How Servicing Your Car Can Extend its Life (Even Further!)

As a car buyer, you’ve experienced the uneasy feeling of maintaining your vehicle.  In most recent years, advances in technology have lessened visits to the service department, but routine service should still not be missed.  Our dealership is a safe haven for your car, catering to its specific needs, like a preventative care center.  One of the main questions you ask when purchasing a new or used vehicle is: How reliable it is? In today’s blog, we provide some tips to maintaining your vehicle and how to extend the already long life of your vehicle.

1.    Read the vehicle manual and schedule maintenance appointments - Keeping up with your vehicle’s scheduled maintenance is key to avoiding costly problems to the cooling system, drivetrain, suspension etc…

2.    Call your dealership and ask questions – We’re here to help.  If you have any service questions feel free to call us with your questions. 

3.    Have your dealership check fluids – Always come in and ask us check the level of antifreeze, oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluid regularly. 

4.    Change oil regularly – By changing your oil when your dealership requests it, you can protect your engine.  Every car is different, so call us to get the exact information for your specific vehicle make and model.

5.    Request a fluid flush every two years – By flushing the power steering, brake, and cooling system fluid when it is pertinent, you can cleanse your car’s liquids in one fell swoop.  However, if you have gone more than 50k miles without a change, on many transmissions, it is not the greatest idea to do so.  It can cause breakdown varnish and other solids that have built up in the transmission over time.

6.    Have the tires rotated – Having your tires rotated at your nearest dealership should be second nature.  By doing so, you can avoid uneven wear and tear on the tread, extending the life of your tires.

These are just a few tips to help you maintain your vehicle in your daily commute, feel free to add your comments below!

A New App Compares the Cost of Driving to Flying

Our main focus is to provide a stellar vehicle at a great cost. Our goal of achieving that begins with making you feel comfortable purchasing a vehicle. This also carries into our way of life at the dealership. We enjoy saving you money and in today’s blog we’re providing some pretty cool technology that can help you save.

If you’re looking to take a trip, but you’re not sure if it would be more affordable to drive or to fly, you’re in luck!. A new iPhone app called Cost2Drive lets you estimate your driving costs based on real-time gas prices, while weighing those expenses against the price of going by plane. The airline information uses Kayak.com, a company that aggregates the best pricing for countless airlines.

After downloading the app for $1.99 (we usually promote free apps, but we thought this was cool!) Just tap “add a new vehicle”. After typing in your vehicle information, you’ll add in the info for the start and endpoint of your trip.

According to Edmunds: “Next, a Results screen displays the one-way driving

costs, as well as miles and time to a destination. It also shows the lowest available one-way airfare on an orange bar below. If you're driving solo and the airfare sounds like a good deal, you can tap on the orange bar to book a flight through Kayak.com”

However, if you’re traveling with co-workers or friends and it seems to be too much for multiple people, tapping “get trip details” directs you to the website to be on your way. On the web, you’ll see a map detailing your trip with directions via MapQuest.

This app is a great addition for the avid traveler, check it out here: http://www.costtodrive.com/

Trying to figure out if you should drive or fly for your next trip? There's an app for that! Our blog:

Today's blog discussed a new app that helps you save by choosing between driving and flying for your next trip!

Breaking Down Your VIN Number

A Vehicle Identification Number is a series of numbers we see all too often, but do we really have an understanding for what they are?  To the normal eye, it looks like a confusing series of numbers.  A VIN is the 17-digit string of numbers assigned to every vehicle.  It can reveal A TON of facts about your car, including airbag type, country of origin, engine size, model year and even the trim level!  It’s can be stamped into a plate that’s mounted on the dashboard, near the windshield, or on the driver-side doorjamb.  It could also be stamped on the engine firewall. 

If you’re looking to decipher the code, you can visit a site called decodethis.com, this site will translate the number into a readable document, changing the set of numbers into understandable content.  The information is accurate and worth a peek.  We ran a random vehicle, the result being:

The benefit of this info is using it to obtain a vehicle history report.  Before you buy a used car — even if it's from a dealer — it's important to get the vehicle's VIN and use it to run a history report that can reveal if the car has been reported stolen or if it has a salvage title. 

Deciphering your VIN number is easy once you understand it! Check out our blog for details!

Quick Tips: Ideas For Keeping Your Car Running Great

Life is a blur, sometimes.  Work can become stressful as the day begins and ends with an aching neck and sore feet.  The last thing on your mind is maintaining your car’s performance.  You’re more in the realm of kicking your feet up, getting a bite to eat, and catching the last part of 2 in a Half Men.  Car maintenance is very important, so how do you know if you’re over doing it or ‘under’ doing it?  In today’s blog, we discuss ways to keep your vehicle running great. 

         

          First, how often are you supposed to receive maintenance?  All of your answers lie in a small space known as the glove box.  Every car is supplied with a maintenance schedule-in the owner’s manual or in a separate maintenance log book-that includes details that vehicle’s need to sustain long and healthy lives.   Taking a few minutes to assimilate the requirements will help you avoid the following car-maintenance pitfalls. 

          Tire Inflation & Rotation

          Tires should be checked regularly, because over time, they leak naturally.  Problems can arise from under inflated tires, which suckS up more gas, as well as over inflated tires, that wear them out sooner.  Plus, front and rear tires wear differently and should be rotated to even that wear.  Your owner’s manual will have a recommendation for pressure and rotation.

          Wiper Tales

          Fall is the best time for wiper replacement.  After a certain period of time your wipers will be useless, leaving you prone to accidents.  Depending on location, wiper replacement may be an annual affair in the Southwest to a biannual chore in northern climates.

          Tune-Ups

         

          Tune-Ups are almost non-existent.  Valves no longer need adjusting, ignition timing is computer controlled and there are no more carburetors.  All you really have left is the spark plugs.  These are usually good for 100,000 miles! Save 60,000 and 120,000-mile services for timing belt, and coolant.

Got your own tip you want to ad?  Feel free!

Improve Health While Driving

The average American spends approximately 101 minutes a day driving.  Many times we get stuck in serious traffic or we find ourselves having to wait at endless lights.  Have you ever thought to yourself, that you could be doing 9 million other things instead of just sitting in your car?  Do you like to multi-task? Are you procrastinating on taking better care of your health?  Well, I have the solution.  I will help you make better use of your drive time and improve your health while keeping your eyes on the road.  Here are 10 things you can do while driving that can help increase your health, making you stronger while sitting behind the wheel.

Chin and Neck Exercises

Do belly Busters

Spine Stretchers

Tension Tacklers

Best time to drink your water

Moisturize your cuticles

Drink you smoothies and juice instead of soda

Steering Wheel Isometrics

Park further away

Meditation

You can firm up that chin and neck by using a rubber or foam ball. Place the ball below your chin and below the larynx. Hold the ball in place with your hand, and use your chin to press down on the ball. Squeeze the ball gently downward with your chin. Do as many repetitions as you are comfortable with, stopping before your neck muscles get tired.

While driving, pretend you’re zipping a tight pair of jeans. Pull your belly button toward your spine and your lower belly away from your waistband. Hold, engaging your abs.  Up the intensity, quickly exhale 20 times. As you breathe out, contract your lower abs even harder to pulse them in and out.

While stuck in traffic, grip the steering wheel with your hands at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and round your back. Take a breath and release. This stretches the area between the shoulder blades and mid-back.

While stuck at a red light, tilt your right ear down towards your right shoulder. Relax your shoulders and breathe into the left side of your neck, stretching the left side of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds.  At the next light, repeat on the other side.

Steering wheel isometrics can really create a great workout, without you having to set aside 20 minutes during your day. With isometrics, you can use your body’s own resistance, but you can also employ stationary objects in your exercises such as a steering wheel that can heed some great results.

We know that water is essential to our health and if you aren’t doing this already, try to always have bottled water in your car.  You can easily get the required amount of hydration if you make this a habit.  The other option is juice or smoothies for your daily fruit or vegetable intakes.  There are several delicious versions located at places like gas stations and Starbucks.

Other areas that require healthy attention are our hands. Try moisturizing your cuticles by using a moisturizing lip balm.  This can really help make your nails grow and keep your hands looking lovely.

Of course the obvious isn’t so obvious sometimes. Instead of rushing to find the perfect parking spot; park further away and walk brisk to get a little bit more cardio in.  Heck, if you have the time-do laps around the parking lot!

Driving can be stressful but it can also create Zen. To practice Moving Meditation you must fully accept where you find yourself. Divest yourself of all expectations and standards of technique and take that clear, observing, unobserving, unobstructed state of being, and keep on driving!

These tips will not only improve your health and keep you fit, they will also make your drive time seem more productive.  Pssssst…give it a whirl and pass it on!

Here's a list of 10 great things you can do to improve your health while driving:

New Technology: “If Cars Could Talk”…Literally

If your car could talk, besides “wash me”, what would it say? Would it ask you to ease on the brakes once in a while?  What about a nice new quart of oil?  Would traffic be smoother if cars could communicate with each other?  The Department of Transportation hopes to answer this question this summer.  In August, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to have 2,800 cars, trucks, and buses on the streets of Ann Arbor, all fitted with technologies that will alert drivers to road hazards, sudden stops, and blind spots.

“The reason why we are so excited about this is, is that this technology, when fully deployed, can address up to 80 percent of crash scenarios involving not-impaired drivers,” said, NHTSA administrator David Strickland.

Many cars use proximity sensors to alert motorists to nearby hazards, but in this case the augmented vehicles will use traditional GPS and a wireless broadcasting method similar to Wi-Fi to communicate.  The DOT has nicknamed the concept “Connected Vehicle Technology”, allowing cars to communicate directly with each other.

According to ABC News: “NHTSA drivers showed reporters how the system could detect an oncoming car around a blind corner. In another scenario the system notified its driver of a car that had suddenly stopped in their lane several vehicles ahead, beyond the motorist’s view.  NHTSA said the proximity sensors in many of today’s vehicles would likely have failed these tests without having direct line-of-sight contact.  NHTSA says Connected Vehicle Technology should also allow commuters and local governments to view traffic information in real time.”

The project will cost about $15 million, with funding split between the federal government and the state of Michigan.  

How to Survive Traffic During the School Year

School is back in effect for most students!  After a swift summer, our children are on their way back to the learning cave, provided they’re given a backpack on all the tools necessary to make their journey.  Now that the kiddies are safe and sound on school grounds, you can breathe easy…in that respect, at least.  Now, you have to navigate around school zones, more traffic and insane drivers.  However, you’re in luck!  Today, our blog provides ways to avoid the traffic of school zones, pedestrians and cranky motorists!

The average commuter lost 34 hours or a full workweek because of traffic in 2009, according to the latest Urban Mobility Report.  In larger cities, traffic increases from office parks being built on rural land and the lag of mass transit continues to add fuel to the fire. 

Avoid the Traffic!

Trapster, a free iPhone application allows drivers to scan the area for known speed traps, police hangouts, speed cameras or even stop-light cameras.  Using the GPS capabilities in your smart phone it uses reported speed traps in Trapster’s network database to give voice alerts of approaching traps.  This technology is due to a network of over 5 million Trapster users that constantly contribute trap locations.   

Having Trouble Finding Your Car in the School Parking Lot?

Car Finder Plus is an app that records your position when you leave your car, tracking your location in the process.  The GPS stores this location and when you’re looking for your vehicle after running your errands it provides a display of where to locate your car.   

Avoid High Gas Prices, Take the Short Road:

GasBuddy is a lifesaver for savvy individuals with a frugal mindset.  Gas changes fluctuate at the drop of a hat, sometimes varying as much as 20% within a couple city blocks.  GasBuddy is a comprehensive source for up to date gas prices.  The app lays out prices on a map and allows the user to choose one that fits their budget.  Priceless.