8 Tips to Keep Your Vehicle Running Smoothly Through the Winter

There are 48 days until spring, but who’s counting, right?! Last week Westboro Toyota explained the three signs it’s time to replace your car battery to combat frigid winter temperatures. This week, we’ve got you covered with  tips on how to keep your vehicle running smoothly through the rest of the cold winter months.

Winter driving can be tumultuous given freezing temperatures and icing on the roadways. It’s important for motorists to ensure that their vehicles are in tip-top performance shape before venturing out for a winter drive—whether you need to commute to work on the highways, get to the ski slopes of Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, or just buzz around town.

Here are Westboro Toyota's eight tips to keep your vehicle running smoothly through the winter:

Check that battery—as we mentioned last week, the battery’s energy can be sapped by about 50 percent in the cold weather.

Inspect those tires—Optimal tire pressure is crucial to your vehicle’s traction, which is so important when the roadways are slippery. If you find you’re in need of new tires, visit Westboro Toyota’s Tire Center where you’ll get details on a wide selection of tires that are right for your vehicle, including the size, type (e.g., all season), performance rating and the maximum speed for which the tires are rated. Also, we encourage you to read our recent blog post on how to properly check your tire pressure when cold weather strikes.

Replace wiper blades and top off that windshield washer fluid—Due to all of the sand, salt and slush on the roadways, your windshield may get extremely dirty in the winter months. It’s important to keep the windshield clear so you have the appropriate field of view when driving.  Regularly check your vehicle’s windshield washer fluid levels to ensure that you have enough cleaning fluid to do the job. Westboro Toyota also recommends keeping a jug of windshield washer fluid in the trunk. Oh—and refrain from using water as your windshield washer fluid since it can freeze!

Use the appropriate oil for your vehicle—Winter driving can affect oil viscosity, i.e., the cold air can thicken the oil. This can become problematic because when the oil gets too think it may not properly lubricate the engine.

Inspect hoses and belts—The cold weather increases wear and tear on your vehicle’s belts and hoses, leaving them vulnerable to snapping.

Keep that gas tank filled at all times—Sure, gas prices are still high, but by filling your tank more regularly, the pain at the pump may seem less severe. Plus, keeping a full tank of gas helps guard against developing moisture in your gas tank, which can cause the engine to run rough or worse lead the vehicle not to start.

Store an emergency kit in your trunk—Some emergency staples every vehicle should have include a flashlight, jumper cables, and first-aid kit. It’s also a good idea to keep a blanket or two in the vehicle, as well as boots and gloves. These could be lifesavers in the event your vehicle becomes stranded in a blizzard or other extreme winter weather event, such as an ice storm.

Make your Express Maintenance appointment with Westboro Toyota today! Our Express Maintenance is designed to get your vehicle in for service and you out quick, with cost-effective service. Our experienced team of service technicians use a pit-crew approach to provide you with accurate, rapid and superior service that includes oil and filter change; brake inspection; tire rotation; fluids inspection and replenishment (such as antifreeze, which are crucial in the winter months); and a multipoint vehicle inspection. Download Westboro Toyota's Express Maintenance brochure for more information.

Call Westboro Toyota today at 888.336.4725 to schedule your Express Maintenance appointment or book service 24/7 online with our Service Scheduler.

Finally, Westboro Toyota wants everyone to travel safely on winter roadways—that means leaving enough time to get where you need to go, obeying speed-limit reductions due to conditions on the roads, always traveling a safe distance from the vehicles around you and of course, staying buckled up at all times!

3 Signs It’s Time to Replace the Car Battery to Combat Frigid Winter Temps

Right now, the temperature outside with the wind chill has dipped to a dangerous low. The frigid January air not only takes a toll on us, but also on our vehicles. Vehicles left out in sub-zero temperatures may have difficulty starting. That’s because when it’s really cold outside, a car battery can lose half of its power!

The battery is comprised of chemicals that spark electrons. When battery components don’t have enough movement to fire up those electrons, the car won’t start. Cold weather in particular can slow down those chemical reactions, so the battery needs to use more energy to get the engine going—that’s that slow cranking sound the vehicle makes when it’s really cold outside!

A car battery may work after a jump start, but who wants to have to jump the battery every time the cold weather moves into town! Here are some signs that it may be time to replace your car battery:

• your lights are dim while the car is idling, but they brighten up when you rev the engine.

• the vehicle takes too long to start up when you crank it; and

• the car battery is more than three years old.

If your car battery is more than three years old, Westboro Toyota recommends scheduling a service appointment so one of our factory-trained technicians can evaluate its performance, clean the posts, check for corrosion on any of the connections and replace the old battery with a new one if necessary.

And, when it’s time for your regular factory scheduled maintenance or other minor repairs, contact Westboro Toyota to book your Express Maintenance appointment for your Toyota and Scion vehicles. It’s quick, easy and cost-effective. Using a pit-crew approach, our talented team of service technicians will provide you with accurate, rapid and superior service, which includes:

• Oil and filter change

• Brake inspection

• Tire rotation

• Fluids inspection and replenishment

• Multipoint vehicle inspection

Call Westboro Toyota today at 888.336.4725 to schedule your Express Maintenance appointment or book service 24/7 online.

Check Out Essential Lease-Term End Checklist

Last week, Westboro Toyota explored three steps for success when nearing the end of your lease term on your Toyota. This week, we’re taking a look at the essential lease-term end checklist to make your transition to your new lease term or to the purchase of a brand-new Toyota as seamless as possible!

To ensure that your lease turn-in process is fast and simple, Westboro Toyota recommends that you:

Use Toyota’s measuring tools to examine your vehicle for possible excessive wear and use on your vehicle.

Schedule an appointment with Westboro Toyota to turn in your leased vehicle.

Bring your Odometer Statement, which should be included in your final billing statement, so we can record the mileage.

Also, Westboro Toyota recommends bringing the following with you to your lease-return appointment:

• all of the keys (master keys and remotes)
• all of your service records
• the owner’s manual for your leased Toyota
• tool kit and spare tire
• any equipment that was original to the vehicle upon leasing (make sure nothing is missing, such as the radio, headrests, third-row seat, and tonneau/cargo cover, if applicable)

Confirm with your state’s motor vehicle department on whether you must turn in the license plates at the end of the lease term.

Cancel electronic payments you may have authorized for lease-term payments.

Westboro Toyota offers $0 down leases to qualified customers on new Toyota models, starting at the super low payments of just $189 per month.

Contact Westboro Toyota today to book your lease-term end appointment.

We would be happy to assist you in coordinating your new lease term or purchase on a brand-new Toyota vehicle. Our experienced team is always here to address your concerns!

Three Steps to Success When Nearing the End of Your Lease Term on Your Toyota!

If you’re approaching the end of the lease term on your Toyota, you understandably may have questions about what happens at the end of the lease term.

Westboro Toyota is here to answer all of your lease term questions. Feel free to reach out to us with your particular concerns. In the meantime, though, here are some general issues to consider:

When the end of your lease term approaches, it’s all about options—and, that’s a good thing! It’s important during this time to follow a path that’s right for your needs and lifestyle. That said, you can:

Choose a new Toyota—Visit WestboroToyota.com to check out a full lineup of brand-new Toyota vehicles available for lease for your new term. Once the term on your current lease is up, Westboro Toyota’s seasoned team will work with you to ensure that your new ride is just what you’ve been looking for!

Take the new Toyota for a test drive—Visit Westboro Toyota to take the vehicle(s) you’re thinking about leasing for the upcoming term out for a test drive.

Purchase your Toyota—As your lease-term ends, you may elect to purchase the vehicle. It’s important to determine the vehicle payoff amount and contact the originating dealer to review the lease terms with you if you're considering this option. Then, it’s up to you to choose your payoff method—will you finance the vehicle or pay for it outright?

Thinking about leasing a Toyota? Westboro Toyota has got great news for you! We offer $0 down leases to qualified customers, starting at super low payments of just $189 per month based on the model and

Contact Westboro Toyota today to weigh your lease and end-of-lease-term options!

Five Reasons to Trade In and Up for 2013!

Are you nearing the end of your factory-covered warranty period on your existing vehicle? If so, Westboro Toyota urges you to consider trading in your vehicle and purchasing a brand new Toyota because:

Our fleet of new vehicles come with Toyota Care, two years or 25,000 miles of complimentary maintenance and 24-hour roadside assistance, which covers normal factory-scheduled service for your new ride—resulting on significant savings on must-have maintenance, such as the engine oil and filter change, tire rotation, and a multi-point inspection. For full details visit Westboro Toyota’s Toyota Care page.

So, that’s one reason why you should trade in and up for 2013, but what are some others?

For starters, every brand new Toyota comes with a 36-month/36,000-mile warranty on all vehicle components other than normal wear and maintenance items. In addition, you get 60 months/60,000 miles worth of powertrain and rust-through coverage for corrosion perforation of sheet metal.

Also, the used-vehicle market continues to explode, which means high trade-in values for you, which you can put toward a hefty down payment on a brand-new Toyota that will lower your monthly payments!

Interest rates on auto loans are likely to stay low for 2013, says Bankrate.com, which means more of your hard-earned dollars will be going straight to the principal, not to interest!

And, back to warranties, we cannot stress enough how important it is to have factory warranty coverage! If you’re currently making a car payment and your warranty has or is about to expire, you should seriously consider trading in and up for 2013, so you can avoid a situation where you’re paying out on repairs over and above your monthly car payment. It makes good sense for Westboro Toyota’s customers to replace those out-of-warranty vehicles with ones backed by a comprehensive Toyota Care warranty.

Do you have questions about trading in your used vehicle or about financing a new Toyota? Contact Westboro Toyota’s experienced finance team today to weigh your options for 2013! And, don’t forget, Toyotathon, with deep savings on brand-new Toyotas, ends Jan. 7, 2013—so hurry!