Check out this video of the balloon maker creating fun animals and hats for all of the kids at our Halloween event last friday!

RAV4 EV

Maintenance Tip Monday- Drive with care everyday

Drive with care everyday

Being car considerate shouldn’t stop after the break-in. Drive with care every day and your car will reward you with longer intervals without repair.

• Do not race your car’s engine during start-up.This is a quick way to add years of wear to your engine, especially if it’s cold outside.
• Accelerate slowly when you begin your drive.The most wear to the engine and drive train occurs in the first ten to twenty minutes of operation.
• Warming the engine by letting it idle in the driveway is not a smart idea.The engine doesn’t operate at its peak temperature, resulting in incomplete fuel combustion, soot deposits on cylinder walls, oil contamination, and ultimately damaged components.
• Put less strain on your engine and automatic transmission by shifting to neutral at red lights. Otherwise, the engine is still working to push the car even while it’s stopped.
• Avoid driving at high speeds and accelerating quickly, especially when it’s very hot or very cold outside. Such driving behavior will result in more frequent repairs.
• Extend the life of your tires with careful driving. Observe posted speed limits. Avoid fast starts, stops, and turns. Avoid potholes and objects on the road. Don’t run over curbs or hit the tire against the curb when parking. And, of course, don’t burn rubber.
• When turning your steering wheel, don’t hold it in an extreme right or left position for more than a few seconds. Doing so can damage the power-steering pump.
• Consolidate your short driving trips. Most of the wear and tear — as well as the pollution your car generates — takes place in the first few minutes of driving. Doing several errands at once, during low traffic hours if possible, will keep your engine happier longer.

Courtesy of Reader’s Digest

Thank you for this great review!

"I recently brought my Toyota Prius in for its last covered sevice at 25,000 miles under the Toyota Care policy, and I couldn t be happier with how I was treated. David Carpenter, in the service department, took great care of me and I was treated with prompt and competent service with my vehicle. I am the tyoe of person that is very careful about my automobile inside and out. I must say that the technicians and staff at Valley-Hi are not only very careful and meticulous, but treat my precious vehicle with extreme respect. I will definitely continue to use Valley-Hi for all of my service needs for BOTH of my Toyota vehicles. They are really the best!" - S. K.

Way to go Valley Hi Toyota team! We have another happy customer. Thank you for this great review on Yelp!

"It's unfortunate that this place has such bad reviews. My wife and purchased 2 cars in 2 weeks. 1 from Browning in Norco (2013 Dodge Grand Caravan) and the one from ValleyHi which was a 2012 Toyota Prius. My experience was the total opposite to what I've read from other Yelpers. It could be that I went thru the Internet department and dealt with Russell. Russell was amazing. We negotiated a price well below invoice, got full asking for our Honda (even though it had power steering issues) and left very satisfied. Russell made the deal and handed it off to Antonio who was the nicest guy I think I've ever met. No seriously. They took amazing care of us, our car payment is $40 lower then our used 2010 Honda Civic and were so grateful for all the hard work these 2 guys put in. I really hope if your considering buying a new/used Toyota, you give Russell a call in Internet financing. TRUST ME, he will work harder for you then any one else will." -Joey L.

Thank you for your kind words!

"Toyota takes great care of their cars and their customers!" -You had me at Toyota

"Valley Hi has been a top choice for my whole family over the years. I have bought several cars through them and take my car in for service regularly. I am well pleased with the buying process as well as the high customer service. Well done!" - #1 Toyota Customer

Toyota and Discovery Education Challenge Teachers and Students to Help Teens Stay Safe Behind the Wheel

Toyota and Discovery Education today announced that the Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge and Toyota Teen Driver Educators’ Challenge are now open for entries. These challenges invite teens and their teachers to share their most creative ideas to help promote teen safe driving habits.  Entries for both programs are due by Feb. 14, 2013.

Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for teens.  In fact, current research shows that 35% of all teen deaths are a result of car crashes -- more than cancer, suicide, heart disease and homicide combined. To address this challenge, Toyota and Discovery Education teamed up in 2010 to create Toyota Teen Driver, a comprehensive program and online destination providing safe-driving tools and resources to educators, students and parents.

 

Safe Driving Programs for Both Teens and Teachers

 

The Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge encourages students to create and develop an original video describing what they can do in their communities to help make their peers and themselves safer drivers. The top ten videos will be chosen by a panel of experts for their originality and compelling content, followed by a public voting period on ToyotaTeenDriver.com to select the winner. The first, second and third place winners will receive $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 cash prizes, respectively. In addition, Discovery Channel film crews will visit the top three students’ hometowns to hear their stories and capture their visions for safer driving for pieces that will air on ToyotaTeenDriver.com and additional Discovery online properties. The seven runners-up will each receive $1,000.  The Video Challenge is open to students in grades 9-12.

 

Recognizing that educators also play a key role in ensuring teens stay safe on the road, Toyota and Discovery Education have also opened applications for the 2013 Toyota Teen Driver Educators’ Challenge.  For this Challenge, educators are asked to create innovative action plans for keeping students safe on the roads. The grand prize winner will receive a 4 day trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend a safe-driving conference and a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, that teacher’s school will be awarded a Virtual Driver Interactive simulator and a safe-driving assembly, led by Toyota Teen Driver experts.  The second place winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a driving simulator and safe-driving assembly for their school.

 

“At Toyota, we are deeply committed to the notion that everyone deserves to be safe,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, Toyota’s group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation.  “We are glad to be working with Discovery Education to bring critical safety information to schools and students across the country.  This is an important commitment for Toyota and a vital part of our efforts to help ensure that drivers and passengers are safe at every phase of life.”

 

In addition to Toyota Teen Driver, Toyota’s work to help keep teens safe on the road includes: Toyota Driving Expectations, a free program for teens and their parents which provides hands-on, real world defensive driving experiences; groundbreaking safety research partnerships with major North American research universities through the company’s $50 million Collaborative Safety Research Center; and national teen safe driving partnerships with DoSomething.org and the National Safety Council.  Toyota also has a national program in place to help ensure safety for child passengers (Buckle Up for Life) as well as a major partnership with AARP to address driver safety for seniors. 

 

“Discovery Education is thrilled to continue our partnership with Toyota to provide teachers, students and their families with creative and engaging resources to keep teens safe behind the wheel,” said Mary Rollins, Discovery Education vice president. “The Educators’ Challenge and Video Challenge, as well as the resources available on ToyotaTeenDriver.com, provide a unique opportunity for teachers and students to connect on and explore issues that transcend into their everyday lives.”

 

Courtesy of Toyota

Thank you for these reviews on Cars.com!

"I would totally tell my family and friends about the awesome time I had in selecting a quality used car and the friendly people that assited me with the purchase. There was someone always available to answer any and all questions. Thank you Valley Hi Toyota!" -Happy

"ALWAYS FRIENDLY, AND FAST. THEY ARE OPEN ARE SATURDAY WHICH HELPS WHEN YOU WORK DURING THE WEEK." -Terri

What to Do if Your Check Engine Light Comes On

You’re driving home from work when suddenly you see a light in the shape of an engine illuminate your dashboard. You pull off the road to check it out: sure enough, it’s the “check engine” light (CEL).  Now it’s time to panic (just kidding). Stay calm, and consider the most common source of this warning: the gas cap. Is it tightened? Check/tighten it, then drive for 15-20 minutes to give the warning light time to turn itself off.

Pay attention to other signals from the CEL and the car’s corresponding performance:

Minor issue

• Warning: the light’s on (even intermittently) or flickering
• Performance: no noticeable performance issues
• Solution: Keep driving, but get the car checked out as soon as possible.

Major issue

• Warning: the light stays on
• Performance: There are noticeable performance issues
• Solution: Get off the road as soon as you can; tow the car to a professional for service

Vital issue

• Warning: the light blinks steadily (not flickers)
• Performance: accelerating leads to flashing light (i.e., total emission control failure)
• Solution: Immediately get off the road; tow the car to a professional for service

If you’re confident there’s no engine/emission problem or you’ve fixed it (or are about to fix it), then it’s time to turn off the engine light. Can you do this yourself? Maybe. Depends on the age of your car.

For pre-1996 cars

If your car was built before the mid-90s, all you need to do is open the hood and disconnect the negative battery terminal for about 30 seconds. When you restart the car, the light should be off again.

For post-1995 cars

The engine lights in these vehicles use different technology, and they’re not so easy to reset. You’ll need to go to a repair shop to have a mechanic turn it off with a special scanner. Alternatively, you can go to auto parts stores to use their scanners and get the diagnostic codes for your vehicle’s engine problems—national chains often provide this service for free.

Terminology lesson

check-engine light/malfunction-indicator light: “CEL”/“MIL”

diagnostic trouble code: “DTC”

Courtesy of UsedCars.com

Thank you for these great reviews on Cars.com!

"I arrived on time and was helped immediately. I took my book and tea cup and sat in the waiting room. Before I could finish the book, they called me to pickup my car. It took approximately 1 1/2 hours and everything came out fine. Thanks Valley-Hi Toyota for another quick and easy maintenance appointment." -workaholic

"The car i wanted was not on the the dealership lot, so they went and found the car and brought it to their dealership, with nothing required from me, i simply told them what i wanted, and they went and got it." -aaron

Bezanson & Bestwick prepare for 2012 San Fran Dew Tour

Toyota Presents: The Tundra Endeavour -- Mission Accomplished

Only one more day until an American-Built Toyota Tundra will pull the space shuttle Endeavour into history!

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On Friday, October 12, 2012 an historic moment will take place when an American-Built Toyota Tundra will pull the space shuttle Endeavour a quarter mile on Manchester Boulevard over the 405 Freeway.

The Toyota Tundra will be assisting in the movement of this historic icon over the Manchester Boulevard Bridge, an area that requires a different tow mechanism than other portions of the route for weight distribution purposes. In preparation to assist in any capacity needed, the Tundra was extensively tested to meet the requirements. This tow of Endeavour by the Toyota Tundra at this location will be the only one of its kind taking place along the route.

Toyota has a 20-year history of financial support for the California Science Center to promote awareness for the space program and education of the public through exhibits and programs. The California Science Center is located in Exposition Park and will be the final home of the Endeavour.

WHERE:          Manchester Boulevard Bridge, nearly a quarter-mile span total over               the 405 Freeway, near LAX

WHEN:            October 12, 2012

Tow expected at approximately 10:00 PM

During the towing, a film crew will be on site shooting a national commercial. Please be sure to turn on your local 10:00 or 11:00 PM news to see footage of the Tundra performing this impressive feat.

Courtesy of Toyota

 

Toyota Tundra -- Coach T -- Multiple Offers

Valley Hi Toyota Scion 1st Annual Halloween Costume Contest

This is the place where you can bring your Trick or Treaters to a safe environment that is specifically tailored to the children. Come join us for a fun filled evening of trick or treating. Starting at 5:00PM. All children ages 16 and under are eligible to compete for prizes in a costume contest that will begin promptly at 6:30 PM. RSVP's are required to compete on the event day of October 26th, 2012.

First Place Prize: IPad
Second Place Prize: Nintendo Wii
Third Place Prize: Kindle Fire

Click on the link below to RSVP and to learn more about this fun event! You wont want to miss out. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

http://www.valleyhitoyota.com/halloween-contest.htm

Teams Hustle to Complete their Builds on Time for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge

Customizing a vehicle can often be broken down into a series of tasks that can then be scheduled and executed—at least until the clock runs out. Then all bets are off. And so it goes for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge teams with time to complete their ambitious builds coming to a close in about two weeks, just before voting begins on October 20. And just like a race car, these one-off rides must be ready to go when the green flag drops.

Kyle Busch's "Rowdy Edition" Camry is "getting close." Busch's team at Detroit Speed has extensively reworked the Camry's body with strong fender flares, a NASCAR-style splitter and front and rear belly pans to direct airflow under the car. All of these parts have been custom designed and fabricated by hand—a painstaking and time-consuming process. More recently, the team has been scrambling to finish custom interior touches with completely redone seats and a custom electronic entertainment package.

Getting a complex collection of custom-built electronics to work seamlessly in his "Tekked-Out Prius" seems to be keeping Clint Bowyer's RKM Performance Center team awake into the wee hours. It's loaded with hi-tech gadgets like side-view cameras that replace the mirrors, 45 feet. of fiber optic interior lighting and a 16-speaker stereo with six crossovers and dual amplifiers. Then there's the suspension which has dropped the Prius "lower than a Sprint Cup car." And, there’s certainly no lack of team spirit as their build will sport no less than 364 copies of the Toyota logo.
Alexis DeJoria's Pre-Runner Tundra concept has her Racer Engineering team working on virtually every aspect of the truck. Long-travel suspension (20 inches in the rear), an elaborate custom roll cage wrapped in leather, and a TRD-supercharged engine are all part of her design to make a serious off-road tool. The team is also squeezing in a JBL audio system and a specially-built fuel cell. It’s all more than enough to keep them busy right up to the due date.

Some builds are more ambitious than others, and Antron Brown's “DragQuoia” is a big concept that's challenging its capable builders. The "family dragster" idea means that whatever they do has to leave room for the family to ride safely and comfortably. And they're doing quite a lot. For starters, the Motorsports Technical Center team is lopping more than 2,000 lbs. off the factory curb weight. A TRD blower and nitrous coax the 5.7-liter V8 to pump out more than 650 hp for those "quick" runs to the supermarket. Massive 21.5-inch wide rear tires put the power to the ground, which in turn need big fender mods—inside and out—to keep the hot rubber bits contained in the wheel wells. Fortunately, Junior will have a comfortable perch in the back to view the scenery rushing by, secured with his own five-point racing harness. And between runs, he can watch his favorite DVD on the seat-back media player.

Every one of the Dream Build vehicle teams has the chops and experience to deliver for their driver. The simple question on delivery day may come down to this: Which team will be the least sleep deprived.

All four of the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge vehicles will be unveiled at the Toyota display during the company's press conference on October 30 at the 2012 SEMA Show. Fans can vote for their favorite team beginning on October 20 and may vote once per day through October 29.

Courtesy of Toyota

Don’t forget to enter our Tundra Toy Drive Contest for the chance to win a $250 gift certificate.

Click here to enter this awesome contest!

Toyota supports Hiring Our Heroes

Don't let this special offer pass you by!

Click here to claim this offer!

Tundra Endeavour

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE On October 13th the Tundra will tow the Space Shuttle Endeavour to its new home at the California Science Center.

Follow the haul and don’t forget to watch this half ton truck tow its way into history.

Click here to get more information on this historic event! http://bit.ly/SZV72T

Saturday, October 13, 2012 9:00 AM