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Performing scheduled maintenance at the Toyota dealer is like giving your car a check-up. It ensures everything runs smoothly and keeps your car in great shape for the long haul. Here's a simple guide to the Toyota maintenance you need to do to keep your vehicle rolling reliably. Stick to the Toyota Maintenance Plan Your Toyota's owner's manual isn't just for troubleshooting. It's your best guide for maintenance, too! It outlines all the key service intervals tailored to your specific model, like when to change your oil, rotate your tires, and check other vital systems. Typically, you'll want to change your oil and rotate your tires every 6,000 to 8,000 miles. For deeper services, like checking spark plugs, belts, and fluids, a good rule of thumb is every 15,000 to 30,000 miles. And even if you don't rack up that many miles, an annual check-up is a smart move to catch anything that mileage alone won't. Visit Your Toyota Dealer for Maintenance Change That Oil Oil changes are crucial, with fresh oil keeping your engine parts gliding smoothly, reducing wear, and preventing overheating. Letting it go too long can gunk up your engine, so keep it clean, and your car will thank you. Tire TLC Rotating your tires on schedule helps them wear evenly, making them last longer and perform better. It's usually a quick job, but it makes a big difference in how your car handles and saves you money on premature replacements. Keeping your tires properly inflated will also help boost both safety and fuel efficiency. Make it a habit to check your tire pressure monthly, especially before any big road trips. Check Those Fluids Watch out for problems with other essential fluids, too, like your brake fluid, transmission fluid, and coolant. These play huge roles in safety and performance. Power steering and windshield washer fluids are easy to overlook, but keeping them topped up makes driving easier and safer. Running low or using dirty fluids can lead to big problems down the road. Maintain Your Brakes Regular brake inspections are non-negotiable for safety. Checking pads, discs, and fluids can tell you a lot about how your car will handle in a pinch when you need to stop quickly. Freshen Your Filters Changing out your engine and cabin air filters regularly helps keep air flowing smoothly, making the inside of your car more comfortable. A clogged filter can strain your engine or make your A/C work harder than it needs to. The point of scheduled maintenance is to prevent problems before they start. By following the recommended schedule, you can ensure your vehicle performs its best and holds its value. Visit Pederson Toyota in Fort Collins, CO, for all your maintenance needs.

Every time your Toyota needs to have something replaced, you have a decision to make: aftermarket replacements or OEM parts from a Toyota dealer? While it may be tempting to choose the first, more widely available option, there are several very good reasons why it's better to use Original Equipment Manufacturer parts. 4 Benefits of Getting OEM Parts From Your Toyota Dealer 1. Guaranteed Compatibility Only Original Equipment Manufacturer parts can guarantee full compatibility with your car. They are designed to fit your vehicle perfectly, ensuring the best performance and safety. Aftermarket parts may look convincing, but more often than not, they don't offer full compatibility and cause issues further down the proverbial road. This is very important today, when most cars feature plenty of electronic systems. Nowadays, parts need to be compatible not only mechanically, with other components, but also electronically, with your car's computer and other advanced systems. When choosing OEM replacements, you can be sure that everything will work together perfectly. 2. Highest Quality OEM components, as the name suggests, are designed and manufactured by the same company that made the original parts in your car. They also have to meet the same quality standards and specifications as brand-new parts originally installed in your Toyota. This means that the replacement will be of exactly the same quality as the original part, so you won't see any drops in performance. Your car will be, quite literally, like new. 3. Longevity The original parts in your Toyota are designed to last. Manufacturers want their cars to be as durable and reliable as possible, after all, so it makes sense that they'd use the best materials and technology. The same is true for OEM replacements: as we've already discussed, they're manufactured to the same standards as original parts, using the same materials. All in all, you'll get a lot more mileage from OEM Toyota parts compared to aftermarket parts. 4. Warranty Coverage Aftermarket parts rarely come with a warranty. Meanwhile, all OEM Toyota parts are covered with a 12-month, unlimited-mile warranty to give you complete peace of mind. Even if something goes wrong with the replacement part, the warranty will take care of it. All you need to do to make a claim on your OEM replacement warranty is bring the proof of purchase to your local dealer. Just know that it doesn't apply to so-called "wearable" parts, like brake pads or discs, since these deteriorate with use by design. Ready to order OEM Toyota parts? Contact Pedersen Toyota in Fort Collins, CO today to book your consultation! We have a wide range of Toyota-manufactured parts in stock, ready to be installed into your car.

There are lots of components in your vehicle that may eventually need to be repaired. Learning what happens when different parts need to be repaired is wise so you can visit the Toyota dealer as soon as there's an issue. Below, we're going to discuss what happens when your car needs an alternator repair. 5 Signs Your Toyota Needs an Alternator Repair From Your Local Toyota Dealer 1. Your Headlights Are Dim You're driving along in the evening, and you turn on your headlights as it starts to get dark. However, you notice your headlights seem dimmer than usual. This can be a sign that your alternator is failing, as there may not be enough power in your battery to keep the headlights as bright as they'd normally be. Your headlights might also get brighter when you rev the engine, or they may flicker while in use if you're having alternator trouble. 2. Your Battery Seems Dead You get in the car one morning and try to get the engine started, but it doesn't turn on. It may seem like your battery is dead, but your battery may not be the problem here. If your alternator isn't charging the battery sufficiently, then your battery won't have enough power in it to get the car started. You'll need to stop by the dealer to get the alternator fixed and have the battery's condition checked. 3. Your Accessories Won't Work Properly You notice your phone battery is at 20%, so you pull out the charger and plug it into one of your car's USB ports. An hour later, your phone battery hasn't charged at all. On top of that, it seems like your heated seats are barely producing any warmth. When your alternator isn't charging the car's battery sufficiently, the battery doesn't have enough power to keep all of the accessories working as they should, so you'll notice problems with them. 4. Your Car Is Making Strange Noises You're driving along as normal, but suddenly, you hear a strange whining sound that seems like it's coming from under the hood. This sound tells you that your bearings have failed, your rotor shaft is bad, or your drive belt is misaligned. You'll need to get your alternator fixed before it starts causing more problems. 5. Your Engine Stalls You've been driving all day, and then, out of nowhere, your car just stops working. This is usually because your battery has died. When your car stalls, it means the power supply has run out. Visit Pedersen Toyota in Fort Collins, CO to get your alternator fixed promptly. Call our service department at 970-628-9426.