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How to Take Care of Your Car During the Summer It’s the time of the year when everybody is out and about; planes are coming and going, the hotels are full and the beaches are packed! Summer is here, ladies and gentlemen and, and it is on High. This is why, here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac, we want to let you know how to take care of your car during the summer. more Keep on riding Summer time is the perfect moment to make sure that your car is in the right condition. Whether you are planning on taking a long trip to the beach, up to the mountains or simply from the house to the grocery store and the office, you have to take care of your vehicle so your trip won’t end up being to the service center. The basics are simple but crucial: fluids like motor oil, windshield washer fluids and coolant should be checked regularly. With today’s technology in new automobiles, checking or adding coolant is quite easy. This is generally done through the coolant reservoir located under the hood. Don't let the heat get to you. However, for your security, let the car rest before touching the tank lid to prevent burns due to the engine being too hot. Going lower on your car, the tire pressure is also important to check, specially in the summer with its high temperatures. Consult with the owner’s manual to make sure that the tire pressure is at the proper level. Tires that are over or under-inflated can cause both blowouts and diminish the car’s fuel efficiency. For either your new or old vehicle, don’t forget to check the pressure in your spare tire, too. You know, just in case… Take care of your vehicle for you and your family! Remember to be safe, have fun and get your tanning-time on!

Easiest Way to Mount your Smartphone When science and technology combine, there is no doubt that magic is about to happen. Now, when these two plus the car industry get together, there is no telling what can come out of it! Or maybe there is -  the 2014 brings to car users Steelie Car Mount Kit, the easiest way to mount your smartphone. more This marks the new era of smartphone mounts. No more rude suction cups that damage the aesthetic of your brand new car. Instead, designers have created The Steelie Mounting Kit, a sophisticated, modern way to mount your iPhone with minimal cabin impact. The mounting base of the Steelie kit is a 1-inch silver metal ball cradled in a plastic holder. The flat end of the plastic comes covered in adhesive, so that you can choose where to stick it on the dashboard. The medal silver base is unobtrusive and stylish, making this almost invisible. The other part of the Steelie kit takes up even less space. It's a magnetic grommet with an adhesive backing, intended for the back of a smartphone or a smartphone case. No additional parts needed. Just you, your car and science. In order to install the Steelie Car Mount Kit, you have to find that flat spot on your dashboard, preferably of plastic material and on a vertical position. The advantage of this setup is that you can stick the phone to the base and pull it off as much as you which. This shows the great quality of this new device. In addition, the Steelie Kit moves freely around the exposed surface of the metal ball in the base, making it easy for you to adjust for a better visibility. As always, these type of gadgets make life easier and safer, which can prevent accidents and visits to the repair center. So what are you waiting for ? Come to your Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac dealer and get a new model so you can test the Steelie Car Mount Kit on it.

First aid kit for your car In an ideal world, we’d all be so poised and graceful so as to never bump, scrape, or otherwise inflict pain on ourselves. Children wouldn’t fight, mid-afternoon headaches wouldn’t creep up on us, and our perfectly manicured fingers would never be subject to hangnails. What a world that would be… but it’s certainly not the one we live in! And so, we must plan accordingly. Because if there’s anything worse than getting hurt or sick, it’s getting hurt and sick away from the house when you don’t have your well-stocked medicine cabinet on hand. But there’s hope away from home, in the form of a first aid kit in your car! Let’s go over what should be in yours. more Now of course, the options are pretty much limitless as to what you COULD pack, but you’d need to fill the entire back of an Escalade to cover every single base. So we’ll stick to the essentials, which fall roughly into three categories: emergency supplies, basic medical care items, and medicine. Small enough to fit in a sporty little Verano, big enough to save the day! Emergency supplies –  Now, we could fill an entire article with what to put in an emergency kit (stay tuned for that, actually!), but the fundamentals include an extra mobile phone charger, flashlight (with spare batteries, stored outside the flashlight), and a lighter or matches. Basic medical care items –  Think bandages in a variety of sizes and shapes, tweezers, instant hot/cold packs, cotton swabs, and hand sanitizer. Couldn’t hurt to throw in a little saline solution, as well. Medicine –  You don’t need a whole pharmacy, but do make sure to have both aspirin and non-aspirin pain relievers, an antidiarrheal, some antacid, and whatever personal medications you might need on the go for things like allergies that can sometimes come on unannounced Our list isn’t exhaustive by any means, but it should get you started. And even if you go through all the trouble putting it together and never end up using it –  that’s a pretty good problem to have! We at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac wish you safe and happy travels, wherever you go!

What is OnStar? If you’ve been looking at GM vehicles for your next auto purchase, you’ve probably run across the name OnStar a time or two. But what is OnStar? It’s  a system that’s available in most models that we carry, and we think you’ll be impressed with everything you can do with it. Today we’ll tell you a little bit about what OnStar can do and how you can try out the services for free! more Using the same technology that allows for voice and data communication in your smartphone along with GPS technology, OnStar is a system that allows for communication, navigation, and emergency services all easily accessible from within your vehicle. Communicate: Using OnStar, you can make and receive hands-free phone calls, making it easier and safer to get in touch with people when and where you need to. Get around: Navigation is as easy as pushing a button to connect to a representative –  just tell them where you’d like to go and turn-by-turn directions will be sent directly to your vehicle. Help is on the way: In addition to automatic crash response and emergency services, OnStar also helps you out in the event of a stolen vehicle  or when you’re in need of roadside assistance services. There’s also the RemoteLink Mobile App, which lets you connect to your vehicle from an app on your smartphone. You can lock or unlock the doors, check tire pressure, even send directions for later. There are a variety of plans to choose from, all of which include emergency, security, and hands-free calling. The biggest, most comprehensive plan is called Directions & Connections, and most models here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac come with a free 3-month trial subscription to it! Want to try OnStar for yourself? We’ll show you everything you need to know when you come on in for your test drive!

Distracted driving information You hear a lot about distracted driving these days. Everyone seems to know and generally agree that it's dangerous, but people still seem to have a hard time taking the warnings seriously and actually modifying their behavior. We suggest that you take a look at this list of distracted driving habits - and they're just some of the major ones - and ask yourself if you've been an offender in the last month. If the answer is yes, make a promise to yourself and the other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians whose safety depends on it, to stop right away. It's not worth it. more 1. Text/Phone/Social Media. This is the big one everybody knows is problematic, but again and again people are involved in accidents as a result. You cannot responsibly operate something as large and dangerous as a motor vehicle while looking at your phone at the same time. If something is urgent, find an exit and use your phone when you've safely stopped. If it's not urgent, it can wait. Today's vehicles have lots of options for connectivity, but even they can get distracting. Keep your priorities straight. 2. Pets. Of course, you need to bring your pets along with you sometimes, but it's important not to let them distract you from the road. If your pet can't keep from distracting you while loose in the vehicle, you'll need a crate or harness that secures to the safety belt, depending on the size of your pet. Don't wing it - plan ahead. If something is happening with your pet that constitutes an emergency, safely pull off the road to deal with it or you could very well have a second emergency on your hands. 3. Food and drink. Yes, drive-through windows and meals on the go are a tempting way to save time in your busy schedule, but it's also highly unsafe. From unexpected spills to not having your hand on the wheel while eating, eating and drinking while behind the wheel take your attention away from where it needs to be: the road, and the safety of everyone on it (including you). According to the Centers for Disease Control, distracted driving kills more than fifteen people and injures more than 1,200. That's every day. We all want that number to come down, so please take an honest look at the list and make the right choice. Questions about safe driving? Give us a call here at Palmen Buick GMC Cadillac.