Fuel Efficient Autos

If you have ever wondered who came up with the idea for the airbag in cars, you are not alone. Your GMC-Pontiac-Buick dealers would like to offer this brief history of airbags for those who are curious about this lifesaving device.

• A man by the name of Allen Breed held the patent to “the only crash sensing technology available at the birth of the airbag industry,” according to this article. As a result, Breed created a “sensor and safety system” in 1968. This became the world’s first electromechanical automotive airbag system.
• The idea for the modern day airbag goes back to the early 1950s when a German inventor – Walter Linderer – submitted a patent application for a similar device. His idea, however, utilized compressed air to inflate the airbags. Unfortunately, compressed air could not inflate the bags quick enough to be effective so his idea did not last.
• General Motors tested airbags in 1973 on vehicles that were solely for government use.
• In 1975, GM offered the first driver’s side airbag for the general public.

This is just a brief history of the beginnings of the airbag. Visit your Springfield area Pontiac dealer today to see how far airbags and other safety features have come to protect you and your family in your Pontiac cars.

Isn’t technology great? If you can keep up with the changes, technology certainly is a blessing. In vehicles, technology has reformed the way we drive. But technology is always changing and that means old technology gets replaced with the new. As such, here are some older pieces of technology that you may no longer see in your VW cars in future model years.

Door Locks
Most people have little remotes for their car doors these days. All you have to do is push a button and the doors either lock or unlock. Few people actually use the method of putting the key in the lock to unlock doors any more. That’s why actual key locks may be a thing of the past before long.

Motorized Antennas
You cannot hardly find these anymore, but they do exist on some cars from the 1970s and 1980s. There’s a good chance they no longer work, though. These are being replaced by antennas built into the back window or some other part of the car for safety and convenience.

Three-Speed Transmissions
With the increase in speed and technology, many new cars are built with five and even six-speed transmissions. Get ready for speed if you purchase a new car!

The OnStar service has come to be one of the most important devices for drivers of Pontiac cars and other GM products. But have you ever wondered about the history of this irreplaceable device? Here are some tidbits of information about how OnStar came to be what it is today.

• General Motors introduced the OnStar system in 1996. At the time, the driver could push a button and activate the cellular technology that connected them with an OnStar advisor.
• The Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) uses the same technology as an airplane’s “black box.” It notifies OnStar immediately in the event of an accident.
• The OnStar system records several pieces of data every five seconds. Some data the system collects include speed, braking actions, seatbelt use and much more. The information is retrievable for 45 days or 250 ignition cycles, whichever comes first.
• When it was first introduced, the OnStar system was only available for the Cadillac Seville, Seville and Eldorado models. However, by 2007, OnStar became a standard feature on all GM models sold in North America.

Now that you know more about the OnStar system, visit your local Pontiac cars dealer and check out the newest features available on the device. Once you have it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably know that most major auto manufacturers have scaled back production of their products due to dwindling sales. That’s not true with VW cars, however.

Volkswagen announced earlier today that it plans to “boost production at its new U.S. plant and its Mexican plant as part of a push to triple its U.S. sales by 2018.” The automaker has a goal of increasing sales to 800,000 units per year by 2018 in the United States alone. As such, the company has decided to increase production in order to achieve this lofty goal.

If everything goes according to plan, the automaker will produce 300,000 VW cars in the United States. In addition, it will import about 375,000 from Mexico and 125,000 from plants in Europe.

Increasing sales in the United States market, according to Volkswagen, is crucial to the automaker’s global expansion. That is why Europe’s largest automaker is building a new manufacturing plant in Tennessee for producing a mid-size sedan beginning in 2011.

Before long, you will see many more VW cars on the roads and highways around you. It’s nice to see that some auto companies are still planning for a profitable future while others are essentially begging for money just to stay in business.

With warmer weather upon us, washing your Pontiac cars may be one of the things on your mind. After all, you want to have a nice, shiny car for driving around in the warm weather, don’t you? Here are some tips you can use for washing your Pontiac cars and giving it that sparkle that will turn heads.

1. Rinse the car off before washing it with soap. It’s easier for the soapy rags to move around the cars surface if it is wet first.
2. Be sure to get all the soap off after rinsing it the second time. Residual soap will leave streaks that will detract from the sparkle.
3. Wax your Pontiac cars after washing. Wax not only brings out a sparkle in the finish, but it also protects the paint job from small particles and dust.
4. Be sure to remove all the wax when you are finished. Wax can harden and become difficult to remove if left for a period of time.
5. Wash your car about once a month during the warmer months to keep it looking clean and to maintain that shine.

Follow these tips for washing your Pontiac cars and you’ll have a vehicle that you can be proud of!

The question between buying a new car or a used car is almost as old as the auto industry itself. There are arguments on both sides of the coin that make sense, but it is really up to you to make the decision for yourself. If you have been wrestling with this question, here are three advantages you can enjoy by deciding to buy new VW cars instead of used ones.

1. There are more options to choose from. If you don’t see the VW cars that interest you because of a lack of features, you can order one. All you have to do is tell your VW dealer what you want in your new car and they can order it for you. You don’t have that option when buying used VW cars.
2. New VW cars require less maintenance. New cars come with extensive warranties that cover your vehicle in case something goes wrong. Some manufacturers even offer plans in which you pay a little extra each month and your preventative maintenance procedures are already paid for.
3. Roadside assistance is included with new VW cars. This feature is an attractive one because you can drive worry-free knowing that you are covered in case you get a flat tire, run out of gas or if something else goes wrong.

Consider these benefits of owning a new car when making your final decision. They help make the decision much easier to make.

You probably don’t think much about the radiator in your Pontiac cars until something goes wrong with it. The radiator is a major part of your engine because it plays a major role in keeping it cool and running efficiently.

The radiator is typically made from aluminum and consists of several tubes that pass through the engine. These tubes carry the coolant to the engine and helps keep the parts at the ideal temperature for running your Pontiac cars. The thermostat monitors the temperature and opens up to allow the coolant to flow through the proper parts of the engine.

Some problems that could occur with the radiator include the following:
• Overheating due to a coolant leak
• Overheating due to clogs, blocks or dirt particles that restrict the radiator’s ability to dissipate heat
• Worn hoses and cracked or stretched belts
• Aggressive driving can cause undue wear and tear on the radiator

Keep the radiator in your Pontiac cars maintained by doing regularly scheduled maintenance and keeping the proper amount of coolant in it at all times. It may be one of the more complicated systems in your car, but it’s also one of the easiest to maintain if you are willing to do so.

If you own any VW cars, there’s a good chance that it is your second largest investment next to your home. And with the number of car thefts and vandalism incidents occurring these days, you want to protect your VW cars as much as possible. Here are some tips to decrease your chances of being a target of a car theft or vandalism.

1. Always lock your doors. Car thieves are looking for quick ways to do what they need to do. If you have your doors unlocked, you are an easy target because they can simply open the door. Keep your doors locked to deter thieves and vandals.

2. Do not put valuable items in plain sight. Robbers will break into your VW cars if they see an expensive cell phone, MP3 player or anything else that they can sell for quick cash. Take these things with you or hide them so they are not in plain view.

3. Install an anti-theft device. The more anti-theft devices a would-be thief sees, the less likely he is to break into your car. Do not just assume your door locks are satisfactory anti-theft devices because they are not.

4. Park in lighted areas. Car thieves would rather break into cars that cannot be seen in the dark. When you park in lighted areas, they are less likely to approach your VW cars.

The tough economic times are causing some people to stoop to some drastic measures to make money. One of those things is fake auto insurance. Don’t be a victim to this ploy when shopping for auto insurance for your VW cars.

This particular story comes out of Michigan, but it could happen regardless of where you live. Several people purchased auto insurance through a company called Fender Bender Insurance Agency. Unfortunately, that company turned out to be a fraudulent company and people lost their money. Even worse, those people do not have insurance coverage on their automobiles. Here are some ways you can avoid being scammed when it comes to purchasing auto insurance:

Go with a reputable company. There are too many fly-by-night auto insurance companies that are here one month and gone the next. It’s worth a few extra dollars each month to purchase your auto insurance through a reputable company.

Visit the insurance company’s office in person. Look for the company’s business license and be familiar with what a legitimate license is supposed to look like.

Go local. Local companies are more likely to serve you better because they are smaller and they tend to treat you like a customer rather than a number.

If you think you have been scammed by a fraudulent auto insurance company, contact your local Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation to report the problem. Then visit a reputable insurance company right away to make sure you have coverage.

The fuel pump is one of the most important parts of your Pontiac cars. However, it’s one of the most forgotten parts until it goes bad. A faulty fuel pump can leave you stranded at the most inopportune times and ruin your day.

The fuel pump is the part of the car that takes fuel from the gas tank into the engine. Without it, the engine gets no fuel and, as a result, fails to run properly or even start. On newer Pontiac cars, the fuel pump is fuel-injected, meaning that it is located within the gas tank to help keep it cool. On most older Pontiac cars, the fuel pump is typically located next to the carburetor.

There is not a lot you can do to prevent your fuel pump from failing. It goes through normal wear-and-tear like other car parts. However, funning your car on low fuel will make it work harder and cause it to wear out quicker than normal.

You will know if you have a fuel pump that needs service if your car begins sputtering. Most of the time, it’s too late because it will not be long before it quits completely.

Now that you know more about the fuel pump on your Pontiac cars, you can diagnose the problem if it ever occurs and you can take measures to make it last longer!