Category Archives: GMC

Fort Worth GMC owners, keep your tires in better condition

Buick, GMC, Maintenance and Service, , , , ,

This might be a No-Brainer for most of you, but I’m constantly surprised by how many cars come into my Texas GMC Dealership that don’t have the correct amount of pressure in their tires. The fact of the matter is that under-inflated  tires can make your car handle poorly and eventually lead to a blowout! Too high of tire pressure means there is less of the tire touching the ground which can cause your traction and stopping distances to decrease. Too low of tire pressure means that more of the tire’s surface area is touches the ground increasing friction between the tire and the road. This can also cause your tires to wear out earlier. [CarsTalk.com]

There is an extremely easy way to avoid the above-mentioned situations. Measure your tire pressure regularly, especially in the summer months. All it takes is $10 and five minutes of your time.

1. Buy a Tire-Pressure Gauge

Never rely on your sight for judging whether or not a tire is low. Always use a tire-pressure gauge. You can pick one up for less than $10 almost anywhere. I found a great deal on a tire gauge, emergency hammer and seat belt cutter all-in-one on Amazon.com for only $15.

2. Find Out What Your Tire Pressure Should Be

If you open your driver-side door, you’ll find a sticker with a bunch of information on it. What you are looking for is the PSI (pounds per square in). This is the maximum amount of air pressure your tires should have.

3. Check the Pressure

Unscrew the cover on your valve stem, and press your pressure gauge firmly onto the valve stem. The end will slide out to show you the PSI of your tires. If you hear air escaping you’re not measuring the PSI correctly and need to push the end of the valve stem back in and try measuring the PSI again.

If you think you may not be doing it incorrectly, or have any questions in general, you can always give us a call or even swing by Freeman Grapevine! keeping your tires at the right pressure will not only prolong the life of your tires, but give you more control over your Fort Worth Buick or GMC.

Get Your Dallas Buick, or GMC’s Air Conditioner Ready For a Hot Summer

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buick gmc air condition, Buick Dealer, buying used car, dallas Buick Dealer, Dallas GMC Dealer, dallas GMC Truck, dallas new car, dallas Used Car, dallas Used Truck, dallas Used Truck. New Car, DFW Buick, dfw car dealer, dfw gmc, Fort Worth Buick, fort worth gmc, Fort Worth Truck Dealer, Ft. Worth Buick, Ft. Worth car dealer, ft. worth gmc, GMC Dealer, GMC Truck, Used Car, Used TruckSo, we’ve had a pretty mild winter here in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Freeman Grapevine is willing to bet that means we are going to have another scorcher of a Summer this year. That being said, “How is your GMC, or Buick’s A/C Working”?

This is something that Freeman Grapevine recommends that you check now. A broken A/C unit in Texas heat can probably be one of the most frustrating and uncomfortable things I can imagine going wrong with my car.

So, how do you know if your Air Conditioner needs service? There are two ways. You can do your research on the net and find videos like the one below. There are a lot of useful videos that can be found and used to diagnose almost any problem you may encounter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mai1uj8aKY

Of course, once you diagnose an A/C issue, what then? How do you fix it? Well, that’s the easy part. Bring your Buick or GMC into Freeman Grapevine. We’ll confer with you about your suspected issue and check ourselves. Upon finding the issue we’ll repair the problem quickly and cost effectively. There are a lot of things you can do yourself, but messing with your A/C unit, other than diagnosing a potential problem, can exasperate the issue. You are much better off having us take a look at it.

Air Bag Safety And Children

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At Freeman Grapevine, we take child safety very seriously. As a Dallas Fort Worth car dealer, it is our responsibility as much as it is yours to provide safer solutions for children while they are in your Buick, or GMC.

Let me first start by saying that in the late 80’s automakers began installing airbags in cars for safety reasons, and there’s no doubt that over the past 30 years airbags have saved thousands of lives.

However, it is important to note that airbags are designed to protect average-sized adults…not young children.  I know we’ve all heard it, but airbags can pose a serious risk to children who ride in the front seat.

In fact, according to research conducted by Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, “children exposed to airbags during a crash are twice as likely to suffer a serious injury”.  The American Academy of Pediatrics states, “children under the age of 13 are safest seating in the back seat of a car”.

The following are some safety guidelines for children riding in a car.

  • Infants seated in a rear-facing safety seat should never be placed in the front seat of a car that has an airbag – When the airbag engages, the force of the airbag is directed right at the infant’s head as it comes out of the dashboard.
  • Children seated in a forward-facing child should not be placed in the front seat of a car that has an airbag. – Again when the airbag engages, the child’s head is in the path of the airbag as it emerges from the dashboard.
  • Remember for children 13 and under: The safest place to be in a car is the back seat.
  • For children ages 13 and up riding in the front seat remember:
    • All children should wear a lap/shoulder belt.
    • Move the front seat as far back as possible from the dashboard.
    • Make the sure the child doesn’t lean forward.
    • Have the child sit upright against the seat at all times.

Note: Engineers are constantly improving airbags to improve safety.  Known as 2nd-generation, or de-powered airbags, these airbags are still NOT designed for children.  Children are best protected in the rear seat.

The Children Hospital of Philadelphia has put together a great video on airbags and keeping children safe.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sCZoQr4uIw

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them here. If you’d like to see us, Freeman Grapevine, just stop by and we’ll look and some really safe and very kid friendly vehicles for you and your family.

What Do You Do When The Check Engine Light Comes On?

GMC, , , ,

There is no doubt that if you are a car owner this has happened to you. The “check engine” light all of a sudden pops on. Why is it on in the first place? Your car seems to be performing fairly well and there’s nothing you can tell that is wrong. Well that check engine light is anything but just a pretty light, it can actually be a serious warning  That light is connected to many different alerts in your engine and your electrical system. Ignoring it could prove for some costly repairs. It might be something as simple as an a faulty gas cap or under-pressured spare, or as serious as an internal engine issue. You just don’t know and should have it checked out by your GM Mechanic as soon as you can.

I found this report that goes into further detail about why your check engine light may be on.

If your check engine light is on, the best and most prudent thing to do is to bring it into Freeman Grapevine so we can take a look at it and repair any issues you may be having. Remember, failing to properly maintain your Buick or GMC can result in some expensive repairs. Warning lights are there for a reason so don’t just ignore them, bring your car into a certified GM repair shop and get that problem fixed.

The 2014 GMC Sierra Has Been Launched

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If you’ve been waiting for the new 2014 GMC Sierra, your wait is over! The craftsmanship is  better. Attention to detail, interior craftsmanship and quality appointments make the all-new 2014 Sierra a cut above other trucks with:

  • Durable, soft-touch instrument panel materials and door trim
  • Aluminum trim on instrument panel, steering wheel and center console
  • Contrasting stitching
  • Available All-Terrain model with carbon fiber-styled seat trim and red stitching

Sierra’s cabin is engineered to provide you and your passengers with a quiet, comfortable experience. Features contributing to cabin quietness include:

  • Triple door seals block outside noise
  • Shear body mounts that improve ride by tuning out vibrations
  • Improved aerodynamics which reduce wind noise
  • A valved exhaust system that reduces engine noise
  • Hydraulic powertrain and body mounts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53_R0b6xMSA

Style meets substance inside the 2014 Sierra. From the exceptional storage space in the center console, to comfort and convenience features, Sierra truly has no peer. Features include:

  • A center console big enough to store hanging file folders, laptops and much more
  • Dual-density seat foam that holds its shape longer and keeps you comfortable
  • Larger controls that are easy to reach and read
  • USB ports and 12V charging outlets
  • Available 110V power outlet
  • Improved rear seat legroom
  • Locking under-seat storage on SLE models with front bench seating

Come and check Freeman Grapevine on the availability of the 2014 GMC Sierra. This new design is really a cut above all other Sierra competitors. You are really going to want to check out the 2014 GMC Sierra as soon as it hits the lot.

2013 GMC Acadia Denali

GMC, , ,

One of GMC’s more popular luxury family vehicles is the GMC Acadia. The 2013 GMC Acadia debuted at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show with a new nose, revised/softened sheet metal and a redesigned rear end. An industry first center airbag is new, as is the Side Blind Zone Alert with Rear Cross Traffic Alert systems. New wheels, a standard rear-view camera and a softer, more sophisticated interior are part of the redesign as well.

Taking it one step further, GMC has gone as far to instruct their engineers to make the new Acadia as comfortable as possible, taking it as far as designing some of the most comfortable arm rests in the industry.

The 2013 Acadia is an eight-passenger family car, so comfort is a crucial factor in its success. And it goes deeper than soft suspension and large seats. The engineers have created resting places that considered angles, dimensions and the right materials to achieve maximum comfort. In their quest they came up with 16 places for resting the sensitive elbow bones.

That’s some real attention to detail there!

The only way to really understand the amount of thought that went into the re-design of the 2013 GMC Acadia is to come and test drive one for yourself at Freeman Grapevine. I promise, you’ll never drive a more comfortable family vehicle.

 

Dallas Buick and GMC Owners: Freeman Grapevine Has The Cure For Your Foggy Headlights

GMC, Maintenance and Service, Used Cars, , , , , , , , , , ,

 

We see a lot of foggy headlights come through the Freeman Grapevine Service Department to be restored. Hazy, or foggy headlights are fairly common place, especially in constantly changing and extreme weather conditions of the DFW Metroplex. Keep in mind, that cleaning foggy headlights might not be a problem that you have to deal with right now with your new Buick or GMC, but it might pop up somewhere down the road. Most modern new car headlights are made out of plastic, and as the years pass, light causes them to oxidize and it forms a yellowish tint over the lenses. This wasn’t really a problem back before the 1980s when most headlight covers were made of glass. That’s right all you youngsters, at one time headlights were glass and almost as easy to change as light bulb…but I digress.

Modern car manufacturers put a coating on the headlights to help keep the oxidizing at bay, but given enough time, those headlights are still going to fog up. This can have a severe impact on your night time driving visibility. Light rays can be cut and diffused by an oxidized headlight lens to the point of being dangerous.

The good news is, if you notice your headlight lenses are starting to turn yellow, you don’t have to throw them out and get new ones (which a lot of people do, unfortunately). It’s extremely expensive to buy replacement lenses. You can save yourself some money and make your headlights good as new by fixing it yourself or bringing your car into Freeman Grapvine, and we can clean them to look like the day your bought your Buick or GMC.

I found this do it yourself from Auto Amateur Bob that explains the process perfectly:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPb0DqTlG4o

Again, If you’d rather a professional take a look at your hazy, foggy or oxidized headlight lenses, just swing by Freeman Grapevine. We’ll be able to clean them in a flash and it’s just one less thing you’ll have to worry about.


Dallas Fort Worth GMC, The 2013 GMC Acadia

GMC, , ,

Looking for a new SUV with three row seating? Well the New 2013 GMC Acadia is certainly worth checking out. With a considerable amount of upgrades from the previous model year, the 2013 GMC Acadia is certain to turn the heads of Dallas Ft. Worth GMC lovers.

Check out the new 2013 GMC Acadia and the Acadia Denali trim package in this cars.com video from the 2012 Detroit Auto show.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQmyKhMf8-0

Pretty nice, huh. Now all you have to do is swing buy your Dallas Fort Worth GMC dealer, Freeman Grapevine and take a spin. Can you see you and your family in the new 2013 GMC Acadia? Let us know what you think in the comments section below?

Dallas Fort Worth GMC Dealer: GMC Unveils The Sierra All-Terrain HD

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This amazing truck was unveiled in 2011 and all of use here at your Dallas Fort Worth GMC dealer eagerly await it’s release from concept to production.

Unlike many concept vehicles that never see the light of day other than to impress at auto shows, the Sierra All-Terrain HD is built on the already existing Sierra truck platform. That means it’s release for general sales is very promising. It has received excellent reviews at the show last year and turned lots of heads. Cross your fingers, I know all of you Dallas GMC fans would love to take this bad boy for a spin…off road, of course.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azr6zetLA9g&feature=topics

Designed to be one of the most capable trucks ever created, the All Terrain is a Sierra HD on steroids. Compared to the standard model, the concept is shorter, wider, and taller. Furthermore, it has been equipped custom control arms, Fox off-road shocks, front/rear jounce shocks, automatic locking differentials, and a beefy front stabilizer bar .

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In terms of styling, the concept features a massive grille, bulging fender flares, LED lights and 20-inch aluminum wheels with 35-inch BFGoodrich KM2 tires. The bed has a composite liner and two compartments which house an air compressor and a 110-volt outlet.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxIG_1vaZ-c&feature=fvwrel
The interior has two-tone leather seats, satin chrome trim, and a next-generation navigation system with an 80 GB hard drive.

Power is provided by a Duramax 6.6-liter V8 diesel engine with 397 hp and provided 765 lb-ft of torque. Are you drooling yet? We are! You can bet the moment this truck is release, Freeman Grapevine will be writing a full review of this impressive concept truck.

Dallas Fort Worth GM: How To Change Your Front Brake Rotors

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If you are a “Do-It-Yourself-er”, then a lesson on changing your brake pads and rotors is going to be right up your alley. Here at Freeman Grapevine, we have changed out countless numbers a of brake pads and rotors, so if you had that DIY bug at first, but now think the job is a little too big for your skill set, you always have the option of bringing in your Buick, or GMC to Freeman.

Here, take a look and judge for yourself the difficulty level…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcZ-B_v-lB8

Apart from changing your own oil, given the proper tools and lifting apparatus, changing your brake pads and rotors can be done at your leisure at home, however it can be an arduous task for many. There’s never telling when the tool you have just aren’t going to be enough to to the job. Something as minute as a stubborn lug nut or caliper can derail your whole repair project.

Again, if you aren’t 100% confident in your ability to perform this task, all you have to do is bring it by Freeman Grapevine and we’ll take care of getting you back on the road with brakes that you can rely on!