Driving Tips for Winter Mornings
It’s that time of year again! No, we’re not talking about the holidays. We’re talking about our frozen morning commutes. You know the ones. Every morning from December to March, you had out a few minutes early to your car to de-ice, defrost, and maybe even de-shovel your vehicle. Many of you let your vehicle warm up before hitting the road, so we’re here to answer some pressing questions about getting your car ready in the morning.
Almost everyone who lives in Upstate New York would agree that starting your car and letting it idle on a cold morning is not only convenient, it’s good for the vehicles. Contrary to popular belief, letting your car warm up in the morning is actually harmful to the engine, experts say. Your engine needs air and gasoline to work properly, but when it’s cold out, your car adds more gasoline than air to the engine. This flushes out the engine oil it needs to run, which can be damaging to the engine. If you really love using your automatic car starter, not to worry. It’s safe to let your vehicle idle for a few minutes, but don’t let it go any longer than that.
If you’re wondering what to do to warm up your car instead of letting it idle, the answer might surprise you. Experts agree that the best thing to do to warm up your car on an especially cold day is to get in and go! But don’t push it – an engine needs at least 5-15 minutes to get warmed up, so take your time and go easy on the accelerator. Going faster will put unnecessary stress on the engine.
If you have any other questions about proper car maintenance in the winter, stop by and see our Service Department! We’ll make sure your vehicle is running in perfect shape for the cold months ahead of us.
Dee, Sarah. “Warm up Your Car Correctly on Cold Mornings.” Autoblog. Autoblog Open Road, 28 Oct. 2016. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
Orwig, Jessica. “Stop Hurting Your Engine by Idling the Car When It’s Cold out.” Business Insider. Business Insider, 21 Jan. 2016. Web. 07 Dec. 2016.
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Nissan Teams Up with Star Wars and Toys for Tots
In an effort to spread holiday cheer and provide gifts to children through the Toys for Tots organization. By uniting with Star Wars: Force for Change and Amazon, Nissan will be hosting a toy drive until December 22nd. If you’d like to join the cause, just pick something from this wish list, and Nissan will provide an additional one.
Keep Your Steering Wheel Clean
With the holidays around the corner, the last thing anyone wants is to get sick. To avoid it, you probably keep hand sanitizer with you at all times, wipe down your counter tops, and make sure all hands, big and small, are clean at all times. But, when was the last time you cleaned your steering wheel?
If you think about it, that is one of the spots you will definitely touch when you’re in your vehicle. That means all the germs you’ve collected from your office, the bathroom, and other people are being transferred while you drive home.
If you don’t have too much of a mess to start with, this won’t be a difficult issue to rectify. All you need is some interior cleaner and a microfiber cloth. Spray the cloth directly with the cleaner and then wipe the wheel in a 360-degree motion. Be sure not to spray directly onto the steering wheel since extra cleaner could go behind the plastic guarding your gauges where you can’t get behind.
For those that need to put a little more elbow grease into the job, we suggest an interior scrubbing pad. You can still use the same cleaner, or, if you’d like, a three-to-one mixture of water and all-purpose cleaner. That will help remove any stubborn body oils or grease. Be sure not to scrub too hard though, you don’t want to take off any color on the wheel.
A couple other helpful hints:
- Don’t wash your cloth with your normal laundry. It could leave stains on clothing.
- Rotate the cloth to ensure what you’re cleaning with is clean
- If there’s stitching, use a toothbrush
- A steam machine is a great way to sanitize
Staff, Autoblog. “How to Clean Your Steering Wheel | Autoblog Details.” Autoblog. N.p., 17 June 2016. Web. 30 Nov. 2016.
Happy Thanksgiving From Destination Nissan
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Destination Nissan! Today is all about being thankful for the people and things in your life, and we are so thankful for our amazing customers that have supported us throughout the years. You are a part of the Destination Nissan family! Eat some turkey, watch some football, and we’ll see you tomorrow for some Black Friday deals.
Learn About 2017 Nissan TITAN On New Page
The incredible, durable, and powerful 2017 Nissan TITAN can now be found right here at Destinations Nissan! We told you before that we would be releasing a Research & Review page on this model so that you could learn all about it before you get behind the wheel for your test drive. Well, that page has finally arrived and it can be found under “Model Research” tab which means that you can learn all about the trim levels, performance capabilities, and standard features offered on this pickup before you ever leave the house! Once you have read up on all of these exciting facts make your way over to our dealership to see it in person and find out how you can drive home in a 2017 Nissan TITAN of your own!
Safe Night Driving Tips
We might not like it, and most of us don’t, but the truth is, it gets dark before most of us leave work in Albany, Schenectady, Latham, Saratoga, and Clifton Park, NY this time of year. And with that change comes a new set of road hazards and smart driving practices. Check them out below and stay safe this winter!
- Turn down your interior lights to avoid compromising your forward vision. Also, don’t look directly into the lights of oncoming vehicles.
- Avoid staring in one direction for too long. Your depth perception isn’t as strong in the dark, making your eyes work harder. If you stare for too long your eyes will get dry and tired which is dangerous.
- Check that your headlights are aimed right. If they’re not, you won’t get the most out of them.
- Leave some extra room between you and the other drivers. Remember you can only control your actions, not other people’s. You never know when they’re going to stop short, so leave some more space than usual.
- Clean your windshield before driving at night. It might look fine in the daylight, but we promise, when oncoming headlights hit it, you’ll see streaks and smudges you didn’t know were there.
- Drive when you’re tired is like driving under the influence. If you need to, rest your eyes before heading out, or even take a cat nap on your lunch break.
November New Vehicle Specials
Black Friday has already started at Destination Nissan! There’s no reason to wait until next week when we have Black Friday specials and New Vehicle special offers on vehicles like the 2016 Nissan Sentra, Altima, Rogue, Frontier, and Titan! Make the trip in from Albany, Schenectady, Latham, Saratoga, and Clifton Park, NY to check out these amazing deals.
The Best Places to Ski in Albany
Skiing in Albany is a favorite pastime of New Yorkers and visitors alike. If you’re looking to get your ski on this winter, the following are some awesome locations you should check out in Albany this year.
West Mountain Ski Area
Just 40 minutes north of Albany you will find the West Mountain Ski Area, which is perfect for the whole family. This area has 27 trails and 126 acres, with beginner slopes, expert terrain, and everything in between. Even when snowfall isn’t promised, the team at West Mountain ensures that at least 80 percent of their acreage remains skiable.
Gore Mountain Ski Resort
With 109 trails and 15 lifts, you can trust that Gore Mountain Ski Resort will suit all of your skiing desires. Some even believe that this area is the most skiable in New York, and it is only an hour outside of Albany. Gore Mountain also features on-mountain dining, so you can fuel back up in order to keep skiing. Their staff also offers mountain services to help keep you safe and happy.
Hunter Mountain
No, this mountain isn’t for hunting, it’s for skiing! Hunter Mountain has skiing, tubing, snowboarding, and so much more at this beautiful and diverse resort. You can make a weekend of it and stay at their gorgeous lodge, dine on delectable dinners, and of course, enjoy skiing on beginner, advanced, and expert slopes.
If you’ve got an itch to go skiing, the Albany area has a number of great places to satisfy your slope cravings.
Image via Flickr by Kris Arnold
The 4 Most Common Dashboard Lights
You’re probably used to seeing certain lights on your dashboard, but what happens when an unordinary light pops on? Well, fret not because most of these illuminated signs are actually quite common, and here’s what you need to know.
Check Engine Light
While many will tell you that this is the doomsday symbol for all cars and it always equals large dollar signs in terms of repairs, that’s not necessarily true. This commonly seen light illuminates a small engine icon on your car’s dash. Because your engine is arguably the most important part of the vehicle, you will need to take your car in to your professional mechanic as soon as possible when this light comes on.
Battery Charge Alert
This symbol looks like a small battery and indicates that your vehicle’s battery is not charging properly. So that your car doesn’t die on you, leaving you stranded, take it to your professional mechanic to have the problem diagnosed.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
If you see what looks like an exclamation point in wavy parenthesis, this is your tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) indicator. When this light turns on, it means that one or more of your tires is in need of air.
Antilock Braking System
Your antilock braking system (ABS) has an indicator that is a circle around the letters ‘ABS’. When you see this light, it usually means that there is something operating improperly with this system. ABS can be complex, so once again it’s best to take it to your mechanic.
Now that you know the most common maintenance lights in your vehicle, you can be better prepared when one illuminates.
Image via Flickr by Chris Isherwood
Improve the Test Drive with These 3 Tips
Test drives are arguably the most important part of the car-buying process, because it gives you the chance to really understand if a car is right for you or not. If you’ve been looking at purchasing a new vehicle, here is how you can maximize the effectiveness of your test drive.
Put the Acceleration and Braking to the Test
When you’re test driving a car, focus on the car’s handling. Don’t be afraid to test out the acceleration by getting up to the speed limit in a more efficient, yet still safe, fashion. When it comes to the car’s brakes, see how the system responds when you brake slowly and more quickly. Both the acceleration and braking should be smooth and take no effort for you to get used to.
Pay Attention to the Steering
Some cars have a lot of “play” in their steering, which means you can wiggle the wheel back and forth and the car doesn’t deviate from a straight path. Other cars, however, respond much more sensitively as you handle the steering wheel. Take note of this during your car’s test drive to help decide if the vehicle’s steering is right for you.
Play With the Bells and Whistles
Beyond the car’s handling, the interior of the car should be just as comfortable. Controls should be within your reach and easy to maneuver. Seats should adjust to your liking, and you shouldn’t have to strain to sit comfortably.
If you use these tips when test driving a car, you are more likely to find the perfect car for you.
Image via Flickr by Yahya S.
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