Did you know that gasoline goes bad?

 We've got some news that you may not be very excited to hear - gasoline has a shelf life. 

Yup, you heard us right. Gasoline does go bad over time, and it can cause pretty serious damage to your N Charlotte Toyota's engine if you continue to cycle it through. We understand your frustration at this news - don't you have enough to worry about already when it comes to car care and car ownership? We're here to make your life easy, though. Check out our guide to bad gasoline and also how to avoid it. 

What is the shelf life of gasoline? 

OK so for starters, let's talk about the shelf life of gasoline. Basically, its longevity depends on the type of gasoline you're using. 

• Normal gasoline has a shelf life of 3-6 months before it starts to degrade. 
• Diesel lasts longer - it can sit for a year before any degradation happens. 
• Ethanol only lasts about a month; it's affected more quickly by oxidization and evaporation, so it's less stable than the other two types of gas. 

Regardless of where your gasoline is - in a gas can, at the gas station, in the fuel tank of your car - it starts to degrade at a certain point. When this happens, the chemical composition of the gasoline actually changes, which means your engine can't process it properly. This can lead to operational problems as well as major damage to the engine, fuel lines, and fuel system in general. 

How do you know if you have bad gasoline in the tank? Here are some surefire signs you need to head to Toyota of N Charlotte to have our techs give you a hand: 

• You notice operational problems like your car refusing to start, stalling out, idling rough, or losing power when you press the accelerator. If you have a full tank of gas and a full tank of clean oil, these operational problems can definitely point to bad gasoline. 
• The gas looks and smells different. Gasoline that's gone bad will have a sour or spoiled smell to it as opposed to the typical gas smell; it'll also be darker in color and have a muddy or cloudy appearance. 
• Bad gasoline can also trigger your check engine light (and in that case, regardless of what's causing it to illuminate, you need to schedule a visit to Toyota of N Charlotte's car care center). 

If you realize you have bad gasoline in the tank of your car, you need to bring your car to our N Charlotte Toyota service center. The only way to deal with bad gas is to empty out the fuel tank completely and ensure that all of the bad gasoline has been removed from the entire fuel system. If you leave it to sit, it can turn thick and sludgy, causing engine issues and clogging fuel lines. 

It's important to know how to spot bad gasoline, but it's even more important to know how to avoid it in the first place. Here are some tips from our Charlotte auto service techs: 

• Fill up your gas tank all the way. This will prevent it from having room for moisture to accumulate (which can cause corrosion and other issues). 
• Avoid gas stations that don't seem busy. Busy gas stations go through gas quickly and get fresh deliveries of gas often. Less-busy gas stations don't go through gas as fast, which means it could be sitting there for a while before you get to it (which in turn means it has a higher chance of going bad). 
• Drive your car weekly. Even if it's a garaged vehicle that doesn't see the road often, you should take it out once a week for 20 minutes or so. This will circulate fuel through the system, as well as ensure that you're regularly adding fresh gas to the tank. 

Let Toyota of N Charlotte help you deal with bad gasoline 

Have questions about bad gasoline? Call Toyota of N Charlotte today. We're open seven days a week at (704) 659-2025 and we're conveniently located just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. 

Motor oil color: What you should know for your car's health

 As you well know by now, motor oil is key to your car's health and longevity (and let's be realistic - resale value, too). It's important to keep your oil full and clean at all times so your engine and all of its moving parts stay cool and lubricated. It's also important to troubleshoot your oil from time to time as you check it to make sure nothing is wrong with it. One important aspect to take note of is your motor oil color - here's a quick guide from the experts at Toyota of N Charlotte. 

The five motor oil colors you should know 

Color #1: Amber or caramel-colored 

If your motor oil in your N Charlotte Toyota is amber or caramel-colored, you're in good shape - this is the color it SHOULD be. Clean oil is typically this hue and if you check your oil and see this color on the dipstick, it means your car is in good shape. 

Color #2: Creamy-colored with a milky texture 

If you check your car's oil and notice that it's creamy in color with a milky texture, you could have a head gasket leak. If you also notice that your car is blowing white smoke or losing coolant, this is definitely the case. Bring your car to our Charlotte car care center immediately. A head gasket leak can lead to serious and costly damage to your car if you don't address it ASAP. 

Color #3: Creamy-colored with a frothy texture 

On the other hand, if you notice that your motor oil is creamy-colored with a frothy texture, you could have water in your oil. Check your coolant level and make sure your engine isn't putting out white smoke. If coolant levels are normal and you don't see any smoke, it's definitely water contamination. Let our Charlotte auto service techs take a look under the hood to see what's going on. 

Color #4: A hue slightly darker than amber. 

If you check your motor oil and it's slightly darker than amber or caramel, don't panic. You could be using an oil that has more additives. Ask your Charlotte car care tech which oil you have under the hood. 

Color #5: Dark brown or black oil 

However, if the oil in your car's engine is really dark brown or black, then you need an oil change ASAP. This indicates that it's full of dirt and has been cycled through the engine too many times. Dirty engine oil can cause major (and expensive) problems under the hood. 

Visit Toyota of N Charlotte today for all of your motor oil needs 

Schedule an oil change at Toyota of N Charlotte today! Our Toyota service center is located conveniently just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville at 13429 Statesville Road. Call us today to schedule at (704) 659-2025! 

How to spot dirty engine coolant in your car

 Just like your car's engine oil, your engine coolant plays a critical role in your N Charlotte Toyota's performance. Its job is its name - it keeps your engine cool and prevents it from overheating when you're out on the road. Coolant flows through your car's radiator, water pump, water hoses, and the engine itself to ensure the engine can maintain a low enough temperature to continue running. 

What happens if your engine coolant is dirty? 

If you don't have enough in your car - or if the coolant is too dirty - it can spell big problems for your car's engine. Your engine will overheat and in a lot of cases, suffer catastrophic damage that can be extremely expensive and even irreparable. However, over time your cooling system will accumulate dirt, debris, and other contaminants, all of which end up in the coolant as it flows through the system. Toyota of N Charlotte is here with a quick guide on spotting dirty engine coolant - read on. 

An easy way to check your engine coolant is to pop the hood and look in the coolant reservoir. You can also check the level of engine coolant here to ensure your car has enough. Normal, clean coolant varies in color; it can be green, blue, orange, or even red. However, one common thing you'll notice with ALL clean engine coolant is that it's translucent in color - you can see through it, even though it's a thicker liquid. 

Warning signs your engine coolant is dirty 

Here are some signs your engine coolant is dirty and you need to visit our Charlotte car care center for a cooling system flush and fresh coolant. 

• Your coolant is no longer translucent. You can see dirt or debris in it, or the color has become cloudy or opaque, or even sludgy. 
• Your coolant level light and/or check engine light turn on. 
• Your engine's temperature gauge is in the red, meaning your engine is running hot. 
• You have steam coming from under your car's hood. 
• You have a coolant leak (you'll spot puddles under your car). 

If you notice any of the above things, it's time to hit our Charlotte car care center for a recommended coolant flush. Sure, you can drain the coolant and put fresh coolant in, but that doesn't take care of all of the dirt and grime left in the cooling system's lines, hoses, engine, and water pump. A flush will ensure all of that comes out before you put fresh coolant in, and you should be good to go for another 5 years or so. 

Not only that, when you get a coolant flush, our techs can inspect your entire cooling system to make sure ALL of it is in good enough shape to keep your car's engine cool. This helps head off any major issues before they become big and expensive. 

Let Toyota of N Charlotte answer your engine coolant questions 

Ready to schedule an engine coolant flush or think your car may need more coolant? Visit Toyota of N Charlotte today! We're open seven days a week at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. You can also schedule online OR call us at (704) 659-2025 today. 

Do you have dirty engine oil?

 If you get routine oil changes, then congrats - you're taking steps toward keeping your car in good shape for a long, long time. You're also safeguarding performance. However, if you're known to skip routine maintenance appointments, there's a chance your engine oil could be dirty. Toyota of N Charlotte is here with tips on how to check your engine oil AND how to spot that it's dirty and you need to have it changed. 

First, let's talk about how to check engine oil. It's pretty simple - turn your car off and let it cool down for a minute or two. Then pop the hood and locate the oil dipstick. Pull it out, and take a look at the oil on the end of it. There are a few things you should note: 

• The oil level: The oil should fall in between the two tic marks on the end of the dipstick. If it's below the bottom tic mark, your oil level is too low and you need an oil change ASAP. 
• The oil color: What color is your car oil? Regular oil is caramel in color and indicates that the oil is in the right condition to do its job. 

Signs your engine oil is dirty 

How does your engine oil get dirty in the first place? Well, it circulates through the engine to keep things cool and to keep moving parts lubricated. As it circulates, it picks up dirt, debris, and grime and doesn't really have any way to get rid of it, so it just stays dirty. Here are some surefire signs you have dirty engine oil and need to have it changed at our Charlotte auto service center: 

• It just LOOKS dirty. If your oil is dark brown or black instead of caramel-colored, or you can see flecks of dirt and debris in it, it's definitely dirty. 
• Your exhaust is smoky, especially if it's dark in color. 
• You smell oil within the cabin of your Charlotte Toyota. 
• You hear knocking sounds coming from your engine, or your engine is just a lot louder than usual in general. 

You never want to leave dirty engine oil in your car. It can do major damage and cost you a ton of money in repairs - and worst-case scenario, it could do irreparable damage to your car, leaving it permanently undrivable unless you get a new engine. 

Schedule your oil change today at Toyota of N Charlotte 

If you think your car has dirty engine oil, let Toyota of N Charlotte help! Our auto service center is open seven days a week at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville. You can call us at (704) 659-2025 today to schedule an appointment, or visit our website and schedule an oil change online! 

The main benefits of electric cars

 Electric cars are much-talked about at this point - what once seemed futuristic and out-of-reach is now finding its way into people's garages at a pretty consistent rate. However, is an electric car really worth it, or should you stick with gasoline and hybrid options? Toyota of N Charlotte is here to explain the benefits of electric cars so you can decide with certainty if one of these green options is right for you. 

Toyota of N Charlotte explains the five benefits of electric cars 

#1: No fuel costs. When you own an electric car, your gas costs are $0 - you heard us right. While hybrid cars do utilize gasoline as a fuel source, fully electric cars run solely on battery charge. You'll have to pay for charging, of course, whether you do it at a public charging station or at home in your own garage, your "fuel" costs will be a lot lower than if you were operating a gasoline-powered vehicle. 

#2: No local emissions. Electric cars are also green when it comes to local emissions. While internal combustion engine cars put out local emissions that form smog and are bad for the environment, electric cars have zero local emissions so you can feel a bit better about your drive time. If you're really concerned about emissions, be sure to find out where your electricity comes from (fossil fuels vs. hydro, solar, wind power) to see if your vehicle is putting out non-local emissions. 

#3: Instant power. Most people think that electric cars are slow and unable to tow and haul heavy loads... wrong. Electric cars don't have to wait for power to build up like internal combustion engines do. Instead, the minute you hit the gas you have instant power at your fingertips, which means you can hit high speeds more quickly as well as tow and haul heavy loads with ease. For example, the new Toyota Tundra and Sequoia both lost their V8 engines, but their hybrid systems are more powerful and give you extra horsepower and torque. 

#4: Less car maintenance. Electric cars also require less routine maintenance. Sure, you'll still have to get tire rotations and have our techs conduct multi-point inspections on your cars. But gone are the oil changes, spark plug swaps, coolant flushes, etc. as there's no internal combustion engine under the hood. You won't have to come into our N Charlotte Toyota service center as often and when you do, your maintenance will be cheaper. 

#5: Possible tax rebates. Did you know that some electric cars are eligible for state and federal tax rebates? Be sure to check with your accountant when you file your taxes or do the research yourself to see if you're eligible to get money back for driving one of these N Charlotte Toyotas. Additionally, you can sometimes even get rebates at local levels from air and electric companies! 

Explore electric car benefits with Toyota of N Charlotte 

Have questions about electric car benefits? Call us today! We're open seven days a week at (704) 875-9199. You can also stop by and chat with us in person at 13429 Statesville Road, just off I-77 at exit 23 in Huntersville.