Check Your Battery

Summer heat can speed up the chemical reaction inside a battery, causing the battery to be overcharged. This can dramatically shorten the lifespan of your battery. Heat can also damage the battery by evaporating internal battery fluid.

The best way to keep your battery running smoothly is to keep it clean. Regularly detach the battery cables and wipe off the terminals. Make sure the battery is strapped down tightly and that all connections are secure.

If you suspect that your battery is being overcharged or isn't holding a charge well, bring it into our Service Department where we can run a quick battery inspection!

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Nucar Mazda is currently celebrating our Spring Cleaning Sales Event! Head into the dealership to get great lease offers! We're also proud to announce Mazda Capital Owner Reward cash of $750 towards the lease of any new 2014 or 2015 Mazda available to current Mazda owners. Come see us today!

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Top 5 Dangerous Driving Habits

Many people are guilty of engaging in dangerous driving behavior. We do these things on a daily basis, oblivious as to how harmful how they can be in the unfortunate event of an accident. See the top 5 most dangerous driving habits below.

Eating and drinking: One-handed driving means less control of the steering wheel and shifter. You could also still scalding hot coffee on your work outfit. Eat before you get behind the wheel to avoid putting you and others at risk.
Applying makeup or grooming: Applying makeup while stuck in traffic may seem like a way to save time, but it's a dangerous one at that. Looking in your visor mirror doesn't allow you to pay attention to what's ahead.
Entertainment and electronics: To prevent your love affair with gadgets from becoming a fatal attraction, pull over if a gizmo requires you to focus on a screen and remove your eyes from the road.
Texting and social media: With proliferating technology and social media platforms, texting while driving has become one of the worst driving habits. You're 23 times more likely to get into an accident if you text while driving.
Talking on the phone: Driving under the influence of a cell phone, be it handheld or hands-free, impairs driver reaction to the same level as being at the legal limit for blood alcohol content of .08.

What to Know About Car Insurance

Choosing car insurance coverage can be a little confusing. The first thing you need to know is that there are different types of policies that make up your overall auto insurance. These include:

Liability Coverage: Covers liability and expenses when you are the one at fault in an accident.
Bodily Injury Liability (BIL): Covers the medical expenses of people that were injured in an accident in which you were at fault.
Property Damage Liability: Covers damage to the other vehicle in an accident in which you were at fault.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Covers your medical expenses as well as those of your passengers after an accident.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Covers costs if you are involved in an accident with another motorist who has minimal or no insurance.
Collision: Covers your vehicle’s repairs after an accident.
Comprehensive: Covers expenses if your vehicle is damaged or stolen even if not during an accident.

Almost every state has minimum requirements for car insurance. Check with your insurance company to understand what numbers allow you to legally drive. Since every situation is different, the minimum may not necessarily be enough if you get involved in a car accident. If you have assets like a home, savings, etc., you’ll want to consider getting covered for an amount equal to these.


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How to Improve Fuel Economy by Changing the Way You Drive

One of the best ways to improve your fuel economy is to change the way you drive. Speeding, accelerating, and braking hard can deplete efficiency by 33 percent. When you stop, start, or accelerate, your car has to overcome inertia. Inertia is the resistance an object has to a change in its state of motion. In order to get moving, or to stop, a car has to overcome inertia.

Overcoming inertia requires energy. When you're talking cars and energy, you're talking gas. You can use less energy to overcome inertia if you do it slowly. You should accelerate slowly from stops, allowing the car's momentum help it accelerate. Once the car is in motion, you should try to preserve that momentum by avoiding situations where it can be lost.

For example, you're driving down the road and see a light up ahead turn from yellow to red. Rather than keep your foot on the gas and brake at the last second, you should take your foot off the gas and slowly approach the light. Not only will coasting save gas, but you might not even have to come to a full stop before the light turns green again. This means that your car will have to overcome much less inertia to get going.


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Tips on Avoiding Mountain Driving Mishaps

With the weather getting warmer at the start of Spring, road trips may be in your near future. If you're going to be driving through mountain terrain, make sure to check out our tips below on how to stay alert and out of danger!

Winding mountain roads can be narrow, with dramatic curves that make it difficult to see what’s around the next bend. As a result, it’s important to take some extra precaution:

• Stay on your side of the road, and give some extra space between your vehicle and others that you’re following, since sudden stops can strike at any time.
• Mind the posted speed limits, and look for signs that warn you about the steep grades that may lie ahead.
• Avoid wrecks with wildlife by keeping an eye out for animals, especially at night.
• Make sure that you have enough gas if you’re traveling through remote areas.
• If you’re driving slowly to soak in the scenery, pull over to let faster-moving traffic pass.
• Only pass slower-moving traffic when you’ve got a clear view of the road ahead. Never pass another car on a blind curve, or when your visibility is compromised.

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Happy Birthday, World Wide Web!

The World Wide Web turned 25-years-old this week! Today, more than two people in five are connected to the web. Every minute, billions of connected people send each other hundreds of millions of messages, share 20 million photos, and exchange at least $15 million in goods and services, according to the World Wide Web Foundation. Do you remember the first time you used the internet? It's amazing to think how much progress its made over the years!

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