Winter Driving Tips To Keep you Safe!

Have you ever been driving down the road and *BANG*. You start to feel a hard pull on a particular side of your vehicle, either front or back, left or right. Maybe you can’t control your vehicle and you start to panic because you are not sure what to do. This my friend, is a tire blowout. And if you haven’t experienced this, I hope you never do. A blowout can be frightening, especially if it happens when you are traveling at a high speed with traffic surrounding you. Or with little ones in the backseat. This week, we will take a look at how to handle a tire blowout! A tire blowout has a few distinct sounds that will let you know what you’re experiencing is indeed a blowout. First, you will hear a loud noise, a bang - this is the tire blowing out/ popping. Secondly, you'll hear a whooshing noise - this is the air escaping from the tire. Thirdly, you will then begin to hear a flapping noise - this is the deflated tire hitting against the roadway. Next, you will begin to feel a strong pull to the side which the tire has blown out. One of the most important parts in handling a blowout is remaining calm. We know these situations can be very scary, especially if you have passengers or children inside the vehicle with you. But, trust us, if you remain calm through the blowout, you be able to make it to the side of the road safely and without causing harm to yourself or others. Next, don’t slam on your brake. This is probably the worst reaction you could have when experiencing a blowout. Slamming on your brake pedal can cause an increasingly dangerous situation for yourself as well as other drivers on the roadway. Put your hazards on and let off the gas, with two hands on the wheel firmly steer your vehicle straight and let it slow gradually on its own. When it is safe to do so, make your way to the side of the road. Eventually, your vehicle will come to a complete stop and you can put your vehicle into park and turn off the engine. When you’ve completed this, make sure it is safe for you to exit the vehicle so you can assess the situation of your tire. If you can safely change your flat, do so. If you are not sure how to change your tire or think you may need assistance, reach out to a friend or to roadside assistance. It’s okay to seek help if you’re unsure how or if you can do something! Service Your Tires With Zappone!

Do you ever have one of those days where you are driving along and ka-bam! Slam! Jam! - A pothole appears out of seemingly nowhere. One so big that it nearly swallows up your entire car.. Alright, alright, maybe it wasn’t that big but it sure seemed like it. Living in New York, we are no strangers to those lurking little demons that can cause your wallet hundreds of dollars in repairs for your vehicle. Check out our tips to saving your car from a visit to the shop and how to avoid potholes altogether! Slow it down - the worst thing you can do if you encounter a pothole is driving through at a fast pace. The faster you power through the pothole, the worse the damage will be. Take is slow, or try to maneuver around the pothole. Space it out - take some space for yourself, if you’re following the vehicle in front of you too close you risk the chance of hitting the same pothole they hit. If you give yourself enough space, you will have time to react and avoid hitting the pothole. Puddles are the worst - if you see a puddle, avoid that puppy! Puddles are infamous for hiding a deep crater that your car can and will be sucked into. Be cautious when you approach a puddle and avoid it at all costs. Don’t brake - in the event that you do hit a pothole, do not, I repeat do not brake. If you do hit a pothole and brake you run the chance of doing more damage to your vehicle than just driving through. Hold on for life - hitting a pothole can not only do damage to your vehicle but can violently jolt you and your passengers. Make sure you have a solid grip on the steering wheel so you don’t lose control of your vehicle when passing through. Fill up those tires - keeping your tires properly inflated will give your vehicle added protection when passing through potholes. This does not mean that you can hit potholes at full speed, just that you will have a little-added cushion. It is important to take care of damage as soon as you notice it. If you have any questions give us a call or stop by our service department! Avoid Potholes In A New Jeep

Your headlights are one of the most important safety features on your vehicle, though you might not recognize them as such! If you’re having any problems with your headlights, you need to get them addressed as soon as possible. You risk getting pulled over or into an accident if your headlights don’t work properly, so maintaining them is paramount! If your headlights work, but are dimmer than you think they should be (or too dim to properly illuminate the road for you), the first thing you should do is clean them. Use cleaning solution and a clean microfiber cloth and give them a nice wash. If that didn’t help, come ask us about upgrading your headlight bulbs or reconditioning the plastic lenses to restore that brightness! If one of your headlights is out, then it is probably a burned out bulb that needs to be replaced. Don’t wait on this one - just because you still have one working headlight doesn’t mean you’re not a hazard on the road. If both of your headlights are dead, well, why haven’t you gotten them fixed yet?? It’s probably a broken or burnt out relay or control switch that needs to be replaced. Finally, if both of your headlights work fine but get a little dimmer in situations like when you’re accelerating, you might have a problem with your charging system. Tell us about it at your next oil change, and we’ll take a look for you. Service Doesn’t Have To Cost An Arm And A Peg Leg