A/C System Service in April. Yes, You Read That Right!

Repeat after me: It’s going to be warm soon, it’s going to be warm soon, it’s going to be warm soon.  Good, now that we all believe that fact, even while there is still snow on the ground, let’s talk about your vehicle’s A/C system. Eventually, I promise, you will need it in the next coming months!

if you just want to be extra sure your A/C system is working properly and ready to handle the summer months, log onto koons.com

The A/C System in your vehicle relies on many important components to run properly and remove the heat from your cars interior, allowing you to ride cool comfortably.  The key components of the A/C system in your car include a compressor, evaporator, pressurized refrigerant, valves and hoses, all of which are controlled electronically.  In order to work properly your A/C system needs to be free from leaks and contamination.  A common cause for inadequate cooling is when the refrigerant leaks through worn seals and O-rings.

There are a few warning signs you can look out for to make sure you’re A/C system is working properly:

• Your A/C system doesn’t cool properly
• The fan/blower doesn’t work when set in A/C mode
• Loud noises when you turn on your A/C
• Your vehicle stalls or idles roughly when you turn on the A/C
• Your vehicle runs hot or overheats when you use the A/C
• Some or all of the dash controls don’t work when you try to use them
• Your heater, top and side vents, or de-froster doesn’t work
• Water on your vehicle’s floor mats or carpeting
• Unusual odors from interior vents

Your cars A/C is something that is easy to forget about, especially when you’re in the middle of freak snow storms but it’s only a matter of days before the temperature starts to to hit the 90’s.  If your A/C has any of the above issues, or if you just want to be extra sure your A/C system is working properly and ready to handle the summer months, log onto koons.com and schedule an appointment with your nearest dealership. ♛

 

 

Should I Clean my Car Before Trading It in?

Let’s get right down to it: To clean my car, or not to clean my car… right? That is the question. If you clean your car before you trade it in you may see more of the dings and scratches.  But if you don’t, all you’ll do is stave off the inevitable, the technician eventually sees all of the dents and scratches and then you’ll look like you have something to hide.

If you are a smoker, you may want to spend some extra cash and take some extra time to eliminate the smell of smoke from the interior

Why go into the sale of your car with doubt surrounding you?  Some people think, “Why should I clean my car? It’s old and used and it’s not like I am going to get more for it, right?”  That is not necessarily true. In fact, studies have shown that a salesman will consider giving you more money for a trade-in if you take the time to clean it beforehand. By having your car detailed inside and out, you show the car dealer that you’re serious about getting a good deal and that you have nothing to hide.  Don’t get me wrong, other items do factor in to getting the right price for your car, but cleaning it is one thing that will definitely help.

The 5-Points to Clean Car Nirvana:

1. Walk around your car before trading it in and think about the first impression it will make when a dealer takes a look at it. As you walk around your car, take note of the biggest problems that may leap out at you. Did you notice it the car had worn tires, filthy rims, torn upholstery or minor dents and scratches? Whatever you notice first will be the same things the dealer notices, so fix these items.
2. Remove all the personal items from your car before trading it in. This will make it easier for the dealer to visualize how your trade-in will be sold. If it’s clean and uncluttered with car seats, garbage, and loose debris they will be able to see its value easier.  Make sure you remove window clings, decals, and bumper stickers. Clean the trunk and glove box as well.
3. Have the car detailed inside and out before trading it in. A clean car shows the dealer that you took care of it, and it’s less likely that you’re hiding problems. Have the carpeting and upholstery shampooed, the wheels and tires cleaned, and dust and grime removed from the nooks and crannies in the dashboard.
4. Repair any minor dents or scratches. All dealers deduct money on your trade-in value for these.  You can very easily have these items fixed in advance at a local body shop or with a good buffing.
5. Take your car in for service and maintenance before trading it in. By having the oil changed and the fluids filled, you’re showing the dealer that you cared about the engine, and that it’s in excellent condition. Steam cleaning the engine compartment is also a good idea.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are a smoker, you may want to spend some extra cash and take some extra time to eliminate the smell of smoke from the interior through the use of ozone treatments, deodorizers and disinfectants.

Most importantly, bring your car to a reputable dealership like Koons for a no pressure fair evaluation of its trade-in value.  We love cars and we love giving our customers the best service and pricing around, you can trust our pricing and our advice and you know when you drive away from the sale that you got the best deal in town. ♛

 

 

 

What Happens to Old Oil After a Tune-up?

Did you ever wonder what happens to all of that oil that gets changed? There is literally barrels of the stuff that flows out of car engines every day at our Koons Service Shops.  So much oil that we thought we would look to see what happens to it.  Here is a response from the American Petroleum Institute.

We are all familiar with recycling newspapers, aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles, but you may not be aware of the efforts of the petroleum industry and other groups to promote used motor oil recycling: providing convenient collection sites for the purpose of keeping used motor oil out of our waterways and ground water supplies and getting used oil into the recycling system.

There are many practical uses for used motor oil. A primary use is to re-refine it into a base stock for lubricating oil. This process is very similar to the refining of crude oil. The result is that the re-refined oil is of as high a quality as a virgin oil product. In fact, re-refining used oil takes from 50 to 85 percent less energy than refining crude oil.

A secondary use of the used oil is to burn it for energy. Large industrial boilers can efficiently burn the used oil with minimum pollution. As a result some used oil is sent to power plants or cement kilns to be burned as fuel. On a smaller scale small quantities of used oil are burned in specially designed heaters to provide space heating for small businesses.

So the next time you bring your car in, new or used, to get a tune-up and oil change you’ll know that your helping your vehicle and the environment as well. ♛

 

 

Carplay is Apple’s Entré into the Automotive World

So Apple releasing Carplay is great news for those of us who love technology, especially car technology!  I can remember the first time I experienced a car “talking” to me. It was almost as magical as heated seats or remote car starters.  Ok, so maybe I am easily impressed. But seriously, having your car talk to you, answer questions, or point things out to you while you’re motoring along… That’s like living out a scene from 2001 A Space Odyssey! “Hal, open the garage-bay door please.” 

Enter Apple, they are stepping in to get things right. It was announced at the Geneva International Auto Show that they would be offering Carplay to auto industry.

To me cars are already like space ships with on board navigation, communications, digital readouts, and warnings.  The seats are form fitting and adjust to every part of your body. Cruise control helps make long trips easier, and HUD‘s make scanning the instrument panels easy.  Cars have always been powerful, but are they really personable?  Then there is the other element of your life that is already so personable and powerful—your smart phone. And now it is being integrated into your car. Smart phones have long been a part of driving for over 10 years now with the integration of Bluetooth. But some of the way it’s been included in your cars accessories has been, to use a tech word, “kludged!”

My kids think it’s funny when the very polite female voice in my car gets the names wrong of people I am telling it to call.  They think it’s hysterical when I have to repeat a command when she miss-interprets what I am telling her to do or she asks again.  Howls of laughter erupts from the back seat, kids, right?  Pushing multiple buttons, confirming commands,  s p e a k i n g   v e r y  slooooowly is just too complicated and quite frankly dangerous, so getting a professional to do it is a long time in coming.

Enter Apple, they are stepping in to get things right. It was announced at the Geneva International Auto Show that they would be offering Carplay to auto industry. CarPlay will debut later this year in vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Ferrari with other carmakers such as Ford and Toyota joining the pack down the road.  With the exception of Ferrari, Koons sells all of these brands and the others that aren’t mentioned will most certainly be in the mix.

In a nutshell, Apple’s Carplay wil offer:

CarPlay gives iPhone users an incredibly intuitive way to make calls, use Maps, listen to music and access messages with just a word or a touch. Users can easily control CarPlay from the car’s native interface or just push-and-hold the voice control button on the steering wheel to activate Siri® without distraction.

Vehicles from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week, while additional auto manufacturers bringing CarPlay to their drivers down the road include BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota Motor Corp.

To read the rest of the Press Release click here

To use CarPlay, you’ll need at least an iPhone5, and you will have to wait until at least the end of the year for the 2015 models. Android will not be far behind and in all likelihood it will have to coexist a vehicle since no one will know which phones will be in the drivers seats, so Android users don’t have to worry they’ll be left out.

Koons has always taken pride in being able to offer vehicles and brands that are on the cutting edge.  Our mix of accessories both pre-sale and after market allows you, the consumer, the ability to take advantage of all of the new tech that the 21^st century auto manufacturers have to offer and we look forward to being able to offer it you. ♛