This first one might seem obvious, but whenever possible, combine your errands and trips.  Try to make one trip to run errands, rather than several shorter tips.  This will allow you to use less gas since you’ll be driving less miles.

Next, don’t use your heating or air conditioning at its maximum.  Using your AC at its highest can reduce your fuel efficiency 5 to 25%, comparing if you didn’t use it. 

Third, use your cruise control whenever possible.  Maintaining a consistent speed when driving on the highway, will help you cut fuel costs.  Also, make sure not to start and stop suddenly.

Fourth, avoid carrying extra weight in your trunk or on your vehicle’s roof.  You might forget that you put all the kids’ sports equipment in the trunk and drive around with it for months, but if you remove an extra 100 pounds from your trunk, you can save up to 12 gallons of gas each year.  These days, every dollar counts!

This last one is easy:  simply select the right vehicle.  When you’re in the market for a new car or SUV, you can look at fueleconomy.gov to learn that vehicle’s average gas mileage.  Determine how miles you drive each month and calculate how much gas you’ll be spending. 

These tips are easy to follow, and can help save you money today.  To learn even more, check out the Drive Smarter Challenge, or if you’re in Neptune, and want to chat about cars, just ask me.  If you have more tips to share with everyone, please add them to the comments section!

I have to be honest. As a New Jersey car dealer, I rely heavily on my service department to maintain my car.  So I thought I’d share what I’ve learned about car cabin air filters and why they are used.

First, many car owners probably don’t even know that a cabin air filter even exists, let alone that it needs to be changed.  Think of it as the filter that you may have connected to your home furnace or air conditioning system.  Just like at home, the air filter is an essential part of your ventilation system that removes pollutants from the air before you breathe them in.  Years ago, they were designed to prevent solid particles like soot and dust from circulating in your car.  Thanks to advanced technologies, air filters also can absorb gases and odors.  You may have heard cabin air filters referred to as dust filters, interior ventilation filters or even pollen filters.

Now, let’s discuss why cabin air filters are used.  Unfortunately air pollution is a fact of life.  If you drive often, and perhaps mostly on major highways during rush hour, without the air filter, you’d be forced to breathe air that contains exhaust fumes, dust and soot, none of which is good for your health.  The air filter prevents those pollutants from entering your car or SUV, and allows you to breathe cleaner air.

Watch this video which explains more about car cabin air filters and why & how they’re changed.

And next time you have your car serviced, just ask us if you need your car cabin air filter changed.

You probably know that a car battery is a type of rechargeable battery.  If you don’t drive often, you might want to turn your car on once every few days so that the battery has a chance to recharge itself.

Did you know that car batteries are suspended in an electrolytic solution?  When your battery powers the motor, small drops of the solution escape, land on the battery terminals and cause corrosion.  Not only do corroded battery cables look bad, they also limit the amount of current flowing to and from the battery.  This makes it harder for your battery to turn the motor over and for the alternator to charge your battery while you drive.

Take a look at this video, which does an excellent job of explaining how a car battery works.

The next time you leave your car lights on all night, give me a call so we can help.

Since air bags are designed for an average 165-pound person, having a small child in the front passenger seat can be dangerous.  Watch this video to learn more about air bag safety:

Whether you’re driving a four-door sedan, SUV or even a crossover, understanding how to keep your family safe is important.  Has an air bag saved your life?

According to AAA, angry or aggressive drivers are in a high percentage of traffic accidents, often leading to death or serious injury.  Take a look at this angry driver who was pulled over for speeding.

I’ve seen many aggressive drivers, but I can’t believe that driver was so angry towards that police officer.   If you are ever confronted by an aggressive driver, here are some tips:

1)      Don’t make eye contact with aggressive drivers.

2)      Get out of the way of an aggressive driver.  That might mean letting them pass.

3)      Don’t confront or challenge them.

4)      Avoid tailgating.

5)      Use the horn for safety only, not to express your annoyance with the aggressive driver.

6)      Obey the speed limit

These simple tips will help you avoid confrontation with aggressive drivers, and help make our New Jersey roads safer.  If you’re on Route 66 in Neptune, and want to share some additional tips for avoiding aggressive drivers, just stop by my dealership and say hello.

Do You Text While Driving?

Although many states, including New Jersey, have cell phone laws, there hasn’t been a decrease in accidents relating to cell phones.  I’ve read many articles including two from AOL Autos and CS Monitor, explaining some new studies that show it’s very difficult for law enforcement to put into effect.  Here’s some information from one article I read:

The new study from the Highway Loss Data Institute, which is funded by insurers, also suggests problems with enforcement of the bans, says Anne Fleming, spokeswoman for the affiliated Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“There are various issues, and enforcement is definitely one of them,” she says. “It’s difficult to see if someone is using a phone. It’s definitely difficult to see if they’re texting. And if drivers don’t believe they are going to be caught, compliance isn’t as high.”

A recent study from the Automobile Club of Southern California, for instance, found that texting while driving doubled in California after the state implemented its January 2009 texting ban. And drivers who do adhere to texting bans might be replacing one distracted driving behavior with another, Ms. Fleming says.

Please don’t text and drive.  It’s dangerous, not just for you but for everyone on the road.  If you’re in the Neptune area, stop by the dealership to learn how we’re partnering with Red Bank Catholic high school to stop teen drivers from texting while driving.

Are You A Safe Driver?

I read an AOL Autos article which states that one in five people could not pass a written driving test.  That’s about 38 million Americans who would fail the test.  That’s frightening.  As far as the endless New York vs New Jersey debate, New York came in last, according to this survey.  The bottom line is everyone should be safer when driving. Here is an excerpt from that article:

Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, also laments the careless disregard for basic driving rules even by those drivers who do know the rules. “Drivers do need to know the basic rules of the road, but knowing them isn’t the same as obeying them,” said Rader. “Even when we know the speed limit, for example, we still break it. That’s why speeding is a factor in a third of all highway deaths,” adds Rader.

“Drivers also know they shouldn’t run red lights,” yet hundreds of people are killed and thousands are injured by red light runners every year, notes Rader — who adds that motorists also know that cell phones are a distraction, yet they continue to yak into their phones while driving. “Our highways are a lot like Lake Wobegon (the fictitious town created by NPR’s Garrison Keillor) — most drivers think they’re ‘above average’; it’s all the other ‘idiots’ out there that need to hit the books.

“Research shows that law enforcement (in the form of traffic tickets) may be the best driver education program yet invented.” On the GMAC National Driver’s Test, there was also a “gender gap” of sorts — men had a higher average score than women — 78.1 percent, compared to 74.4 percent. The gap was wider when it came to the failure rate — 24 percent for women, versus 18.1 percent for men.

I wonder if there are any surveys out there that compare sedan to SUV drivers.  If you know of any, let me know.  Also if you want more safe driving tips, or want to know my honest opinion about which gender is the safer driver, stop by my dealership to learn more.

This eHow article provides 11 tips for winterizing your vehicle, which is particularly good for my fellow New Jersey drivers:

1. Don’t put off a 30,000-mile full service, if your car is due.
2. Flush the cooling system and replace the coolant.
3. Replace the windshield wiper blades. Put windshield washer fluid in the windshield washer reservoir (plain water will freeze).
4. Have the battery serviced (clean the battery terminal ends and add water) and load-tested to check its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is more than 4 1/2 years old, replace it.
5. Use a tire gauge to check the tire pressure. Air contracts with cold, and the tires may become low as the temperature drops.
6. Make sure there is air in the spare tire and that all the proper tire-changing equipment is in the trunk.
7. Make sure the tires are in good condition. If you are not sure what this means, ask a mechanic (in a shop that doesn’t sell tires) for an opinion.
8. Check the lights, heater and defroster.
9. Keep the gas tank as full as possible to prevent moisture from freezing in the gas lines.
10. Get a brake check if you haven’t had one in the last six months.
11. Put together an emergency winter kit for the trunk of your car: blanket, extra boots and gloves, ice scraper, small snow shovel, flashlight and kitty litter (for traction when stuck in the snow).

If you ever have any questions about how best to maintain your car or SUV, just stop by my dealership and ask to speak to Andrew Garcia, my service director, for more tips.

If you’re in the Neptune area, stop by the dealership and let me know what you think of the spot.  Also, let me know if you’re interested in seeing more videos of “behind the scenes.”

I found this article on AutoBytel.com that does a great job of interpreting the tire tread measurements.  I think you’ll find it helpful:

We all hate spending money on our cars, but tires are important to your vehicle’s safety and need to be maintained. Usually, that means keeping the manufacturer-recommended tire pressure and rotating them on a regular basis. But sooner or later, tires are going to wear out and you’ll have to buy new ones.

Examining your tires may reveal that only two need to be replaced. If that’s the case, put the new tires on the back of your car, whether it’s front- or rear-wheel drive. New tires channel rain away better than old ones, so putting the new tires on the rear can prevent fishtailing in the rain, which could lead to an accident.

How can you tell if it’s time for a change? The average tire comes with about 11/32-inch of tread depth. Running perpendicular to the tread at various intervals you will find wear bars. Wear bars are 2/32-inch tall and represent the last usable bit of tread. Check all four tires. If any part of a tire is worn within another 2/32-inch of the wear bars, it’s time for a replacement. Another easy rule of thumb is to use the penny trick. Place a penny with Lincoln’s head down into the shallowest bit of tread. If you can see the top of old Abe’s head, it’s time for a new tire.

Even if you can see Abe’s hairline, it may be time for new shoes if your tires no longer perform well in the rain or snow or if one or more tires is damaged. A damaged tire can be fixed if the puncture is in the middle of the tread. If the puncture is too close to the edge of the tread, too big, or in the sidewall, you’ll have to replace that tire. If you are replacing only one tire, it’s best to buy the same model and brand as the other three.

Remember, your tires can be considered one of the most important components to your car, after all, they are the only thing between you and the road. If you have any questions, or just aren’t sure about the tread life of your tires, swing by and we’ll take a look at them …you know where to find me.