Being able to see is always a bonus in life. When you’re walking down the sidewalk, you always try to make sure not to run into someone; when you’re at a party you don’t just plow through the other guests. It should be the same while you’re driving, but many of us have blind spots in our vehicles that just don’t seem to go away. Well, thank goodness for this blog, because we’re going to share some of our tips on getting rid of your blind spots once and for all!

The first way is more of a permanent way, but it works like a charm. Simply buy some aftermarket small convex mirrors at your local auto parts store and stick them on the outer corners of your wing mirrors. Make sure you clean your mirrors first so that the new ones will adhere properly!

The second step is more in-depth but much less permanent. You can adjust your existing mirrors to eliminate blind spots. Here’s how:

Adjust your rearview mirror to give you a view directly to the rear. Make it so that it best covers your rear window view. Don’t tilt it to get side views – just straight back through your window.

Lean your head until it almost touches your driver’s side window. Adjust your left side mirror so you can just barely see the side of your car – no more.

Lean your head to the passenger side as far as you can comfortably while still sitting up and adjust the right mirror so you can barely see the right side of your car.

You shouldn’t be able to see the side of your car when your head is all the way upright!

Enjoy your new range of vision!

Planning a road trip any time soon? Well, even if you’re not, this playlist is the perfect thing for any journey, whether it’s an actual road trip or just your morning commute. Check it out and enjoy the jams!

Road Trip Playlist

Shut Up And Dance – Walk The Moon

All Right Now – Free

Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top

Slow Ride – Foghat

Roadhouse Blues – The Doors

China Grove – The Doobie Brothers

Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty

I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash

All Day And All Of The Night – The Kinks

Ramblin’ Man – The Allman Brothers Band

Born To Run – Bruce Springsteen

Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Shiny Happy People – R.E.M.

Wouldn’t It Be Nice – The Beach Boys

Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

Summer Of ‘69 – Bryan Adams

Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver

Africa – Toto

Purple Rain – Prince

Take On Me – a-ha

Beer For My Horses – Toby Keith and Willie Nelson

Hot Blooded – Foreigner

My Sharona – The Knack

Bennie And The Jets – Elton John

You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates

Please Mr. Postman – The Marvelettes

Down Under – Men At Work

All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix

Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet

We all know it’s winter, right? If you don’t know, well, then I am concerned about where you spend your time and how you are alive right now. Anyway, it’s winter! And with winter comes frozen windshield season, which is my least favorite time of the year because I hate scraping my windshield with a burning passion. That is why I am sharing these tips on de-icing your windshield quickly without scratching your glass, so that if you are like me, you will not hate the mornings quite as much.

So, the easiest thing to do is go out and turn on your defrosters a little before you know you need to leave. Get up, get dressed, go outside and turn on the defrosters, and then come back in and get your breakfast and your bag together and by the time you’re back outside, it should be a bit more thawed.

If you are not that good at time management (I am so horrible at it, don’t feel bad) then make sure you have a good plastic scraper on hand. Never never ever scrape with something metal! Get that defroster going full blast and, yes, scrape.

Finally, you can make a spray-on solution of one part rubbing alcohol and two parts water to spray on an icy windshield. Keep the solution in a spray bottle in your house, and bring it out on chilly mornings. Spray it on, wait a minute or two, and then run your wipers. No more ice!

If your locks and doors are frozen, don’t use a flame (i.e. a lighter) or hot water to try and melt the ice. Cold water is what works best (it’s warmer than ice, obviously, but not so hot it’ll break your lock mechanism). You can also use the alcohol solution for this.

Best of luck – is it summer yet??

You might think, like a lot of drivers do, that you need to get your vehicle’s oil changed every six months or 3,000 miles. Now, I am sorry to tell you this, but that’s just not true (in every situation). Depending on several factors, your oil change interval could be shorter than that or even longer. Those factors are:

• The age of your car

• The type of oil you use

• How many miles are on your car

• What conditions you usually drive in

• How hard you drive your car

The person who can assess your vehicle and tell you accurately how frequently you should get your oil changed is your dealer, so when you go for your next oil change make sure to ask how frequently you need that service done. Who knows, maybe you could get away with going longer – or you need to get your oil changes done more frequently. Ask us today!

Are you just getting into learning about your vehicle? Great! Here are five fluids that you need to know. (Can you tell this is the Quick And Dirty Car Fluids Blog?)

1. Oil

   1. What it does: cools your engine, lubricates moving parts, keeps moving parts clean

   2. What to do: change it regularly (dealer recommendation) and check it monthly

2. Coolant

   1. What it does: regulates your vehicle’s temperature.

   2. Where to find it: in a reservoir near the radiator.

   3. What to do: if the level is low (level is indicated on the reservoir) take your vehicle to the shop to get coolant topped up.

3. Power Steering Fluid

   1. What it does: helps you steer the vehicle

   2. Where to find it: reservoir at the base if windshield.

   3. What to do: same as above, if the level is low take your vehicle to the shop to get the fluid topped up.

4. Brake Fluid

   1. What it does: helps braking mechanisms work properly

   2. What to do: if the level is chronically low, your brakes could be wearing out.

5. Windshield Washer Fluid

   1. What it does: helps clean windshield of dust, debris, bug guts, etc.

   2. What to do: if you run out, get more at your local gas station and just refill the clearly labeled tank.

Have you all ever wondered what exactly is meant by the numbers on the pumps at the gas station? Do you also wonder why gas has to be qualified as “unleaded” on the pump? Well, we have written a great blog about both of these subjects that will hopefully answer all of your most burning questions!

First, come the numbers on the pumps. These indicate the octane level of the gasoline. The higher the octane level, the higher performance of engine it’s supposed to go into. What is octane, you may be asking now? When gasoline is refined from oil, several molecules called hydrocarbons remain in the gasoline. One of these hydrocarbons is isooctane, or just plain old octane. The other hydrocarbons have a lower ignition temperature, which means that they’ll combust under the slightest amount of heat and pressure. Octane is more resistant to that, which means it can withstand more pressure from the pistons in your engine and therefore won’t create a “knock” when it combusts.

A word of caution: don’t use higher octane gasoline in your regular engine unless your owner’s manual actively says to use higher octane gasoline! All you’ll be doing is wasting your money! But, if your manual does say to use the high-test stuff, do it. Otherwise, you’ll hurt your engine. It’s a fickle world we live in, folks.

Finally, that “unleaded” buzzword. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away (aka America in the 1920s), some scientists figured out that if gasoline had a low octane rating and made engines knock, they could just add tetraethyl lead to the gasoline and it’d kill both of those birds with one lead stone. Sure, everyone in the factories kept dying and the average American had a seriously unhealthy level of lead in their bloodstream, but it kept gas cheap! This persisted until the 1960s and was outlawed completely in the 1990s. After that, the average lead level in the blood of Americans went down by 75%. That’s a lot.

If you are a person who has a sensitive nose, you might dread the wintertime when you can’t avoid any kind of bad smells in your air system by rolling down your windows and hoping for the best. Thankfully, we have some sensitive sniffers on our team as well, and we’ve had them put together some foolproof tips for cleaning out your air vents and eliminating unsavory lingering odors in your car!

First of all, get some Q-tips, some cleaning solution, paper towels, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and a vacuum. Yeah, you’ll need all this. Oh! And some air freshener spray (i.e. Febreze). The first thing you’re going to do is vacuum out all your vents. All of them! Don’t forget the ones near the ground or the one right up against your windshield. Vacuum all your vents then just give your seats and rugs a nice vacuum as well, just for good measure. Next, get those Q-tips and cleaning solution and get into the nooks and crannies of all your air vents. Clean them out really well. Then get your paper towels and clean off all the surfaces of your car.

If the smell still lingers from your air system, drive for a little bit to a nice parking area (the driving is to warm up your engine) and then put your air on full blast. This should dry up the tubes and pipes and get rid of any mold or other nastiness that’s been hanging on. If there is STILL a smell, come talk to us at Fiore VW and have us take a look at your cabin air filter.

The final step is to give everything a final rub down with a microfiber cloth and spray some of that Febreze. Now you’ve got a nice-smelling AND dust free car! No allergies or bad stenches. Win-win!

Do you know that you should be checking your car’s oil at least once a month? Yeah, you should be. And that means knowing how to check your oil, which is also something that a lot of people don’t have experience with. We’ve put together this step-by-step guide to checking your oil that should have all your bases covered, and help you every month between oil changes when you check your oil!

• Open the hood. Prop it up so that it stays open.

• Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled.

• Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel.

• Dip the stick all the way back in.

• Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks.

• Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible.

• Put the dipstick back in.

• Close your hood.

Are you the type of person who has trouble seeing when it’s dark out, but still might need to drive anyway? Have you searched for solutions to your problem endlessly with no real results? My first suggestion is to pay a visit to your optometrist and talk to them, but if you’ve already done that as well, then here are my tried-and-true solutions to your night driving problems! Of course, none of these tips will magically improve your vision, but you’ll be able to get around better and with less eye pain and strain.

First, if you did buy into “solutions” like tinted glasses, throw them away. I’m sorry. They’re just obstructing your view and making it harder for you to see.

My first tip is to look at the white line on the side of the road when there’s an oncoming vehicle with bright headlights. You’ll be able to stay in your lane while not getting a spot right in the middle of your vision from looking directly at headlights.

Next is to use your brights whenever you can. Obviously use them courteously – make sure you turn them off when you see another car coming in your direction and if you’re in an area with a lot of homes and streetlights, but otherwise, use your brights! They’ll help you see the road much better, and they’ll give you a farther view into the distance, as well as show you any oncoming hazards, like deer.

Finally, if you try these tips and still have trouble driving at night, consider shifting your schedule so that you do not have to drive after dark, or arrange for a carpool or a ride to wherever you need to go so that you don’t need to drive. Safety is the most important thing, so act with it in mind!

If you’re a Pennsylvania resident, you know by now that you need to renew your driver’s license every four years. However, that renewal process might seem complicated. Here are the steps to successfully renewing your PA driver’s license, from the PA DMV!

A Pennsylvania driver’s license is valid for four years expiring on the day after the driver’s birth date. PennDOT automatically sends an Invitation to Renew (DL60A/DL60R) to each driver three months prior to license expiration. Individuals age 65 or older have the option of renewing their license every two years, instead of standard four years.

PROCESS:  

STEP 1:  Receive an Invitation to Renew (DL60A/DL60R) or obtain Form DL-143 (PDF).

STEP 2:  Return completed application with a check or money order made payable to PennDOT in the amount indicated on the form. Cash or credit/debit cards cannot be accepted.

STEP 3:  A camera card will be mailed, and you should receive it within seven to ten working days after the form is processed.

STEP 4:  Once you receive your camera card, take it along with appropriate identification to any Photo Center to receive new digitized driver’s license. You may be asked to verify the last four digits of your social security number.           

PennDOT uses state-of-the-art facial recognition technology when an individual has their photo taken for their driver’s license/identification card renewal.

Please Note: Customer demand for photo services is greatest the first and last 2 days of each month. Customer wait times are shorter on all other days.

Acceptable forms of signature identification include:

• Pennsylvania: Driver’s License or Photo ID Card;

• Documents: Passport, Citizenship or Naturalization or Weapons Permit

• Photographic ID: Military, Bank, Employee, School or Out-of-State License; or

• Non-Photo: We may be able to serve you when providing a Voter’s Registration, Medicare Card, PA Learner’s Permit or Temporary Driver’s License or Vehicle Registration.

Remember that in order to purchase or lease a new vehicle, you need a valid driver’s license! Don’t forget to renew, and when it comes time to find a new vehicle for you and/or your family, come to Fiore VW in Altoona!

*All information regarding PA Driver’s License Renewal from http://www.dmv.pa.gov/Driver-Services/Driver-Licensing/Pages/Renewal.aspx