So, let me ask you this essential question. How often do you check the pressure of your tires? If you don’t have an answer, well… you’re not alone. Unfortunately!! The thing is that you should have an answer because checking your tires should be a regular part of your maintenance schedule. There are some things that you should absolutely leave to the professionals, but checking your tires is something that you should be doing yourself at home reasonably often. Check out how often you should do it, why you should do it, and learn a little bit more about tires and their lifespans!

In all honesty, you should be checking your tires at least once a week. It seems like a lot but it takes about thirty seconds and you don’t need anything besides a tire pressure gauge to do it. Look at the pressure, add air if your tires are a little low, and there you go. How do you know what the pressure in your tires should be? That information is on a sticker located on the inside of your driver’s side door jamb. It’s also in your owner’s manual and might even be on the outside of the physical tires, stamped into the rubber.

Checking the tread of your tires is also important. For this, you’ll need a penny. To use it, put the penny into your tire’s tread with Lincoln’s head pointing towards the ground (or center of the tire). If you can see the top of his head, you need new tires very soon.

Tires should last for about five years or so, but some factors go into the premature wear of your tires. They are:

• Low tire pressure

• Overinflated tires

• Aggressive driving

• Improper alignment

To combat these, make sure your tires are always inflated (which also improves your MPG’s) and have your auto tech check your tires and rotate them, as well as check the alignment of your vehicle, at every oil change.

Looking to get into a new Nissan this month? Well, good news for you – our specials this month are on your FAVORITE models, and they are not only 2018’s (which means they are brand-spankin’ new) but they’re priced so well that we’re still pinching ourselves because are we dreaming? No! Those prices really are amazing.

Our first special is on the 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport, which is the perfect vehicle for any summer adventure you want to go on. At first glance, the 2018 Nissan Rogue Sport may only look like a car fit only for the streets, but never judge a book by its cover. The All-Wheel-drive package provides a locking center differential helps you to obtain the optimum traction in the snow and mud, making for a pretty impressive crossover. Meanwhile, hill descent control enables drivers to slowly creep down steep inclines. If you’re looking to hit some off road Destinations, the Nissan Rogue Sport is the vehicle for you. You can get behind the wheel for only $199 a month for a 36-month lease. INCREDIBLE.

Our second offer for you is the 2018 Nissan Sentra S, yours for only $179 a month on a 36-month lease and with less than $1,000 down – a deal you will NOT find anywhere else. The 2018 Nissan Sentra is taking the sub-compact class to the next level with higher standards that are sure to make a strong first impression that will stay with you. So why not take one out for a test drive? It’ll only make you fall more in love with this vehicle… which isn’t a bad thing at all.

Stop in today or give us a call and schedule your test drive. It’ll be true love, we know. Experience it for yourself!

*Specials expire 5/31/18. See specials page for details.

When you are driving in the rain, there’s a huge risk of hydroplaning that you need to be aware of and on the lookout for. The most dangerous time is when it’s just started to rain, because the dirt and oil on the road start to mix with the water before it soaks into the pavement, creating a layer of slickness floating on top of the road that can cause your vehicle to slip. This week, we’ll be talking about what to do in this weather, and how to handle your vehicle if you start to hydroplane. Keep reading!

When you start to hydroplane, the most important thing you can do is not panic. Don’t brake or accelerate quickly; because hydroplaning is a loss of traction to your front tires, braking will slow your front tires but lock your rear tires, causing you to spin out. Accelerating suddenly can pull your vehicle straight forward, which is dangerous if your vehicle has spun a little and is not pointed straight down the road.

It’s important to not use your cruise control when you are driving in the rain because this can worsen the effects of hydroplaning. The vehicle will register the buildup of water under your tires as a slowing-down and ask for more power from your engine. This will make your car shift to a lower gear (if you’re in an automatic transmission vehicle) and build up more water underneath your tires.

Avoiding hydroplaning is simple: drive slowly in the rain (slow down by about a third of your usual speed) and make sure that your tires have enough tread. A good test to make sure your tread is good is to use a penny. Place the penny into your tire tread with Lincoln’s head facing the direct center of your wheel. If you can see the top of his head, then it’s time to get new tires. The closer you are to being able to see the top of his head, the closer you are to needing new tires. Simple!

Springtime comes with increased rainfall, and we’re hopeful that you’ll drive safely and avoid hydroplaning through safe driving. Questions? Give us a call!

Here in Albany, we have a little bit of a crisis on our hands. Every time I personally leave the house and get on the road, there’s someone else out there who, without fail, will not use their turn signal. It not only makes me SUPER angry, but it’s also incredibly unsafe. Do you know that your turn signals are, like, the only way you have to communicate with other drivers when you’re in the car? Obviously, you’re not going to stick your head out the window and yell “I’M TURNING LEFT,” you’re going to use your turn signal. Wouldn’t you want to know what the other drivers’ intentions are? Anyway, because of this pent-up anger and rage that I am feeling, I am writing a blog to hopefully teach everyone about how to use their turn signals properly and stay safe on the road. Let’s go!

First of all, let’s cover how to use your turn signal since I worry that there are some folks out there who are legitimately driving around without the basic knowledge of how the turn signal works (based on how few people I see using said turn signal).

First of all, there’s usually a little lever on the left side of your steering wheel. It sticks out a bit and probably has some icons on it, like a little lightbulb or even a couple of arrows. If you push this up or down, it will turn on the turn signals. Push it back to center to turn the signal off. You will be able to tell which direction you are indicating because little arrows will light up on your dashboard pointing either left or right, often accompanied by a clicking sound that will help you know that the signal is on.

To use the signal, you should make sure that you are about 100 feet away from the intersection when you turn your signal on. Some people think that it is important to turn on the signal as they are in the middle of turning, but by then it has become pointless to do so and is still frustrating to other drivers. The reason for the turn signal is to indicate to other drivers, before the action of turning, that you mean to turn soon so that they can prepare for this. Therefore, turn on the signal at least 100 feet before the physical turning place.

The next step is to make sure that your turn signal is off after you have completed your turn. Just because you have used it once doesn’t mean that you’re now set for life and never have to use it again! But, when you are done turning you should always make sure that your signal is off and ready to be used again the next time you have to turn. If your music is too loud, you might not hear the clicking that indicates that your signal is on, but you should be able to see the arrow flashing if you are paying attention!

Finally, I will leave you with this list of appropriate places to use your turn signal:

• When you are making a right-hand or left-hand turn

• When you are changing lanes

• When you are pulling away from the curb

• When you are parking, parallel or otherwise

• When you are merging onto the highway

• When you are getting off the highway

• When you are in a turning lane (yes, you still need to use your signal when you’re in a turning lane)

• When you are leaving the parking lot

• When you are exiting a driveway and getting onto the main road

• When you are passing another vehicle (legally, of course)

• When you think you should use your turn signal, use it.