How to Prepare Your Car for the Road Trip Ahead

This past May, General Motors and Chevrolet revolutionized their “infotainment” efforts by announcing that 14 of the new 2016 Chevrolet models will contain support for Android Auto and Apple’s CarPlay. Beginning with the production of the 2016 Tahoes, Suburbans and Volts, Chevy will allow your automobile to essentially turn into a smartphone at the touch of a button. Sales Consultant Benjamin Ivey connects his iPhone to the new 2016 Chevy Impala to activate CarPlay. Android Auto, with its many features from Google, has been released and is already compatible with many cars in 11 countries. The app features space for third-party apps, opening up potential expansion in the future. Apple announced plans for a similar app in 2014, and premiered CarPlay earlier this year. CarPlay is currently available on applicable 2016 Chevy models. Android Auto for these models is scheduled to be released later this year, and will be installed through a quick update at their dealership. While many auto brands are already compatible with the Android app, Chevy and GM’s 2016 announcement is the largest offering of both systems, and will lead the way for modern cars. As Apple introduces CarPlay, Android Auto premiered its first update this week, just in time for 2016 models to become available. Milton Ruben Chevrolet tried out CarPlay on the new 2016 Impala. While Apple’s goal is to eventually activate CarPlay wirelessly, Sales Consultant Benjamin Ivey connected his iPhone 6 Plus to the car through a charging port. Using the touchscreen and buttons on the steering wheel, he was able to navigate through music, podcasts and audiobooks, as well as texting and calling contacts using Siri. Sales Consultant Benjamin Ivey demonstrates how to connect an iPhone to the 2016 Chevy Impala. After connecting an iPhone to a 2016 Chevy Impala, select "Apple CarPlay" on the car's touchscreen to access the device's features. After selecting "Phone" on the touch screen, you can use Siri and the car's speakers to select who to call. Even if your car does not have a navigation system, Apple Maps will guide you upon selecting "Maps" in Apple CarPlay and entering a destination. While the integration will undoubtedly be successful for Apple, Android and car manufacturers, the true value will be measured in safety. Drivers who connect their smartphone to their car will use voice activation as well as the car’s familiar touchscreen displays, buttons and knobs instead of looking down to use their phone. Currently, 9 people are killed and 1,153 people are involved in accidents each day due to distracted driving. Can we change that number? There’s an app for that.

Everyone does it while they're sitting in traffic in front of a school their kids don't even attend - carry the four, subtract from the two, divide by the equal coefficient of the previous exponent.  (Math isn't my strong suit.) Wait, THAT is how much I'm spending on gas to get to work every morning?! That can't be right... Let's start over. It's been a battle we've all been fighting for about fifteen to twenty years now, watching the yo-yo of fuel tease us with a road trip across the country in a double wide RV, then sky rocket to becoming a shut-in. The reality of the scary high gas prices is something we can't help you bring down. But we can help you save the gas that's in your tank, and stretch it a bit further.  Here are a few tips to keep you out of line at the pump: How to Save Gas and other tips to save money at the gas pump. Milton Ruben Superstore, Augusta, GA Travel Tips. 1. Stop Driving Like A Jerk. We're not in Atlanta here guys. (No offense, ATL.) There is absolutely no need to weave through traffic, cutting off your neighbors, and challenging the blood pressure medications of your elders.  Studies have shown that slowing gradually to a stop, and slowly accelerating to speed can increase the life of your gas tank by as much as 35%.  That may be worth retiring your Road Raging ways. 2. Think Twice Before Topping Off. Yes, I know, that gas station's price tag is two cents lower than the last time you filled up.  But fuel is weight, weight is resistance, and resistance is a lower MPG.  Capiche?  Depending on how far out of the way that perfect gas station is (if it's far from home/work, consider the gas you're using to get there as lost every time you wander to the hills for a fill up), it's actually more efficient to fill to half or three-fourths to save on weight, then fill most of the way up again once you hit a quarter tank. Another Plus: Not riding your tank on gas fumes could help elongate the life of your fuel pump. 3. Keep Up On Proper Maintenance. There are a lot of things we go over in our multi-point inspections that have a huge impact on the overall health of your vehicle - that's why we want to check them each and every time you visit. Air filters are commonly overlooked, and can be seen as an unnecessary commodity, but a dirty air filter can lower your miles to the gallon by as much as 10%.  Additionally, a poor alignment can make your engine work harder to effectively turn the wheels, which you'll pay for at the pump. 4. Keep An Eye on Tire Pressure. Have you ever noticed how flat tires don't roll so well? Although you may not notice it, if your tire's air pressure is low, it's wrecking all kinds of damage - on both your tire, and your mileage.  The lack of pressure means the wheel has to work harder to get it to turn, which means more work from the engine, and so on, until your gas pump becomes the end result. (Be aware that weather can affect your TPMS.) 5. Consider Investing in a Diesel or a Hybrid. Although Diesel can often be a good deal pricier than conventional fuel, it would have to be a solid 25-30% more expensive to outweigh the benefits in efficiency.  Because Diesel uses heat from compression to ignite the engine, rather than sparks, they need less energy to start - and keep going. Not only do Hybrids save at the pump by using a variety of energy sources to keep those wheels a turnin', there are also a lot of rebate offers and tax breaks on alternative energy investments - including the Hybrid. 6. Drive Smarter. Idling for more than a minute wastes more gas than just starting up your car again. Cruise Control is a blessing on flat lands, but if you're taking a visit to the foothills, do without.  When the light ahead of you is red, take your foot off the gas.  If you reach the light by the time it turns green, you just saved yourself a few mpg for the tank by not coming to a full stop before accelerating again. 7. Use Technology. Using contraptions like GPS can help plan out your trip on shorter distances (fewer miles, less gas), or more highways (consistent speed saves on gas).  There are also a lot of apps out now that will show you the cheapest gas in your general area. ( check out CNN's best here) It's an imperfect world, and there may not be much we can do at this precise juncture to help keep you from forking over all of your hard-earned dough at the fuel pump, but we can decrease the frequency that you have to make that depressing little visit. Do you have any tips or tricks to increase your mpg?   To learn more about keeping your tires in tip-top shape, make sure you're buying the right kind. For more helpful tips to keep your vehicle in shape, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google!

I'm going to start yet another one of our blogs referencing downhill skiing road trips with my family.  But this one is not nearly the fun topic that tire traction in certain weather conditions was.  This one is much less pleasant. We did a lot of traveling when I was a kid, the majority of which were populated by the twisty-turney hairpin roads of the Carolina mountains (yes, they exist).  Sadly, I had to begin each ski trip trying desperately to part the fog of 90's Dramamine and focus all of my energy on keeping my eyes open long enough to get to the bottom of the slope before dozing off on the chair lift.  Thanks to car sickness, the mornings of most family ski trips are an extremely vague, dreamy memory. And now, with the school year closing down and the summer road trip plans opening up, I'm going to share what I've learned from copious amounts of research and experience, if only to save a few from the foggy memories of childhood vacations. The most popular theory as to the cause of motion sickness is a disagreement between the senses that track motion - the inner ear, and the eye.  So in the case of motion sickness caused by air travel, boat travel, or car travel, you are inside of a vehicle that leads your eye to believe you are not moving, but the fluid in your inner ear that determines balance can sense that you are moving.  On the converse, some people will experience motion sickness while watching movies or playing video games, when your eyes are perceiving motion, and your ears can't feel a thing. The concept follows that motion sickness is a defense mechanism, nausea being triggered by your brain interpreting the clash of sensory information as hallucinations, assuming that you have been poisoned by some variety of neurotoxin.  The brain releases transmitters to cause nausea in an effort to void the body of toxins.  (The human body is an amazing thing, isn't it?) Well, sort of.  Because motion sickness is incredibly unpleasant.  So here's how you can attempt to avoid it. PREVENT MOTION SICKNESS: - Keep your head very still. Some believe sleeping is the best way to do this. - Avoid alcohol and heavy or fatty meals. Food or drink with high acidity content are more likely to upset your stomach when your brain starts sending signals to it.  Sticking to light, low-fat snacks before a long trip is best. - Eat and hydrate. Believe it or not, you're more likely to become nauseated on an empty stomach, because there's nothing there to combat the stomach acid.  Keep it light, but make sure it's not empty. - Avoid anything over-stimulating to the senses. Strong odors, spicy foods, even bright light can irritate your senses, and further irritate the movement sensation, thus the nauseated feeling being caused by it.  Pretty weird, right? - Take Dramamine, or some other variety of over-the-counter antihistamine created to treat this variety of nausea.  Dramamine now makes a supposedly less-drowsy version, but it still knocks me out.  Which could very easily be a good thing in the case of kids, couldn't it? (PS: Children's Dramamine also works on pups who get carsick, but make sure you talk to your vet before you decide on dosage.) - Transdermal Patches. Also known as Scopolamine, this patch is placed directly behind your ear and releases medicine through your skin to prevent nausea. - Buy the Wristband. There are a variety of these on the market now, with a small round object that presses directly on a specific vein in your wrist.  The idea is a concept of acupuncture to relieve nausea.  And it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying your own Google Glass to alter perspective. - Alter Your Perspective or Block the Perception of Motion. This is basically tricking your brain.  Supposedly, if you focus your view on the distant horizon through the front windshield of a vehicle, your eyes will then see that you are moving, now in sync with the motion detected in your inner ear, thus preventing the detection of hallucination.   Or, if you've already fallen victim to the unpleasant wooziness: HOW TO TREAT MOTION SICKNESS - Meds. Of course, it would be most effective if you took it beforehand, but the transdermal patches, dramamine, and other medicines are still effective if the nausea has already hit. - Chew Gum. Preferably the minty variety.  Your guess is as good as ours as to why it works - perhaps the combination of mint to settle your stomach, jaw action to disrupt your inner ear, and simply distracting you from being aware of the nausea? - Hot Tea. Preferably decaffeinated. Warm liquids are easier on the stomach than ice water is, and staying hydrated is vital.  Bonus points if you add one of the next two remedies to the tea. - Peppermints. The menthol in mints relaxes stomach muscles, making it less likely for your nausea to actually result in anything even more unpleasant. - Lemon, Green Apple, or Apple Cider Vinegar. The basic properties in all of these ingredients help fight the acidity that causes nausea. - Ginger or Ginger Ale. Raw and crystallized ginger has been long known to solve any malady in multiple cultures.  A little goes a long way, so be careful with it.  It has also been disputed among researchers whether traditional, Americanized ginger ale would have the same affect.  Personally, I find it does.  Particularly the Michigander Vernor's, though I'm sure Carolina Ginger Ale would also be effective. - Olives contain tannins, which dry out your mouth, fighting another symptom of motion sickness, excessive saliva. Additionally, the saltiness can feel comforting to your upset tummy. Do you have any preventative measures or remedies to motion sickness? To get the most out of your family road trip, make sure you have the perfect family car. If you enjoy Road Trip tips and tricks, check out our blogposts on Preparing Your Car For a Long Trip, Travel Tips with Kids, or Vehicle Pet Safety Tips. You can also learn how to keep the ride a bit smoother on your next car trip by buying the right tires. This post was written by Milton Ruben Social Media Specialist Heather Cortright.