Tag Archives: dealerships dfw

How Often Do You Rotate Your Tires?

I would say that the majority of people know that regular scheduled maintenance is a necessity when it comes to owning a car to keep it running properly. One of the most common maintenance produces is getting oil changed. A no -brainer, right?! Well, you’d think so, but there are a handful out there that just don’t get their oil changed. And then they end up with some major, and sometimes even irreversible damage to their vehicles engine.

But enough about the importance of oil changes. Another important maintenance procedure you need to have done is getting your tires rotated. Now this one I can understand being overlooked….sometimes!  For some reason, people seem to always forget about the tires, which is crazy to me because they are the ones doing the ground work…no pun intended!

Keeping your tires properly maintained not only keeps you safe…very important, but also helps you to get the most wear out them as well.  And if that’s not enough, rotating your tires also helps you get better gas mileage as well  which all adds up to saving money, and, in this economy is a very important thing.

If you find that you have trouble remembering to rotate your tires, I suggest you add it in when you get your oil changed. To get the most of your tires, you want to keep them on a regular rotation so that they wear evenly. But even more frequently, you should at least check the tire pressure. Driving with low tire pressure is unsafe and can make your tires more susceptible to flats and punctures and can even make driving your vehicle challenging.

If you need a service shop, then of course I recommend giving Freeman Grapevine a try and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.  And of course you’re always welcome to come check out our great selection of new and use vehicles too!

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A Refresher in Driving Etiquette Just for You!

So it may have been a few years since you’ve been in drivers ed, or let’s face it, maybe even a few decades! And quite possibly, over the years, you may just have forgotten some things and are now making some uber driving faux pas and you don’t even know it.  Sheesh, and you wonder why you get honked at!

Now let’s get refreshed. Drivers etiquette refreshed that is!

  1. Pedestrians have the right of way. So you may be a few minutes on time and the person who is crossing in the crosswalk, at the pace of a snail it seems, is taking forever. You need to back off and give them their space. No one even really likes having to be in the crosswalk, much less be antagonized in one by you!

  2. Tailgating is not going to get you there any faster. It may actually take you longer because you were following to close that you got yourself in an accident. Rule of thumb is that you need to leave one and a half car lengths between you and the car in front of you.

  3. Not letting other vehicles merge is not very nice and won’t get you on Santa’s good list either. And, it can be extremely dangerous if you’re hogging the right lane when others are trying to merge onto the freeway. Let them in.

  4. Turn up the radio, nah turn it down! Not everyone wants to hear what you’re listening to.

  5. Don’t leave your brights on. This can make it extremely hard for oncoming traffic to see which begs me to ask the question of why would you do this?! Use your brights courteously.

  6. Please use your turn signals. They were invented to give other drivers a little heads up so that they can slow down and not end up connecting with the rear of your car because you had to take a quick turn and they had zero response time.

  7. Driving too slowly is as bad as driving too fast. They both are real dangers.

  8. The parking lot is full, but you just could have had a spot if only this person didn’t double park! Just don’t do it.

  9. Sure traffic light may not seem like they are on your side today, but honking at them is not going to change the computers mind. Try to leave a few minutes early as you never know when the traffic sign gods are not on your side.

  10. After a snow storm it is very important to clear as much snow from your vehicle as possible. Why? Because you have the chance of losing all of that snow to the vehicle behind you and causing a lack of vision and possibly an accident for them.

Be a better driver by immediately following these easy drivers etiquette tips today! And if you have something you’d like to share please stop by Freeman Grapevine or post on our facebook wall!

Common Car Problems That You Don’t Need to Kick Up a Stink About!

You know you’ve done it!  An indicator light goes on in the instrument panel or you hear a new, strange noise and of course you’re thinking that something must absolutely be wrong with your car and it needs immediate attention! Well relax, take a deep breath and let’s sort through some of the common car problems that you just don’t need to kick up a stink about!  And of course you can also come chat with us at Freeman Grapevine too!

The check engine light goes on and immediately you panic that just maybe, maybe…your car is going to blow up.  Take a deep breath and calm down. More than likely the check engine light is just signaling to you that you need to take your car in for a scheduled mileage maintenance. Usually the check engine light will show up in two colors, amber for non-emergency maintenance and red for you should probably hurry up and get it checked out sooner rather than later. Double check your vehicles manual to be 100% sure though as not all vehicles are the same.

Click. Click. Click. Ohhh, a new sound just sounded. What to do? Again, no need to panic. A lot of noises you hear are things that don’t need to be fussed about and will actually just sort themselves out. Just like how that rock got stuck between tires treads and is making the clicking sound, it will soon work itself out. Or if it’s really driving you crazy you can very carefully do some detective work and try to figure out which tire it is and get it out yourself.

A locked steering wheel and your key won’t turn. They’re not broken. You just need to put a little muscle into really. Seriously, grab the steering wheel and turn it hard in one direction and turn the key. If it’s still not working try the other direction.  But don’t force the key. You don’t want to break it or the ignition as that will be a very costly fix all for nothing. Once you get the steering wheel in the sweet spot the key should turn just as it normally does.

You think you might have a leak. So you just pulled out from your where your car was currently parked only to notice that there’s liquid there that you swear wasn’t there before. First, it really could have been there before and you just like to freak yourself out. Or maybe there is some liquid, but if it’s not a lot then there’s usually nothing really to worry about. In fact, if you’ve been using your AC a lot lately it could just be built up condensation. If you notice a color to the liquid then you may have a coolant leak. This could potentially be a problem so if you suspect it is check your coolant level, but carefully as the car needs to be completely cooled before doing so.

Hopefully those few common car problems mentioned above will help calm your nerves when you’re driving. But if you suspect a problem, please don’t hesitate to contact our service department so that we can get it fixed for you, just contact Freeman Grapevine today!

New report on distracted driving should scare you!

grapevine cars, gmc fort worth, dealerships dfw, buick dealer, GMC dealer, used cars dfw, used cars fort worthHere’s the rub on distracted driving from Freeman Grapevine. Texting, Facebooking, Tweeting…you can’t do it. Oh sure, you haven’t killed yourself, or anyone else yet…yet. We’ll guess what, you may one day if the latest statistics are accurate.

The Texas Transportation Institute tested 42 people with ages ranging from 16-54 on an actual closed driving course, the first test of its kind. All other test have been simulated tests.

The drivers were tested on a closed course with barrels and were only allowed to drive as fast 30 miles per hour which may seem slow to us, but the even then the drivers showed that distracted driving is much more dangerous than previously thought.

What the researches found is that drivers had half as much time to react as well as maintain a constant speed and stay in their lanes. Normal response time is one to two seconds. Distracted drives took twice the amount of time to respond. These results are worse than previously thought. And even worse, a driver is 11 times more likely to completely miss flashing lights on the course.  If you think about those results in the real world driving that could mean the distracted driver wouldn’t react in time to avoid causing an accident or even worse, hitting a pedestrian.

Check out this video on the research done:

httpv://youtu.be/Af3aeKlHL3s

Bottom line, please don’t drive and text, email, read, Google or anything that can distract you from your number one priority…driving! The United States government suggests that 25% of all fatal crashes are directly related to distracted driving. Which to me means that they could have potentially been prevented if the person that caused the crash would have just put the cell phone down!  Think of it this way, if you text and drive you could potentially be responsible for taking someone’s life.

 

Ever Think About Renting Out Your Car? GM and OnStar Think It’s A Great Idea Too!

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There are tons of things that people seem to rent out, from houses to appliances, to computers, to baby furniture, but your personal Dallas car is not one that comes up often. Of course there are car rental agencies, but these are agencies, not just “Regular Joes” renting things out.  However, renting out your car is not a bad idea, provided that you either don’t need it all the time, or you have multiple means of transportation to make it happen.

If renting your car out is something that interests you, then it could be done easily if you own a GM vehicle with OnStar, like a Buick or Fort Worth GMC. Incidentally, you can find at Freeman Grapevine, and it’s easy because GM has just launched a new program that encourage just that.

Recently GM has partnered with RelayRides, which is a peer-to-peer carsharing opportunity which helps peers share their cars and make some cash…and who wouldn’t want too make some extra cash?!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s4sIjabalA

The program lets the owner of the vehicle set the rates and availability of their vehicle to be rented. By going through RelayRides, the owner of the GM vehicle has the comfort in knowing that there is a $1million insurance policy that makes the transaction a safe and convenient one.

How does this work exactly?  By using the OnStar system! A RelayRides borrower would need a smartphone, download an app and then use it to control their borrowed vehicle.  But there’s a catch. The program with RelayRides and GM won’t be available until 2012. However, we are very curious to see how this new venture will go. Would you sign up your GMC Fort Worth? Or what about your Buick?  We’d love to hear from so post your thoughts on this concept below or stop by and chat with us at Freeman Grapevine!

The Time for Used Cars DFW is Now!

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There’s a right time for just about everything, right? Like the right time to get married. The right time to buy a house. The right time to plant a garden. You get my point. And right now it’s the right time to buy a used car at Freeman Grapevine and here’s why:

  • you have an old car that costs more to repair than it’s worth
  • it would make the best present ever
  • you’ve had a lifestyle change
  • there are tons of vehicles available
  • you can get a smokin’ deal

These are truly some things to really think about. If your car has become unreliable and you seem to always be taking it in to get fixed then now is a great time to buy a used car here at Freeman Grapevine. Not only is your car taking up a lot of your time being fixed every other week, but it can also be unsafe.  You should also take a look at the amount of money you’re spending on fixing it compared to the amount it’s currently worth today. You don’t want to be throwing money down the drain. Sure you may have an attachment to your current car, but believe me, when you find the perfect used car at Freeman Grapevine you won’t even look back.

With the holiday seasons coming up, you may want to consider getting one of our great used cars as a gift. This is the ultimate present.  Imagine how excited the person receiving the gift will be! The look on their face will be priceless. So if you are getting a used car as a gift, we would love for you to capture the moment and send us a picture!!

It may be time to consider buying a used vehicle if you have had a recent lifestyle change. This can be anything from getting a new job that now takes you on a commute to a new teenager that’s ready to drive.

Right now at Freeman Grapevine we have had the best selection of used cars in our history. I don’t know if you recall, but finding a great used car DFW has been a bit tricky the last year and half. They just weren’t as available as they usually were. But we’ve searched high and low and have brought back the best of the best. Come check them out at Freeman Grapevine today. And of course tell all of your friends. This is a great used car time to buy.

In addition to not only having the best inventory right now at Freeman Grapevine, we also have great deals. You don’t have to take my word for it, come on down to Freeman Grapevine see for yourself!

The Buick Verano is Almost Here Grapevine!

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It’s time to break out the congratulatory cigars! The delivery of the baby is almost here. No, we’re not talking about a human baby, but the new baby Buick also know as the all-new, redesigned 2012 Buick Verano which will be making its appearance here soon at your local Buick dealer, Freeman Grapevine.

Although it may be the smallest vehicle that Buick has to offer, it by no means is small when it comes to anything else. In fact, the baby Buick has a long list of amazing, luxury features making it hard to not notice.  More on that in a minute.

But first, one of the things I love most about Buick is its Quittunning Technology. I’ve been in a lot of different types of vehicles and one thing that I can totally appreciate is when the vehicle is a quite and smooth ride. With this Quittunning Technology, the 2012 Buick Verano has triple-sealed doors, acoustical laminated glass and the refined chassis is designed to block or absorb sound and vibrations. Relaxing indeed!

Back to the list of some the great options, Buick will have include a touch-screen navigation system, a heated steering wheel, keyless ignition, front and rear heated seats and dual-zone climate control to name just a few.

Here’s a look inside the new 2012 Buick Verano:

httpv://youtu.be/4FFhjIryO5c

And if you’re on the up and up when it comes to technology, Buick has OnStar Owner App and remote control, Intellilink, OSE premium auto speaker system, USB port and Bluetooth connectivity.

Safety also remains a top priority for the Buick Verano. Though crash-test rating are not yet out, GM expect that it will receive a top five-star federal rating plus a Top Safety Pick from IIHSA. The Buick Verano is armed with the highest protection like electronic stability control, ten standard airbags, OnStar Automatic Crash Response and anti-lock braking with brake assist.

Although this may be the baby of Buick’s it sure does have a lot of grown-up features. If you’re like me and are patiently waiting, contact us or stop by with your information so that you can be one the first contacted when the all-new 2012 Buick Verano hits your Buick dealer, Freeman Grapevine.

Forth Worth, Check Out This Car With Four Horns!

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An English man invented the car horn back in 1910 which is now required by law that every vehicle have one. Horns are mainly used to warn other Grapevine cars that you are there or that they are getting too close in order to prevent a collision.

There are tow type of people who use their horns. The one’s who use their horns when the person in front of them is not paying full attention to a green light, or just to give a little warning when an inattentive driver is moving into their lane.

Of course, this is TEXAS and there are those who really like to use their horn to honk at just about everyone for anything they deem is worth honking about! Which leads me to this guy in the video that you should really watch:

httpv://youtu.be/LtMYUinvzRA

Sure traffic can be downright frustrating, but this guy takes dealing with his traffic frustrations to a whole new level. And by new level I mean a little on the crazy side! I just had to share this video because as a driver on the road too, this would pretty much freak me out.

This guy just has a little too much time on his hands. At first I thought it was pretty funny, but now imagining if I were driving on the roads and came into contact with him and his horns I don’t think it would be quite so funny.

In fact road rage has become quite a problem these days.  If you ever find yourself in a situation where the other driver is exhibiting signs of road rage, here some some things to do to get yourself safely out the situation or possibly create a hostile driving environment.

  • Be careful if you use your horn. You don’t know how others will react to it and using it could end you up in an unpleasant situation.
  • Avoid eye contact with the other driver. Making eye contact can convey the message of mutual aggression.
  • Don’t show any physical reaction to the other driver like putting your hands up, yelling, etc.
  • Keep control of your own temper and remain as calm as possible.
  • Try to increase the distance between you and the aggressive driver.

If you do ever find yourself confronted with an angry, aggressive driver it’s best to just let them have their way even though you may not even be a fault.  Taking the high road in this situation is the safest thing you can do. Always try to practice good driving habits and be courteous to other fellow drivers.

If you have any tips you’d like to share to get out of road rage situation we would love to hear from you! Post your comment below or come tell us at Freeman Grapevine today!

 

 

GMC Adds a Front Center Air Bag for Even More Protection, Ft.Worth!

At Freeman Grapevine, we know that you depend on your vehicle for a lot of things namely, transportation. However, another very important feature of a vehicle that is often taken into consideration before buying a new car is safety. Besides providing the some of Fort Worth’s best vehicles, GMC is also highly in tune with providing the most comprehensive safety system in the automotive industry.

Just recently GMC announced that it will offer a new layer of protection during collisions in their crossover vehicles. The new air bag will be centrally-mounted and is said to protect occupants in side-impact crashes better than before.

The new air bag will be located in the space between the driver’s and front passenger’s seats and will deploy during a  side collisions.

Check out the video demonstrating a crash without the airbag and a crash with the air bag:

httpv://youtu.be/2YOEwNPCKH8

Now, after watching that I’ll bet you are hoping that GM will extend it’s new air bag technology to other models.  I know I am. Look closely, that air bag can really save someone from some serious side whip lash.

GMC is leading the pack when it comes to the new air bag as it’s an industry first that is providing protection between drivers and front passengers.

By 2013, GM plans to have this new air bag as standard equipment on it’s crossover vehicles including the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. This new air bag is not required by federal safety standards, but I have a feeling that with such a great safety advance, that will change.

Hopefully GMCs in Fort Worth will have the air bag before 2013, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that they will come out sooner than later.

What do you think about this new air bag technology?  We’d love to hear from  you. Just post your comment below or swing by Freeman Grapevine today!

eAssist and the 2012 Buick LaCrosse

Are you one of those people who put your car in neutral when you’re at a stop light or even go as far as turning your car off when you’re just idling for a bit all in hopes to save a few drops of that ever so precious commodity, gasoline?

If you are one of those people, then you may want to look into the new 2012 Buick LaCrosse with its advance eAssist technology. It literally has the technology to switch from gas to battery when you’re idling and save you lots of gas. And can go right back from battery to gas when you step on the gas pedal. Pretty awesome, right?!

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist is a hybrid of a hybrid, but not so hybrid that you’ll only be shopping at natural foods stores for the rest of your life. In fact, the fuel saving it gets from its start-stop technology will leave you feeling like you do your part to help save the earth so that you can eat your Big Mac too. Did I mention that it gets 25 miles per gallon in the city and a rather impressive 36 mpg highway! Pretty good if I do say so myself!

Buick has also put out a 30-second commercial explaining the simplicity of the eAssist comparing it to us running in place when we’re not moving. It’s a clever one! Check it out here:

Though, I will say that running in place is a great workout. You should try it sometimes but be warned that you’ll get some looks, but that’s just funny in itself! But in all seriousness, find out more about the 2012 Buick LaCrosse with eAssist today at Freeman Grapevine in Ft. Worth.