you need to know how to check your car's oil before you can figure out if it's dirty or not. Here's how you do it: 

• Turn your car off and let it cool down for a minute (this will make it more pleasant under the hood, trust us) 
• Locate the oil dipstick, usually somewhere in the center of the engine 
• Pull the dipstick out and look at the oil on it. 
• There are two tic marks on the end of the dipstick, and that's how you gauge the oil level. The oil should be in between the tic marks. If it's below, your engine doesn't have enough oil. 
• Now, look at the oil itself. It should be dirt- and debris-free and a tan, caramel hue in color. 

Now that you know to check engine oil, it's time to figure out whether it's dirty or not. Here are some surefire signs you need an oil change, according to our Toyota of Orlando service techs: 

• You can actually see dirt and debris in the oil - like, chunks of it. 
• The oil color is dark brown or black. Remember, it should be caramel-colored. Dark brown and black hues mean the engine oil is dirty. 
• Your exhaust is putting out smoke. 
• You can smell oil inside of your Orlando Toyota's cabin while you're driving. 
• You hear knocking sounds when you drive, or you feel like your car is just running a lot louder than it normally does in general. (More engine noise.) 

If you notice that your engine oil is dirty, it's time to bring it into Toyota of Orlando for an oil change. Dirty engine oil can cause big-time expensive damage to your engine - sometimes even irreparable damage. Schedule an appointment at our Toyota service center to get your car's oil clean and full again. 

Schedule an engine oil change with our Toyota service center 

Need to schedule? Call us for an Orlando oil change today. We're open seven days a week at (407) 298-0001 and we're conveniently located just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall at 3575 Vineland Road. Schedule online, on the phone, or just stop by! 

What are the main benefits of electric cars?

 Electric cars are a hot topic right now - it seems like everyone is researching them, visiting the dealerships, and considering whether or not to buy one. But what are the real benefits of electric cars? Toyota of Orlando is explaining all of the perks of owning one of these tech-driven cars so you can decide for yourself before signing the dotted line on one. 

The five main benefits of electric cars 

Benefit #1: No gasoline costs. 

When you drive an electric car, you don't need to fill up at the gas station... ever. You'll never have to pay for gas again as electric cars run solely on electricity. And yes, you do have to pay for electricity whether you charge at home or at a public charging station (FYI, it's cheaper to charge at home) but your "fuel" costs will still be significantly less than what they'd be powering an internal combustion car. Your electricity costs will vary depending on where you live and it may be cheaper to charge your car overnight when there's less of a demand for power. 

Benefit #2: Less maintenance required. 

Another electric car benefit is that you don't have an internal combustion engine under the hood, which means you'll need a lot less maintenance. There are far fewer fluids in your electric car so you won't need oil changes, etc. nor will you need spark plug replacements, tune-ups, and other maintenance you'd have to pay for in a traditional gasoline car. In fact, your auto service costs should be about half of what they'd be in an ICE car. All you'll really need to do in terms of car maintenance for your Orlando Toyota electric car is schedule tire service, battery checks, and brake service. Our techs can help keep you on a schedule! 

Benefit #3: Cleaner local performance. 

Electric cars are often touted as one of the cleanest, greenest options out there and on a local level, they are. When it comes to non-local emissions and lithium-ion battery production, they're not as clean as you'd think. But on a local level, electric cars don't put out any emissions. This makes them extremely clean in that aspect and is one of the benefits of electric cars. 

Benefit #4: Tax breaks. 

Did you know that you may be eligible for both state and federal tax breaks for owning an electric car? Be sure to do your research or have your accountant look into it to see what you're eligible for. Money is money, right? 

Benefit #5: Peace and quiet. 

As electric cars don't have internal combustion engines, they're a lot quieter to drive. Your cabin will be quiet and peaceful no matter how fast you're going. Enjoy it! This is also the case in hybrids and plug-in hybrids. 

Ask Toyota of Orlando all of your electric car questions

Have questions about electric cars? Toyota of Orlando has answers. Call us today at (407) 298-4500 or stop by. We're located just off I-4 near the Millenia Mall at 3575 Vineland Road, and we're open seven days a week until 10pm.