Category Archives: New Sedans

How long do your brakes last? That’s up to you.

#TechTuesday Tip: Braking

How long will the brakes in your car last? Well, that’s really up to you, how you drive your car, and where you drive your car. Flat, easy terrain will mean longer lasting brakes. You live in the mountains? All bets are off… The way you drive your car also plays a huge role in the lifespan of your brakes. Here’s a few tips to help your brakes live a little longer

  • Stops from high speeds are your brake’s #1 enemy. Brakes sacrifice themselves by turning energy into heat. By stopping from a slower speed, a lot less brake material will be burned off. By coasting up to a known stop will significantly increase your brake’s lifespan
  • Only use your right foot to drive. Ever see cars that are driving down the road with their brake lights on? That driver is probably driving with both feet, pushing the gas pedal and (inadvertently) pushing the brake at the same time.
  • Brake fluid needs to be changed from time to time. It’s what mechanics call flushing and bleeding the system. If you have an older vehicle, renew the brake fluid. You don’t gain a thing if you’re saving the brakepads and the system is rotting from the inside out. Brake fluid naturally attracts moisture which can promote internal corrosion, and really limit the effectiveness of your brakes.

If your driving habits are sensible but your brakes are still wearing rapidly, the problem may be with the car. The Service Department at the Woody’s Automotive Group is a full service shop that works on all makes and models- Just give Matt a call today! 888-869-0963

A headlight is just a headlight, right? Not anymore!

Woody's Automotive Group Headlight Service

A headlight is just a headlight, right? At one time this may have been true, but today there are three main options for manufacturers and auto buyers to choose from. Headlamp technology has evolved over the years, but does newer always mean better? I guess it depends on what you’re looking for in a headlight.

The first up is the trusty, time-tested halogen headlamp. Most vehicles on the road today are using halogen lights. This is the oldest of the three options found on new vehicles, but it’s still widely used today because it’s primary advantage is longevity and cost. Under normal conditions, a halogen bulb will last about 1,000 hours and the replacement lamps are usually inexpensive to replace. So why not use them in everything? Halogen isn’t exactly the best example of efficiency. Lots of the energy used by a halogen lamp is turned into heat and is just wasted. If you’re driving an electric car or a hybrid, you can’t afford to be wasting your power in the form of throw-away heat. One thing to remember when changing a halogen bulb is to not touch the glass with your fingers. By wearing gloves, you can keep the salt from the moisture in your skin away from the glass. These salts can compromise the way the glass will resist the high temperatures created by the filament.

Halogen Advantages: – Long life – Bright illumination – Inexpensive replacements

Halogen Disadvantages: – Energy wasting – Extra care when handling

Next up is the Xenon headlight, or the HID (High Intensity Discharge) headlamp. These are generally regarded as a more efficient solution because they generate more light and have a better color temperature (to the naked eye, they appear to have a blue tint). These lamps can generate more than twice the light of a traditional halogen lamp. More light is a good thing, right? If you’re driving with HID lamps, yes. If you’re the oncoming traffic, not so much. For all the light they generate, an HID lamp should last about 2000 hours under normal conditions. These lamps do cost a little more to produce, install, and replace. Another thing to consider is that some of the Xenon lamps may contain toxic substances like mercury.

HID Advantages: – A longer lifetime than halogen lamps – More efficient than halogen lamps – Better visibility for the driver

HID Disadvantages: – Lots of glare for other drivers – All around higher costs than halogen – Harmful materials MAY be found in the lamps

The third major type of headlight used today is the LED, or Light Emitting Diode. These lamps are certainly a leap forward in technology, but they still have a ways to go. Don’t get me wrong- this type of light still has plenty of advantages and it could take over the headlamp world in a few years. These lamps need very low power to work, which is why they are the lamp of choice in electric and hybrid vehicles where electricity is a premium commodity. Also, an LED lamp is usually pretty small compared to a traditional headlamp, allowing manufacturers to produce all kinds of shapes and configurations that wouldn’t have been possible with the older headlights. Although these don’t create the heat that the other lamps do, there is still a certain amount of heat created at the base of the emitter. This hot-spot does create a potential risk for nearby assemblies and cables. This is the primary reason that these lamps aren’t used more frequently. Currently, production costs are pretty high for LED’s, and they mostly offered as options.

LED Advantages: – Very low energy consumption – Small size allowing for different configurations

LED Disadvantages: – High production costs – Not the brightest – Could cause heat damage to nearby assemblies

So how well does your car see in the dark? Come see the experts at the Woody’s Automotive Group today!

MOPAR ELECTRONIC VEHICLE TRACKING SYSTEM

Want to protect your vehicle? Check out this great device offered up by Mopar! They really do think of it all!

Protect your vehicle with Mopar’s Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS), a state-of-the-art GPS-enabled stolen vehicle recovery system. It features everything you need to recover your vehicle in the event of a theft, plus additional features that put other systems to shame.

EVTS includes nationwide tracking without a subscription, but you’ll want to add either the Silver or Gold Plan to get a wide variety of extra benefits, including 24/7 Emergency Service Dispatch, Security Fence, Arrival/Departure Notification, Excessive Speed Notification, Trace Maps of Past Locations, and much more. Keep your vehicle safe and sound with EVTS.

Carbon Foot? How is your vehicle?

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The carbon footprint of making a car is immensely complex. Ores have to be dug out of the ground and the metals extracted. These have to be turned into parts. Other components have to be brought together: rubber tires, plastic dashboards, paint, and so on. All of this involves transporting things around the world. The whole lot then has to be assembled, and every stage in the process requires energy. The companies that make cars have offices and other infrastructure with their own carbon footprints, which we need to somehow allocate proportionately to the cars that are made.

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With this in mind, unless you do very high mileage or have a real gas-guzzler, it generally makes sense to keep your old car for as long as it is reliable – and to look after it carefully to extend its life as long as possible. If you make a car last to 200,000 miles rather than 100,000, then the emissions for each mile the car does in its lifetime may drop by as much as 50%, as a result of getting more distance out of the initial manufacturing emissions.

Find out your vehicles carbon footprint right here! My 2005 Chevrolet Trailblazer has made 49.45 metric tons of CO2..

If you are in need of a new car or want something more reliable that also gets amazing gas mileage, Woody’s Automotive Group can handle that! We have over 700 vehicles and each one is fantastic in its own right! Stop in and see us today!

Woody’s Weekly Update 38

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Watch the Woody’s Weekly Update 38! Burgundy is back with his Durango, a vicious spork attack, the WowWomen in the Kitchen make a tasty after-school snack, a Robin Williams tribute, the WowMap, and more! The Woody’s weekly update starts NOW!

2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat Is Happening!

So as most of you heard maybe by now! The 2015 Dodge Charger is happening! Here we go with details! 707 HP, top speed of 204 mph, 11.0s quarter mile, 0-60 in 3.7s! Interior equipped with black or sepia nappa leather!

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Owner will get two keys fobs! Black releases the 707 HP but the red limits you back to 500 HP!!

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The super sedan is officially the fastest sedan in the world! No exaggeration! Will come in automatic and RWD only! Get ready Q1 is just right around the corner!!seats

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Should I have my cooling system serviced, or just keep an eye on it?

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Cooling system problems are a major source of automotive breakdowns. The coolant in your engine is a fluid that absorbs the heat from the engine and transports it to the outside world through your radiator. Servicing your cooling system involves draining and flushing the vehicles cooling system, and then refilling with new coolant.

It’s a good idea to do this because it removes dirt and rust particles that can build up and clog the cooling system, causing problems in both summer and winter. Because the coolant operates in a very hot & hostile environment, it will break down over time. This breakdown can include the rust inhibitors which will leave the small cooling passages in your engine vulnerable to corrosion. If these tiny passages become clogged, you engine will overhead.

Make sure you check your coolant levels periodically. When the engine is cold, the coolant level should be at or above the “minimum” or “fill” line on the plastic coolant recovery tank under the hood. When the engine is hot, the level should be at or just below the “max” line. If the coolant level is low, it may be caused by a leak (either internal or external). Leaks should be addressed ASAP, as no coolant could lead to a catastrophic engine failure. To have your vehicle professionally serviced, make an appointment with Deryck or Mike at the Woody’s Service Department! http://www.wowwoodys.com/service-center or 888-895-6545

The New Car of Justice!! Dodge Style!

Just when you were getting used to what those Ford Explorer police cruisers look like in your rearview mirror, there’ll soon be a new face in town.

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Dodge has unveiled the 2015 Charger Pursuit, featuring the model’s updated look. C-shaped LED running lights and the Charger’s signature crosshair grille make it easy for you to pick out of traffic, while new projector-beam headlamps should help do the opposite for the officers inside.

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Powered by either a 292 hp 3.6-liter V6 or 370 hp 5.7-liter Hemi V8, it’s available with all-wheel-drive and is one of the quickest cop cars around. It’s also got cop shocks, cop brakes…you know the drill. One engine not (yet?) available is Dodge’s new 707 hp Hellcat V8, which is rumored to be coming to the Charger lineup. Suffice it to say, the crooks wouldn’t stand a chance against that one.

Can It Be Real? 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat?!

A pair of Dodge’s full-size, four-door bruisers wearing front and rear camo, reported to be packing a version of the Challenger SRT’s Hellcat V-8. Caught testing in southeast Michigan, the partial cover-up on these Chargers can’t hide the presence of a large hood scoop, aggressive chin and trunk-lid spoilers, and larger exhaust tips.

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As Chrysler’s standalone tuning division, SRT was responsible not only for the Viper, but also for injecting adrenaline into a number of Mopar products in the name of performance. So when the refreshed-for-2015 Charger debuted in New York earlier this year, we were a little befuddled that the manufacturer made no mention of what SRT might be cooking up for the four-door muscle car.

This car is all about the engine, in this case the Hellcat’s supercharged V-8. We expect the Hellcat V-8 to arrive packing the same 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque it makes in the Challenger, its might backed up to the same ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.