Spring is in full bloom so if you haven’t started your spring cleaning there is no better time than now to do so. If you have put off spring cleaning, we get it, it isn’t a blast to clean up the mess that was made over the winter months, but it is important in keeping your ride looking and running properly. But remember, not everything has to be completed in one day so it’s okay to break up your tasks into segments. This week we are focusing on cleaning out your trunk and getting it organized for the summer months ahead. So maybe starting there would be a good idea and at least get the ball rolling.

If your trunk has seen better days, trust us, you’re not the only one. But this week we have a ton of tips and tricks to help get your ride back into shape and organized for the summer months ahead! Let’s face it, the summer holds a lot of trips and adventures and you if can’t fit anything in your trunk, let alone luggage or beach toys, then it’s definitely time to get organized! So check out our tips below and start your spring cleaning today!

Get An Organizer

There are many products that can help keep your trunk organized. The key is knowing what will work best for your lifestyle and having a designated spot for items. Shower caddies work wonders when it comes to storing a few small things or fluids for your vehicle. Bigger organizers can be utilized to store bigger items and/ or keep them from rolling around in your trunk.

Keep It Out Of Your Trunk

Don’t get in the habit of tossing things back there, keep unnecessary items out of your trunk in the first place. Items like your purse, reusable shopping bags or other small items can be kept up front for easy accessibility. Keeping these items out of your trunk will keep them from spilling over or piling up.

Contain The Mess

Once your trunk is organized, try to maintain it. An organized trunk can guarantee that you’ll avoid spills, damage, and potential injury. Keep tie-down straps, your pet and cargo barriers in your trunk for those times when you need to secure something a little tighter or your pet is along for the road trip too.

Must-Haves For Your Car

While you are organizing, it is important to keep your vehicle equipped with a few certain things.

• Pen and pad of paper
• Cell phone charger
• Vehicle’s owner manual, proof of insurance, and a copy of your registration.
• First aid kit
• Jacket, hat, gloves, and a blanket
• Spare tire and jack, and jumper cables

Spring has sprung and Carriage Traders wants to help upgrade your next spring getaway by helping you slip behind the wheel of a like-new vehicle at a price you just can’t beat! We have an impressive lineup of new-to-you vehicles that range from brands like Chevy, GMC, and RAM to brands like BMW and more! Whatever vehicle you are dreaming about can become a reality when you stop into Carriage Traders this month!

So don’t waste any more time, check out our offers below and be sure to head over to our specials page to see ALL of our special including the ones that aren’t listed below! After you find the ride for you be sure to head over to Carriage Traders and allow us to help pair you with the perfect like-new ride for you!

Trucks:

2009 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Stock #: 19b0278 – Buy for only $17,900*

2013 Ford F-150 STX Stock #: 19B0571 – Buy for only $20,900*

2014 RAM 2500 Tradesman Stock #: 19B0462 – Buy for $21,900

SUVs:

2013 Ford Edge SEL Stock #: 19B0626 – Buy for only $13,700

2015 Kia Sorento LX Stock #: 19B0883 – Buy for only $16,900

2013 BMW X5 xDrive35i Stock #: 19B0654 – Buy for only $18,900

AND MANY MORE!

*All offers expire 4/30/2019. For more information check out our specials page!

Here at Carriage Traders, we work hard to provide 5-star experience for all of our customers. Throughout the car buying experience, we what to make sure that you are having a stress-free, hassle-free, process. If you have been in our store recently and have not experienced this we want to hear about it. We can only better ourselves if we know what isn’t working. On the other hand, if you have been in our store and had a five-star experience, we want to hear about that too! Hearing that our hard work pays off means a lot and shows us we did our job right! So if you’ve never shopped with us take a peek below to see what others are saying about us, and if you have been in recently, tell about your experience, we cannot wait to hear about it!  

Lorrin B. (5 Star Review)

• Easiest vehicle purchase ever. Entered the office, stated what I wanted, intended purpose, mileage and price range, and they quickly found it on the computer. Looked it over in the lot, and it was shined up like a new vehicle, inside and out, and didn’t show any signs of having 42,000 miles. Drove like a dream. The salesman gave me the ins and outs of the vehicle, and it was friendly. No pressure. paperwork to buy went smoothly and quickly had received various monthly payment amounts based on down payment, and got a fair trade in amount. This is how car or truck buying should be.

John from Amsterdam (5 Star Review)

• I had a great experience and got the Jeep I wanted with no hassles. A big thanks to Steve Stark for finding the right Jeep and to Mike Cronin for handling the financing!!!

WALLY from NORTH CREEK (5 Star Review)

• Had an excellent buying experience thanks to Jim & Mike. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Hunter from Hague (5 Star Review)

• The service I got was great. Very helpful.

Rena & Jeff from South Glens Falls

• Roger was great. The car we came to look at had already been sold so he found us a comparable car with more amenities that we loved and ended up buying.

It’s springtime here in New York and the weather is warming up (hopefully), which means now is the best time to start getting your vehicle back into tip-top shape after the long winter months. We know your to-do list is probably miles long and we don’t expect you to get it all done in one day. So this week we’re going to help get you motivated to check off at least one item, and that is changing your air filters. Your, what? Yeah, if you don’t know what those are then it’s definitely time to change them. It’s okay, we are not all car experts and that’s okay, but changing your filters is a really simple but important thing to do, and luckily it’s the perfect time to do so! So take a few minutes are read about your air filters and why it’s good to change them now. After that decide if you think this is a DIY project you can take on; if not just schedule an appointment with us and we will do it for you in no time!

Your Dirty Filter Is Killing Efficiency

Believe it or not, a dirty or clogged air filter is doing major damage to your fuel efficiency. For real. Your mileage could be drastically cut because of a clogged air filter. It can also lead to your heater or air conditioning unit becoming clogged as well since all that dirt and debris need to go somewhere. This can result in hefty repair costs all because you neglected to change your air filter.

Pollen’s A Problem

When you’re out and about you don’t want to be breathing in allergens and pollen, do you? I didn’t think so. Again, that’s why it is so important to change our your air filter. We recommend changing your filter at the end of the pollen season and making sure before that season hits that your filter is clean and hasn’t deteriorated. A broken down air filter will allow dirt, dust, pollen, and other allergens to enter the cabin aka where you breathe.

Clean Air = Clear Breathing  

Spring weather can be a bit wacky. You might end up needing to use your air conditioner one day and the heat the next. Those unpredictable weather changes can put a lot of strain on your air filter which eventually leads to the breakdown of said filter. If your filter has begun to deteriorate, the allergens are just coming straight through your filter and into your vehicle’s cabin. Let’s not worry about that at all. We recommend changing your filter at least every 12,000 to 15,000 miles and checking up on it at the beginning of each new season!

Spring has sprung and we are so excited for the warmer weather to finally come! One drawback of spring is the fact that we lost an hour of sleep and now when we wake up it is dark, aka we don’t want to get out of bed. If you’re like us and you find it hard to hit the road to work when the sun hasn’t even come up yet, then it’s the perfect time for us to talk about an important reminder. This week we want to remind you about the difficulties of driving in the dark and lend you some helpful tips to ensure you and everyone else on the road gets from point A to point B safely. I know, you might be thinking, I don’t need to read this because it’s light out by the time that I go to work. Well, that might true, but I bet I can say that you’ve driven on the road at least once this week in the dark and you would we agree, and even if you haven’t I’m sure you will sooner than later. So, it is important that everyone takes the time to read these helpful tips below, and if you have any questions feel free to give us a call and we will be happy to help!

Use those headlights!

• It’s a very good habit to form to start using your headlights more than not. I know that you’re thinking I’m crazy staying you should drive with your headlights on during the day, but that’s not exactly what I’m saying. It’s recommended that you turn your headlights on about an hour before dusk or an hour after dawn because this makes it easier for you to see as it gets darker/gets brighter.
• If it is a cloudy or stormy you should ALWAYS have your headlamps on. Your headlights don’t just help you see, they help other drivers see you! So keep those headlights on more than not!

Back off:

• It’s never a good idea to follow to close, it’s especially a bad idea during dark hours and during bad weather. There are many reasons this is bad, but one of the biggest is the fact that when you’re driving in the dark or during a storm your visibility is lower than in the day time. This may cause you to react slower and potentially causing an accident. Other reasons include the fact that your headlights will shine brightly into the other driver’s vehicle making it harder for them to see, and driving too close to another vehicle make the other driver nervous causing them to react or response poorly causing a potential accident.

Keep your eyes moving and alert:

• Especially at dusk, many animals like deers are out wondering looking for food. If you aren’t paying attention or alert an animal could come out in front of you and you might not have enough time to react because of your lack of visibility
• The same goes for pedestrians. If you drive in a city or on busy streets, be sure to keep your eyes out for pedestrians crossing the road, running to the bus, and even biking.

It’s all about the headlights:

• Keeping your headlights clean is extremely important. It’s obvious that headlights are used to help improve visibility in a storm and when it’s dark, but headlights tend to be neglected when vehicle maintenance happens.
• Having a dirty headlight decreases your visibility but it also increases the chance of a burn out with makes it harder or you to drive and could even get you a ticket.

Stay awake:

• Whether you’re on your early morning commute or you’re heading home after a long day, or even traveling home after a road trip, falling asleep at the wheel is a scary possibility and can cause serious injuries
• It’s recommended to start traveling while the sun is still up and then continue your drive into dusk because it is easier for the body to adjust. If it is out of your hands when you hit the road, don’t be afraid to take breaks, have a coffee, or make sure you have a buddy in the vehicle with you.

As the snow begins to melt and we have a couple of warmer day popping up, we can almost image spring and summer and our mind starts to wander and plan our next big adventures. But if your old vehicle isn’t in shape to hit the road when you are, then stop into Carriage Traders and we can get you behind the wheel of a like new-vehicle for an AMAZING price! That way you don’t have to break the bank and you can spend more money on want you really want, and that’s taking on your next getaway!

So take a few minutes to check out all of our March offers and if you find a vehicle that peaks your interest, schedule a test drive or stop into Carriage Traders today! If you don’t see a vehicle you love, browse our available inventory, we have tons of vehicles at amazing prices that are ready to take on the open road!

March Offers

2013 Honda Ridgeline Sport  – Get it for $17,900*

2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD Work Truck  – Get it for $18,500*

2009 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE  – Get it for $19,900*

2010 Ford F-150 Lariat  – Get it for $22,500*

2014 GMC Acadia Denali  – Get it for $24,900*

2011 Ford Super Duty F-250 SRW  – Get it for $26,900*

2013 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ  – Get it for $37,900*

*All offers expire 3/31/2019. For more information check out our specials page!

March is the month to get your ride ready for all of your road trips, getaways, adventures that are right around the corner. Winter can be pretty rough on our vehicles so making sure that they are still running smoothly, even in the warmer weather is extremely important. Just like us, our vehicle gets tired after working hard, and we can all agree our vehicles work hard in the winter. Providing your vehicle with regular service one the weather warms up will keep it running smooth and ensure that you don’t experience any issues once you hit the road for your next summer adventure! So take the time to check out all of our service specials below. Once you find the perfect service special for your ride’s needs, print it out and schedule an appointment for whenever is most convenient for you! Remember to have the coupon printed out at the time of the write-up in order for it to be valid! So don’t wait any longer, get your ride ready for whatever adventure you have planned next!

Service Specials:

First Time Customers

• 10% Discount for first-time customers*

Wheel Alignment

• Get for only $78.88*

Conventional Oil Change

• Get for $24.95*

Full Synthetic Oil Change

• Get for only $49.95*

State Inspection

• Get for only $5.00*

Transmission Fluid Flush  

• Get for $189.95*

A/C Recharge

• Get for only $89.95*

Make Your Own Discount

• Spend $50 – $100 … Save $5.00*
• Spend $101 – $200 … Save $15.00*
• Spend $201 – $400 … Save $30.00*
• Spend $401 – $600 … Save $50.00*
• Spend $601 – $800 … Save $75.00*
• Spend $801 – $UP … Save $100.00*

*All offers expire 4/30/2019. For more information check out our specials page!

Yup, the snow is still here and coming down, and we cannot wait till spring! But wait, spring brings rain…we can’t catch a break! This means there is no better time than NOW to get your vehicle ready for everything mother nature will continue to throw at it! The first thing you should check/replace is your wipers. We all know how important our wipers are but many of us overlook our wipers when it comes to maintenance. So this week we are helping figure out if it’s time for your wipers to call it quits or if they’re still in good enough shape to take on the spring showers! If you’re not sure how to tell if your wipers need to be replaced, then take a look at our tips below and if you need any help replacing them or purchasing wipers, stop into Carriage Traders or visit our site to schedule a service appointment!

It’s time to change your wipers if….

• Streaking occurs when the rubber squeegee dries, hardens, and cracks
• Skipping occurs when the blade develops a curvature from lack of use
• Wearing occurs with extensive use and is when the rubber edges are rounded instead of squared
• Splitting is caused when the sun’s rays penetrate the rubber squeegee, causing it to break down
• Bent frames are caused by inconsistent contact with the glass surface, creating streaking or skipping

If you’re running outside to go inspect your vehicle to see if it’s time to change your wipers be sure to look for the following!

• Broken frames
• Metal corrosion
• Visible cracks
• Rounded squeegee edges
• Loose or unsecured wiper blades
• Check that the squeegee is secure in the wiper frame

Visibility is extremely important to safe driving. Although drivers depend on their wiper blades to clear rain, sleet, snow, etc., many wait too long to replace them. Do yourself a favor and be sure to maintain wiper blades regularly which can maximize your visibility, efficiency, and reliability! If you want some tips on how to maintain the life of your wiper blades check them out below!

• When you get gas, be sure to clean your windows too
• Clean your squeegee often
• Never use your wipers to de-ice your window
• Pull your blades up during snow/ice storms

If you’re like most of us, then you probably don’t know much about your vehicle…other than the fact that it gets you from point A to point B. And that’s fine! But when you start to realize that your vehicle is acting different or you’re starting to hear noises coming from it that you didn’t hear before, then you need to start asking questions…literally. A lot of us do like asking questions about our vehicles, whether it’s because you’re scared it’s going to cost you money or maybe you just don’t want to sound dumb. But if you don’t ask questions or seek professional help, then you run the risk of your vehicle becoming more damage then it initially was.

Lucky for you we did the hard work for you this week. This week’s blog is all about the 10 most commonly asked questions that you might be afraid to ask your local mechanic. Well, this time you don’t have to! Check out all of the questions below and be sure to take a look at the answers if your vehicle is experiencing any of the issues below. If you feel you need professional help to get your ride back in tip-top shape, then schedule an appointment with us on our website!

#10 How Often Should I Check My Tire Pressure?

• Most new vehicles allow you to check your tire pressure right from the driver’s seat but if your vehicle doesn’t do this, a good rule of thumb is to check it at least once a month.

#9 When Should I Change My Transmission Fluid?

• Every 30,000 – 60,000 miles but be sure to check your owners manual for more information specific to your vehicle

#8 Why Do Signal Lights Blink Faster Sometimes?

• This simply means that the bulb has burned out
• When the bulb burns out, the voltage drops which makes it easier for the circuit to do its job
• Just like most things, the easier something is, the faster it gets done…Hence the fast blinking
• Just replace the bulb and it will blinker normal

#7 What’s the Difference between Over and Understeer?

• Oversteer is when you can turn your car more than you intended
• Understeer is when your car turns less than what you intended

#6 When Should I Replace My Timing Belt?

• It is recommended to change your timing belt every 60,000 to 100,000 miles, but be sure to check your owners manual for information for your specific vehicle!

#5 Can I Switch to Synthetic Oil or a Different Grade?

• This is when your owners manual comes in handy
• Check the manual to see which oil grade you use, we suggest sticking with that type and not switching to another grade
• When it comes to switching to synthetic oil, it’s usually problem-free, but when it comes to older vehicles this could be a bad idea!
• If your vehicle is a synthetic oil vehicle NEVER go to conventional oil…this could damage your engine big time!

#4 What Do the Sounds My Brakes Make Mean?

• Your brakes are made of pads and rotating components that are always moving
• Like anything,  over time these components begin to wear down and vibrate, and you can hear when this happens
• If the noise is high pitched squeaking, that means your brake pads need to be replaced
• When you hear a grinding noise, this is a more serious issue… This means your brake pads have been so worn down that it is now metal on metal and you could damage your rotors

#3 How Can I Save Money on Gas?

• Smartphone apps that help you find the cheapest gas stations in your area
• Loyalty programs at grocery stores sometimes help gain points toward gas
• Filling up earlier or later in the day can sometimes mean cheaper gas
• Avoid gas stations along the highway, they tend to have inflated prices

#2 What is the Difference between a Two-Stroke and a Four-Stroke Engine?

• A stroke is the maximum amount of movement a piston can make in one direction
• A two-stroke engine can complete two strokes in a single fuel injection
• A two-stroke engine is louder, less efficient, can cost less, produces high power for a short period of time, and requires oil in the fuel
• A four-stroke engine can complete a four strokes in a single fuel injection.
• A Four-stroke engine is quiet, more efficient, more expensive, produces lower power for a long period of time, and doesn’t require oil in the fuel

#1 Why Does My Car Hydroplane?

• This happens when tires come in contact with more water than it can dispell
• Water is pushed under the front tires creating a barrier between the road and the wheel
• The leads to no traction, resulting in sliding or hydroplaning on water…similar to sliding on ice