Calling all health nuts: check out these nutrition facts from DCH Toyota of Oxnard to stay in-the-know about what’s in your fridge.
1. The scoop about sugar
Everyone knows that sugar, in all of its forms, is dense in calories and has the ability to sabotage diets. Below are a couple of other nutritional facts about sugar that might surprise you:
- Sugar doesn’t cause diabetes: Just because diabetes causes elevated blood sugar levels, that doesn’t mean that people with diets high in sugar will develop the disease. Research has shown that more important triggers for the disease can be found in genetics and lifestyle factors like obesity and lack of exercise.
- Sugar is addictive: You can add sugar to your list of addictive substances right along with tobacco and caffeine. Scientists at Princeton University have reported that when digested, sugar releases the chemicals opioids and dopamine, affecting your brain’s pleasure sensors just like other addictive substances.
2. “Fat” isn’t a dirty word
Dietary fats are also dense in calories, but not all fats are created equal. Without the proper balance of healthy fat in your diet, you might suffer from vitamin and hormone deficiencies. When you include healthy fats found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados, you also reap the following nutritional benefits that might surprise you:
- Fat improves your skin: Skin continues to renew itself by sloughing off dead skin cells and regenerating new ones. Without healthy fat in your diet, and the important vitamins found in them, your skin would be unattractively dry, itchy and scaly.
- Sex and fat: Your reproductive organs need fat to function properly. Sufficient fat levels produce hormones to regulate reproduction.
3. The truth about “low fat”
Most dieters gravitate toward low-fat diets without understanding that eating low-fat doesn’t necessarily translate into healthy food choices. High-fat content foods do have more calories. When compared with a low-fat or no-fat product without any fiber or nutritional content, though, you’d be better off reaching for a handful of walnuts or a piece of whole-grain bread with more calories but much higher nutritional value.
4. Misconceptions about buying “fresh”
By all means, if you live where farmers’ markets are available, buying fresh produce is always the way to go. The bigger question is, are you really better off buying fresh products during winter? The answer is, not necessarily. Keep in mind that the nutrients in fresh produce fade quickly. If you don’t know exactly when that bunch of broccoli was actually picked, or how far it had to travel to reach your market, you may be better off buying frozen because that produce is picked and processed quickly.
5. Be smart about organic foods
As your market shelves expand with organic products, don’t be fooled by phony claims. Food labeled “organic” doesn’t mean that it is nutritionally superior. What the label does mean is that the food is supposed to be absent of any synthetic fertilizers, added hormones, pesticides, or any genetically-modified ingredients. That expensive box of “organic” cookies or candy you just bought for your kids probably contains the same amount of sugar and fats as similar products and should not be considered a healthy choice just because the word “organic” is on the label.
Staying on top of important nutritional facts is the best way to be sure that you’re eating a diet rich in many different types of food. When your nutrition levels are normal, your body will perform at its best every day.
Many car drivers experience problems with their car battery during the winter. Damp, cold weather can wreak havoc with this critical car part. Many an early morning has been made more stressful by a car battery that doesn’t want to work. However, the warmer summer months are not entirely plain sailing when it comes to your car battery, with the sun and hot temperatures posing challenges. DCH Toyota of Oxnard has some tips for caring for your car battery during the summer.
Excess heat
The excess heat of summer can cause problems for the car battery. If the car is left in the sun for a long period of time or out on the road, the internal temperature can soar. The excess heat can cause the battery fluid to evaporate, which can damage the internal parts of the battery. If the components fail, the battery could eventually stop working entirely, which could be disastrous for you.
Checking the battery and electrical system
Before the summer starts, ask your service department to check the battery and electrical system. An expert eye may identify problems before they become too serious. While you may need to spend a bit of cash up front, you could easily discover that this is a good investment in the long run. As a general rule, if your car battery is more than three years old, you should have it fully tested to see how much more life there is in it.
Additional Battery Pressure
Even if the battery checks out, it is important to look after it during the summer months to ensure that it works at maximum efficiency. Ensure that you check your battery on a regular basis, and certainly before every long journey. Add distilled water as necessary and make sure that you carry additional distilled water for long journeys. Remember that the battery may be under additional pressure on long journeys. Idling in traffic, air conditioning, and the use of electronic devices such as GPS systems or portable DVD players can all place additional demands on your battery.
Battery Cleanliness
It is also important to keep the battery clean. Excess dust or dirt on the battery can become a conductor which, in turn, can drain battery power. Accumulated corrosion on the battery terminals may insulate the battery and inhibit the flow of current. Both these things can add additional pressure to the battery. You can easily clean the battery and terminals with an old toothbrush. Always clean the battery before the car heats up. Contact our service department for more information.
 When it comes to having your vehicle serviced, there are many factors to consider including price, reputation, quality, customer service, and much more. One of the major questions that car owners often ask is whether it is better to use a dealership service department or to go to an independent mechanic when it comes time for auto repair or auto maintenance. Allow our team at DCH Toyota of Oxnard to inform you about what a dealership can offer you that an independent auto shop just can’t.
Genuine parts
Dealerships are part of the car manufacturer’s parts supply line, and therefore the parts that will be fitted to your car are official. If you choose an independent mechanic, they may well be tempted to supply parts that are cheaper because they have been built by other suppliers. Car makers ensure that parts are tested so that they do their job properly. There are many companies around the world that specialize in producing parts that may look the same as the official part but have not been tested to the car maker’s standard. Some mechanics may decide to use these parts rather than the official parts, which could decrease the value of your car.
Special tools and diagnostic machines
Cars are complicated pieces of machinery, and they often need specifically designed tools to use on the vehicle. Some workshops get around this by various means, which can damage the vehicle or the new parts being fitted. More importantly, as cars become more electronically complicated, diagnostic tools such as computer testers are vital for working out what is exactly wrong with a car. In many cases, the car being repaired can only be hooked up to an official diagnostic tool at the dealership. This will detail exactly what is wrong with the car because it lists a series of error codes that can indicate anything from airbag sensor failure to electronically controlled suspension faults.
Resale value
When it comes time to sell the vehicle, a full service and repair history from an official dealership can add more value to your vehicle. The new buyer can see what has been done to the car, but more importantly can see that it has been done properly by factory-trained technicians.
Recall notices
Sometimes a recall and repair notice is issued by the car maker. While most owners are contacted, some who have their cars serviced and repaired outside of the main dealer network may not get the message. An official dealer will know what recall and repair notices have been issued for each vehicle, and often a recall notice is limited to a certain batch of cars built, rather than a general make, model, and year. Official dealers will be able to tell you whether your car has been the subject of a safety recall and repair, while an independent repairer may not.
Peace of mind
Occasionally, you might save some money by going to an independent mechanic to get your car fixed, but you may never know whether it has been fixed properly, and worse, if the same fault occurs again, you may have trouble getting compensation for the faulty fix in the first place. Better to take it to the dealer, where you can rest assured things will be taken care of professionally and correctly the first time.
 Car covers are available in a variety of different materials and are intended to protect both the exterior and the interior of your car from external pollutants and damage. Car paintwork is surprisingly vulnerable, and a car cover can protect the paintwork from the elements and from minor damage like grit or salt on the road. Read on to discover why we at DCH Toyota of Oxnard suggest you consider using a car cover this season.
Protecting the condition of your car will protect its re-sale value and will ensure that it remains in attractive condition as long as possible. Buyers of pre-owned cars often desire for the vehicle’s bodywork to be in very good condition, but even if you don’t want to sell the car in the future, the cost of repair work can be significant and is worth avoiding.
Unfortunately, car covers can be frustratingly difficult and time-consuming to fit onto your car, leading many drivers to question just how important it is to have one and how often it needs to be used. Ideally, the cover should be in place whenever the car is not in use because this will maximize the benefits of its protective capabilities. However, it’s worth acknowledging that this is not practical for all car drivers. There are a number of considerations when deciding whether to use a car cover or not.
The location of your car when not in use is very important. If you are in an area where there are lots of birds (for example, on the coast) or where your car is stored under a tree, then you should use the cover as often as possible. Bird poop, sap, and other material from trees can seriously damage your paintwork, and a car cover will offer good protection against this. If your car is parked on a very busy road, then a cover could protect the paintwork from damage caused by grit or stones flicked up from the road surface.
If your car is often left in direct sunlight for any period of time, then a cover will prevent fading of the paintwork and damage to the interior. Leather and plastic upholstery can fade and crack under direct sunlight, and a cover will prevent direct light from causing this kind of damage. It will also help keep the interior of the car cooler, which may subsequently make it more comfortable to drive.
Car covers can also reduce the risk of theft, as they can prevent a would-be thief from quickly accessing the vehicle. A car cover can be a good deterrent if you own an expensive, luxury car, or if you need to leave the vehicle in a secluded location. The age or model of your vehicle may also be a consideration. If you have a classic car, for example, then it is often much more expensive to repair the bodywork, so it’s best to opt for covering it.
It also is worth using a cover whenever your car is not going to be used for a period of time. The cover will prevent dust from building up on the car and blowing into the moving parts. The cover can protect from damp and rainfall in a similar manner and will offer some protection against extreme temperatures.
 You don’t need to spend major money on special kits in order to create beautiful Easter eggs that will wow your guests. Just check out these unique ideas from our team at DCH Toyota of Oxnard for decorating Easter eggs and start revving up your creative engine.
An ombré effect
The ombré effect has gained popularity in recent hair, makeup, and fingernail trends, and now you can take the trend to your Easter table. The effect describes a color that moves gradually from light to dark shades—a gradient. To get the look with your Easter eggs, you’ll need standard dye and a wire egg dipper (usually the dye packs come with wire dippers).
Bend the handle of the wire egg dipper over the lip of your dye cup so that the bottom quarter of the egg is submerged in the dye. Set a kitchen timer for five minutes. When the timer is up, adjust the wire dipper so the next quarter of the egg is submerged, and repeat until the entire egg has been colored. If desired, you can leave a tiny ring of white at the top of your egg.
Add embellishment
Adding embellishment to Easter eggs is a super simple Easter craft that yields dazzling results. With nothing more than a hot glue gun and a few beads and ribbons, you can make it look like you’re an Easter-egg-Einstein. Attach anything from fabric pieces to plastic stones to your eggs with a hot glue gun. If you’re going to use your eggs as a centerpiece for your holiday dinner, use embellishments in the same color family for a look that’s both beautiful and pulled-together.
Adding embellishment to white eggs can create stark and beautiful designs, but if you still prefer the look of dyed eggs, be sure to let them dry completely before you add any embellishments.
Dots, stripes, and more
A bucket of crayons is all you need to create artistic eggs with dots, stripes, and more. The wax in the crayons repels dye, so color your name or a pattern on an egg before you dye it for an adorable look that’s easy to achieve. Using white crayon can look especially sharp, since it gives the effect that the background of the egg is somehow shining through the dye.
Going pro
Though fancy kits aren’t necessary to make unique Easter eggs, a little specialty paint can go a long way. If you want to take your eggs to the next level, look for kits that offer paint instead of dye.
Using paint usually gives the eggs more vibrant colors, and brushes also give you more control over the designs you create. Sometimes you can even find paint kits with specialty glitter or metallic shades for Easter egg crafts that make it seem like you got your eggs from a golden goose.
 Transmission repairs and replacements can be inconvenient, expensive and quite stressful. But it beats the alternative. Here are five signs of transmission trouble from our service experts at DCH Toyota of Oxnard.
Slippage. Although replacing a transmission can be expensive, you’re putting much more at risk than money by driving a car with a transmission that allows slippage. Slippage occurs when your vehicle switches gears without you manually shifting or the car’s computer automatically shifting. This is easily recognized when driving a manual shift vehicle. If you’re driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission, be alert to a change in engine noise pitch or a seeming lack of power, such as poor acceleration. If you suspect slippage, get your car’s transmission inspected immediately.
Delayed engagement. When it comes to your car’s transmission, a delayed engagement is much more serious than the plot of a romantic comedy. It means your car isn’t going into the proper gear when you shift. If, for example, you shift your vehicle from park to drive, followed by a long pause as you rev the engine to give it gas, you may have a problem with the transmission. It may also be a problem with the vehicle’s computer system, so make sure to get it checked out immediately.
Grinding or shaking. Your car’s not supposed to make a grinding noise when you shift gears. It’s not supposed to shake either, nor is it supposed to make a thud or clunking noise. If it’s doing any of these things, there’s a good chance you have a problem with the transmission or the clutch. Once again, if your car is experiencing these noises while shifting gears, do not ignore it. Get it inspected and repaired before it leads to bigger problems. A noisy transmission while in neutral is normally not as serious and can sometimes be corrected by adding or changing transmission fluid.
Leaks. Speaking of fluids, your transmission fluid should remain in the transmission. A leaky transmission should be looked at and repaired immediately. It’s a much less expensive option than replacing the entire unit, but if left untreated, it can lead to having to replace the entire transmission. If the leaking fluid is bright red in color and somewhat clear with a sweet smell, the fluid’s fine and you probably just need to fix the leak. If it’s dark red or has a burnt smell, it’s time to get the transmission flushed as well.
Check Engine light. The “Check Engine” light on your dashboard could be just about anything associated with the engine and it may just mean you’re due for an oil change or tune up. If, however, the “Check Engine” light comes on when you’re experiencing any of the above symptoms of a faulty transmission, you should get it diagnosed immediately. Your dealer’s shop will have all the diagnostic tools necessary to figure out the problem, and the wherewithal to fix it.
 Ever wondered just how efficient those electric and hybrid cars really are? Well the EPA has too, and to answer that question they’ve created something called “miles per gallon gasoline equivalent” or MPGe. It’s a number included on the window sticker of every new electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle, but for those who aren’t automotive engineers its meaning isn’t as obvious. Read on to learn more from DCH Toyota of Oxnard.
Measuring efficiency
Miles per gallon, or MPG, is a familiar measure of fuel efficiency: it shows how far a vehicle will travel on a gallon of gasoline. MPGe attempts to do the same for alternative energy sources. As the EPA puts it, “A gallon of gasoline-equivalent means the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity, cubic feet of CNG, or kilograms of hydrogen that is equal to the energy in a gallon of gasoline.”
So how much energy is there in a gallon of gasoline?
When a gallon of gasoline is burned it releases the equivalent of 33.7kWh of electricity. To put it in perspective, one kiloWatthour is like leaving ten 100W lightbulbs on for sixty minutes, so 33.7 kWh is 337 100watt bulbs burning for an hour.
So MPGe is how far the car would travel on 33.7kWh of electricity. Interestingly, it tends to be quite a long way: many electric vehicles will get 90 to 100MPGe. That’s because electric motors are inherently more efficient than gasoline engines with all their internal friction.
Running costs
Unfortunately, MPGe doesn’t say how much an electric car will cost to run per mile, any more than MPG does for a gasoline fueled car. The missing ingredient in both cases is the cost of the fuel.
Although it fluctuates, gasoline has been around $3.50 for some time. That means a compact car that turns in 35 MPG costs 10 cents per mile to run. The price of electricity varies too, but 10 cents per kilowatt hour isn’t too far from what most people pay, and it makes the arithmetic easier too! So 33.7kWh costs around $3.37. So an electric car rated at 95MPGe will travel 95 miles on $3.37 of electricity. That’s 3.5 cents per mile, so it does save money compared to gasoline.
But that’s not the whole story.
Flawed but still useful
Even though the sticker on the gas-powered car says 28/35 City/Highway MPG, few people see those numbers in real-world driving. That’s because the EPA measures gas mileage on a strictly defined set of tests that don’t reflect most people’s commute.
What makes it useful though is that all cars are tested the same way. That means it’s possible to say that car A uses less gas than car B.
MPGe extends this comparison to cars that run on other fuels, like electricity. As a result, it’s possible to compare the efficiency of gasoline, electric, and even hydrogen-powered vehicles.
 When it’s pouring rain, your windshield wipers can make all the difference between whether you arrive at your destination safely or become involved in a preventable accident. Wiper blades are easy to forget about until you really need them to do their job. Read on to learn more about your windshield wipers and safety tips from our team at DCH Toyota of Oxnard.
How often to change your windshield wipers
Although the American Automobile Association (AAA) recommends changing wiper blades twice per year, other auto experts suggest every six months to a year depending upon where you live. Drier weather zones where drivers rarely use their blades can usually go longer without a change. However, keep in mind that intense heat and exposure to sunlight can turn rubber brittle and make the blades less effective even if they aren’t used frequently. If your wiper blades experience freezing temperatures every winter, the same type of damage will occur. Extreme temperatures put external stress on wiper blades causing them to deteriorate faster.
How to keep your wiper blades in working order
Clean your blades often by removing any debris and built-up dirt. (Read your owner’s manual for suggested cleaning products). Don’t let ice and snow sit on your wipers for very long or they can’t work properly. When temperatures dip below freezing, trying to use them when covered with ice can damage the glass. “Squeaking” wiper blades are more than annoying. When cracks and tears appear, or your wipers labor over the smooth glass surface of your car windshield, it’s time to get new blades.
Replacing wiper blades
Handy car owners familiar with auto DIY projects are capable of changing windshield wipers. Know the model and year of your car and either purchase a pair from your car dealership or from another auto products store. Always follow the directions on the package. After cleaning the windshield glass to remove dirt and to create a smooth surface, replace the wiper per the directions. If you aren’t comfortable doing this job yourself, be sure to let the mechanic know they need replaced the next time you have your car serviced at your dealership.
Updated windshield wiper design
New car models have replaced rubber windshield wipers with contoured, frameless type blades. This style produces balanced pressure over the windshield. Another innovative feature of this updated design is that the blades wear evenly, avoiding premature damage caused by worn blade edges. Additionally, the design prevents ice from building up between the rubber blade and the metal frame. Another advantage is that these wipers won’t freeze.
Don’t wait until you are driving through a torrential downpour to think about your windshield wipers. Take a look at them now and avoid visibility problems that can cause an accident.
 Many people like to travel. Getting away from the familiar confines of home and experiencing something different, something out of the ordinary, can be exciting. Depending on one’s occupation, some people are even required to travel, and this can include a trip overseas. If this describes you and you happen to be a licensed driver, chances are that you’ll rent a car to get around once you arrive. In some locations (making up about a quarter of the world, including England and Japan), you’ll find that the vehicles are equipped with right-hand drive and that people drive on the opposite side of the road. Find out why from our team at DCH Toyota of Oxnard.
Needless to say, this can take some getting used to. After all, if you’ve been driving for a while and live in the United States, that left-hand steering wheel paired with driving on the right-hand side of the road will be second nature. The first time this is reversed, as it will be in certain countries, it can prove to be quite confusing. So why do people drive on the “wrong side of the road” in some countries, anyway? Wouldn’t it be simpler if everybody in the world adopted the same layout?
The answer is a bit complicated, and the origins of driving on the left-hand side of the road can be traced back to days long before automobiles were even a thought. As it turns out, most of the countries that employ driving on the left side are old English colonies. In the days of frequent warring, feuds and violence, most people chose to travel on the left side of the road. As already stated, some 90% of humans are right-handed, and this applied centuries ago as well. Thus, they travelled on the left side so that their right arms were freed up to hold swords in the event they had to defend themselves. It was also far easier for right-handed people to mount horses from the left side since they kept their swords on their left. By mounting from the right, the sword would get in the way!
Later, in a twist of sorts, those in France and the then-young United States who pulled wagons with teams of horses adopted sitting on the most rearward horse to the left. The wagons had no driver’s seats, and by sitting on a horse to the left, the driver could use a whip with his right hand. As a result, such drivers kept to the right-hand side of the road so that they could be passed on the left by faster riders and not get their wheels locked up. This also made it easier for drivers to look out for oncoming drivers from the opposite direction.
Meanwhile, the French Revolution of 1789 gave way to staying on the right-hand sides of roads in many parts of Europe. Prior to this, the uppity aristocracy travelled on the left and forced the “lowly” peasants to travel on the right. However, this changed after the storming of the Bastille, resulting in the upper class going incognito and blending in with the peasants. This made it less likely they’d be attacked. Eventually, by 1794, a “keep right” rule was imposed on France, modeled after Denmark’s similar ordinance of the previous year. Napoleon didn’t stop this policy in France alone, either. As his troops conquered other parts of Europe, so did the practice of keeping to the right sides of roads.
However, while some three quarters of the world has adopted staying to the right, England stubbornly refused to conform, and as a consequence, many locations once occupied by the English still kept to the left, such as India, Australia and its surrounding nations, and many African countries. This logically carried over once automobiles and subsequent traffic regulations became mainstream. Japan also continues to drive on the left, although it was never occupied by the English.
In most places, regardless of whether drivers keep to the right or left, the steering wheels will be on the opposite side so that drivers coming from different directions will be closest to each other. Thus, the location of the steering wheels in vehicles likewise followed the tradition of the country in question.
Regardless of which side of the road a particular country favors, it’s a very good idea for potential visitors to get a heads-up to avoid unwanted surprises upon arrival. England’s tourism industry suggests that Americans planning to visit and drive over there should get in some practice before getting behind the wheel, but that could prove to be easier said than done. As has been said, it’s tough to teach an old dog new tricks. When visiting a country that employs driving on what you perceive as the “wrong side” of the road, perhaps the best course of action, other than using public transportation, is to remain on the passenger side.
 Whether or not you should let your car warm up on a cold morning is a bit of a thorny issue, and really depends on the age and type of car, but generally the idea is that instead of warming up your engine before driving off you should immediately begin driving. There are a few reasons for this. Let our team at DCH Toyota of Oxnard tell you why.
Lubrication
The oil pump in your car is connected mechanically to the engine, and that means that when the car is idling the oil pump is not working very hard. This can lead to insufficient pressure in the oil system at a time when oil pressure needs to be high, as overnight most of the oil has dropped from the top of the engine to the bottom. Oil delivery galleries and pipes may be empty and that’s why lots of engine wear occurs in the period just after start-up.
Virtually all modern cars have notices in the handbook that the best way to warm the engine up is to immediately begin driving, but limit the engine speed until everything is warm. Your radiator water will always warm up quicker than your oil, so if you have a radiator water temperature gauge your oil temperature will lag behind that for some time, as long as fifteen minutes or more. Generally though, you don’t need to worry too much about this unless you’re about to start running the engine right to its redline. Just drive so the revs don’t exceed 2/3 of maximum for around 10 minutes and you should be OK.
Cabin heating
In the good old days an engine would run hot even while idling and provide plenty of heat for the ventilation system. These days, however, engines have become so efficient that at idle they produce little excess heat. This is especially true for diesel engines, and indeed some European car makers have special diesel burning heaters to heat up the interior of the car in very cold conditions. A modern car will not warm up enough to heat the cabin at idle for an extremely long time. Driving the car, however, makes the engine work a little bit harder and make the heating system (which uses heat from the engine’s cooling system) kick into action much sooner. If you live somewhere where it gets really cold, you can buy a car with heated seats, and in some premium brands, a heated steering wheel, which goes a long way to making you feel comfortable.
Fuel Consumption
Generally an engine will not consume more than three quarters of a gallon of fuel per hour, but it’s still fuel that could be used for going further, and indeed many car makers are producing cars with engines that automatically shut down when the car is stationary, and start up again when you push on the throttle, saving fuel that would normally be wasted.
In general, the advantages of driving the car immediately, at a reasonably stable pace, outweigh any advantages from warming the car up before driving away. The only exception is perhaps in areas that get so cold that the car comes with an auxiliary electrical engine heater you plug into the house electrical supply so the oil does not freeze overnight.
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