Once you purchase a vehicle from Mike Albert Direct, you’re almost ready to head out on a road trip. Before you leave, make sure you have everything you need, including an emergency kit. An emergency kit is helpful if you become stranded due to weather or other reason – or even if you find yourself unexpectedly spending an extra night out on your trip.
Image by State Farm via Flickr Creative Commons
Emergency Items: You should have an extensive first aid kit, especially if your trips involve camping, hunting and fishing. The kit should contain:
Several sizes of self-stick bandages for cuts and scrapes
A roll of gauze
Gauze pads
Medical tape in various sizes
Anti-bacterial creme
Burn creme
Eye wash
Small pair of scissors
Tweezers
Needle and medical thread
Super Glue
Rubber gloves
Jumper cables
Caution signs
If you or a family member is a diabetic, you should bring a special diabetic kit with you whenever you travel in the vehicle. Pack your blood glucose meter, extra needles and an extra bottle of Insulin. If your Insulin requires refrigeration, pack it with gel-pacs in a small Styrofoam cooler.
Other emergency items that you should have in your kit include:
Extra blankets for each person in the vehicle
An extra jacket – if it is spring or summer, you may want to keep a light jacket and rain jacket in the kit. If it is fall and winter, keep a heavy jacket in the kit.
Tissues
Pen/pencil and paper
Hand sanitizer
Skin lotion
Chapstick (Keep this in a kit that you keep inside if it is hot – it tends to melt.)
Knife
Hatchet
Hand saw
Use a large tote to store things that can be left in the vehicle. For things that cannot be left in the vehicle due to heat or safety reasons, keep them packed in a small carry bag with a long shoulder strap. You’ll have it nearby in the vehicle and can easily carry it over your shoulder while in the woods or hiking.
As always, be sure to have your vehicle serviced at Mike Albert Direct before you go on a long trip.
May events are flocking to Cincinnati, Ohio as people are sure to catch their favorite comedy routine or musical act hit the stage for a night of great entertainment. Whether you live in Cincinnati or you are only passing through to purchase a new vehicle at a car dealership in Cincinnati, you can stop in at one of these events to have a fun time.
May Events
May 5th: Public Library’s Comic Con
Get your comic books out and ready to the Comic Con held at the public library. You can check out the exhibits, trade comic books, engage in photo ops and listen to discussion panels featuring illustrators and writers. The Comic Con will be on May 5th from 1pm to 5pm at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Visit here for more information or call 513-369-6900.
May 5th: Limp Bizkit
Rock out to your favorite rock and rap band, Limp Bizkit as they take the stage by storm. Sing to your favorite songs on Sunday, May 5th at 8pm as this popular music group will be playing at Bogarts. Get your ticketsnow before they run out of seats.
May 9th: Lyle Lovett
Country-rock enthusiasts will be looking forward to seeing Lyle Lovett play his unique blend of music when he visits Cincinnati this May. Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group will be at the Taft Theater on Thursday, May 9th at 8pm. Findyour tickets today.
May 11th: Tracy Morgan
Have a bunch of laughs as you watch Tracy Morgan on stage as his improv show is sure to leave your sides hurting with laughter. He will be heading to Cincinnati on Saturday, May 11th at Bogarts as you can still get tickets for his 7pm show. Don’t miss out on seeing this favorite TV personality as you can get more information here.
May 15th: Sunset Boulevard
As the weather starts heating up outside, find a place to cool down while watching a great theater performance as you catch Sunset Boulevard on stage. You can watch this performance on Wednesday, May 15th at 7:30pm at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. It will be a great performance as a silent movie star tries to regain her fame and time on the big screen as it leads to tragic results. Find out more information about Sunset Boulevard as well as tickets here.
Have A Great Time In Cincinnati
Don’t miss out on the wonderful events Cincinnati will host this May. Get you vehicle tuned up at your Cincinnati used car dealership so you can drive to your favorite concert event or comedy act.
Those of us at the Superior Auto Group would like to take some time to discuss how you can keep your kids safe on the road. Road safety isn’t just about paying attention to the road; you should also know how to buckle your child in correctly, know the safety features of your vehicle, and be able to have a safety plan in place if you do have an accident.
For instance, did you know that nearly 3 out of 4 car seats are put into place incorrectly? Safercar.gov reports that vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of death for children between 1 and 13, so it’s worth making sure to place your children in car seats and belts correctly. The NHTSA has provided booklets that can help parents keep their children safe, which you can find here at Safercar.gov
You may want to consider the car you’re purchasing as well as its safety rating. Child safety scores report how safe the car is in a crash, as well as the way the design of the car impacts child safety. Some of the things that can impact the safety include:
Automatic locks
Push down and pull-up window switches
Advanced airbags
Anti-pinch windows
Side-impact air bags
Each of these can help prevent injury during accidents or while driving. For instance, the automatic locks engage when the car is at a certain speed, maybe 10 or 20 mph, and they help prevent ejection from the car and promote the integrity of the car’s body in case of an accident. Anti-pinch windows recognize when there is something in the way of it closing, so your child’s fingers or arms won’t accidentally get pinched during drives.
Advanced airbags can be turned on or off and may be able to be altered for the weight of a passenger, which makes it easier to keep your small child safe in case of an accident.
It’s time to get a car as your old clunker has breathed its last exhaust fumes. As you head out to your Cincinnati car dealer, one question on your mind is whether you should buy a new car or a used car.
This eternal debate plagues almost every car buyer. In the end, choosing the right vehicle for yourself will be based on a number of different factors.
Budget: It goes without saying that you should buy a vehicle that fits into your budget and financing loan. Most people on tight budgets go for used cars since they are normally cheaper than new. But, nowadays, don’t be surprised if you find a new car that is actually cheaper than some used cars. If you are looking at average-sized used cars, check out the new subcompacts as you can find a small car costing $10,000 less than a larger used model.
Safety: New technologies and stringent vehicle safety laws have ensured that new vehicles are equipped with the latest safety features. If you are worried about keeping your family safe behind the wheel, go for a new car. If your budget only allows for a used car, pick one that is less than 5 years old so you will still have some of the same important safety features.
Maintenance: If you are the type of person who doesn’t mind getting under the hood and puttering around to fix your vehicle when something minor happens, then go for a used car that you can customize to your preferences. But if you aren’t car-savvy and don’t want to spend time sitting at a mechanic’s shop, go for the new car that will require less maintenance except for the regular service tune-up.
Warranties: Most warranties cover new vehicles for up to three years, and extended warranties will cover a few extra years or miles driven. You’ll also have the luxury of protection for certain parts and maintenance for new cars. If you choose to purchase a used vehicle, you may be able to get the original warranty if buying a certified pre-owned or you may get a lesser warranty and add to it. It’s better to go through used car dealerships in Cincinnati to have a better chance of getting some type of warranty versus just buying a car directly from the owner.
In the end, both a new car and used car will get you to your destination if you shop around and find the best vehicle for your budget. Keep your options open and select the vehicle that has the features you want.
Older cars that have gone through their paces and racked up the miles are bound to get a few dents and scratches. That is the way of life. What really sucks is when you get your brand new vehicle from your Acura, Kia, or Hyundai dealer, park it at the local grocery store and it gets scratched from a negligent shopper who bangs their shopping cart against your vehicle. You’ve owned it less than an hour and already the paint is scratched!
Before you have a meltdown try to remember that you can get the scratched fixed and have your vehicle looking as good as new again. Also, you may not have to pay a lot of money to remove the scratch.
Determine If It Really Is A Scratch
Scratches can be tricky. Sometimes what may look like a scratch, is actually paint transfered from another object. This is caused when the other object marks the paint surface by leaving behind paint or other materials.
If this is the case, then the mark is simply sitting on top of your car’s paint. You can use adhesive remover or acetone thinner to remove the mark. Then buff and wax the area.
Determine The Extent Of The Scratch
The extent of damage the scratch caused to the surface of your car will determine what methods to use to fix it. Your car has several different layers to the surface: a clearcoat, the actual paint, the primer, and the metal surface. The lighter the scratch, the easier it is to fix.
If you made someone mad and they went berzerk with their keys on your car, scratching a large amount of your car and deep into the surface, take your vehicle to one of the new car dealerships in Cincinnati to have the scratch fixed professionally. If it’s small, you can try to tackle it yourself.
Fixing Scratches
Wash and dry the area of the scratch. Use a fingernail to feel how deep the scratch goes. If it barely penetrates the clearcoat, you can place a glaze or polish to the surface for a quick fix. Anything deeper will require wet sanding of the area.
Use an ultra-fine sandpaper from 1,500- grit up to 3,000-grit. Sand the scratch only until reaching the appropriate depth where the scratch didn’t penetrate. If the scratch reached the paint and primer, you will have to apply primer, allow the primer to dry, then repaint the scratch and add the clearcoat. You have to let each layer application dry fully before adding the next layer.
Once the clearcoat dries, sand the surface so the new paint blends in with the car’s paint finish. Wash your vehicle, buff dry and wax your car.
If you run in to any problems with a scratch bring your car into one of our Cincinnati car service shops and let our experts do the work for you.
Imagine you are driving along the open road, when all of a sudden you hear a strange noise, and your car starts shaking and just feels weird. You pull over and discover that you have a flat tire. But you don’t know how to change it, so you have to wait hours for a friend or roadside assistance to come help you. Or maybe get up to go to work or school in the morning and discover that your tire has gone flat again. This time you have to take the bus, because you still don’t know how to change a flat tire. Wouldn’t you rather learn how to change a flat?
Get Your Tools Together
In order to change a flat tire, you need a jack, a spare tire, a pump to inflate the tire, and the proper lug wrench. If it is dark, you may need a flashlight. New cars come with all of these, but they may be missing or in the wrong place. Go check now.
Find A Safe Spot
If you are in your driveway or garage, simply make sure you have enough space. If you are on the highway, pull over to a flat, level place on the side of the road. If you pull onto an incline, you will not be able to jack up the car. Turn on your hazard lights (the ones that blink red) to let other drivers know you are stopped.
Loosen The Lug Nuts
If you need to, remove the hubcap first. Not all cars have one, so you may be able to skip this step. You can then begin to loosen the lug nuts with the right lug wrench. If you have the one that came with your car this should be easy to figure out. Do not take the nuts comepletely off.
Jack Up Your Car
Following the manufacturers directions, place the jack directly under the car. Turn the crank until its under a sturdy part of the frame. Check to make sure it is in the right place, and then continue to jack up the car until it is about six inches off the ground.
Remove the Old Tire and Replace It
If the car is properly off the ground and the lug nuts are sufficently loosened this should be easy. Before you put the new tire on, make sure it is properly inflated. Then you can easily put the tire on. Re-tighten the lug nuts. Then lower your car, by lowering the jack using the reverse motion you used to raise it.
Now you know how to change your tire. Congratulate yourself.
Car accessories make our lives easier. They give that little bit of extra convenience we are looking for so we can bear the stress we experience from work and school. These accessories can also give a unique appearance to our rides that can make people stare in awe.
When choosing the best accessories for your vehicle, you need to decide what you are looking for and how this accessory will improve your vehicle or your lifestyle. Stay away from those pretty accessories you find at your local retail store that really don’t do anything for your vehicle in the way of appearance or functionality. Also keep in mind that some car accessories can have very hefty price tags.
Best Accessories
The interior speaks of luxury, room and a quiet ride. Interior accessories can include anything from entertainment electronics, car booster seats or safety side air bags. Some of the accessories you can have installed by your Honda or Kia dealer in Cincinnati.
Car Audio System Inputs
Whether you are looking to plug in your iPod or cell phone, such accessories are becoming necessities especially in older vehicle models that don’t have the new infotainment touch screen systems. Today, you can buy integration kits without having to take out your entire audio system.
Also, look into rear DVD systems and MP3 adapters if you have a family that spends a lot of time in the car. Having these can make those trips a lot more pleasant for everyone.
Safety Features
While most safety features are standard, it’s difficult for vehicle manufacturers to include flexible seating and side air bags for children due to their varying sizes because every family has different needs. To make your family safer, you can get built-in car booster seats for your kids so they are elevated to properly wear a seat belt. Also look into getting a vehicle with side air bags to give children the protection they need if ever in a car accident.
Exterior Accessories
Most exterior accessories are wanted by people who love to customize their vehicles. These accessories can involve everything from getting a stylish paint job, tinting your windows or even upgrading your chrome wheels. Discuss with your Cincinnati car dealer about these types of upgrades to see if your dealer can make the modifications at the right price.
Accessories You Will Love
Before getting any type of accessory, take a moment to seriously consider if it is something you want and if it is within your budget. This will allow you to focus on those accessories you need so that you feel as if you made the right decision.
So Nitrogen in your tires….That sounds odd. Cincinnati car dealerships are seeing a lot of requests for nitrogen filling options for their tires. Not sure what the fuss is about? Are you wondering what it can do for your tires? Well nitrogen filled tires are not necessarily the latest, but the could be greatest craze right now. Did you know that nitrogen is all around us? Of course you did, you passed 8th grade science. Technically speaking, the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and small amounts of other gasses. Science class over.
So what’s this big hubbub about nitrogen? Well, actually, nitrogen is said to have many advantages over oxygen when it comes to tire inflation. Nitrogen enhances handling, improves fuel efficiency, extends tire life, provides cooler running tire temperatures and can keep you safer on the roads….. Overall, filling up with nitrogen won’t hurt and may provide benefits. It’s really up to you to decide what you’d rather have. It is important to note that nitrogen is more expensive than ai (as air typically costs nothing)r, so be prepared for tha added expenset. But here’s the deal on that too. the added expense. You see, nitrogen particles are bigger than those of oxygen so they don’t pass through the tire wall as easily. Check out the diagram.
Here are a few stats on Nitrogen.
Maintain proper tire pressure with nitrogen, and you’ll see these three primary benefits:
• Increased Fuel Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps the manufacturer’s recommended “contact patch” on the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency.
• Longer Tire Life – When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.
• Increased Safety – Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Go to getnitrogen.org for more info.
Check out this video with Jay Leno on Nitrogen filled tires. Yes. Jay Leno.
Looking for a shot of nitrogen? Give your Cincinnati car dealer a shout and we can probably help out.
If you’ve ever been stuck with a dead battery, you know how miserable it is. But don’t worry, help is on the way…and no, it’s not the tow truck. It’s a battery charger! The best way to avoid any unforeseen problems is to avoid them altogether right? So, keeping your battery in good condition is one way to “avoid” one such “unforeseen problem”. Got it?
Let’s say you accidentally left your interior lights on all night and you wake up to find that you have a dead battery, what do you do? Without a battery charger, you call into work and burn a personal day in hopes of getting a jump from a neighbor or a new battery. With a battery charger, well you get to save that personal day for a time when you really want to play hooky. Let me tell you, for around $50, it’s worth it and you’ll get a pretty decent charger to boot!
How does a charger work? Check out the video.
How easy is it to use? This easy.
Of course, there could also be other reasons why your battery is discharging faster than usual or not having enough juice to turn the starter, and that is a bigger issue. I’d advise you take your car to your mechanic if your battery issues become problematic.
The wagon is not dead I tell ya!! Acura has released it’s very first commercial for the all new 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon and let me just tell you it’s pretty awesome looking!!
Check out this new commercial and see that the TSX sedan turns into the wagon! It’s pretty cool.
The Superior Automotive Group and Mike Albert Direct have been serving Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky since 1928. We care about you, your cars, your safety, and our community.
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and any suggestions are always welcome at [email protected]
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