How do I know if my car needs the Toyota recall for the gas pedal?

Are you doing a hundred miles an hour on the freeway and can’t stop?  Have you breached the sound barrier in your car recently?

Apart from those signs, you might need a recall for the gas pedal and you need to contact your Toyota dealer to find out if your car is safe.

When you make that call, don’t forget to ask if they have the upgrade parts available, as many of these parts are on back order.

Many Prius models have been added to the Toyota recall list, so look out for those ”Eco Warriors” moving at warp-speed.  If by unlucky chance, you happen to be that Eco Warrior (or Eco “Warper” as we now call them) and your gas pedal sticks as you’re driving, put the car in neutral and pull off the road as safely as possible.

Transmission problems, will a flush help?

In short, “No”.  Well, most of the time, anyway.

A transmission flush is your car maintanence for the gear box.  Similar to changing the oil in your engine, a transmission flush just changes the transmission “oil” or what we refer to as “transmission fluid”.  By not flushing the transmission, you’re only more likely to have problems.  By the time you have transmission problems, a flush probably won’t do any good.

I know, I know, “But, what could possiblly go wrong?  Adam, I’ve never flushed my transmission and don’t know anyone who does on a regular basis…”

Ah, yes my friend, I’m guessing you drive a domestic.  As Import owners are two and a half times more likely to stay on their scheduled car maintanence plans.  No, I don’t have any idea why that is, so don’t ask.

While I’m on a rant, let me tell you something that will change your life (okay, maybe that’s a little much to promise) – 90% of all repair work that I see on a regular basis, is DIRECTLY related to people do not follow their car maintanence schedule.  Sure, you might think that I’m SUPER happy about that, because that’s more work for me….but really, I’d rather have customers who visit me regularly and spend a little each time, instead of only seeing me every couple of years,  when they have to spend a lot.

Nitrogen in tires?

Nitrogen is more stable than oxygen.  What does this mean and why should you care?       Oxygen expands and contracts (Three time more than nitrogen) as it gets hotter and cooler. This often sets off the TPMS light.  This light is telling you that your tire pressure isn’t what it should be.    As a result of the oxygen in your tires, you may go from having the right tire pressure, to not enough tire pressure, to having TOO MUCH tire pressure.  This can be pretty dangerous.  

Nitrogen doesn’t expand anywhere near as much as oxygen and nitrogen molecules are much bigger and don’t “leak” through the tire.  I hear from people all the time how nitrogen in their tires gives them a much smoother ride too. 

Wikipedia has a pretty good description of what the TPMS system is:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire-pressure_monitoring_system

And at the nitrogen institute, they list some pretty interesting benefits:  http://www.getnitrogen.org/

Yes, I sell nitrogen, but I also just give it away to my customers.  It’s a question of safety for me.  For them, its a matter of better gas milage and their tires lasting longer.  -Adam Ford, Owner