Maintenance Tip of the Week

Checking your oil level

This is something everyone can do - it's quick and easy and it'll tell you if your engine needs oil. If the oil is too high or too low, it can cause trouble for your engine. To check the oil, park on level ground and wait until the engine has cooled down after driving, then locate the dipstick. Pull it out and wipe it clean, then push it all the way back in until the top of it is seated properly in the dip tube again. Wait a moment then pull it out again. Check the level of the oil. If it's between the high and low marks, you're fine. (If it's too low, add a little.) The high and low marks can be denoted by two dots, an "H" and "L" or a shaded area on the dipstick. The photos below show a Honda dipstick which has the two dots. Why not just read the level first time around? The first time you pull the dipstick out, it will have oil all over it and it will be difficult to tell where the level is. That's why you need to wipe it on a rag to get a clean dipstick, then dip it back into the oil to get a good reading.

First 2014 Corvette Stingray Offered at Barrett-Jackson

Chevrolet will offer the first retail production model of the 2014 Corvette Stingray – with the Vehicle Identification Number ending in 0001 – at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction this weekend. Proceeds will benefit the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, renowned for its automotive design program.
“The new Stingray features a modern, dramatic design that will inspire a new generation of Corvette enthusiasts,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design. “With the proceeds of the new Stingray going to the CCS, the new Corvette will also help cultivate the next generation of designers who may work on modern, dramatic Chevrolets in the future. In fact more than 170 CCS alumni already work in the GM Design studios.”
The sale is scheduled for Saturday evening, Jan. 19. Bids can be submitted in person at the auction or online at www.barrett-jackson.com.
The College for Creative Studies is regarded among the world’s premier institutions for industrial and transportation design. CCS’s enrolls more than 1,400 students pursuing undergraduate degrees in 12 majors or graduate degrees in Design and Transportation design.
Founded in 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, CCS grew into an arts education organization. In 1933, the Society attracted national attention as one of the first art institutions to recognize the automobile as an art form. It has since been inextricably linked to its home city’s signature industry.
Along with the 2014 Corvette Stingray, four other unique Chevys will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson’s sale, including:

• General Motors’ CEO Dan Akerson’s 1958 Corvette, with proceeds to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s initiative to improve Detroit’s Morningside Commons neighborhood. The Regal Turquoise roadster is powered by a 245-horsepower small-block V-8. It is scheduled to cross the block on the evening of Friday, Jan. 18.
• 2012 COPO Camaro convertible, with proceeds to benefit the American Heart Association. It is car number 69 of the 69 COPO Camaro factory drag-race cars built for 2012 and one of only two convertibles built – and it is the only COPO Camaro painted Inferno Orange Metallic. Its sale is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 19.
• Guy Fieri’s personalized 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition, with proceeds to benefit the Guy Fieri Foundation for Inspiration and Imagination. Powered by a 505-hp LS7 engine, Fieri’s 427 Convertible is black with custom yellow stripes – a twist on the trademark yellow-and-black color scheme of his other Chevys. The car also features embroidered seat headrests and fender badges that call out his foundation. It is scheduled to cross the block on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 17.  
• 2013 Camaro ZL1 Convertible – the new open-air version is powered by a supercharged 6.2L LSA small-block rated at 580 horsepower. One-hundred percent of the winning bid will benefit Achilles International, which enables people with disabilities to participate in mainstream athletics. Its sale is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 20.

The auctions for all five Chevrolets are scheduled to be carried live on SPEED’s coverage of the Barrett-Jackson auction.

Courtesy of  media.gm.com

Maintenance Tip of the Week

Lights

One indicator or blinker is flashing faster than the other

When you indicate one way and the blinker flashes quicker than when you indicate the other way, it means one of the bulbs has blown. An auto parts store will be able to tell you what sort of bulb you need to replace it with and your manual should show you how to get at the indicator bulbs - they're different on every car.

Don't touch the glass when changing headlight bulbs

Most headlight bulbs now are filled with halogen and have special coatings on the outside of the glass. If you pick the bulb up by the glass with your fingers, you will leave trace amounts of oil and grease on the glass. When the bulb is used, that area of the glass will get hotter than the rest and it will eventually cause the bulb to crack. When changing headlight bulbs, only hold the metal bulb holder at the base, or make sure you're wearing rubber surgical / mechanic's gloves (clean ones) if you're touching the glass.

 

Courtesy of  carbibles.com

Maintenance Tip of the Week!

Disconnecting and reconnecting your battery

If you're going to do any work on your car involving the electrical system, disconnect the battery first. To do this, loosen the connector for the negative/ground terminal first, and wiggle the terminal cap off. Use a wire-tie or similar to tie the cable back out of the way. If you need to take the battery out, you can now take off the positive connector.
Why negative then positive? If you disconnect the positive side of the battery first, the negative side is still connected to the entire car. If you drop a tool and it lands on the positive battery terminal and touches anything else on the car, you'll have an electrical short. By disconnecting the negative first, you're cutting off the return path for the current. Now, if a tool drops on to either of the battery terminals, it doesn't matter if it touches part of the chassis or not - there's no continuous path for the electrical current.
Reconnecting your battery. Connect the positive terminal first, and the negative second - the reverse of removal, and for the same reasons. When you slip the negative connector on, there will be a spark as it gets close and makes contact with the negative battery terminal. Don't be afraid of this - it's nothing to worry about. Make sure the terminal caps are done up nice and tight.

Check your battery terminals

Most modern cars run on a 12 volt negative ground electrical system. If your battery terminals or contacts aren't clean, you're making it more difficult for the current to pass around the electrical system. Remove the terminal caps as described above and clean each contact post with a wire brush to get a nice clean metal contact surface. Do the same to the terminal caps, then reattach them as described above.

2013 Mazda CX-9 — Incredible World

We love our customers! Thanks for the great review!

"This has been the most stress and hassel "free" vehicle buying experience I have ever had." - Steeges

Click HERE to read the full review and more on Edmunds.

New/Used Inventory Online

Are you thinking about starting off the new year by purchasing a new vehicle?  Check out our new and used inventories online to browse through all the great deals available at Polar Chevrolet Mazda!

Click HERE to get started.

Excellent work Bob, keep it up!

"Bob Kiley was the salesperson and was thorough in covering everything. I will return to Polar Chev in the future." - Google User

Click HERE to read the full review on Google+ Local