Tips for Going to the DMV

If you own a car or have a driver’s license, you are going to have to go to the DMV at some point in your life. While this can be a dreaded task, there are a few things you can do to make going to the DMV more bearable. Here are a few tips.

Photo by Michael Ocampo

Do you actually need to go?

There may be a few tasks that do not require a physical trip. Check online or call to see if you can mail in your paperwork.

Get organized

Make sure you have all the required paperwork for your task. Depending on what you are doing, that could include your birth certificate, proof of address, vehicle title, etc.

Go during downtime

Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays are usually the busiest times at the DMV. Aim for the middle of the week and see if there is a less popular branch that could speed up your visit even more.

Stay occupied

Bring along a book or your headphones so you can listen to music or a podcast while you wait. Or you could simply enjoy the peace and quiet and do some people watching.

If you buy a new or used car here at Rochester Hills Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, we’ll take care of your temporary tags, so you can at least skip one trip to the DMV.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Car

Spring Cleaning the Car

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to just be about your house. Why not clean out your car as well? Here are some spring cleaning tips for getting the most out of cleaning your vehicle.

Toss any trash, keep what you want

Sort all the stuff laying around in your car into a “trash” pile and a “keep” pile. Toss out the fast food wrappers you’ve been hiding in your backseat and bring your gym clothes into the house and wash them for once.

Scrub and vacuum

Vacuuming is a great idea, but you should clean out any dirt that’s stuck in the carpet or in the nooks and crannies of your car’s interior by using a bristled brush to scrub it until it’s loose.

Don’t forget the tires

Use a non-acid product to clean off your tires without causing any damage. If you need to get dirt or grime trapped in tight places, use a toothbrush to scrub it out.

Wash the outside

Instead of taking your car through a drive-through car wash, bring out some car-friendly soap and get down and dirty with an old-fashioned hand-washing.

Clean the windows last

If you start with your windows, grime from the rest of the car is just going to get on them again, so wait till you’ve cleaned everything else first.

Our team at Rochester Hills CDJR knows how special it feels to get into a clean, like-new car, so make sure to follow these spring cleaning tips to experience the feeling of driving a car that’s been taken care of.

Tips for Off-Roading in Your Jeep

The Jeep Wrangler Is The Perfect Off-Road Companion.

Want to venture into the wild world of going off-road in your Jeep? Here are some tips for off-roading, from your thrill-seeking friends here at Rochester Hills CDJR.

Do Your Research

It’s always better to be prepared. Look up any off-roading locations beforehand and get an idea for skill level ahead of time. Be sure that your Jeep has all the accessories you need to handle the wild.

Get a Feel for Your Vehicle

It’s important to get a feel for the way your Jeep handles off-road terrain, so consider taking it to a beginner course or even to Forest Service roads to test its capabilities ahead of time.

Pack for Emergencies

You never know what might happen. Bring along recovery gear in case your wheels get stuck, and of course, some food. You don’t want to get tired or hungry halfway through a long day of off-roading.

Check the Weather

Download some kind of weather app or check the weather just before you go. You never know when a sudden storm is going to blow in.

Bring a Friend

When you’re venturing off into the woods, it’s always good to make sure that somebody is there to help you and be your companion just in case. Be sure to tell others where you are going, too.
We know our way around a Jeep, which is exactly why we want everyone else to experience the fun! Use these tips for off-roading the next time you go on an adventure.

How to Get Your Car Ready for Winter

Getting your car ready for winter is important to keeping it running throughout the season. Cold weather is hard on your car, so making sure your parts are in good shape before the worst of the weather hits will save you time and money by preventing breakdowns and the need for serious repairs.

The first thing to do is get an oil and filter change. Along with coolant, engine oil is one of the most important things in keeping your engine running well, and having dirty fluid is even worse in winter. Speaking of coolant, make sure it’s at the right level and add some if necessary. They may also do this during your oil change.

Have your battery tested and clean build-up off of the terminals. If your battery charge is weak, you may run into problems with starting it or maintaining power while driving.

Check your tire pressure. Cold compresses the air in tires, lowering the pressure, which reduces traction. Especially in winter when the roads are icy, it’s important to have good traction, so add air when necessary. Also, if you’re planning on switching to winter tires, now is the time.

Finally, put together a winter emergency kit with items you might need if you break down like flashlights, flares, blankets and warm clothes, and food and water. These are just a few of the things you should do before winter—check out more here!

Prepare your vehicle to perform as well as possible in the snow!

How To Tell When Your Car’s Battery Dies

There are plenty of signs of a bad car battery, so if you’re having any of these issues, you should get to your dealership or mechanic and have your battery checked stat.

If it takes a long time for the engine to turn on when you turn your car key, you might be having battery issues. You may also notice your check engine light comes on occasionally. Whether it’s the battery or a problem with the engine or transmission, you should see your mechanic in these cases no matter what.

When you check your fluids, make sure you’re keeping an eye on the battery fluid level. If the fluid gets below the lead plates inside, you should have your battery checked. You could also have a battery leak, which will lead to corrosion and could mean you have to replace the battery.

Finally, your battery will eventually just get old, so have your battery inspected every year!

What Causes High Gas Prices?

We’re on the brink of summer, and while that means carefree days for the kids, adults who face upcoming road trips have something new to stress about—high gas prices. Warmer weather means an increase in prices as oil company execs anticipate profits from vacationing families. But is an opportunity to make money the only reason why gas prices fluctuate so much and so often? If you’ve ever wondered what goes into determining the price of gas, read on.

The Energy Information Administration says that gas prices are calculated based on a number of things, including taxes, the cost of marketing and distribution, the cost of refining crude oil, and the price of crude oil itself. Many people are already aware of the fact that the cost of crude oil is the main determining factor in calculating gas prices. However, it’s not the only factor.

Taxes are another big factor. Many oil companies face federal, state, and local taxes on the money they make off of gas. Additionally, the process of refining the oil is an expense as well, with summer blends of oil costing more to refine in order to comply with the Clean Air Act than all-season blends. Last of all, the cost of marketing and distribution speaks for itself, as that’s not an expense unique to the oil industry.

With the summer months coming up, gas prices are rising because the impending warmer weather means that oil companies need to provide customers with cleaner, more refined blends of gasoline. While paying all that extra money to fill up your car is still an unfortunate side effect, having a better understanding of high gas prices can help lessen the blow.

Rain Driving Tips to Combat Those April Showers

Have you been so prepared for driving in the snow, that you’ve forgotten how to drive in the rain? Now that spring is finally upon us, spring showers are soon to follow.

Don’t get stuck this year; prepare yourself with these rain driving tips:

• If it begins to rain while you are driving, slow down. The roads are most slippery just shortly after rain begins.
• Increase the distance between your car and the other cars around you, in case you or one of the other drivers needs to stop quickly.
• Avoid using cruise control while it’s raining, which may contribute to hydroplaning.
• If your car does begin to hydroplane, do not slam on the brakes, which will only cause them to lock up.
• Lastly, never drive through standing water. Just 12 inches of water is enough water to force your car to lose traction with the road.

And if you find yourself stuck, with your car floating in the middle of freshly formed body of water, abandon your car and seek shelter!

Learn These Signs You Are Too Attached to You Car

 

Do you love your car more than life itself? Here are ten signs you are too attached to your car!

 

# 1 – If your friends try to bring a beverage on a trip, you make them pour it into a sippy cup first.

 

# 2 – You wash your vehicle more than once a week.

 

# 3 – Those little booties that doctors wear during surgery–you ordered a lifetime supply and insist that your passengers put them before entering your vehicle.

 

# 4 – You post more photos of your vehicle to Instagram than photos of your own children.

 

# 5 – When the carjacker said, “Give me the keys or I’ll hurt you,” you offered him the keys to your house instead.

 

# 6 – You put premium gasoline in your vehicle even though the manufacturer doesn’t recommend it and you know full well it has no benefit.

 

# 7 – You named your vehicle.

 

# 8 – You have a tattoo of your vehicle’s name.

 

# 9 – You have a visible tattoo of your vehicle’s name.

 

# 10 – Your car payment is twice your house payment. And you don’t even sleep in your house. You sleep in your vehicle because “it’s only surefire way to make sure no one steals it.”

Benefits of LED Headlights

By Kickaffe (Mario von Berg) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43999173

 

LED headlights have gained popularity, becoming standard on some vehicles and available on almost all as alternatives to regular headlights. While you may be familiar with the term “LED,” you may not know exactly what it means or how much good LED can do. Here are some benefits of LED headlights:

Longer lasting – An LED’s lifespan is 35,000 to 50,000 hours longer than regular bulbs. This means a lot less swapping out bulbs for you!

Brighter – LED headlights usually illuminate a much larger area than other headlights and are non-glare. This means they keep you safer in dark or inclement weather.

Cooler – LED light bulbs don’t get as hot as regular bulbs, which helps to reduce energy waste.

Durable – Since LED lights don’t have glass, breaking them is much more difficult than conventional lights.

Aesthetic Appeal – Since LED headlights are smaller, they can fit in your car easier and can be arranged to whichever style you want.

Maintainable – Since LED’s rarely burn out, they usually don’t need to be replaced unless they’re broken in an accident.

If you’re interested in LED lights, ask Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram about how you can get LED’s in your car!

Here Are Some Icy Car Tips for the Last Bit of Winter

Spring almost here, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Winter weather makes it difficult in the mornings or any time of day for our vehicles. From having icy windows and windshield to hazardous road conditions, winter is no fun at all.

Well, we can’t really help with the road conditions, but we can definitely give you some icy car tips:

• The first thing you should do is brush off any snow and loose ice that you are able to, even on top of the vehicle. The snow on top of the vehicle may fall while you are driving, causing you vision difficulties.
• Give the ice on the windshield a little poke to see if you can break it up a little before scraping. Make sure you don’t use anything other than your scraper as you could damage your windshield.
• Be sure to start your car for a bit before you head out. This will get the heater and defrosters going – but make sure that the exhaust pipe and radiator grill are clear of snow and ice.
• Also, be sure to turn on the headlights; even that smallest bit of additional heat and energy will assist in warming the car and melting any ice on the headlights. Also, while you are cleaning off the car, be sure all snow is away from the headlights and taillights.
• Use de-icer windshield fluid to help with the ice. But, be sure not to use boiling water on your windows or windshield as it could crack the glass.

We here at Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep know that winter can be a struggle in Michigan. We hope that these icy car tips will be helpful while we prepare for the nice Spring weather we hope to get very soon!