Summer TLC

Summer is upon us and the hot temps are beating down on our cars.  Your car’s well-being needs extra special TLC to get you from point A to point B.  Here are some helpful tips in preventative maintenance that will help you achieve the longevity of your needed transportation:   

Check your battery for a chalky substance around the terminals.  Make sure your battery is clean and free of debris.  If your battery is bulging out, it might be time to replace it with one that doesn’t pose a danger of exploding under your hood. 

Check your tires for even wear on the tread.  If it is not even, you might want to bring your car in for an alignment inspection or maybe it is time to balance your tires.  Needless to say if your wear and tear is at the point of balding, you should get new tires. 

Your car relies on a proper cooling system during the hotter months.  Bring your car into a mechanic for a proper inspection of belts, hoses, pressure cap, thermostat and coolant levels with proper ratios. 

Feel free to schedule a summer maintenance inspection with us: http://bit.ly/WyfrOq

Safety First

Do you know what to do in extreme weather situations while driving?  We hear reports about terrible weather striking across the country and causing catastrophic events.  The only thing that is safe to say is that we will come across an unsafe weather condition like high winds at some point.  The way we react in in any situation can help achieve a safe outcome.  

What is the best way to react to a high wind situation?  For starters, be aware of your surroundings.  It is important to know that high winds are more problematic for large vehicles because of aerodynamics.  The larger the vehicle, the more of a chance that the wind’s velocity can and will make the vehicle uncontrollable.  If you're in a smaller vehicle, you might have better control, but the larger vehicle next to you might fall victim to the winds and take you out too.  Slow down and get yourself out of harm’s way.   

The number one tool that should be utilized is your awareness.  Don’t drive unless you absolutely have to and if you’re on the road when the high winds come, take precautionary measures for the safest of outcomes.  

Sources: sos.state.il.us

http://bit.ly/Wg4XDC

Super Friday

Thrilling Thursday Video

Here is something to be thrilled about for this Thrilling Thursday!  It's time to get to acquainted with the SS in the Chevrolet line up for the first time in many years.  Take a moment to click on the video and enjoy!

Super Savings

We're inviting you to one of Chevrolet's Super Events!  Take a look at our event page for more details: http://on.fb.me/1bpiEak

"Turbo" Chevrolet Camaro

For a concept car built to promote an animated movie about a snail that wants to go racing, this thing ain't half bad. The outsized monster you see before you started life as a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and then went through a big-time Hollywood makeover before being positioned on the Chevrolet stand here in Chicago.

This 2013 "Turbo" Camaro Coupe is getting the promotion machine ratcheted up for a new DreamWorks tale by the name of, you guessed it, Turbo. Coming this summer, the movie will follow one snail's quest to become a race driver worthy of making the cut at the Indy 500. Like many DreamWorks vehicles before it, we're guessing that the petrolhead snail will star in a movie that adults (especially racing fans) will have no trouble watching with their kids.

As for the car, we're told that it is "instrumental" in transforming Turbo from snail into racer. Helping the beastly pony car in this mighty task, is an ankle-cracking front splitter matched by a ungodly huge rear wing out back, a COPO hood and a supercharged (yes, supercharged) V8 engine making more than 700 horsepower. 24-inch wheels all the way around – 10-inches wide in front and 15-inches wide in back – should allow the "Turbo" Camaro to hook up with ease, as well.

- Courtesy of Autoblog

Kudos

Congratulations Scott, Mike and Dan and the Connell Chevrolet team for another rave review!

"I had not previously been to Connell, however, my girlfriend bought from them a couple years ago and had been highly pleased ever since.  As I started my car search this past week, I was looking at another dealership in the neighborhood that quickly reminded me why I typically hate car dealers....she said "honey, why don't you go see what they have across the street?'.....so I did, and I am a happy camper.  These guys jumped through some serious hoops for me and I am most favorably impressed.  Scott in Sales, Mike the Sales Manager, and Dan in Finance...thanks guys, keep up the good work." - Scott A.

If you would like to read this review and others, click here: http://bit.ly/10JimD2

Shock Absorbers

Like most parts on the car, the shock absorbers need to be checked regularly as part of the service schedule of the car. Generally, shocks need to be checked every three years, or 36,000 miles, and every five years or 60,000 miles. These mileages and suggested maintenance times differ between models, and you should check your service manual for your vehicle model. A quick check you can do to see whether your shocks are in good order is to push down on the front of your car several times. If it levels off and goes back to place after one bounce when you relieve it of your body weight, the shocks are fine. When checking a suspension system, the shocks should be checked for leaks, cracks, and general wear and tear.

- Courtesy of eHow

Fun Fact Friday

Fun Fact Friday is back and today we will have a little trivia game.  

 Q)  How many different body styles of Impala were there in 1969 and what were they? 

Happy 4th of July

Come celebrate your independence with us and take advantage of a new set of wheels to get you around town in style. What kind of Chevrolet do you see in your American dream?

EV Charging Station Near You

By Stephen Williams

Through the decades the automobile has spawned dozens of cottage industries—the drive-in movie, the car hop on roller skates, the car wash and, of course, the ubiquitous filling station with its unmistakable gas pumps.

Enter the EV (electric vehicle) charging station, the filling station of the future: no pumps, just plugs.

Owners of cars that use electric power in one form or another—cars like Chevy’s Volt, which combines a battery and a gas-powered generator—can now drive coast to coast, or from Maine to Florida, or just about any place in between in the United States, without fear of “range anxiety.” The 2013 Volt’s total driving range on a full battery charge and a full tank of gas is an EPA-estimated 380 miles*; on a full battery charge alone it’s an EPA-estimated 38 miles**.

The U.S. Department of Energy is the driving force (pardon the pun) behind collective efforts to pinpoint nearly 4,000 electric charging stations with public access across the country with the list growing daily as the DOE assembles data retrieved by its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and updates the primary list twice a month.

In many states, plug-in-vehicle drivers also have access to charging stations at libraries, shopping centers, hospitals and businesses. This infrastructure is quickly expanding, providing drivers with the convenience and confidence they require.

Niketa Kumar, a spokesperson for the DOE in Washington, told us that the department has partnered with several industry electronics companies, including Google, Tom Tom, Best Buy, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. and Coulomb, “to improve collection and analysis of public electric charging station data. With the support of more than 80 public and private sector organizations,” she said, “including charging equipment manufacturers, installers and charging networks; vehicle manufacturers, Internet and GIS companies, and major consumer goods retailers, we are working to provide consumers with consistent, up-to-date information about the EV charging stations in communities nationwide.”

*Fuel saved is based on this approved formula: Miles per gallon = [Difference in Total Miles Driven in kms (current-previous) * 0.621/ Difference in lifetime fuel used *0.264]. Fuel Avoided = (Difference in Total Miles/ Official MPG for U.S. passenger cars) — (difference in Total Miles/ Miles per gallon).

The DOE also offers other information for EV owners and those considering an EV or plug-in—including mapping services—at its Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center site. While the Energy Department does not itself offer smartphone apps to help drivers locate charging stations, a variety of applications are being launched to ease the process. For example, Coulomb Technologies Inc. lists which ChargePoint stations are available, in use or out of service, all in real time.
Among the EV location apps for the iPhone—as well as for the iPod touch and the iPad—is Xatori’s free PlugShare (available on the iTunes site), which allows users to type in an address or zip code to find stations on the PlugShare map. So where does the “Share” come in? Well, the app also lists ordinary folks—the PlugShare community—who will offer EV users the opportunity to plug in to their home outlets to recharge.

Of course, the worry of running low on electric juice doesn’t faze drivers of the Volt. It’s electric when you want it, gas when you need it. If the battery runs low, the Volt automatically transitions to a unique gasoline range–extending capability.

Chevrolet currently offers an eight-year/100,000-mile limited warranty*** on the Volt’s battery pack. See your local Chevy dealer for details, or download the entire Volt warranty from Chevrolet.com/volt

- Courtesy of Chevrolet.com

Case of the Shakes

If your vehicle has a case of the shakes, take a look at one of the possibilities that could be the cause.

Symptoms that might indicate such an engine-related case of the shakes include the following: 

• Shudder or jerking occurs during acceleration
• Staccato shaking, as if over a highway "rumble strip," within a specific speed range
• Car starts and drives fine for a while, but later begins to shake

These symptoms could be signaling that it's time for a new set of spark plugs. If the plugs are fine, it could be that the spark plug wires need to be checked (are they connected in the proper order?) or replacing.

Lastly, a dirty air filter or clogged fuel filter can starve the engine of needed oxygen or fuel, respectively. So be sure to replace them at the manufacturer's recommended intervals.

Our vehicles are full of reciprocating, rotating parts that have to fall within certain measurements, or tolerances, in order to perform properly.

If an axle gets bent -- which is actually quite easy to do in a collision or other mishap -- it will create a jostle of a ride afterward. With this problem, the vibrating often picks up in intensity the faster you drive.

A related problem would be that the driveshaft also needs inspection. This rapidly spinning part transfers engine power to the rear axles and wheels in rear-wheel drive vehicles. If it's bent, shaking may result.

Worn-out constant velocity (CV) joints fall under the same category. If the "boots" -- those rubber, accordion-like coverings around the ends of the drive axles -- are intact, clamps are secure, and no lubricant is seeping out, chances are they're not the problem. But if the boots are torn, that means dirt and dust and road filth is getting in and damaging the joints. For front-wheel drive cars, toasted CV joints mean you'll be buying new drive axles, too.

- Courtesy of How Stuff Works