Car Questions Answered!
We’ve all got car questions, especially when spring is rolling around and we have more time to spend outside puttering around. A lot of people really get into making sure their vehicles are properly tuned and maintained in the spring (as they should) and some folks might have questions that pop up that need answering. Thankfully, Destination Nissan has quite a few blogs that answer some of the most important car questions you might have. Take a look at our list!
- Headlights not working properly?
- Want to get better gas mileage?
- How often should you get oil changes?
- Battery dying?
- Why is the check engine light on?
- Why driving on empty is dangerous
Remember that if you have any car questions we haven’t answered yet, you can always ask us on Facebook!
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Top 2 Albany Attractions for Art Enthusiasts
If you’re looking for some fantastic museums and galleries to explore in Albany, look no further. These galleries and museums are packed full of paintings, sculptures, and modern pieces that are sure to intrigue any art lover.
Albany Institute of History and Art
Art enthusiasts will love the collection at the Albany Institute of History and Art. The institute is located on Washington Avenue in downtown Albany and costs $10 to visit. If you are a member of the institute, admission is free.
Inside you can explore drawings of Albany when it was first being built. There are paintings from both American and European artists. There is an African art section, a women painter’s section, a collection of Chinese porcelain, and beautiful Native American totem poles. You could easily spend the whole day exploring the collection here.
University Art Museum
The University at Albany has an on-campus museum which is one of the best art museums in the entire city. The collection of work ranges from student exhibits to abstract pieces done by international artists. The exhibits are constantly changing, so you can visit the museum once a month and find completely different art to enjoy.
Another nice thing about visiting the University Art Museum is that entry is completely free. There is free parking available on Saturdays, and during the week you’ll pay $5 for the whole day if you enter before 4 p.m.
These two art museums are fantastic places to explore no matter what type of art you enjoy.
Image via Flickr by Herry Lawford
Spring break is just around the corner and college students are beginning to plan their week long getaway. For college students looking for the perfect road trip car, the Nissan Versa has exactly what you are looking for. Check out these three reasons the Versa makes the perfect vehicle for spring break.
It Gets Amazing Fuel Economy
Since gas money is one of the most important expenses on a road trip, you can save a ton at the pump with Nissan’s fuel-efficient Versa. Both the Versa and the Versa Note get an EPA estimated fuel mileage of 31 mpg for city and 39 for highway driving.
It Is Compact for Parking in Tight Spaces
The compact design of the Versa makes it perfect to maneuver through large amounts of heavy traffic, as well as being able to fit in smaller and tighter parking spaces. Whether you are hitting the downtown area or parking your vehicle in limited parking areas, you will be able to find a spot for your Versa.
It Has Enough Room for Comfort and Cargo
While the Versa is small in its design, it provides plenty of passenger space to ensure a comfortable drive as well as the cargo space you need to make sure you have everything for your trip. If your storage needs require a little more vertical space, you can opt for the Nissan Versa Note which is a hatchback.
Make the most of your spring break by taking your road trip in a new Nissan Versa. Stop by and test drive one for yourself at your local Nissan dealer.
Image Via Flickr by steakpinball
Future Nissan Cars May Read Your Brain
Imagine having a vehicle that could read your thoughts and react accordingly. This is what Nissan is trying to design.
The “Brain to Vehicle” Technology
Nissan is currently studying how our brain’s neurons fire while we are driving and when we find ourselves in a stressful situation. They believe that the way our brain reacts can help give the computer of our vehicle’s a warning about what’s about to happen. This is a huge step above self-drive vehicles that are currently available on the market.
What this means is that when your brain decides that you want to turn right or change lanes, the vehicle will respond accordingly. The system aims to respond faster to these changes than if you were to use your hands to turn the wheel and make these changes yourself. Nissan believes they can do it up to half a second faster.
How Does it Work for Drivers?
In order to read your neurons while you drive, the system requires drivers to wear a cap with nodes and wires. It is lightweight and has been designed to be minimally invasive to drivers. However, the system does require that you wear this cap in order for the technology to work.
Research Will Continue for Now
There are still a lot of questions left unanswered like what if a driver makes a decision then quickly changes it? Will the computer override the brain if it is making a bad decision? For now, the brain to vehicle system remains a prototype, and Nissan will continue to do research before releasing the system to the public.
Image via Flickr by FirstEnergy Corp.
3 Family-Friendly Features of the 2018 Nissan Murano
There are a lot of reasons to love the new 2018 Nissan Murano. Check out these family-friendly features that will make the daily school-run so much easier.
Spacious Interior
The 2018 Nissan Murano fits five passengers in zero-gravity outboard seats for a luxurious feel. The seats allow you to sit for hours on long road trips without discomfort. All of the headrests are made for ultimate comfort as well. Passengers in the backseat can also recline their seats if they want to rest on a long trip or they’ve simply had a tough day at school.
Cargo Space
The Nissan Murano has plenty of room for the entire family and all of their stuff. You’ll be able to pack the kids in with all of their bags as you head to soccer, gymnastics, or tennis practice this weekend. The rear seats also fold down to give you a 60/40 split and up to 69.9 cubic feet of cargo space.
Safety Technology
Rest easy knowing that the Murano has tons of safety features to keep your family safe every time you get behind the wheel. It comes standard with intelligent forward collision warning which monitors your speed as well as the vehicles in front of you and detects when you need to brake.
The Murano comes standard with automatic emergency braking in case you do not react to the warnings of the other systems. There are also available safety technologies such as blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert.
Head to your Destination Nissan to learn more about the Nissan Murano and to test drive one today.
Image via Flickr by MIKI Yoshihito
Comparing the 2018 Nissan Altima Trim Levels
There are seven different Nissan Altima trims available on the 2018 model. Which one is right for you?
2.5 S
The Altima 2.5 S is the base model. It’s packed with great features such as intelligent forward collision and automatic emergency braking. It has a powerful 2.5-liter engine and offers a solid 179 horsepower.
2.5 SR
The SR has the same engine as the S but has a few more sporty touches. It includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, and a sport spoiler.
SR Special Edition
The SR Special Edition has all of the features of the 2.5 SR but has Sport Prima-Tex sports seats, the Nissan Navigation system as standard, and larger 18-inch by 7.5-inch alloy wheels.
SR Midnight Edition
The SR Midnight Edition gives you all of the fantastic features of the 2.5 SR, but comes with midnight black 18-inch alloy wheels. It also comes with black side mirrors and a black rear spoiler.
2.5 SV
The 2.5 SV trim level has the same features as the 2.5 S as well as 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels and a remote engine start. It also comes standard with safety features like blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert.
2.5 SL
The SL comes with all of the features you get with the 2.5 SV with additional luxury features like leather seats and a Bose premium audio system.
3.5 SL
The 3.5 SL comes with all of the luxury of the 2.5 SL with a more powerful engine. Enjoy a 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 engine with 270 horsepower.
Head to your Destination Nissan to learn more about the different Altima trim levels today.
Image via Flickr by Eduardo Mueses
2 Best Places to Eat Dim Sum in Albany
If you’re craving something exotic for dinner, head to one of these great restaurants in Albany for some great dim sum.
Hong Kong Bakery and Bistro
Hong Kong Bakery and Bistro is located on Wolf Road and has an extensive menu of dim sum to choose from. They have steamed dim sum, fried dim sum, as well as a nice selection of desserts. You can enjoy your meal in the restaurant, or choose some of their dim sum from the bakery area to take home with you.
The most popular items on the menu are shrimp dumplings and the pork buns, but you can also find plenty of vegetarian options on their dim sum menu. In addition to dim sum, Hong Kong Bakery also has a menu full of Chinese noodle dishes to enjoy.
Hu’s House
Hu’s House is also a great spot in downtown Albany for delicious dim sum. They’re best known for their steamed pork buns, but you can also try crispy pork buns, rice shao mai, and crispy fried wontons. There are also a few vegetarian options on the dim sum menu.
Hu’s House specializes in Shanghai-style food, so as well as great Chinese dim sum, you can also enjoy spicy soups, sweet and sour ribs, and tons of different seafood dishes. Hu’s House is a very popular restaurant, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so be sure to make a reservation if you want to ensure you get a table.
The next time you’re craving some dim sum, be sure to check out one of these delicious places in downtown Albany.
Image via Flickr by Maya83
Headlight Problems & Solutions
Out of all the features that come on your vehicle, one of the most important and most often overlooked (as a safety feature) is your headlights! Yeah, seriously. How often do you think about your headlights in the context of them being a safety feature on your vehicle? I am going to guess that the answer is “not very often.” That’s okay! This blog is about how you can take care of your headlights and make sure they’re functioning as well as they need to be. We’ve got your back on this. Don’t worry!
So, if your headlights are fully operational but just don’t seem as bright as they should be, or as they used to be, then you should first wash them with a cleaning solution and clean microfiber cloth. If, after you clean your headlights, they still seem dim, take a closer look. If they are scratched, chipped, pitted, or just hazy, ask us about headlight reconditioning!
If only one of your headlights is out, then it’s probably due to a burnt out bulb. It could also be a broken component of your headlight assembly… but it’s probably a burnt out bulb.
If both of your headlights are out, then you’ve got the opposite problem. Unless they burned out one by one (which, if that’s the case, why didn’t you come in sooner?!) you probably have a broken relay or switch for your headlights that needs to be repaired or replaced.
If your headlights work and are bright enough to satisfy you but just happen to go dim in certain situations, such as when you’re accelerating, then you might have a problem with your charging system. Talk to us about your situation at your next oil change!
Increase Your MPGs
If you are interested in increasing your vehicle’s fuel economy, you have come to the right blog! It’s not very hard to do, and especially if you’re not quite at the place to get a new vehicle just yet this can be a great thing to focus on when you drive that’ll save you money and can even be a fun driving challenge!
Our first tip for getting those MPGs up is to not speed. Speeding is, first of all, illegal, and second of all, it can bring your MPGs down drastically. When you are speeding, you’re accelerating (and decelerating) a lot more than you normally would be, which is a terrible waste of gas. To combat this, don’t speed! And use your cruise control when you are on the highway – it will keep you at a safe and consistent rate of speed.
Keeping your vehicle in peak condition is also incredibly important. Your tires should be properly inflated and your alignment should be perfect at all times. Regular inspections, tire rotations, and alignment checks are essential in maintaining good fuel economy. When your tires are properly inflated, the amount of drag that your engine has to work through is reduced. When it’s time for you to get new tires, ask for low rolling resistance tires to help your engine even more.
Combine trips when you leave the house to run errands. Carpooling is a great solution to not only lowering your emissions, but helping everyone save on gas! When you’re out and about, don’t idle your vehicle. Idling for one minute uses as much gas as it takes to start your car in the first place, and it creates a lot more exhaust.
When you’re out in the summer, try to park in the shade. Not only does this make your vehicle more comfortable for you to get into when you’re done with your errand, but it minimizes the evaporation of fuel in your tank from the heat and leaves you with more gas to use while driving. Finally, minimize the weight of your vehicle and the drag from vehicle storage. Clean out your vehicle and get rid of things in it that might be weighing you down. If you have roof storage, like a box, consider making room for those items in your vehicle or switching to a rear-mounted box to reduce drag.
You won’t increase your MPGs from 20 to 70, but if you do these things then you’ll hopefully see an increase of a few miles per gallon through careful driving!
For art lovers, the Albany Institute of History and Art offers great programs and exhibitions, to provide a new perspective on present and past. From the special collections of portrait exhibits to art programs for all, you will find several ways to get involved in art projects this spring.
Behind the Scenes Tours
Throughout the Spring, you will find tours and lectures about different art features, such as the one about Victorian Clothing and Jewelry on March 24, and a special introductory class about “Negro Artists” on March 4. Whether you are interested in the secrets and symbolism of Egyptian art or want to know more about local art history, you will find a great informative program to attend.
Glass Collection
This ongoing exhibit features household items as well as decorative glassware. You can find out more about the different techniques used to create glass objects; blowing, cutting, and coloring.
Art for All
If you would like to visit with your family, you can attend one of the “Evening at the Institute” events, every Thursday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and take advantage of the extended hours of the galleries, cafe, and museum shop. This makes for a great way to spend some quality time together and introduce your kids to the world and history of art.
Visiting the Albany Institute of History and Art is the perfect choice for art lovers and those who are looking for historic curiosities. You can attend a lecture and find out more about your favorite artist or school.
Image via Flickr by Capital District, New York
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