How many times have you daydreamed about that ever so wanted, but ever so distant dream of going on an amazing road trip? I’m talking your dream road trip anywhere in the upper 48. Well now is not a bad time to stop dreaming. In fact, if you haven’t heard yet, Nissan recently announced a new contest, NISSAN’S® MY VERSA® ROAD TRIP CONTEST! I had to pass this information on as I didn’t want anyone to miss out on a chance to win a new Nissan New Jersey. And this contest is such a fun concept too.
Nissan partnered with Google Maps and created an app just for this contest. Because basically, all you have to do is check out My Versa Road Trip and design your own perfect road trip! To make sure you are doing it correctly check out the rules too. Then you pick a few friends who you want share your road trip with via facebook and you’re entered. Pretty simple. And even if you don’t win, it would be cool to share your dream road trip with other dream road trippers out there too, right?!
And the grand prize for the one with the best planned road trip gets a new Nissan Versa in their garage. If you haven’t even experienced a Nissan then I recommend that you head down to Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall and check out a new Nissan including the Nissan Versa which is the featured model in the contest. I mean, who knows, it could be you that will be the winner of a great road trip in your new Nissan Versa.
So what are you waiting for? Get to designing the contest winning road trip of all time! And stop by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall for a look at the entire Nissan lineup and the great Nissan Versa. Good luck!
If you are or know someone who is a person with a disability then you may understand the limitations that also come with being disabled. They can be quite frustrating. That’s why I would like to share some great resources that discuss some of these accessories and adaptations that can be adapted to your own vehicle to make it easier, or for some even possible to drive a vehicle, like a Nissan New Jersey.
Here is a list of motoring accessories for disable people:
hand controls to operate the accelerator and brake
steering wheel knobs that help you turn the wheel more easily and give greater control
wheelchair hoists, ramps and tail lift accessories to help you get in and out of your vehicle
seat support, cushions and covers for more comfort
adapted mirrors
adapted safety belts, seat belts and harnesses
seats that rotate
people lifts
wheelchair hoists
Here are some accessories for people who have lower body disabilities
a steering wheel knob fitted to the rim of the steering wheel
automatic transmission
direction indicators and the horn within finger reach or as foot controls, which you can operate without letting go of the wheel
moving the handbrake to the right of the driver’s seat
joystick steering
According to some resourced, if you have an artificial limb fitted below the elbow you can drive a car using a special concave limb attachment fitted over the steering wheel or the gear lever.
Even if you have lost the use of both arms, it is possible to still drive with redesigned car controls. Another option is a foot steering system.
Here are some options and adaptions to consider if you have lost the use of one of your legs or have reduced usage in one leg :
an automatic transmission car, which does not require the use of a clutch
moving the accelerator on an automatic car to the left side of the foot brake if you have a right leg disability
a semi-automatic clutch, which allows you to use a manual gearbox without clutch pedals
If you have lost the use of both legs, you may consider adaptations like:
hand controls with an automatic transmission
steering assistance
If you have your vehicle modified or buy an adapted vehicle, it is important to learn how to operate the vehicle. There may be options to take training course to get comfortable with driving with these adaptations.
Just about any vehicle, new or used, can be adapted to fit the needs of most people with disabilities. Stop by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall for a look at some great vehicles.
Across the country there have been record high temperatures. That means it’s time to hit the pool and cool off. But have you ever thought about how the high temperatures affect your driving conditions, specifically your tires? Heat and tires are not something that really comes top of mind which is exactly why I thought I should share just how heat affects your tires.
Consumer Reports has been testing the affect of heat and tires for some time now. Here’s what they’ve come up with based on all-season tires:
We’ve been studying the effects of road temperature on stopping distances and found that that drivers should expect shorter stops on cooler road surfaces. In one instance, our test car took 134 feet to stop from 60 mph on our dry track when the surface was 35ºF. Stopping distances when the track was at a blistering 119ºF, typical of summer-time road temperatures, took an extra nine feet. Nearly all the cars we’ve tested follow this trend; admittedly some are less affected by a hot road than others.
Some consumers may conclude that roads become slicker when they get hot. That supposition might be partially true depending on the road’s construction, with oils permeating to the surface particularly after a rain storm, but industry studies show a tire’s peak friction on a surface declines as the road heats up. How much change depends on the road, tire, and your vehicle’s braking characteristics. [Consumer Reports]
Some of us tend to drive closer to the car in front of us and as in the Consumer Reports test noted, a hot road added an extra nine feet to the stopping distance therefore you should add more distance from you to the car in front of you. To me, driving too closely and added stopping distance, which many don’t realize in the summer, pretty much equals an accident waiting to happen. The general rule of thumb is that there should be a two-second delay from the car in front of you on dry roads. If roads are wet, it should be a four-second delay and if it’s icy there should be a 10-second delay. To determine your delay, find a fixed object and count how long it takes you to pass it after the car in front of you does. One thousand one, one thousand two.
If you’re in need of some new tires, check out this very informative video and then come by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall to find the perfect ones for you:
As you learned from the video above there are many options when it comes to tires. Make sure you have the proper ones that fit your vehicle. If you are unsure or need any help just come on by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall.
Even though gas prices have come down some, it still hurts the wallet. And to avoid that sting, some people are driving their vehicles until they have used every last drop in the gas tank, literally. Which means not only could they end up on the side of the road because they ran out of gas, but running on empty can cause costly damage to your vehicle. Plus, being stuck on the side of the road can also be dangerous.
If you are running on empty, you may be putting your vehicle at risk by causing damage to the fuel pump. The electric fuel-pump motor uses the gasoline as a coolant, so when you are low the pump may suck in air which creates heat and that is not a good thing. Replacing the fuel pump could cost a couple hundred dollars to fix which leaves you in a position of shelling out even more money!
Besides costly fuel pump damage, running on a low tank of gas could possibly leave you stranded on the side of a road or could possible be the cause of an accident if your vehicle suddenly stops running. Being stranded puts both you and your vehicle at risk. Hopefully a friend can help out by bringing you some gas, but you will need to be prepared to take some heat for letting your car run out of gas in the first place!
Thankfully, you can prevent these situations by following the tips below and you can always come by and chat with us too!
Fill up once your tank reaches 1/4 full.
Before driving on a long trip, fill up. You never know what the traffic might bring that day and you may end up with a longer trip than planned.
If you do get low enough on fuel for your car to ding or warn you, fill up as soon as possible. Don’t hope that you can get just a little bit further as you never can be sure how far you can get.
Find the cheapest gas near your house instead of driving to the other side of town. There are some apps out there that can help find the cheapest gas.
Don’t take your chances by running your vehicle on empty. Even though you may think you are stretching your dollar further, you will run the risk of potentially having costly as well as dangerous situations running on a near empty gas tank. One way to make sure you are getting the best MPGs possible is to have your tires properly inflated and your vehicle properly maintained. You can always bring your vehicle by Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall and we can help you out!
Getting a flat tire is a major bummer. But when you go to use your spare tire and it is not in proper working condition can be even more frustrating.
If I had to guess, I would say that only a few people take the time to actually make sure that their spare tire is kept in good working condition.
You should check the tire pressure on your spare tire once a month, or at least every other month. Tires lose air over time so it is best to add checking your spare tire pressure to your regular maintenance routine.
If you do need to use your spare tire, remember that it is just a short term fix and that you should get to your new car dealership NJ, like Sansone Jr.’s 66 Automall, to get your flat tire fixed and put back on.
I also recommend familiarizing yourself with where your spare tire is located as well as where all of the tools are located to get your spare tire up and running. Also, learn how to install the spare tire too and practice changing a tire every so often. This will make it much easier for you if the time ever comes.
If you drive a vehicle where the spare tire is kept underneath your vehicle you should learn how to lower or release it. Sometimes in bigger SUVs, you will have to use a special tool that goes through the hitch receiver which can be very tricky if you don’t know how to do it. I would highly recommend practicing getting access to your spare tire if it is indeed located underneath your vehicle.
Check out this video on how to change out a flat tire with a spare tire:
At Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall we service all makes and models and can help you with all of your car needs! Stop by today!
The air filter is an important part of the intake system in your vehicle as it is what helps your engine “breathe.” Your engine runs on an exact mixture of air and fuel, but before it is combined it runs through the filter first. This is to get out all of the dirt and foreign particles which could possibly damage the engine. A dirty air filter affect your vehicles performance.
Another important reason to have a clean air filter is that it will help with gas mileage. And with gas prices higher than we would like, it’s a great reason to check your air filter to make sure it is clean. Usually once a year, preferably twice is good to change your air filter, however if you live in highly polluted area then you should check and change it more often.
We like to recommend that you bring your vehicle in for a winter and spring checkup to make sure that all things are working properly where we will check the filter and change it if necessary. Air filters can also be checked during your routine oil change.
If you would like to check and change your own air filter it is a fairly easy process. Open up the hood and locate a large plastic tube that leads away from the top of the engine. Follow this to a large box that maybe metal or plastic, round or square, depending on your vehicle. This is the air filter box which contains the air filter. Pop off the top and locate the filter. If the filter is brown or black, then it is restricting the passage of air and should be replaced immediately.
It’s important to check and replace your air filter to maintain your vehicle’s performance and extended the life of it. You could set up an alert in your phone to remind you to check it every 3 to 6 months. Or if you’d like help, just bring it on by to our service department at Sansone Jr.’s 66 Automall!
Door sills/jambs, trunk undersides; the inner fenders and undercarriage are places where winter gunk tends to accumulate. It’s not just unsightly, either. The gunk can prevent proper drainage/drying-out, which will accelerate body rot. Caustic compounds such as road salt are also hard on rubber seals/weatherstripping. It’s a good idea to wipe down the inner door jambs/trunk underside and run the car through the undercarriage wash at your local automatic car wash (or you can do it yourself with a garden hose).
2) Check the tires.
People know about keeping track of tread depth but sometimes forget to physically examine their vehicle’s tires for signs of physical damage — such as bulges on the sidewall or rips/tears — things that can be caused by hitting a bad pothole or bumping up against a curb. Such damage often happens during the winter months — but isn’t noticed because it’s just too cold outside to get on your hands and knees and take a close look at each tire. But now that it’s getting warm out, it’s a good idea to do a walk around. Any tire that has a bulge on its sidewall or any evidence of physical damage should be replaced as soon as possible.
3) Replace your wiper blades.
New wiper blades are cheap and easy to install — one of the few such things you can say about car maintenance these days. If you live in a four seasons climate, wiper blades should be replaced at least twice a year — once in fall and then again, in spring. Or even sooner, if you notice they’re doing more streaking than cleaning. This is a (usually) no-tools-required/DIY job that almost anyone can handle. And if you don’t want to handle it, many of the auto parts stores that sell blades will install them for you, free. Just ask.
4) Try your air conditioner.
Do it now — before it gets hot. And before every repair shop in town has a backlog of two weeks because of the vast legions of people who dropped off their cars for AC work. AC systems — especially on cars more than four or five years old — sometimes have very minor leaks that, over time, result in loss of cooling power. Also, long periods of disuse such as over the winter season can lead to other problems such as a sticky compressor clutch (this is why it’s smart to run your AC a couple of times a month for 5-10 minutes at a time during the winter months) that won’t become obvious until that first really hot day when you turn on the AC — and all you get is warm air. So, make sure your car’s AC is blowing cold now, before you really need it — and get it fixed if not, before everyone else realizes they need to get theirs fixed, too.
5) Polish your headlights.
Most late model cars have clear-plastic headlight assemblies instead of the sealed beam glass headlights cars used to come with. The upside is these plastic headlight assemblies look better and (when new) usually give you better night-time illumination. The downside is the plastic tends to yellow or become cloudy as the car ages, and this looks bad and also reduces the effectiveness of the lights, too. But the fix is fairly easy. Get some polish wax and a soft rag. Use the polish wax to buff out the plastic. It will safely remove the outer yellowed/opaque layers and restore your headlights to as-new look and function. Specialty kits are also available to do this job that include UV sealers to help keep the headlights looking great (and lighting right) longer
6) Hose off your radiator.
Your car’s radiator is really a heat exchanger. Engine heat is transferred to liquid coolant, which circulates through the radiator, where heat is taken away by the flow of air over thin cooling fins. But if dirt — and dead bugs and leaves/debris — cake onto the radiator’s surface, it becomes less capable of shedding heat. It’s harder for the fan to draw air through the radiator, which reduces it efficiency. The fix is easy — and free. Just get out your garden hose, pop the hood and — with the engine cold — thoroughly hose down the radiator, paying particular attention to the front (facing away from the engine) because that’s the section that acts as a bug-catcher and grime collector, too.
And if you’re not into doing the work yourself or find that you need expert help, then stop by and chat with the friendly and knowledgeable folks at Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall today!
This billboard for Nissan is smoking….literally! The Nissan Leaf “Smokeboard” in NYC features a tailpipe that actually emits exhaust. But not to worry, the agency is stressing that the exhaust is environmentally friendly. The billboard is strategically placed right outside the doors of the New York Auto Show.
The left side of the board has a fully working tailpipe that emits environmentally exhaust into the air with a headline that points to the 1,000+ cars that come with them that will be featured in the auto show. The other side of the board points to the non-tailpiped, 100% electric Nissan Leaf.
See the smokeboard in action here:
We are excited about the new electric movement and how it will help to sustain the environment. The Nissan Leaf will use zero gas and run complete on electricity. If you have any questions about the New Nissan Leaf, just post them here or on our Facebook wall.
Nissan has come out with an impressive revision to it’s 370Z. Unfortunately, it will be available in Europe only beginning in 2012. I really hope it will make its way across the pond. I think people would enjoy this car in the states.
Nissan has launched the revised 370Z for the 2012MY. The main updates have occur under the chassis where the suspension is now been tweaked for enhanced ride comfort and better high speed agility. Both the coupé and roadster feature a tire pressure monitoring system and an integrated rear-view camera.
Other changes include improved isolation of noise for the coupé, while automatic variants now possess a revised ‘Snow’ setting for enhanced grip when setting off on ice and snow.
“The changes for the 370Z are a part of Nissan’s programme of continual development to all or any its products. Perhaps most importantly, the fine tuning on the chassis has been developed in Europe for Europe,” said Simon Thomas, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Nissan in Europe.
“The Model Year 2011 370Z takes one of those most popular sports cars available and help it become all the more fun to drive.”
Because Europe carries a higher average speed and some of the most meagre road surfaces around the world, it’s a mix of problems relished by chassis engineers from Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE). Fine tuning the Nissan 370Z chassis – double wishbones at the front plus a multi-link rear – to suit European tastes has centred on the dampers which are retuned to boost ride comfort and high speed handling.
“At launch, both the Coupé and Roadster were highly acclaimed for their combination of pleasure and style. The subtle suspension changes developed specially to fulfill European demands and tastes – let alone the improved equipment levels – make the 2011 Nissan 370Z more desirable than ever,” said Thomas. [Source: Car of the Future]
We do have the 2011 Nissan 370z on our lot now. There is not a big difference in body design either. Come by when you get a chance and I’ll show it to you!
Let me tell you about the wonderful experience I had with Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall’s Neptune NJ car dealership:
The moment I dialed the phone and Chris answered I felt comfortable with telling him what I wanted and needed he assured me they would make it happen. He said to come to the Sansone Jr’s 66 Nissan showroom and speak to a salesman. My husband and I arrived at the showroom that afternoon and spoke to a salesman (JOHN). He made us feel comfortable and showed us the car we could afford and worked within our budget.
In a matter of days John, Sean and all the employees of Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall in Neptune had us driving away in a very nice 2011 Nissan Sentra. The whole dealership made us feel very welcomed. It was the most pleasant experience I have ever had in buying a car. I even got to shake hands with Mr. Sansone Jr. Never before has that happen getting to shake hands with the owner of the dealership when I have purchased a car. It showed me the owner even cared how we felt when purchasing this car. Believe me my husband and I have purchased many cars over the years.
We will be purchasing another car from them the next time and will refer everyone we speak to about purchasing their car from Sansone Jr’s 66 Automall.
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