If you’re interested in getting more involved in what’s happening under the hood of your vehicle, a great place to start is definitely the various fluids that call your engine bay home. There are five that we’ll cover in this blog today, but arguably these are the five that you really, really should know. So, without further ado, here are the FIVE FLUIDS OF DESTINY, or even just the five you should know.

First, you have your oil. Without oil in your engine – or even sufficient oil – your engine will be running VERY dry and without the cooling and lubricating effects of the oil, your engine might even seize and weld itself together, effectively turning it into a block of metal that is shaped like an engine. To make sure you’re taking care of your oil, check it at least once a month and get regular oil changes.

Second is coolant. This does pretty much what it says on the tin, and cools your engine and radiator so they don’t overheat. The reservoir for this fluid is located near the radiator, and is a clear opaque plastic container. You can see the coolant level through the plastic, which is good because the more the reservoir can stay closed, the better. If the level is low, take your vehicle to us so that we can top off that coolant.

Next is brake fluid, which is also in a tank marked with minimum and maximum lines. Make sure the level of this fluid is good, because if it’s chronically low your brakes might be wearing down. Regardless, if the fluid level is low you should bring your vehicle in for a brake fluid top-up.

Power steering fluid is number four. The reservoir for this fluid is located at the base of your windshield, and is a small tank (opaque, so you can see the level). This fluid makes steering your car easy, and without it your steering mechanism will not operate properly. Make sure the fluid is always between the minimum and maximum levels indicated on the tank.

Finally, the fifth fluid – your washer fluid! This one basically everyone knows. If you want to find the tank, look for a large cap with a windshield diagram on it. Pop that open and fill it with fluid that you can buy at basically any gas station. Bam, you did it! Make sure you always have fluid in there, though, because it sucks to get stranded with a dirty windshield and no way to clean it.

Do you know how to drive safely in a construction zone? Check out our tips on how to get through those cones and trucks safely and efficiently!

Always expect the unexpected. From different speed limits to having people on the road and lanes closed, work zones are where the drive becomes unpredictable.

Pay attention to the signs on the road. They’ll tell you that a work zone is coming up and also tell you what the speed limit is, in addition to many other things. Slow down to read them and then stay slow through the construction. Pay attention to people with flags. If you ignore a flagger, you’ll get a ticket.

If you know a lane is going to be closed ahead, merge as soon as you see the sign. Don’t try and speed past other drivers before merging. If you’re safe you won’t end your trip early by getting into an accident.

Slow down as soon as you see a sign that says to do that. If you’re going 60 mph, you’re traveling about 88 feet every second. If you see a sign that says there’s road work in 1500 feet, you’ll be there in roughly 17 seconds.

Don’t tailgate in a work zone. This is to supplement the idea that you should never tailgate, to begin with.

Stay in the center of the lane. This way you minimize potential damage to barriers, cones, and workers.

Even if it looks like there’s no work going on, you’re not out of the work zone until you see a sign that says so. Keep obeying the posted speed limit and other signs until you know you’re in the clear.

Is something broken on your vehicle? Do you look at it and say, “Oh, well, I can fix that,” even if you’re not the most confident mechanic? Well, we’ve put together a list of things that you should absolutely NOT fix on your own, no matter what! Your dealer (hello, that’s us!) is here for you to come to with car troubles, and we’ll fix what ails you and leave your car smelling great to boot. Seriously, leave it to us. Especially these things!

• Don’t mess with anything to do with the transmission. Even replacing the fluid in your transmission is something that should be done by a pro. You’ll spend money either way, since it’s not a cheap fix or replacement. But when you trust a professional, you’ll get what you pay for when it comes to the fix actually working.

• Don’t try to fix your windshield.You can find kits that will “fix” your windshield, this is true, but if a crack or chip is big enough it can lead to much more serious issues. Think about how much force is against your windshield as you drive, and then think about that force spreading cracks that you might not even see with the naked eye. Recipe for disaster. Seriously.

• An upgraded sound system. You might think you can do this, but it involves very delicate wiring that could start a fire, fry your system, or just not end up working. Take your vehicle to a professional, aka us, and let us do the work for you!!

• Don’t touch that fuel pump! This is an expensive auto part, so you might think you can cut your costs by installing it on your own, and in that instance, you would be wrong. This is a very precise piece of equipment that needs to be installed just right, and if you mess it up you can total your car from the inside out.

• Do you have one of those code readers that makes the check engine light go away? Well, I’m sorry, but that was maybe a poor investment. Sure, you can use it to see exactly what’s wrong, but that won’t fix it. The cost of taking this issue to your shop or dealer is about the same as the device, and will actually get the problem fixed without the risk of serious issues with your vehicle.

No road trip is complete without the perfect soundtrack – which is why we here at Fiore Toyota have compiled the perfect fall soundtrack for any type of road trip you could possibly take this season. Whether you’re going across the county or across the country, this playlist will take you there!

The Beatles, “Ticket to Ride”

Bruce Springsteen, “Born to Run”

James Taylor, “Carolina In My Mind”

Prince, “Little Red Corvette”

Ray Charles, “Hit The Road Jack”

Cake, “The Distance”

Matt & Kim, “Daylight”

Allman Brothers Band, “Midnight Rider”

Grateful Dead, “Truckin”

Albert Hammond, Jr., “101”

Tom Petty, “Runnin’ Down A Dream”

Stone Temple Pilots, “Interstate Love Song”

Sufjan Stevens, “Chicago”

Smashing Pumpkins, “1979”

Willie Nelson, “On the Road Again”

No matter if you’re driving a Prius or a Tacoma, you probably want to get the best gas mileage possible for your vehicle. Well, great! We have tips for doing that! Of course, please do not expect that by following these tips you’ll go from getting 25 MPG to getting 75 MPG, because that’s literally impossible unless you actually get a new car. So, grain of salt. Take it. Do you have it? Good! Keep reading for ~better MPGs~ and a ~better life.~

First of all, don’t speed. Speeding decreases your gas mileage with all of the acceleration and deceleration that it involves. For every five mph over 50 you go, you’re paying the equivalent of 10¢ to 20¢ more per gallon of gas. So like. If you do math (I don’t) then this can really add up after a while.

Have patience when driving. When you’re more careful on the road, you save more gas. Fast accelerations and braking often can lower your gas mileage by 15-30% on the highway and 10-40% in stop and go traffic. If you’re a Prius driver, you should already know about those long, slow, coasty stops. If you don’t, come on! And if you don’t drive a Prius, well, here’s your tip. Take your foot off the gas as soon as you see that there’s a car stopped ahead of you, even if it’s kinda far away. Then put your foot on the brake at the regular time you would. Bam. Good stuff!

If you have a roof rack, consider switching it out for a rear-mounted cargo box. Roof racks with stuff on them increase drag and decrease how aerodynamic your vehicle is, which in turn decreases your fuel efficiency. With a cargo box on the back, your fuel efficiency is saved and so is your money! I don’t know how else to sweeten that. Money and gas saved are pretty much the Holy Grail of driving.

Don’t idle. Turn your car off if you’re going to be stopping (except, of course, while you’re at a stoplight) because idling wastes about a quarter to a half a gallon of fuel per hour. Make sure your car isn’t weighed down, either. Cleaning out your vehicle every so often can increase your MPG by about 1%. So get all that Starbucks trash out of your backseat, and wash your gym stuff!!

Use your cruise control. Using cruise control eliminates accidental acceleration and braking that can happen when you’re driving on the highway and keeps you moving at a consistent rate of speed. Even if your dad always looked down on cruise control because it was the “refuge of lazy drivers” (looking directly at my own father through the internet here) he was wrong.

Follow these tips and you should be as good as gold! Let us know on our Facebook if you saw better gas mileage after trying these out. We’re super interested to know!

When buying a new car, there are things you should always know about the process… like what paperwork you’ll need to have in order to complete the transaction legally. Thankfully, your dealer should take care of all of that for you! But in the spirit of staying well informed, here are the things you need in order to get a new car.

First, you should have the Certificate of Title with your name and address as well as current odometer reading on the vehicle you’re buying. Then, you need to transfer the title and register the car by either applying for new registration and license plate, or by transferring the registration and license plate from your old car.

To get this paperwork done, you need to go to a PennDOT office and bring:

• The title certificate, which must be signed by you AND the seller in front of a PennDOT agent.

• Proof of car insurance.

• A valid Pennsylvania ID.

• Application forms, which are available at the PennDOT office:

  • The Application for Pennsylvania Certificate of Title (Form MV-1).

  • The Vehicle Sales and Use Tax Return/Application for Registration (Form MV-4ST).

If you’re not transferring plates, you can get a temporary registration that’s valid for 90 days.

This should all be taken care of by your dealer, but before you buy a new car you should definitely make sure that you’re on the same page about paperwork. Good luck!

When it comes to organization, we all think of spring, right? It’s time to introduce a new concept – fall organization! Especially fall garage organization. If you’re lucky enough to have a garage, you’ve probably been using it all summer to store things like outdoor items, kids’ toys, and a bunch of other junk. But you’re going to want to keep your car in the garage during the winter, right? And if your garage is totally full of stuff, you can’t put your car in it. So, here are my tips for organizing your garage in preparation for the cooler days ahead!

First, take your car out of your garage (though if you can fit it in, you’re already several steps ahead). Then, take everything out of your garage that is just lying on the floor and put it in your yard or driveway. If you have broken stuff, junk, or just plain old garbage, chuck it to the curb!

Now that you’ve weeded out the trash, look at what else you have. Check out your storage in the garage – it might be time for a makeover! If you have shelves in your garage, go through them. Consolidate, throw out the trash, dispose of old materials like paint safely, and see what you’ve got. If you don’t have shelves but have room for some, go pick some up!

A handy way of organizing what you have is with hooks (in addition, of course, to the aforementioned shelves). You can hang almost anything from hooks – chairs, bicycles, hoses… you name it, you can probably hang it from a hook. Everything else should fit nicely on your shelves! If you have larger items that just can’t go one of those places, clear out a specific space for it.

Next, sweep that floor. Who knows how long it has been collecting dust, dirt, and little bits of things. Sweep it all out the door and start fresh! If you have a shop vac, you can really get into the crevices.

The final step is to put everything back, but using the shelves and hooks you (hopefully) have or installed. And voilà! A clean, organized garage that you can park in with ease. If you have questions about car care in the colder temperatures that I mentioned above, come to Fiore Toyota and ask our professionals how best to take care of your vehicle. Maybe it’s all-season tires, maybe it’s a fresh wax and wash before the first snow. Whatever it is, they can help!

Driving in the dark is something that a lot of us really don’t look forward to doing. Especially if our night vision is failing us, driving at night can not only be an inconvenience, but a dangerous venture. If driving at night is unavoidable, however, here are some tips and tricks for driving at night that’ll keep you safe as well as the other drivers on the road.

First, if you’ve ever bought “night driving glasses” that are tinted and marketed as aids for driving at night… well. Throw those right out, because the most they’re doing is impairing your vision even further. You need as much light to reach your eyes as possible, because when it’s dark, you can’t see! Light is the magic ingredient to seeing things better, even at night. The only glasses you should be wearing while driving at night are your regular prescription eyeglasses.

If you have problems with the headlights of approaching cars, especially when you’re on a two-lane road, a good trick is to watch the white line on the side of the road as the oncoming car passes you. This will help make sure that you stay in your lane and not burn your retinas with the bright light of the oncoming car, especially if the driver has forgotten to turn off their high beams.

Speaking of high beams, you should use yours whenever you can. If there is a car in front of you, either on your side of the road or on the opposite side, you shouldn’t have them on… but if you’re alone on the road, high beams are your friends any time of year. Just make sure that you turn them off if you encounter another car on the road!

Finally, if you truly cannot drive at night, arrange a ride for yourself if you know you’ll be out of the house past sunset. If that fails, public transportation or a taxi are good choices. Otherwise, plan your schedule so that you will not be in danger of having to drive at night, or have a friend with you who can drive if they need to.

We hope these tips help you! If you are more of a video person, check out this one about driving safely after dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WbYpgn6T4c

Using our turn signals is something we don’t really think about a lot. However, we tend to notice if someone else on the road with us is not using theirs properly. From leaving the blinker on and not actually needing to turn or merge to not actually using the blinker at all, even when turning or merging, we notice. And in my case, yell at the other driver (because they can totally hear me from my car in their own car. Totally). This definitely isn’t productive… but I am addressing this blog to the members of our driving community who are a bit more… let’s say lax about their turn signals. This one’s for you!

Why do we not use our turn signals? This is a question that haunts us constantly, especially when we’re driving. Sometimes it’s because nobody is around, so it seemingly doesn’t matter if we use them or not because nobody is there to care. But the problem with this is that not using your signals in this type of situation starts you on a habit of not using them that will carry over into higher-traffic situations. It’s easier to do something all the time instead of picking and choosing when to do it – especially if that thing is turn signals.

Another reason is that it’s just a right turn. Left turns are much more important, apparently, and so right turns just… don’t need to be signaled. This is still wrong! No matter which way you’re turning, you should be using your signals. Even if you’re in a dedicated turning lane. Even if there’s nobody behind you. Use that signal!!

The turn signal is actually one of the most important safety features on your vehicle. Sure, your dealership or car maker might not have marketed it that way, but trust me – your blinker is one of the main ways that you communicate with other drivers on the road. Without it, nobody would have any idea where you are going or what you intend to do. So use that puppy! I don’t know how to stress that enough! If your blinker is broken, remember that you can always come to Fiore Toyota and have the professionals here take a look at what’s wrong. We’ll get you back on the road in no time!

Have you ever stepped into your car and smelled a smell? A smelly smell? A smelly smell that smells…. smelly? Okay, I kid. But really, have you smelled anything odd in your car and then somehow, some time later, you need to take your car in for repairs? There’s no mystery involved – smells in your car can indicate that there might be something wrong with your engine. Read on to see what five of those smells are and could mean!

You Smell: Sulfur

What It Is: When you smell sulfur in your car all the time, you can pretty much assume that it’s gear lube leaking from the manual transmission, transfer case, or differential housing. There are sulfur compounds in the oil that serve as extreme-pressure lubricants for the gears in these parts, and after being in use for a few years this stuff can get kind of gross. Look for stinky puddles of oily, viscous stuff under your car. If you see this, you should take your vehicle into the shop.

You Smell: Rotten eggs

What It Is: Your catalytic converter is having some issues and is putting hydrogen sulfide into your exhaust. It could either be a fuel injection problem, or your cat is failing. This is, unfortunately, a pretty expensive repair. But if you smell the rotten eggs when your car is not running, you should probably check for something inside the car. Like a rotten egg.

You Smell: Maple syrup

What It Is: Coolant! Coolant has ethylene glycol in it, which smells sweet but is definitely toxic. If you’re smelling it, that means there’s a leak somewhere in your system. You should take your vehicle in to get looked at, though this is a pretty easy fix.

You Smell: Hot oil

What It Is: Well, it’s hot oil. But the oil is getting hot because it’s leaking onto the exhaust manifold, which is hot when your engine is running. It’s not a pleasant smell by any stretch of the imagination, so take a look around your engine and keep an eye out for smoke. If you can find the leak, try to stem it, then take your car into the shop ASAP.

You Smell: A gas station

What It Is: Unless you’re at a gas station, you shouldn’t smell this. It’s literally straight up gasoline, which should be inside your car and not outside of it. If your car is older (i.e. before 1980) then you might smell this pretty much every time you turn your car off, but if your car is newer than that, the smell of gas means that you’ve got an issue. This could be a leak from a fuel injection line or a fuel tank vent hose in your engine.

The nose knows, as they say, but if you don’t know exactly what it knows you’re out of luck. Hopefully, this list helps you know what your nose knows, which is the first step into saving money on car repairs. If you have an issue that you can’t fix yourself, take your vehicle to Fiore Toyota – our professionals will be more than happy to help you figure out what’s going on and fix it for you.