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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.

Driving your car in Fort Worth’s high winds

Living in Texas, Freeman Grapevine is well aware of how the winds can suddenly pick up in our less populated areas. Expect it to happen even more as the weather changes from cold to warm. This temperature shift can cause high winds that can literally sweep across the country.  While you may look outside and see a bright and sunny day, that doesn’t mean that driving conditions can be severe.  A common problem of driving during high winds is that most drivers don’t take the same precautions they would during rain, snow, or fog because you cannot see the windy conditions.

I’m sure you have felt it in your car before.  You are driving at speed and suddenly you feel your vehicle being pushed into another lane from a strong wind gust.  During sever high winds, it may seem as though you are moving your steering wheel from one side to the other as though driving in a mini slalom course.  So what should you do when driving in high winds?

Wind can create difficulties for drivers of all vehicles. High winds are especially challenging for trucks, RVs and trailers, but they also affect cars and, not surprisingly, SUVs as well. When you experience high winds:

  • Reduce your speed
  • Be careful when driving close to trucks, buses and other large vehicles
  • Pay attention to travel warnings and bans; some states restrict the use of certain vehicles when winds are high
  • Take great care making steering corrections when going from protected to open areas.

Please keep these tips in mind when driving during windy conditions.  Just because you can’t see it, winds can still wreak havoc on  your car.  Have you ever had any problems with driving during high winds? The picture above is pretty telling in regards to how furious straight line winds can become.

Feel free to share your driving stories, or any scary encounter you may have had with unexpected wind or weather in our comments section. Or, just stop by Freeman Grapevine and tell us about it!

How do you know what used Car to buy

dallas fort worth used car, dallas Buick Dealer, Dallas GMC Dealer, dallas GMC Truck, dallas new car, dallas Used Car, dallas Used Truck, dfw driving, GMC Dealer, GMC Truck, new carHere at Freeman Grapevine our used car selection is growing larger by the day. Why is that? Well, it’s a direct result of today’s modern lease programs and the rate at which people are turning over their cars for the latest models or style. The good news for you is that the chances of you falling into a really great used car are pretty good…that’s if you know what to look for. I found a good video that demonstrates 5 easy ways to judge the condition of the used car you are looking to buy.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szPE_YCjc6g

Keep in mind that if you are purchasing the car from Freeman Grapevine we will have already given it a multi-point inspection and give you a CarFax report on the history of the vehicle.

Remember, there are some very good things about buying a used vehicle, namely you can get more car for your money. Besides, does it really matter if it’s used? It’s new to you!

Does anyone have any suggestions on buying a used car?

How To Keep Your Kids Entertained and Keep Your Sanity

The summer is upon us and so are road trips.  While vacations are fun, getting to your destination may not always be enjoyable.  Whether you are going near or far  you will most likely hear, “Are we there yet?”  Luckily, I know a few ways to keep the kids entertained.

  • Movies!  If your Buick/GMC didn’t come with an in-car entertainment system, invest in a portable DVD player and few pairs of headphones.  The kids will love watching their favorite movie for a few hours and you will love the silence from the backseat!
  • Hit the library up before you go.  For a free mode of entertainment take your kids to the library the day before you leave and let them pick out a few books to bring on the trip.
  • Have an in-car scavenger hunt.  Make the kids a list of things to look for as you drive.  Examples: a red car, a license plate from another state, a horse, a pink flower, anything you might see as you drive.
  • Pack trivia cards. Each kid can take turns reading a card and guessing the answer.
  • Always pack music.  Even though the Barney sing-a-long may not be your favorite music, let the kids have 20 or 30 minutes of their favorite music.
  • Zitch-dog!  Every time someone sees a dog they yell zitch-dog! The person who sees the most dogs first wins a prize at the end of the trip.

Do you have any other suggestions for keeping kids entertained?

Fort Worth: Looking to upgrade your Car Audio…Start here first.

First, before you even open that Crutchfield catalog, you need to learn the basics of reproducing a clear and sonically well-rounded aural environment in your vehicle. To dumb that down, “How do I make my Car Stereo sound better?”

There’s no doubt that cars play a significant role in almost everyone’s lives. Everyday, people spend hours and hours inside their cars whether driving to and from work, running errands or simply being stuck in traffic. What’s the first thing you do? If you are anything like me, you hit the radio for some entertainment. I can’t drive 10 feet without getting the tunes going in my car.

So who should I thank for the hours of refocusing the days events while I use my car as an entertainment bubble? Well, that honor goes to the Galvin brothers who developed the first radio used in cars in the 1930s, drivers around the globe can now listen to music while on the road. Forty years and billions invested in audio technology later, the Galvin brothers system is still being used along with its different features to make drivers and passengers’ driving experience better.

So, what do you need to understand about car audio before you go Mod crazy and start buying 1,000 watt power amps and 15″ woofers? Well, in actuality, your first car audio system can be quick and easy upon taking into account a number of factors that will determine a great outcome. First set a budget and research your brands. Check Consumer Reports for accurate and unbiased reviews. Blaupunkt, Pioneer, Bose, Denon and Kenwood are the more popular brands. Then you’ll want to consider all the functions you expect to get like the capacity to play MP3s and CDs. There are hundreds of options, layouts, controls and features available in the modern car receiver/deck, so figure out what you’d like to have. For example, do you need a line in to connect an MP3 player of some kind? Will it play MP3 CDs? Is there a hard drive for music storage? Nail these questions down before you start shopping.

Now this is actually the trick part: choosing the right speakers. What are the right speakers, you might ask? Speakers come in three types including the loud speaker, tweeters and the subwoofer. Loud speakers are for middle sound ranges and while being able to resonate a wide range of sounds, it is only able to do so in a limited manner. This is the reason it needs the other types. Mid-range is the tonal frequency that allows the music to be heard with clarity and cleans up some of the muddy nature of Bass heavy tracks.

Tweeters are small speakers that produce high notes. This is the very top end of the sound. It’s the top end that makes the sound “shimmer”. Tweeters make it possible for high notes to be heard in a fuller and clearer tone.

The third type is the subwoofer that allows for the lower sound range to be emitted. Bass as a tone is omnidirectional,so the bass feels as if it is surrounding you. Tweeters and Loud Speakers are, for the most part, mono-directional, meaning the sound quality will change hen moving left or right from dead center. Beautiful bass and clear baritone can be attributed to the subwoofer.

One other important thing to remember is the fact that your vehicle isn’t wired for extreme audio upgrades. Here is a good video to watch to educate yourself about audio wiring:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82xRzCr-lc&feature=youtu.be

Like in purchasing anything of significant value, research can prove very helpful.  Check the numerous online shops that offer car audio systems and the different deals available. Reviews and tips from others who have purchased and used the same products can be very helpful. Pay particular attention to reviews that aren’t the glowing reviews, they are usually the most objective and honest.

If you have any questions or are looking for an audio system upgrade for your car, then don’t hesitate to give us a call…we can really help turn your vehicle to a rolling entertainment center.

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

 

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 Buick GMC: Independence Day 2012

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Independence Day is this Wednesday and while you are getting ready to enjoy the day off with family and friends, your Dallas Fort Worth Buick GMC dealer, Freeman Grapevine wants to remind you that Independence Day isn’t all about firing up the grill and shooting off fireworks. It’s about celebrating one of the most poignant moments in American history: the drafting and implementation of our Declaration of Independence. Our forefathers knew that there was going to be an amazing future in the history of that young country. To show you the true grandeur of the event here a snippet from a letter John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail.

The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJmMuNKw7R4&feature=related

Remember the true meaning of this national holiday. It’s the celebration of everything that we hold true to be uniquely American. It’s the celebration of our freedom and the vision of a group of men who knew we could be more than just subjects to the English Crown. It was a dream and a vision that has come to fruition and shaped the nation we have become today. There are very few who can afford the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States of America. Don’t take them for granted. After all, Freedom is never Free.

That being said,Freeman Grapevine wants to wish everyone a happy and safe 4th of July. When you polish off all of those burgers and hot dogs, swing by Freeman Grapevine and test drive Dallas Fort Worth’s hottest selection of Buicks and GMCs. There’s nothing like driving American, and we’re proud to offer you the best vehicles America has to offer.

Dallas Buick GMC: Why 10:00 & 2:00

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Freeman Grapevine knows that sharing the road in Dallas and Fort Worth traffic can be hectic sometimes, especially when you throw in some random crazy driver that seemingly comes out of now where. Having your hands in the proper positions on the steering wheel will keep your focus on the road if you do encounter a situation of some kind.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KikPncL6RHw

The longer we are behind the wheel, the more we become lazy and comfortable in our car seats. It seems like the moment we take both of our hands off of the steering wheel is the moment we take our minds of driving.

Now don’t get me wrong, for many many people, including myself, to have a truly relaxing drive, one hand goes to 12:00 and the other is resting comfortably. That’s all well and good when you are on a long stretch of highway with the cruise control is set in you Dallas Fort Worth Buick or GMC, but when you are jockeying for position in heavy traffic, having both hands on the wheel is paramount. You’ll have better control and more strength to turn the wheel in a flash if need be.

10 and 2 just isn’t for the student driver, it’s for every driver. Sitting up straight and taking a firm grasp of the wheel will keep you alert and focused on the road. I know it sounds simple, but I dare you to try to modify your driving habits…the same habits that have been slowly developing over your driving career. You’ll find that it won’t be as easy as you think.

Let Freeman Grapevine know how you do.

 

Dallas Fort Worth Buick GMC: Sharing the Road With 18 Wheelers

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Have you ever put any thought into understanding what it’s like to drive an 18 wheeler on a crowded and hectic roadway? Your Dallas Fort Worth Buick GMC dealer, Freeman Grapevine wants to remind you that, even though you share the road with truck drivers and their cargo, you have more maneuverability and a clearer line of sight which makes you the game changer if there is a sudden reduction in speed or lane change. Chances are YOU will be the one that is either rapidly approaching a rig in your lane, or changing lanes to get around one.

I can say that most big rig drivers follow the rules of the road fairly well, if they don’t they could incur sever penalties, or fines which can affect their ability to be hired by the companies they truck for. So, you see, most of the time when you are frustrated with a slower moving rig, it’s not his fault, he’s going the speed limit; it’s you who needs to drive less aggressively.

To really appreciate the difficulty in driving an 18 wheeler, you have to understand their physics. They have wide turning radius. They have large blind spots. That  also take 800 feet to stop going 55 mph, whereas you would take only 400 feet. In other words, pass them quickly, don’t follow close behind, don’t cut them off when you make lane changes, etc. Common sense may not be so common for many drivers.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-si8D6Uel-Q

The bottom line is give these guys a break. Slow down. You will make their driving task much easier and less stressful, and at the same time you will be less aggressive and less of a nuisance. It’s just a matter of respect. Even if you’ve been behind the wheel since you were 16, there are still those of you out there that could stand to learn to share the road with others. Freeman Grapevine just want you understand that courtesy is contagious, avoid problems, don’t be a part of them.

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.