Regularly change your vehicle’s oil

Oil is your vehicle’s lifeblood. To maintain peak performance, Johnson recommends scheduling oil changes every 3,000 miles or every three months, whichever comes first. This will ensure that your vehicle will continue to run smoothly and will prevent the formation of sludge, which can cause excessive oil consumption, decreased engine life and decreased fuel economy.

Rotate and align your vehicle’s tires

Johnson suggests having your vehicle’s tires rotated every 6,000 miles by a certified technician and performing a wheel alignment at least every two years to ensure maximum tire life and uncompromised steering and suspension performance. “It’s a good idea to regularly inspect your tires, checking for cuts, bulges and excessive tread wear,” says Johnson. “Uneven tire wear is an indication that the tires are misaligned or are unbalanced.” Tire pressure should also be checked every three months during the normal maintenance service.

Maintain braking system

For routine maintenance, the vehicle’s braking system should be checked at least once a year by a technician certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The technician will inspect brake lining wear, brake fluid level, rotor thickness, condition of hoses and brake lines, and brake and warning lights.

Schedule a transmission flush

Scheduling regular transmission flushes keeps the transmission fluid new and vastly decreases the chance of expensive transmission repairs. Most Original Equipment Manufacturers recommend flushing transmission fluid every 30,000 miles, even on new vehicles. This process, usually done with the aid of cleansing chemicals and additives, extends the life of the transmission and keeps your vehicle performing like new.

Check battery cables and posts

Corroded battery cables and posts can result in battery failure, which can cause your vehicle to break down and leave you stranded. If you notice that corrosion is building up around your car’s battery, Johnson suggests cleaning the cables and posts with a paste of baking soda and warm water. This will also prolong the life of your vehicle’s battery.

Check and maintain fluids

Johnson recommends checking all fluids regularly, including brake, power steering, transmission and engine coolant (anti-freeze). “Maintaining proper fluid levels is an easy and inexpensive way to potentially stop a bigger problem from occurring,” says Johnson.

Replace windshield wiper blades

Windshield wiper blades that are cracked or torn can greatly reduce your visibility when driving in rain and snow. It’s a good idea to regularly examine and replace them approximately once a year or sooner if streaking begins.

Wash off salt residue

Washing off salt residue that accumulates on your vehicle during the winter months will maintain your vehicle’s body and auto body parts and prevent the onset of rust and corrosion. Regardless of the finish, vehicles should be regularly washed throughout the year. Applying wax once the vehicle is completely dry will preserve the car’s shine and protect the surface.

Toyota Motor Corporation has released the details of the 10th generation model of the best-selling car of all time, the Corolla sedan. The all-new Toyota Corolla now features an all-new platform with new exterior and interior design cues and innovative engine lineup.

“All drivers, regardless of age, are sensitive to dynamic, high quality styling that provides a sense of luxury. Our new and strong design, combined with excellent driving dynamics, should sweep away the stereotype of Corolla as a good car that lacks driver appeal. I am confident that we have developed a car that will stir great excitement the moment you see it.” says Soichiro Okudaira, Executive Chief Engineer for the new Corolla explains.

The new Toyota Corolla also gets new suspension with bunch of safety systems including Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD), Brake assist, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with traction control (TRC), and other interior amenities and other Toyota parts.

Under the hood comes a range of innovative engine lineup including the 1.6-litre petrol is an with dual VVT-i and offers excellent performance and low fuel consumption. For customers that prefer a cleaner engine, the new diesel 2.0 D-4D125 engine is available. The engine is equipped with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) that reduces carbon monoxide emission. The 1.4-litre D-4D and 1.4-litre VVT-I engines used by current Corolla models are also available for the new 10th-generation Toyota Corolla.

The car will roll out in European markets in the first quarter of 2007. Hope this vehicle will also arrive in US shores soon.

Toyota has recently announced the re-launch of its Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) website that features community-like environment for Toyota hybrid vehicle owners.

"Toyota's more than 600,000 hybrid owners are very passionate about their vehicles and the reasons they drive them. The new community site taps into that excitement by letting users visually represent themselves through graphic art and video. Members will help promote the HSD brand as they evangelize about their own personal experiences." said Gregg Benkendorfer, National Manager of Media Strategy and Digital Marketing for Toyota.

The redesigned website provides information about Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive  and allows visitors to view Toyota hybrid owners and browse them in different categories including age group, location, or even vehicle color. For Toyota hybrid owners, the website allow them to create profiles and share their reasons for owning a Toyota hybrid vehicle and also, provide some information about themselves and their Toyota hybrid vehicles. The website also includes fun and interactive features like the distance map that shows how much further Toyota hybrid vehicles can travel compared to conventional cars. Toyota said the website is a way for owners to promote the Hybrid Synergy Drive by sharing their personal experiences to community members and other visitors on the website. You can check out Toyota’s website at http://www.toyota.com/hybrids. You can also checkout your trusted online store for quality Toyota parts  on the web.

In the mood to do something really good this Christmas season? Well this might be a good one for you.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) has launched a new initiative to begin accepting donations of automobiles, trucks and boats in their continuing efforts to fund cancer research. The new initiative, while not a new idea, offers donors a full, turnkey donation process with only one phone call. Everything else is taken care of after the initial call.

Want to donate your car, truck, or boat? It’s simple. Just dial 877-500-NFCR (6327) and answer a few details about the vehicle over the phone, and NFCR and their partner, Charitable Auto Resources, will do the rest. They will be the ones to pick up the car, sell the car and send you a receipt for your tax-deductible donation for the value of the car. Meanwhile, the donation goes to support cancer research that is making a difference in people’s lives.

“With the ongoing cuts in cancer research funding from the federal government, scientists are increasingly at risk of being slowed down in their efforts to fight and cure cancer. As a result, we have to look at every way we can to keep the funding up and this is just one more way for an individual to join us in the fight to defeat cancer,” said Franklin C. Salisbury, Jr., president of NFCR.

For more information regarding this initiative, visit www.NFCR.org. For the best Toyota parts in the internet, check out Toyota Parts Online.