How To: DIY Oil Change | Albany, NY

The sun sure is shining here in the Capital District and we are confident you'll be lounging by the pool sooner than later! What better way to shake away the stress than with some well deserved TLC? And what would make that even better? Some yummy snacks! I’m sure my fellow foodies would agree that the right snack on a summer day is so important! As we find ourselves spending more time indoors, there’s no better time than now to learn how to make a new snack, right? This week I want to tell you about the sweet refreshing frozen chocolate covered bananas! These sweet treats are SO simple to make and you and the kids will LOVE them! What are you waiting for? Check out all you need to know below! What You’ll Need: 1 banana 1 heaping cup dark chocolate chips 2 Tbsp coconut oil Instructions Slice the banana and place the slices on a tray. Put the tray in the freezer until the bananas are frozen solid. About an hour. Place the chocolate chips and the coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. Microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again, until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Put it back in the microwave for another few seconds if necessary. Don't overheat. Set the chocolate aside to cool. When the bananas are frozen, dip them into the cooled chocolate and coat on all sides. Let any excess chocolate drip off before setting the slice down on parchment or waxed paper. Put the slices back in the freezer right away. You can store the slices in a zip lock freezer baggie once the chocolate has hardened. What to upgrade your old ride for a new Nissan vehicle? Great, because we’re so excited to let you know that our virtual sales department is now available! Just browse our new inventory and schedule a test drive today! Your next adventure awaits! Upgrade Your Summer Fun In A New Nissan!

With summer upon us, you’re going to be using that A/C system a lot more than you have been. That means you need to make sure that your air vents are in good shape - meaning that they’re clean and not dusty and that they don’t blow out stinky air. Have you ever been in someone’s car and experienced a stinky air conditioning system? Don’t be that person. Here’s how to make sure that your air system is in great shape and smelling fresh as springtime all year round. Of course, the first things you’ve got to deal with are the vents themselves. You know, the ones that blow air onto your face and feet that you probably adjust either all the time or never let anyone touch because you’ve got the perfect angle? You’ll need cleaning solution, white vinegar, a vacuum, and some Q-tips. Give your vents a vacuum to get any loose dust out. Then you want to take a Q-tip that’s been dipped in a cleaning solution and really work it into the crevices and hard-to-reach spots. When the Q-tips you’re using come back clean, you know you’ve gotten all the grime. Then, take another Q-tip dipped in white vinegar and go over everything again to get rid of any lingering odors. The vinegar smell doesn’t last long, and when it disappears it takes gross odors with it. Give the vents one last vacuum and you’re done! Make sure you’ve gotten them ALL, including the one that’s right up next to your windshield and the ones at your feet. Don’t forget the back seat! The next step is to take a look at your cabin air filter. Your owner’s manual should cover how to access it, and if not there’s always YouTube. The cabin air filter is your barrier against everything that’s floating through the air that you drive your car through - pollen, dust, smells, odors - and it’s often a forgotten part of the vehicle. Take a look, and if you think it needs changing then schedule an appointment with us to have our service department take care of it! Finally, if you still smell something reminiscent of dirty socks in the car when you run the air, you might have mildew in your A/C evaporator. It’s easy to dry that up! Just drive about a mile away from home (that’s enough time to warm up your engine, you see) and then roll down all your windows and turn the air on full blast. Don’t use the A/C! Just regular old air will do. Keep it running for a minute or two, and that should be enough time to circulate air through the evaporator and dry up any residual moisture. Need Service? We’ve Got It For Less!

How often do you check your oil? Chances are that you don’t do it at all (it’s okay, that was me once upon a time) and believe that this is what the oil change was invented for. Well, that’s not necessarily true! You should probably check your oil at least every time you fill up the tank, and at the bare minimum check on it once a month. Here’s how to do it, for those who don’t know: Open the hood. Prop it so it stays open. Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel. Dip the stick all the way back in. Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks. Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible. Put the dipstick back in. Close your hood. Checking your oil is important because it lets you know if your vehicle is burning oil when it shouldn’t be, and also can alert you to a leak or let you know if your engine is getting a little dirty. Oil’s purposes include lubricating your engine, sure, but it also keeps sediment, particles, and other things from building up in your engine. The downside of this is that those particles and sediments end up in the oil and might necessitate an oil change. If you see particles or other grime in your oil, take your vehicle in for an oil change. Get An Oil Change (And More) For Less!