With gas prices always seeming to be on the rise, it would make sense to want to do everything that you can to try to save a few bucks. Believe it or not, there are many things that you a probably doing daily that are causing you to burn more gas than necessary. Get some good gas-saving tips from your Chicago area Toyota dealer.

Maintenance

A well-maintained vehicle will work at its absolute best, in turn giving you better gas mileage. Be sure to keep up with all of the regular maintenance. It’s a good idea to create a maintenance schedule to follow so that you don’t forget anything. Any issues that are not taken care of in a timely manner will only get worse and potentially cause more damage to your vehicle, which will use more gas than necessary.

Tires

Your tires are another thing that can directly affect your gas. Underinflated tires will cause your engine to have to work harder, resulting in decreased fuel efficiency. It’s important that you keep your tires inflated to the proper levels. Wheels that are not aligned properly can also affect your gas. You can usually tell that your wheels are misaligned because you will notice uneven tread wear.

Some Other Tips

Try not to keep your windows down or your air conditioner on too much. Don’t speed or excessively hit the gas pedal. Keep the weight in your vehicle to a minimum. Only run your engine when you are actually driving, and try to consolidate your trips into the least amount possible.

When you are shopping for a car or researching it online, you will be inundated with various measurements, weights, and capacities.  What does all of it mean, and how do they affect the regular consumer?  The truth is, the capacities can mean a great deal to you, especially if you need to accommodate specific needs and driving conditions.  La Grange area Toyota Scion service defines car weights and measurements.

 Snapshot of Car Specs

We have compiled a list of the most common terms you will likely see.

• Cargo capacity

How much room you have in your vehicle for passengers and cargo when all of the seats are in place.

• Torque

This is the twisting force of the engine.  When you press the accelerator, the thrust you feel when your body goes back into the seat is the result of torque. The lower the torque, the less you will feel the force.

• Width

The measurement of the widest parts of the vehicle: very tip of the driver-side mirror to the tip of the passenger-side mirror.

• Height

The measurement of the lowest part of the vehicle, the bottom of the tires, to the highest part of the vehicle, which is the top of the vehicle.

• Wheel base

Measurement from the center of the front wheel to the center of the wheel directly behind it.

• GTW

Gross trailer weight is the total weight of the trailer the vehicle can safely tow.

• Payload

The maximum weight of the cargo the vehicle can safely transport.  Payload includes the cargo you are hauling, you, and your passengers; weight is weight.

• Curb weight

How much the vehicle weighs when it rolls off the assembly.  Curb weight does not include any add-ons.

• GVW

Gross vehicle weight is the exact weight of the vehicle with all of the cargo and passengers in the vehicle.  The GVW fluctuates as people get in and out, or as cargo is removed.

Wheels and tires are responsible for safely transporting you and your vehicle.  The wheels are tires are exposed to the worst weather conditions, tricky road obstructions, extreme temperatures, and wear and tear from the engine. Because the wheels and tires literally carry a heavy burden, it is important to make sure each component is in the best shape possible.  A common safety concerns is stripped wheel studs.  La Grange area Toyota service warns drivers about stripped wheel studs.

What are Wheel Studs?

When you put a tire on your vehicle, you mount it to the threaded fasteners that stick out from the hub.  After you put the tire on, your thread the lug nuts over the wheel studs.

Dangers of Stripped Studs

If you over tighten a lug nut or try to remove a lug nut, you can either break the stud or strip it.  If the wheel stud is compromised, it poses a serious safety risk.  It may be okay to drive on four good wheel studs, but not three. If you do decide to drive with only four good studs, make sure you are headed to the shop to have the other one replaced.  If the wheel stud is stripped or broken, the wheel will not be balanced or provide the vehicle with the proper amount of support.  When one is compromised, the additional wheel studs have to compensate for the missing or damaged studs, which adds extra stress to the good studs.

 Replacement is Easy

Replacing a wheel stud is relatively cheap and easy to do.  When the stud is being replaced, the process will include the following steps:

• Removing the brake and caliper
• Removal of the old wheel studs
• Insert new stud through hole from the backside of the hub
• Bolts screwed on to seat the stud
• Stud is tightened with an impact wrench
• Rotor and caliper will be reinstalled

When you are researching vehicle specifications, reading your owner’s manual, or shopping for a trailer hitch, you will come across many different ratings and capacities.  One of the most common and important measurements is the tongue weight, but what does it mean?  La Grange area Toyota and Scion service explains tongue weight.

 What is a Tongue?

If you have a car, truck, minivan, or SUV, you will need to know your vehicle’s tongue weight if you plan to do any towing with the vehicle, despite the size of the load you are pulling.  .  The trailer tongue is the extension at the front of a trailer that connects to the ball on the towing vehicle.  The coupler is at the very end of the tongue; it is the rounded connection that sits on the tow ball.

 What is Tongue Weight?

Now that you know what the tongue is, you can better understand the weight.  The tongue weight is the downward force the trailer coupler exerts on the hitch ball. If the tongue weight is too light, the trailer will sway when it is on the road.  If the tongue weight is too heavy, steering, braking and handling are reduced.  This is why it is very important to balance your cargo: 60% of the weight in front of the trailer’s front axle and 40% in the back.  Never exceed your hitch’s tongue weight.

 How do I Determine My Tongue Capacity?

There are a few strategies to help you determine the tongue weight.  Remember this rule of thumb: tongue weight should be between 9% and 15% of the vehicle’s gross trailer weight.  The trailer weight can be found in the owner’s manual. Use the following strategies to calculate trailer weight:

• Tongue weight scale

Place a tongue weight scale underneath the scale when the trailer is attached and loaded.

• Bathroom scale

You can weight smaller trailers with a bathroom scale.  Level the trailer and the scale.  Place the coupler on the loaded trailer on the bathroom scale.

• Commercial scale

If you are doing some heavy duty towing, a commercial scale will be more beneficial.  First, weigh the vehicle with the tongue weight. Then, weigh the vehicle without the tongue weight.  To determine the tongue weight, subtract the vehicle-only weight from the truck-and-trailer weight.

Ever since sport utility vehicles and crossovers became popular, consumers have been bombarded with the benefits of four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive. The thing is that it’s easy to make a particular drivetrain sound more appealing than it really is based on your needs. Your La Grange Area Toyota dealer offers a quick tutorial on drivetrains, what they do well, and what they don’t.

Front-Wheel-Drive

Far and away the most common type of drivetrain. As the name explains, this is when only the front two wheels are responsible for moving the vehicle, effectively pulling the cabin along the road. It’s common because it is cost effective, provides much better mileage due to efficiency, and performs relatively well for most weather conditions.

Rear-Wheel-Drive

As a vehicle moves forward, inertia puts pressure on the rear. Rear-wheel-drive takes advantage of this, creating more surface to surface connection and powering the vehicle forward. Since it tends to take more power, though, it isn’t the most fuel efficient and can be difficult in snow or ice since the vehicle is being pushed rather than pulled.

Four-Wheel-Drive

Often found in trucks and off-road vehicles, four-wheel-drive can often be turned on and off depending on needs. Since all four wheels are generating power, four-wheel drive is the best when it comes to traction, but suffers because of the amount of power needed to turn them.

All-Wheel-Drive

A more recent option is all-wheel-drive. Similar to 4WD, AWD turns all four wheels and so tends to lose fuel efficiency, though not as much as 4WD. AWD is most often found in smaller SUVs or crossovers.

If you want your vehicle to last as long as it possibly can, and to be kept at its highest possible value, it is very important to keep it maintained. Two of the most important things you can do to properly maintain your vehicle include taking care of the tires and the oil. La Grange area Toyota dealer talks about the importance of properly maintaining your vehicle.

The Tires

Good tire maintenance is a crucial part of taking care of your vehicle. Without your tires you can’t go anywhere, so it only makes sense to want to maintain them well. This would include keeping a close eye on their pressure levels and their condition. At least once a month you should be checking that each one of your tires is inflated to the proper levels. You can do this with your own tire pressure monitoring system, or by taking your vehicle to a service station. Get in the habit of checking out the condition of each one of your tires, looking for things like cuts, cracks, tread separation, or extreme wear.

The Oil

Oil is the most important fluid in your vehicle, since it is crucial in keeping your engine going and running right. Without oil, your engine would suffer sizable damage and eventually just fail altogether. Oil is needed to lubricate all of the moving parts of your engine, preventing them from just grinding against one another. You must have the oil in your vehicle changed every 3 months or 3000 miles. The longer you wait, the dirtier the oil will become, and the more damage you will do to your engine.

Aside from the basic items that everybody knows that they should carry in their car, like jumper cables and an extra tire, there are quite a few additional items that should not be overlooked. It’s better to over-equip than to under-equip. Our Toyota dealer near Chicago tells you about some additional items that you should be keeping in your car.

In Your Trunk

In the trunk of your vehicle keep a good stock of some food items and bottles of water. You should carry extra clothing for each member of your family, including warm items like gloves and socks. Keep an extra blanket or two in there for added warmth if someone should need it. Some cleaning supplies are not a bad idea, including things like cloths, glass cleaner, and a mini vacuum. You should always have some extra fluids on hand for your vehicle, like oil and windshield washer fluid.

Inside Your Vehicle

There are quite a few random and necessary items that you should be keeping inside of your vehicle. You can store them in your glove box or the center console. Keep a couple pens and some paper. Some wet wipes and some tissues are always a good idea. Always have a car charger for your cell phone, because it really is of no use to you in an emergency if the battery is dead. Carry an extra pair of sunglasses, too, especially if you have sensitive eyes.

Whether a motorist speeds intentionally or unintentionally, it is dangerous and it needs to be stopped. There are so many risks involved with speeding, and not to mention that it is illegal. Our Toyota dealer near Elmhurst talks about some of the dangers of speeding.

Some Reasons That People Speed

Sometimes people speed because they don’t even realize that they are doing it. It can be easy to just have a heavy foot and start speeding without even knowing it. Other times people are in a rush, or they simply just don’t care how fast they are going. Some motorists just don’t see the big deal in it, or they speed because it makes them feel powerful. Young drivers may do it because they are trying to show off. In more serious cases, people speed because they are angry, or they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. No matter what the reason, nothing makes it right.

Some Things That People Can Do To Avoid Speeding

In an attempt to not speed, it is imperative that you pay attention to your speedometer and the speed limit at all times. Awareness is the best way to avoid speeding. If you have a habit of speeding, for whatever reason it is, learn some self control or simply just don’t drive. Always control your emotions before you get into your car. Obviously, if you have been drinking or doing drugs you should never, ever get behind the wheel.

Modifying your car is an excellent way to show your individuality and love for your vehicle, but it can also kill your trade-in value.  The more outlandish the modifications, the worse off you may really be.  If you do not plan to keep your car for long, rethink your modifications.  Orland Park area Toyota lists common car modifications that kill your trade-in value.

1.      Paint
Do not go crazy with your car’s paint job.  The more unique the color, the harder it is to match it and repair it.  It is hard to find buyers who want to drive a lime green car or a vibrant orange pickup.

2.      Decals and stickers
Leave the pinstripes, custom decals and auto parts stickers off your car.  The only one who cares about it is you.
3.      Coffee can exhaust
Loud exhaust is not something every person who visits the dealership wants to hear.  People want to be able to drive down the road, with their windows up or down, and not hear the exhaust.
4.      Body kits and useless spoilers
Body kits will transform the outside of a vehicle, good or bad.  Remember, unless a 20-something is at the car lot and buying his or her own car, no one else will care about your body kit.  Let’s face it; spoilers on certain cars are just silly.  If it does not come factory, it is probably not meant to be.
5.      Lifted high and slammed low
Trucks that are excessively high and cars that are slammed to the ground are not practical and often not desired by used car consumers.  A consumer must be in the market for your exact look in order for the vehicle to sell.  If not, the car will sit on the lot or take a trip to the auction.

One decision can change your life and the life of someone else.  If you drink when you are out or when you are hanging out at home, that is your choice, but it can have devastating consequences if you decide to get behind the wheel.  Not everyone else on the road has a choice when it comes to your decision to drink and drive.  Make the right choice if you are under the influence.  Toyota service in the Chicago area suggests DD options for a safe ride.

BEMyDD

You can reserve a personal driver to your next outing.  The driver will meet you at your location and wait for you in your car while you are having a good time.  The designated driver will safely drive you back to your original location, and they are flexible if you need to be driven to multiple locations.

Metro Designated Driver

Drivers can be reserved for your outing.  Metro designated driver offers drivers on an hourly basis.  Instead of leaving your car at the bar or driving it home, the designated driver drives it home for you.  Do not worry; they are not staying the night. The company sends a chase car to pick up the designated driver so you and your car both make it home safely.

Paddy Wagons

You don’t’ have to call in advance to reserve a paddy wagon, but it helps.  The designated driver will take your keys and transport you and your passengers to your destination(s), and then the driver will take you back home after you are done having fun.