When something electrical like your stereo, A/C, power windows, dome lights, etc. stops working in your new or used Chevrolet, often times it’s because a fuse has blown. I’ll never forget the time my radio suddenly stopped working in my first car. Of course, I immediately panicked thinking that I was going to have get a new radio. Come to find out, all I had to do was replace a tiny little fuse. In a matter of minutes, I was back to jamming out in my Chevy.
If this happens to you, the first thing you’ll need to do is locate the fuse box. It will typically be in your glove box or on the left side of your steering wheel toward the floor. If you have difficulty finding it, refer to your owners manual or call Classic Chevrolet’s service departmentand ask them. Once you’ve found the fuse box, you’ll need to figure out which fuse is blown. Most cars will have a diagram you can refer to that will tell you which fuse controls what and where it’s located. When you locate the fuse you think might be blown, inspect the metal wire or strip in the fuse. If you’re not sure what a blown fuse looks like, pull another one out and compare the two.
Photo Courtesy of DIYMyRide.com
As I’m sure you’ve already noticed by now, there are different colors of fuses with different numbers on them. You must replace a fuse with the correct color and number. Some cars come equipped with extra fuses. If not, simply head down to your local auto store or Classic Chevrolet and pick up the necessary fuse. Don’t worry, there are pretty cheap. I’d also recommend buying a few extras of each kind and storing them in your Chevrolet’s glove box in case this happens again in the future. Insert the new fuse, and you are good to go! Of course if you have any issues at all, don’t hesitate to give Classic Chevrolet a call or swing by the North Texas car dealership.
Hey Dallas Ft Worth Chevrolet enthusiasts, have you heard about Chevy’s latest in-car technology yet? At the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month, we learned that the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS and the higher-end model of the2013 Chevrolet Spark will host the MyLink infotainment system that allows your iPhone, Android and other smartphones’ capabilities into the vehicles.
So what exactly is the MyLink? A seven-inch, touch screen display (produced by LG Electronics) that incorporates your audio, phone, telephone and more. As you know, these type of systems are generally considered expensive. Autoblog summed it up pretty well by saying that buyers that spend that kind of money usually don’t care about deep smartphone integration, but young people do. This is exactly why the MyLink is coming to the Chevy Sonic and Chevy Spark.
In a GM press release, GM Global Infotainment Program Manager, Sara LeBlanc, said “The whole philosophy of MyLink is about letting our customers personalize how they bring information and music into their vehicles. Customers all over the world told us they’ve set up their smartphones exactly how they want them, and the ideal car radio should extend the capabilities of their smartphone rather than try to duplicate them.
According to Sara, Chevrolet listened to their customers and created a safe, simple and connected system. This is exactly why I love the Chevrolet brand.
Those who attended CES were able to test drive the MyLink system for Sonic RS and Spark at a special display. One of these days I’m actually going to make it to this show, I swear. But for now, I’ll just have to rely on the videos and coverage from those fortunate enough to attend. And of course, I’ll continue to share these videos with all of you in Dallas and Ft Worth! Up first, is Chevy’s official video that played during the show followed by a more detailed video showing the functionality of the MyLink. Enjoy Chevy lovers and stay tuned to Classic Chevroletfor updates on the MyLink and all things Chevrolet.
Brrrr! It’s cold out in the DFW metroplex! This week is the first week most of us have seen temperatures below freezing this winter, and you know what that means… freeze warning. Luckily, North Texas isn’t expecting much precipitation this week while the temperatures are in the 20′s, but I’m sure we eventually will if this winter is anything like the last.
These Oak Cliff drivers definitely had some issues on the icy roads...
Unfortunately, icy road conditions don’t close down businesses like they do schools. So when we do get ice for this first time, most of us will be taking ourChevys on those Dallas Ft Worth roads and highways. So let’s talk about the best driving practices for icy conditions.
If you haven’t already, you need to winterize your Chevrolet car or truck. Go ahead and schedule a maintenance visit to check on the tires and their pressure (tire pressure lowers in the winter), the battery, the belts and hoses, the radiator, oil, lights and the brake system. You also need to be sure your windshield wipers are in good condition. If you’re not sure if you need a new set of blades, click here. Your defroster also need to be effective, so check to make sure it’s working properly, too.
Now that you Chevrolet is in tip-top condition for the winter, the rest is up to your driving skills. Safe winter driving consists of three things: staying alert, slowing down and keeping in control.
In the event of snow or ice (and it’s usually the latter in DFW), you need to take extra caution while driving. Get a feel for the road conditions by starting out slowly and testing your steering control and brakes. Often times, you’ll see people’s tires spinning at a stop light. Avoid this by gently accelerating until the car beings to roll.
You’ll also need to start braking at least three times sooner than you would under normal conditions, so it’s best to keep a safe interval between you and the car ahead of you. This can often frustrate other drivers who think they can still drive their vehicles the same as normal in these conditions. But I’d much rather have someone annoyed with me for driving slow and maintaining a distance than deal with someone who’s rear-ended me. In fact, if you see someone driving recklessly on the ice, stay as far away from them as possible.
When coming to a stop, avoid sudden movements of the steering wheel and gently pump the brakes. If you lock your brakes on ice, it will cause a loss of steering and control. Always watch for danger or slippery spots ahead. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the term “black ice”. This is the most dangerous of all because you cannot see it. Typically, ice remains on bridges longer than anywhere else, so even if the roads look all clear, take extra precaution on and under bridges.
Remember Dallas Ft Worth Chevy drivers, better to be safe than sorry when it comes to winter driving. If there’s a possibility that the roads may be bad, leave the house twice as early as you normally would. If you haven’t already winterizing your Chevrolet, be sure to bring it in the Classic Chevy. They’ll gladly take care of you, and you can even schedule an appointment online! Stay safe, DFW!
Hey Chevy owners, have you ever come up to a four-way stop sign and see other vehicles going out of turn? Not only is this frustrating, it’s also dangerous and illegal. One of the most basic concepts we learn in driver’s ed is the “right of way”. Simply defined, when you yield the right of way to another vehicle, you are letting them go before you in the traffic situation. This rule is something most people have forgotten or wrongfully assume they have in different situations. Though it might be hard to believe, the law actually gives the right of way to no one. Instead, the law states who must give up (yield) the right of way in various situations.
In this situation, Car A has the right of way because he is on the right side of car B.
So what happens when we fail to yield the right of way in our Chevys? Crashes. This is true in all states. Failure to yield the right of way leads to crashes in all states. Here’s a list of instances when you must yield the right of way:
At a yield sign;
To pedestrians in a crosswalk;
To persons using a seeing eye guide dog;
To persons using a white cane with or without a red tip;
At uncontrolled intersections where vehicles are already in the intersection;
At “T” intersections where you must yield to vehicles on the through road;
When turning left in which case you must yield to oncoming pedestrians, cars, etc.;
When driving on an unpaved road that intersections with a paved road; and
When returning to the roadway after the car is parked.
One of the most misunderstood driving rules is the “Yield to the Driver on the Right” rule. This rule controls most intersections when drivers arrive at an intersection simultaneously. SafeMotorist.com describes this situation perfectly:
Imagine you come upon a stop sign at the same time as another driver in a cross street, and he is on your right. You yield (give up) the right of way to that driver by letting him go first. If you reach an uncontrolled intersection at close to the same time, the vehicle who actually reached the intersection last is the driver who must yield the right of way. If you reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left should yield the right of way.
Sounds simple enough, right Texas Chevrolet drivers? As I mentioned before, this is the most misunderstood concept of all. Now that I’ve given you a refresher course, hopefully it will stick in your memory the next time you find yourself in one of these situations. On a final note, never assume that other drivers will give you the right of way… even if it belongs to you. Always try to anticipate other drivers’ actions in addition to yielding whenever needed or required by law.
I’m sure most of you avid Chevrolet lovers in Dallas and Ft. Worth already know that this year marked Chevy‘s 100th anniversary. Hard to believe that Chevrolet has been winning the hearts of Americans for a century, isn’t it? Known as the top-selling auto brand of all time, Chevy was always a step ahead of the game when it came to bringing all-steel bodies, electric headlamps, automatic shifting and power steering to the working class at a reasonable price.
An article from Business Week noted that Chevy even embedded itself in American culture, sometimes changing it by knowing what people wanted to drive before they did. Not to mention their spectacular advertising and marketing efforts. Their slogans and jingles have dominated radio and TV. Here’s a fun fact for you Dallas Ft. Worth: Bands reference Chevys in more than 700 songs. Can you name a few?
In a press release, Vice President of Chevrolet of Global Marketing and Strategy, Chris Perry said, “We understand Chevrolet is more than a brand – it belongs to everyone who owns, designs, builds, sells or loves Chevrolets. The past 100 years wouldn’t have been possible without millions of people who have each made Chevrolet a part of their life’s journey.”
Boy was he spot on. As a Chevy driver, I’m sure you know exactly what he’s talking about. No other auto brand has come close to adoration Chevydrivers feel for their vehicles especially during the 1950s and `60s.
“The American car from the mid-1930s to the end of the `60s was a Chevrolet,” said John Heitmann, an automotive history professor at the University of Dayton and author of The Automobile and the American Life. “It was the car of the aspiring American lower and middle classes for a long period.”
So how do you feel about your Chevy DFW? Are you driving a new Chevrolet car or truck for the first time or have you been a lifer? Share your stories with us, we’d love to hear them! In the meantime, check out these great videos about Chevrolet history. The second one is a bit longer than the first and is for all of you history buffs out there. Enjoy!
There’s nothing like the smell of a new Chevy, and there’s really no better way to describe the smell other than “new”. It’s no wonder they sell “new car” scented air fresheners and sprays. I remember the day when my new Chevy stopped smelling new. In fact, it smelt funky. I immediately knew I had either left food or something else in the car causing that smell, and I was determined to get rid of it and have my Chevy back to smelling new.
Because the cabins of our Chevys are enclosed and small compared to our houses, the smallest odor can stink up the entire car and make it miserable to drive in. So how can we get rid of these odors and prevent them from coming back? First, be sure you lock your windows and doors to prevent rain and bugs from getting inside the vehicle. If you’ve never done this before, good for you. Let me be the first to tell you that it doesn’t smell like a rain-scented Glade candles. In fact, it smells like mildew.
Second, if you’re a smoker, be sure to roll down your window when you smoke. Cigarette smoke clings to cotton fabrics like crazy. It’s also a good idea to crack all four windows half an inch for at least five minutes after you finish your cigarette. This will help air out the vehicle.
Next up, don’t leave any food in your car! A few hours is okay, but overnight or longer and you’ll be smelling your left-over, Olive Garden that’s now room temperature for a week.
When it comes to odor prevention, the best and most obvious thing to do is keep your car clean. If you are experiencing one though, you can try using baking soda or charcoal to get rid of the smell. For the baking soda route, simply buy a small to medium box and leave it in the car overnight. For a more effective result, spread the baking soda around a bit, but remember you’ll have to vacuum it up later. If you want to give the charcoal method a try, grab several different sizes from nearly powdered to rock-like. Put them in a basin and leave it overnight.
Both baking powder and charcoal will absorb the odors in your car. But if neither of them work, you can also give your car a deep clean or take it in and have it detailed. After all, they don’t make new car scents for nothing. And if you have a brand new Chevy truck or car, I can guarantee you’ll want to keep that new smell for as long as possible.
I have a Friday treat for all my Camaro lovers in the Dallas Ft Worth area – an inside look at the engineering behind the 2012 Camaro ZL1 from none other than the Chevrolet engineers themselves! With more than 100 development hours spent in the wind tunnel, the ZL1 is the first vehicle in General Motors history to boast neutral or negative lift. Excited yet?
In October, we saw just how fast this little beauty is as it lapped the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife course in 7:41.27 minutes. For those of you unfamiliar with Nordschleife, all you need to know is that the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the Ferrari 430 Scuderia have all been timed at around seven minutes and forty seconds at this German track. In case you missed the video of the ZL1′s 7:41 time, you can watch it here.
The 2012 Camaro ZL1 is expected to hit the dealerships this spring and will have two wheel options: a five-spoke and a 10-spoke design and will be available in nine different colors. Both the manual and automatic versions will host a six-speed manual gearbox and will also come with the same four-pack console gauges as the SS model with a boost gauge now thrown into the mix. Stay tuned for more updates from your Classic Chevrolet dealership, Dallas Ft Worth Chevy lovers. In the meantime, enjoy a video from the Chevrolet engineers. Happy Friday!
Hey DFW Camaro lovers, I have some exciting news. Earlier today, Chevrolet announced that its most-powerful convertible ever, the 2013 Camaro ZL1, will debut at the LA Auto show next month. According to a press release issued by General Motors, this Camaro will deliver more performance and technology than many exotic cars and ultra-luxury convertibles. I told you I had exciting news!
The ZL1 will be powered by a 580-horsepower LSA 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine, so I’m sure Camaro Chief Engineer, Al Oppenheiser, wasn’t kidding when he said, “This is a car that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face every time you drop the top – or hit the gas.”
The convertible will share all its characteristics and engine parts with the 2012 ZL1 coupe model which recently lapped the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife course in 7:41.27 minutes. The only changes we’ll see are a tower brace under the hood, a transmission reinforcement brace, an underbody tunnel brace and a set of X and V braces under the body. All of these are aimed at stiffening the chassis to better handle and apply all the power the LSA generates. Check out this video of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 at Nordschleife.
Are you getting excited yet? The ZL1 convertible will most likely be available for purchase in the late months of 2012. Until then, I’ll be sure to keep you posted on the latest updates!
We’ve all heard of the dangers of texting while driving time and time again, but there are still those who continue to do it. Hopefully, my fellow Chevy DFW drivers out there have taken this matter seriously. If not, time to listen up. A new study coming to us from the Aggies shows these dangers are far worse than most experts believe.
Earlier this week, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), an agency of the Texas A&M University System, released a report revealing that reading or sending a text message while driving doubles a driver’s reaction time. The study consisted of 42 drivers between the ages of 16 and 54.
First, participants were asked to drive a course with and without texting, and their reaction times to a periodic flashing light were recorded. Without texting, reaction times fell between one and two seconds. With texting, the reaction times doubled to three and four seconds. Furthermore, drivers were more than 11 times likely to miss the light all together when texting.
As the drivers’ reaction times were being recorded, their ability to maintain proper lane position and speed was also being measured. The results showed that drivers were less able to:
safely maintain their position in the driving lane when they were texting. Plus, their swerving was worse in the open sections of the course.
maintain a constant speed while texting, tending to slow down in an effort to reduce the demand of the multiple tasks. By slowing down, a driver gains more time to correct for driving errors (such as the tendency to swerve while texting). Speed variance was also greater for texting drivers than for non-texting drivers.
[tti.tamu.edu]
Christine Yager, an associate transportation researcher in TTI’s Center for Transportation Safety who managed the study said, “Most research on texting and driving has been limited to driving simulators. This study involved participants driving an actual vehicle. So one of the more important things we know now that we didn’t know before is that response times are even slower than we previously thought.”
Research doesn’t lie, friends. It’s a fact that texting while driving slows reaction time. So why risk you an accident in your new Chevyto send or read a measly little text message? Surely your life is worth than that.
Even if you’re not a fan of The Fast and The Furious movie franchise, you’ve got to at least check out the fifth movie, Fast Five, for the cars alone. The list is long and ranges from 1960s classics to 2011 models. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to know that my favorite on the list is the 1965 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport. You could probably say I’m a little biased, but even Dennis McCarthy, one of the most well-known picture car coordinators in the business, calls it the “Hero Car”. And with good reason.
Built by Mongoose Motorsports, this replica of a Grand Sport features the Chevrolet 502 big block backed by a Borg Warner Super T-10 four-speed transmission and rides on CS Corvette suspension. Here’s a breakdown of the car’s role in the movie from Dennis McCarthy himself.
According to McCarthy, all of the Fast Five vehicles had a pretty rough life on set. The only ones still drivable were the Hero and two stunt cars. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and you’re a car lover like me, I definitely recommend you check it out. Here’s a scene from the movie featuring the Corvette. Enjoy!
Hi, I'm Hagen Durant, General Manager of Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, TX - I am a huge car and truck enthusiast and love talking cars. I'm a cyclist, health nut, father, geek, and drummer. I look forward to giving you great information about cars and trucks, driving tips, maintenance and so much more.
If you have any questions or would like to make suggestions feel free to email them to me at hagen@classicchevytexas.com
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