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Have you ever wondered what is meant by the different gas types and the different numbers on the pumps? Wonder no more, gentle person, because I am here to educate you on the IMPORTANT things in life, aka gas. So first of all, the numbers indicate the octane level of the gas. To explain, I will tell you the super basics because honestly I am not really a science person and this is Super Sciencey, so we’ll stick to the easy stuff. So, gasoline contains certain molecules called hydrocarbons, which are left over from the oil whence the gasoline came. One of these hydrocarbons is called isooctane, which we shorten to octane. Generally, hydrocarbons combust pretty spontaneously and under the slightest pressure, but isooctane is much better at holding itself together and taking a bit more of a push to combust, which makes it perfect for use in car engines. The thing about the regular hydrocarbons is that if they combust TOO early, they’ll make a knocking sound in your engine that’s really annoying. You might be thinking, “wait, why have I not been using the higher octane gas this whole time?” The answer to that is simple - you probably don’t need to. If you drive a regular, run of the mill vehicle (like a Sentra or an Altima or similar) you don’t need to put in that higher octane stuff because your engine will handle the regular juice just fine - it’s made to do so, in fact. The only case when you’ll need to get higher octane fuel is if your vehicle has a super high-performance engine and specifies either on the dashboard near the gas gauge or in the owner’s manual that you need to put in higher octane fuel. You can totally put the high-test stuff into your regular vehicle, but all it’ll do is cost you more money. It won’t magically make your engine into a Formula One type thing. Sorry. I’ll throw in another little tidbit as well - you know the term “unleaded” that you see at the pumps? Well, of course, all gasoline now is unleaded, but until the ‘90s it wasn’t that way. People started putting lead in fuel in the 1920s when the knock I mentioned earlier was a big problem. Of course, nobody wants to spend more money on stuff, so scientists figured out that putting tetraethyl lead into gasoline increased the octane level at pretty much no cost. Of course, it would kill you, but like… you’d save some green? They totally knew that this lead was super poisonous and would kill people over time, but it honestly did take 70-something years for the lead to be outlawed. If you were around in the 70s and 80s, you remember how bad the smog was in cities like New York and Los Angeles. That was in part due to under regulation of these emissions, and the persistent presence of lead in fuel. Now the smog level is SO much lower - and it’s because we’re cracking down on emissions by vehicles, lead has been outlawed as a fuel additive, and people are being more conscientious about buying hybrid and electric vehicles. So if you want to bypass the pump entirely, check out the new 2018 Leaf! It’s awesome, it’s electric, and it’ll save you the hassle of getting gas. Oh, and it’s good for the environment, too. Just a thought! Our Most Fuel Efficient Models

That new car smell lasted approximately 45 seconds in my 2017 Nissan Murano. It’s not the car’s fault, I have 2 small children who, despite my best efforts are always sticky from unknown substances, and are saturated in smells I can never really identify. For this reason, I am very familiar with a wide variety of smells in my car. In addition, because they are small children they leave their things EVERYWHERE. Leftover yogurt, rancid sports gear, dirty socks, half a sandwich... all of these can be located on the floor of my car. I don’t know what it is about the noses of children but they seem completely unaffected by ghastly stank that seems to have enveloped my car. My nose, on the other hand, works perfectly fine... or it did before I got in the car this morning. I’m fairly certain that my nose hairs immediately disintegrated when I get in the car today. No amount of bleach and Febreeze was going to make this car smell ok. In addition to the noxious odor, there was an unfamiliar smell coming from my car this morning. Something that didn’t quite fit in with the usual child-induced smells. It smelt almost sweet, like maple syrup. Just in case, I stopped by Younger Nissan of Frederick to have my car checked out, just in case. As it turns out there was a coolant leak which was causing the sweet smell. It’s good that I got this checked out when I did. This led me to look into some other smells that might alert you to car troubles. As it turns out, there are several such smells that you should be aware of as a car owner. Always remember that if you do notice an odor, it is something that needs to be taken care of immediately; rolling the windows down is not the solution. It smells like syrup: This could mean several things. Most likely the engine is overheating due to a coolant leak. Coolant is one of the most important fluids you can put in your car. It contains ethylene glycol which can give off a sickly sweet scent. Other causes include a leaky radiator hose or a problem with the heater core. If this is the case, then it’s important to get your vehicle looked at as soon as possible, especially if it’s during winter time. If your heater core goes, you have no heat for your car which also means your defrosters won’t work. It smells like rotten eggs: This is caused by hydrogen sulfide in your exhaust that has not converted to sulfur dioxide in your catalytic converter (cat). This gas is TOXIC, even more toxic than my kids’ soccer gear, so it’s not safe for you to breathe and it likely means you need to replace your “cat”. This is not a cheap fix. Fortunately, in newer cars, they are usually covered under warranty so check with your dealer! It smells like hot oil: This is a complicated smell to describe, as I can’t really find something that smells quite like it...it’s just hot oil. This means oil is leaking onto your hot exhaust manifold, which collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. It doesn’t smell bad, per se, but it definitely doesn’t smell good. This could be because of a leaking crankshaft or a leaky valve cover. Either way, this is something you will want to get checked out! It smells like burning carpet: This is more than likely an issue with your brake pads. The smell is relatively normal if you just came down a long hill, but if this smell occurs under normal driving circumstances then you may have a dragging brake. This smell could also happen if you left your emergency brake (handbrake) on by mistake. If you check the brakes by hand you’ll notice the hottest one is the one giving off the smell. If there is a problem get that brake pad changed asap. It smells like burnt rubber: This could be an easy fix. Open your hood and make sure all hoses and belts are tight and not resting on the hot engine. But, this could also mean a belt has become loose or is about to break. If this is the case you should get it replaced as soon as you can. Remember, if you find that your vehicle smells like any of these things, you can stop by Younger Nissan of Frederick and we will be happy to check out your vehicle. Let your nose be your guide, friends. Your Nose Knows, Get Your Car Checked Today

So it has come to my attention that tires can go bald. Now, this was shocking information to me as I wasn’t even really aware that they had hair. Like... that seems counterproductive... to the rolling thing. BUT I’m not a tire professional. Ok, now that I’ve got your attention, no, your tires do not grow hair, BUT they can go bald. And no, you can’t just get Rogaine for them to fix the problem. What “bald” means is basically the tread on your tires wears down and your tires are less effective at gripping the ground which would result in you sliding around the road. This could be a problem, particularly when it’s rainy out and your car needs the extra grip to get around safely. Worn down tires can also lead to tire blow outs or air leaks depending on how worn down the tire is. All in all, a bald tire is an unsafe tire, besides, your tire will be SO self-conscious. We can’t have that, so it’s best to keep track of your tires’ wear so that you can avoid a dangerous situation. How can you tell that your tire is worn down too far and needs to be replaced? Well, I’m glad that you asked because that is the easy part! All you need is a penny. Yes, you read that correctly. This is probably the cheapest test you will ever put your car through. All you have to do is put the penny into one of the indents, or tread, of your tire with Lincoln’s head down and facing you. If the tread covers to his hairline, you’ll need to change your tires soon. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to change those tires. Now wasn’t that a super simple test? If you find that your car is in need of new tires, getting your tires replaced with Younger Nissan of Frederick is just a simple as checking to see if you need to replace your tires. We keep the process simple and quick. Our service is exceptional at what they do, so you and your vehicle will be in good hands. So stop by today to get your car serviced by the professionals that you can trust. Younger Nissan of Frederick is here to keep service simple. Check Your Tires Today