Everything you need to know about brake pads

With driving being a lot about stopping and going, your brake pads provide an absolutely necessary service that without would make driving an absolute hazard. That pedal next to your gas pedal works tirelessly to bring your N Charlotte Toyota vehicle to a complete stop whenever your foot hits it. Your brake pedal applies your brake pads to the brake disc to create friction which eventually brings you to a stop. You’re probably thinking, give me a break from all this brake stuff! But, Toyota of N Charlotte is here with some essential knowledge on brakes and how to tell if they’re going bad.

Give your brake pads a break

The brakes on your N Charlotte Toyota vehicle take a lot of punishment throughout your drive. All that stopping and going wears your brake pads and your brake discs down pretty quickly. In fact, the essential parts of your brakes only last about two to three years. But, depending on how you drive and where, your brakes could wear out more slowly or quickly.

If you’re unsure about the condition of your N Charlotte Toyota brakes, there are several symptoms you should look out for.

• Brake Warning Light: Your N Charlotte Toyota vehicle is designed with several warning systems to let you know if an essential part is ready to be replaced or failing. While you’ll typically see warning lights for an oil change or underinflated tire, there’s also one for your brake pads. If this light comes on, then you likely have a brake pad problem on your hands.
• Soft Brake Pedal: When pressing on the brake pedal, you should expect it to have a little resistance and stopping should happen almost immediately. If the pedal is going soft, you’ll likely still be able to brake, but it may require more force.
• Squealing Brakes: A good sign that your brake pads need to be replaced is a squealing sound that happens as soon as you apply the brakes. The squealing sound happens because of a build-up of brake dust. If left unchecked, the brake sensor could make contact with the rotor and cause a harmful scraping or grinding.
• Delayed Brakes: Worn brake pads creates uneven friction and often makes deceleration a more drawn out process than usual. Your N Charlotte Toyota needs to stop quickly enough while driving, if it can’t then you should visit out auto service center as soon as possible.
• Vibrating Brakes: Noticeable pulsating or excessive vibrations are another sign of uneven friction. When your brake pad is worn and comes in contact with the rotor it results in excessive vibrations that you can often feel in the pedal.

Fix your brake pads at Toyota of N Charlotte

Your brakes are nothing to mess around with and can keep you safe during your commute. Make sure they’re well taken care of and in good condition with Toyota of N Charlotte. Our auto service department is open seven days a week and you can find at 13429 Statesville Road.

How to pick the best Toyota pickup truck

You work hard and put in the most effort possible to get the job done and you need the best of the best when it comes to your working vehicle. One that can haul the most, tow the most, and look great while doing it. N Charlotte Toyota pickup trucks sport an excellent amount of space, cutting edge style features, and they’re built to perform like no other vehicle class. While trucks pack of lot of benefits for drivers, they come at a much higher sticker price than most other vehicles and are more expensive to fuel. But, if you’re ready to go big on your next ride then you should come shop for your perfect pickup truck at Toyota of N Charlotte. To help you decide, check out this guide on a few different Toyota pickup trucks.

Remember these tips when shopping for a Toyota pickup truck

The options are aplenty when it comes to shopping for a truck. These vehicles are designed to be highly customizable. But you need to remember to stick to your essentials when it comes to designing your Toyota pickup truck. Consider exactly what you’ll be doing with your truck. Will you need to haul large equipment or heavy cargo? Do you need to tow large trailers or boats? Did you need a more powerful engine under the hood? You need to consider other factors like:

Price Point

When it comes to selecting your next Toyota pickup truck, you have the option between the N Charlotte Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra. These two trucks provide different levels of capability and sit at very different price points. The MSRP of the Toyota Tacoma is $25,400 while the Tundra sits around $31,420.

Engineering

To get the performance and capability you need and want out of your N Charlotte Toyota truck you need to make sure you pick the right hardware that goes under the hood. Both the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra offer various levels of engineering performance that you’ll need to consider when purchasing one. Here are the engine options for these N Charlotte Toyota pickup trucks:

            Toyota Tundra

• A 4.6 L V8 engine that outputs 310 horsepower and 327 lb./ft. of torque
• A 5.7 L V8 engine that outputs 381 horsepower and 401 lb./ft. of torque
• An EPA estimated 15 city/19 highway mpg

Toyota Tacoma

• A 3.5 L V6 engine that outputs 278 horsepower and 265 lb./ft. of torque
• A 2.7 L 4-cylinder engine that outputs 159 horsepower and 180 lb./ft. of torque
• The N Charlotte Toyota Tacoma gets an EPA estimated 18 city/22 highway mpg

Towing/Bed Sizes

The bed and the hitch are arguably the two main pieces of a N Charlotte Toyota truck that make it so capable. The Toyota Tundra is a great truck if you’re looking to tow large amounts of cargo (up to 10,000 pounds) and the Toyota Tacoma, while smaller, can still pull up to 6,400 pounds. The bed sizes of N Charlotte Toyota pickup trucks can also be customized to haul as much or as little as needed.

Still unsure which pickup truck is best for you? Come down to Toyota of N Charlotte and see yourself! We’re open seven days a week and located at 13429 Statesville Road. 

Inline engines: a guide from Toyota of N Charlotte

When popping the hood of a typical N Charlotte Toyota car, you’ve likely seen engines like a 4-cylinder, V6, or V8. Some vehicles, mainly luxury vehicles with enhanced performance features, even have V10 or V12 engines in them! While shopping at the dealership, you’ll likely come across vehicles with these engines in them. A N Charlotte Toyota Camry, Corolla, or RAV4 will have a 4-cylinder engine. The Toyota Tacoma and Highlander will have a V6 engine in it and the Tundra a V8. While these engines are ones you’ve often seen you may be wondering if there are other engines out there. The truth is, there are many different types of engines on the market, including the inline engine. With the return of the Toyota Supra, the inline engine is once again the talk of the town. So, what is it and how is it different than a regular engine?

What’s so great about an inline engine?

Set to release this year, the Toyota Supra is returning to Toyota of N Charlotte and, true to Supra form, it’s going to have an inline engine in it! So, what’s so cool about this engine? The inline-six or inline-four engine is actually a very efficient engine that gives vehicles near perfect balance. It uses a straight-line cylinder configuration rather than a horizontally opposed V pattern. However, these engines are much larger and therefor require more room. Vehicles with this engine in them also carry a somewhat higher sticker-price.

While the new N Charlotte Toyota Supra is being reproduced with an inline-six engine, not many other Toyota vehicles have used an inline engine. But, one engine that’s become especially legendary to gearheads and racers everywhere is the Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine. First used in the Toyota Aristo V in 1991 and then the N Charlotte Supra RZ, this inline engine used six cylinders and sported some great performance specs for the time. In 1991, this engine was engineered to flex 280 horsepower and then 320 in 1993. While the horsepower metric seems so-so compared to some N Charlotte Toyota vehicles today, this inline engine held unlockable secrets. Many gearheads and engineers found that the 2JZ-GTE engine is so well built that a driver could achieve 1,000 or more horsepower with just a few simple modifications to the engine! However, most people didn’t know this until a film franchise made the engine and the Supra as popular is they are today.

A modern legend

The 2JZ-GTE engine can still be found in some vintage N Charlotte Toyota Supras, but the modern Supra will be released with a powerful inline-six engine that packs on 335 horsepower and has a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 seconds. This new inline engine equipped N Charlotte Toyota sports car will be available in trim levels like 3.0, 3.0 Premium, and limited Launch Edition.

If you’re excited for the arrival of the new Toyota Supra or have more questions about inline engines, then give us a call at Toyota of N Charlotte! You can reach us at (704) 875 – 9199 for more details!

All you need to know about the Toyota hybrid system

Beginning in 1997 with the creation of the Toyota Prius, Toyota hybrid models and technology has been on the rise. The combination of electric and gasoline engineering creates a great balance of power and fuel-efficiency that keeps things green for the environment and more green in your wallet. But, the world of N Charlotte hybrid technology can get confusing at times. Drivers who are new to this vehicle class often ask questions like:

• How exactly do they work?
• Are there different types of Toyota hybrids? How many are there?
• What kind of drivetrain do they use?
• Do they still use gas?

To help you better understand the world of hybrid cars, Toyota of N Charlotte is here with a guide on these money and fuel saving vehicles.

Toyota of N Charlotte has the details on Toyota hybrid vehicles

So, what makes a Toyota hybrid vehicle a hybrid? Essentially, a hybrid vehicle uses two powertrains, one electric and one gasoline, to operate. The engine uses power from a large battery pack that recharges the gasoline engine and recouped energy and power from the brakes. While you may not expect it, electric motors are actually very efficient when it comes to accelerating and produce their maximum power from a dead stop. Another aspect about Toyota hybrid vehicles that some may find confusing is the mpg ratings. Typically, N Charlotte Toyota hybrid models achieve better fuel-efficiency when driving in the city as opposed to the highway. This is because the electric motor of the vehicle operates more than the gasoline drivetrain.

Just like normal gasoline powered vehicles, N Charlotte hybrid cars also come in several different types with different features and grades of fuel efficiency.

 Series Hybrid

This type of N Charlotte hybrid Toyota uses both electric and gasoline engines to power the vehicle, but in different ways. The electric motor drives the wheels of the vehicle while the internal combustion engine acts as a type of generator for the car once the battery runs out of reserve battery.

Parallel Hybrid

Designed to give drivers options, the parallel N Charlotte hybrid is designed for both the electric and gas motors to drive the wheels independently. This allows for drivers to select either a fully electric or fully gasoline driving experience.

Full Hybrid

You may not be able to think of a full hybrid off the top of your head, but you definitely know one. The Toyota Prius! When driving at low speeds, full hybrid vehicles operate using electricity and low throttle and then use gasoline once the electric power has been worn out.

Plug-in Hybrid

Just like you charge your phone, you can charge your N Charlotte Toyota hybrid vehicle by plugging it into the wall. These types of hybrids have a fully electric range of 10 – 35 miles and then switch to a typical hybrid vehicle.

Shop Toyota hybrid vehicles at Toyota of N Charlotte

It’s always good to go green and driving a Toyota hybrid vehicle can get you there. Come visit the dealership at 16851 State Road 50 seven days a week and shop our large inventory of hybrid vehicles.