Franklin Sussex Auto Mall Blog

With the spring season fast approaching, you might be wondering what you should do with those bulky winter tires. Living in the northeast, we deal with these conditions every year. If you’ve ever wondered how to properly store those tires when you aren’t using them, here are a few handy hints to help take out all of the guesswork.

1. Make sure you store the tires in a cool and dry place that is well ventilated
2. Try to keep the tires away from motors, generators, furnaces and other devices that create ozone as they can cause harm to your tires after an extended period of time
3. Never place your tires on the ground when storing them. Place something underneath and set the tires on top
4. Try not to store your tires on their sides as they can become distorted and will cause the tire to wear unevenly. The best way to store them is upright as if they were on your car
5. Keep the tires away from areas where water can reach them. Water can damage a tire if left in contact with it for a period of time

GPS, or global positioning satellite, technology was originally developed for military applications. In the 1980s, it was released for civilian use. In those days, however, GPS systems were extremely expensive and used mostly for sensitive scientific experiments and back-country expeditions.Today, however, GPS receivers are relatively inexpensive. It is common to find them preinstalled in new vehicles and even preloaded on cell phones. Here is what you should know to choose the GPS that is right for you.

Driving Directions
One of the most important features of a car-mounted GPS receiver is its ability to provide driving directions. Like any driving directions program, there can be inaccuracies. However, keeping the system regularly updated should minimize problems.

Look for a system that offers a voice mode. This is a highly important safety feature that prevents the need to take your eyes off the road. Better systems also let you decide between the shortest route and the fastest route, as well as scanning for road information and suggesting the best route. Some systems will automatically recalculate the route if you miss a turn or embark on a shortcut.

Maps
Like driving directions, maps can be inaccurate at times. Remember to update your system regularly to ensure that the best information is always available. The maps are highly detailed, offering the numbers as well as names of roads, and providing information on speed limits, tolls and other relevant data.

Points of Interest
One of the highlights of a good GPS system is the extensive list of points of interest. Some newer systems offer as many as six million points of interest across the country. These are typically searchable by name or distance and divided into relevant categories such as Hotels, Hospitals and Restaurants. The address and phone number of each points of interest are available, along with driving directions.

Expansion
Look for a system that accepts memory cards. Updates and additional maps can take up a great deal of memory, and memory cards are an inexpensive way to address this problem. If you are traveling, new maps can be purchased on CD-ROM and uploaded to the GPS system from your home computer.

Portability
Some systems can be disconnected from the vehicle and used as pedestrian locators. This is very helpful if you intend to explore unfamiliar cities on foot or head out on a hiking trip. Look for a system that can give walking directions as well as driving directions.

Even though your new or pre-owned vehicle may not come with a GPS Unit installed, the part department at Franklin Sussex Auto Mall can help you with a system that will not only fit your vehicle … but will also fit your needs.

With its widescreen display and preloaded maps of North America, nuvi 250W delivers directions on the go wherever life takes you. Like the rest of the nuvi 200-series, nuvi 250W is affordably priced and simple to use!

With nuvi 250W’s widescreen display, you’ll always get the big picture. View map detail, driving directions, photos and more in bright, brilliant color. Its sunlight-readable, 4.3-inch display is easy to read from any direction.

nuvi 250W comes ready to go right out of the box with preloaded City Navigator® NT street maps, including a hefty points of interest (POIs) database with hotels, restaurants, fuel, ATMs and more. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuvi takes you there with 2D or 3D maps and turn-by-turn voice directions. In addition, nuvi 250W accepts custom points of interest, such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming points of interest.

Like the rest of the nuvi 200-series, nuvi 250W sports a sleek, slim design and fits comfortably in your pocket or purse. Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for navigation by car or foot.

Navigation is just the beginning. nuvi 250W includes many travel tools including JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter, calculator and more. It also comes with Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature, and configurable vehicle icons that let you select car-shaped graphics to show your location on the map. Optional plug-in SD cards let you add additional features.

We are currently running a promotion in our Parts Department where you can get your own Garmin Nuvi for just $375! Thats a savings of $125 off of the current retail price. Be sure to contact any one of our representatives soon as we have a limited supply of these incredible units!

Do you currently own a Chrysler 300? If so, Chrysler Corporation is holding a contest to see how you’ve customized your ride. Its called the Spin It Your Way Contest!

All you have to do is upload a video to YouTube and let viewers vote on the ride that they like the most. The grand prize winner will get to feature their car at the 2008 Auto Show in California!

Here is the commercial:

Not sure how to customize your ride? Don’t worry … just give us a call at the Parts Department at Franklin Sussex Auto Mall we’ll be able to help you pick out the Mopar Parts & Accessories that have been specially built for your vehicle!