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With the new year upon up– it’s time to make better choices! A great way to keep your resolutions is to start small. One simple resolution you can start with is taking better care of your Kia! Keeping your car organized isn’t just important for space, but for your safety too. That’s why this week we are here to help you get your car clean and organized in only four simple steps! So take a peek at our helpful hints below, and if you’re really trying to show your ride some TLC, take a look at some of our available Service Specials today! We’ll get your ride running like new for an incredibly affordable price today! Tips For Keeping Your Kia Organized: Sort and Clean Take everything out of the car, including car seats, music, and miscellaneous items stored in the glove box and door pockets. Organize the rest of the items into three piles: stuff you use all the time, things you use occasionally, and items you might need in an emergency. Whatever doesn’t fall into these categories should be stored in your home or garage. Analyze Ask yourself, “How do I use my car?” Are you an Uber or Lyft driver? Maybe you’re a parent with two toddlers in car seats or a salesman who travels with a trunkload of samples. Whatever it is, figure it out. Prioritize Depending upon your needs, go through your three piles and prioritize the most important items in each group And just like seasonal clothes in a closet, many items such as ice scrapers and deicing fluid can be stored in your garage or basement until seasonally appropriate! Contain Loose objects in the car lead to disorganization and mess. In the event of a sudden stop or a crash, they can also damage your car or, worse, injure your occupants. Get yourself a good organizer to keep all of your items concise and easy to access.

Fall is in full swing and that means that Halloween is right around the corner! Take your spooky season spirit to the next level by decorating your vehicle! You could plan a fun costume/prop duo with your ride or just trick out your car for any trunk-or-treaters that pass by! Take a look at some of Destination Kia’s Halloween decorating tips and get into the mood this Halloween season! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! Destination Kia’s Halloween Decorating Tips: Road safety should always come first! First and foremost if you’re planning on driving your car, it is important to be sure that your decorations don’t become driving hazards. Secure your decorations firmly, keep window decals and stickers from obstructing view and remember not to hang anything from either your interior or exterior mirrors! Stationary vehicles are full of possibilities! If you’re using your vehicle as a prop or for Trunk-or-Treat purposes then by all means, go crazy! Just make sure the parking brake is on and that the keys aren’t within reach of any of your young trick-or-treaters! And it might also help to keep in mind that you’ll have to undecorate your vehicle next time you want to take a ride so don’t go overboard! Save yourself some cash by DIYing your decorations! Styrofoam, cardboard, construction paper, and corn syrup are your new best friends! Make your decorations exactly to your specific needs and get the kids involved so the whole family can have some Halloween fun! Match your costume to your cars! The scooby doo gang and their mystery machine, Batman and the batmobile, and so many more fun costumes you can do with your ride! Step it up a notch and use your vehicle as the ultimate prop!

Get ready, get set, get to cleaning this September! Can you believe that it is already September? The fall is upon us and it’s time to get your vehicle ready for the upcoming season. This week we have three places to pay attention to when you’re cleaning up your ride. When you’re done, if you’re tired of your old ride, stop in to see our team right here at Destination Kia and let our team help you find the perfect new ride that fits your budget and needs. With over 500 new vehicles to choose from, we guarantee you won’t leave here empty-handed! But first, let’s discuss those tips! Undercarriage Cleaning Many car owners always keep the visible parts of their vehicle clean and sparkly. But what about the undercarriage of your vehicle? While your vehicle’s undercarriage is always just inches off the ground, it’s important to clean up and get rid of any road-borne impurities that come in contact with your undercarriage. Especially with slush and road salt quickly approaching in the upcoming winter months. It’s important to clean it well, clean it often. Exterior Protection This is a little easier but still a task that takes a bit of elbow grease to complete and complete right. Impurities that lie hidden in moisture can lead to slowly eating away at your paint job, no matter how good it is. It’s important to ensure your car is waxed periodically and put that protective barrier between your paint and the elements! Interior Cleaning Everything you tread on outside of your vehicle always makes its way inside your car at one point or another. While it may be difficult to get out the vacuum and get into all the nooks and crannies, it’s extremely important to do so. Apart from the feeling that comes from being in a clean interior, you don’t want to find yourself with upholstery damage because you neglected to clean your ride. Get out that vacuum and make it sparkle. And a pro tip, add a new air freshener to freshen up the interior smell of your vehicle! Upgrade Into A New Kia!

One of the best options you can have as a vehicle owner is trading in your old ride towards a stylish, new one. While many choose to keep their old ride for various reasons, we think it is a great option for those who are looking for a lower payment or just strictly looking to get rid of their old vehicle. This week, we are taking an in-depth look at what you should know when you decide it is time to trade in your ride for something new, like a new Kia Sorento or Sportage. Follow along and let us know if you have any questions or stop in for a test drive! Fix Up Your Ride If your current vehicle has any cosmetic damage, its value can be lowered greatly. By spending a little time fixing any minor bumps or dings your vehicle may have can set you up for a successful trade in process. Also, don’t be afraid to spend the money on a more luxurious car wash or give your vehicle’s interior a little TLC. Know The Value Doing some research and knowing your vehicle’s value will save you time and a headache when you stop in to see us to discuss details regarding a trade. There are various tools that can help you determine what your trade is worth. Print out a copy and bring it with you to the dealership. Remember, the trade value is always at the discretion of the dealer and value may vary depending on service and vehicle history. Shop Our Monthly Offers Often times, customers forget about our monthly offers. Not only will this get you behind the wheel of the vehicle you may have been looking for, but it serves as a double whammy way to save money! You’ll be able to score on the monthly savings AND get the trade value for your vehicle which means more money in your wallet when you drive home! Have Records Handy In some situations, your service records or any repairs that have been done will want to be seen by the dealer. When stopping in to see us, bring in these records to show that you’ve taken care of your vehicle and any damage has been properly fixed by trained professionals. Take Care Of Your Ride Servicing your vehicle monthly and showing it a little TLC on a regular basis can help increase the lifespan as well as the overall health of your vehicle. So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you keep your vehicle in healthy condition it will drive up your trade value which will make you happier in the end! Drive Off In A New Kia Today!

If you’re looking for a great weekend project to do in your vehicle, try getting organized! Organizing your vehicle is not only easy, but the final product is incredibly satisfying and useful. Summer is the season for road trips, and it’s always great to make sure your vehicle is in order before traveling so that you can ensure everyone is comfortable and has space for their stuff. Take a look at our tips for organizing your vehicle and give them a try before your next long drive! Lots of passengers but not enough places to store essentials? Stick small suction cup shower caddies to the window to store things like water bottles, toys, wipes, and anything else that you don’t want getting stuck under your seat. Make sure you have a trash can in the vehicle. It can be as simple as a plastic bag or as hardcore as a specifically-designed car trash can, but you should make sure that you have a solution for debris and junk. Always have a fully-stocked emergency kit in the vehicle. This is just basic! Don’t have a place for change? Use an empty gum container or pill bottle. Perfect for tolls! Silicone muffin cups at the bottoms of cupholders make it REALLY easy to clean those suckers out. Just pull out the muffin cups and throw them in the dishwasher when they’re really grody. Bringing candy on a road trip? Stick the pieces between the slats on your air vent to keep them from melting with the summer heat. Keep your glove compartment neat. When you’re traveling, especially to a different state, you’re definitely going to need your registration, insurance, and license in case you get pulled over. It’s also just a good idea to keep that spot organized! Use a binder clip to hold your sunglasses on your visor when it’s dark out. Now they won’t get lost! If you drive an SUV or hatchback, use a shoe organizer hung from the back of the rear seats as a trunk organizer so small stuff doesn’t go flying and you have all the essentials on hand. Don’t want to lose your spare key? Use a magnetic key holder to store your key under your car. Make sure it’s attached to a spot that is both magnetic AND tucked into a relatively secure spot to avoid getting knocked off or damaged. Take A Look At These Prices!

Summer’s officially here and it’s more important than ever to make sure that your vehicle’s coolant level is where it should be so that your engine doesn’t overheat. We can do that for you when you come visit the shop, but if you’re out of the area and need to take a look, you should know what to look for. Here goes - keep reading for more tips! Before you reach for the radiator cap, check the coolant reservoir to make sure that the liquid reaches the “Full” line on the side of the reservoir. If it doesn’t reach that far, then open up that lid and pour in a 50/50 mix of water and the coolant your vehicle takes until the level reaches the full line. Some coolants do come premixed, so make sure you read the bottle thoroughly. DO NOT add coolant to a hot engine! You can burn yourself badly or crack your engine block. You can also spray yourself with hot coolant if you open the radiator or coolant cap when your engine is hot due to the pressure and heat buildup. Coolant is usually red, green, blue, or yellow. If you see something weird, like things floating in the coolant or a rustiness or even a sludgy, oily surface, then you should take your vehicle to the shop to check for issues such as internal head gasket leakage. When you’re under the hood, feel your radiator hoses as well. Make sure they are not cracked, squishy, bulging, or leaking. If they are any of these things, replace them ASAP. Stop In To The Shop

With the warm weather we’re having, you know what that means: it’s construction season! Do you agree with the idea that in upstate NY there are two seasons? And those two seasons are winter and construction season? Let us know what you think. Anyway, with the advent of construction season comes the increased need to understand the best ways to be safe when driving in work zones. Check out our tips for driving safely and legally and not stressing when you hit the cone zones and spot workers out repairing the potholes that good ol’ Mother Nature threw into the Northway and the street I live on in Troy. (This may or may not be a gentle plea to get my street repaved… so traffic gods, I hope you’re reading this!) Stay Alert - don’t get distracted by your radio, your passengers, your Dunkin, your phone, or anything else, especially when you’re driving in a construction zone. Give the road your full, undivided attention. Keep your headlights on - even during the day, it’s a good idea to switch on your headlights if you don’t have DRL’s. Did we say pay attention? - Watch for road signs, brake lights, and other vehicles to see if people are slowing down, what the speed limit should be, and other important information about the traffic pattern. Merge in time - don’t wait until the very last second to merge into the correct lane. If you see a sign that says “Lane Closed Ahead,” then get into the lane that’s going to be open and just stay there. You can zoom past that old lady in a Buick after you pass the construction area. Patience is a virtue! Don’t tailgate - that being said, don’t be right up that old lady’s tailpipe the entire time you’re stuck behind her. That’s not only rude, it’s illegal. Obey the speed limit - Sure, you can go 65 on the Northway, but if the work zone speed limit is 45 then slow the heck down and obey the speed limit! There are probably workers on the road working mere feet from where cars are, and you don’t want to get into a really serious accident. Also, ticket fines are doubled for speeding in work zones. So, there’s that as well. Change lanes safely - don’t drive like a maniac! When you’re still in a construction area, change lanes like you are that old lady in the Buick and be safe about it. Watch for flaggers and follow their instructions - don’t ignore those people with flags. They have a job to do and you can get ticketed for ignoring flaggers. Expect the unexpected - work zones are one of the places on this earth where chaos has a tendency to reign, and you should not expect driving in one to be smooth sailing. Trucks, other vehicles, and machinery can enter your lane at any time and you need to be prepared. PATIENCE IS KEY. This is in caps because it’s important. Be patient. It’ll be good. You’ll Always Feel Great In A Stinger

Spring is here (yes, according to the calendar it IS actually springtime now) and in the spirit of spring cleaning, we’re going to dedicate this week’s blog to make sure that the nice spring air that you are breathing when you drive around is untainted by nasty smells, pollen, dust, dirt… you get the picture. Take a look at our tips for making sure that your air vents are squeaky clean and smelling great! The first things you need to tackle are the vents in your car, the ones that blow air onto your face and feet that you probably adjust either all the time or never let anyone touch because you’ve got the perfect angle. You’ll need cleaning solution, white vinegar, a vacuum, and some Q-tips. Give your vents a vacuum to get any loose dust out. Then you want to take a Q-tip that’s been dipped in a cleaning solution and really work it into the crevices and hard-to-reach spots. When the Q-tips you’re using come back clean, you know you’ve gotten all the grime. Then, take another Q-tip dipped in white vinegar and go over everything again to get rid of any lingering odors. The vinegar smell doesn’t last long, and when it disappears it takes gross odors with it. Give the vents one last vacuum and you’re done! Make sure you’ve gotten them ALL, including the one that’s right up next to your windshield and the ones at your feet. Don’t forget the back seat! The next step is to take a look at your cabin air filter. Your owner’s manual should cover how to access it, and if not there’s always YouTube. The cabin air filter is your barrier against everything that’s floating through the air that you drive your car through - pollen, dust, smells, odors - and it’s often a forgotten part of the vehicle. Take a look, and if you think it needs changing then schedule an appointment with us to have our service department take care of it! Finally, if you still smell something reminiscent of dirty socks in the car when you run the air, you might have mildew in your A/C evaporator. It’s easy to dry that up! Just drive about a mile away from home (that’s enough time to warm up your engine, you see) and then roll down all your windows and turn the air on full blast. Don’t use the A/C! Just regular old air will do. Keep it running for a minute or two, and that should be enough time to circulate air through the evaporator and dry up any residual moisture. Get Your Other Service In For Less

Spring is right around the corner (can you feel our excitement?!?!?!?) and with the change of seasons comes the change in our personalities that makes us go from lazy winter slobs bundled up in blanket burritos every night of the week in front of the Netflix - hey, we do it too - to beautiful springtime butterflies that love to clean and feel the fresh air on our faces. Understandably, we want you to be prepared for when you decide to spring clean your vehicle, which is absolutely something you should do. We don’t discourage that at all. But we do want to make sure you do it right, and that you don’t damage your vehicle unintentionally. Take a look at how to give your vehicle a fantastic spring clean, especially after this winter we’ve had, and then get to work! Tackle your carpeting and upholstery by vacuuming the crevices in your seats, wiping your seats down with a damp cloth, and shaking out and vacuuming your carpets. Get the hose of the vacuum into all the crevices on the floor, as well, and really make sure to shake all the dirt out of your mats. Wipe down your console and vacuum out the cupholders. Don’t get the electronics wet, but make sure you clean off any grime or stickiness that’s collected. Organize everything in your glove box and other compartments. That’s a good place to stash trash in an emergency and then forget about forever, so make sure you take care of those spots. Clean the insides and outsides of your windows, including your windshield. Fingerprints, dust, and frost marks can collect over the winter and now’s the time to get rid of all of that. Clean out your trunk - winter debris and various other things can collect in your trunk and you don’t need to deal with that in the spring. Wash your vehicle! Use a good vehicle shampoo and a warm day and make sure your vehicle is looking great. Spray down the undercarriage as well to knock loose salt. If you’re more of the full-service car wash type, then treat your vehicle (and yourself) to a nicer car wash that includes a protectant and undercarriage wash. Check out the Hoffman’s and get anything including and above the Ultimate Exterior (or Ultimate Full Service) wash! Check out your wheels, including checking the tire pressure, cleaning your wheels and wells, and making sure that your tires are in good shape and your wheels and rims aren’t bent or broken anywhere. Clean out your engine bay by getting rid of any dead leaves, debris, and dust that have collected in the bay and checking for animal nests (especially if you live in a more rural spot). Consider applying a protectant like a spray or wax to your vehicle after you wash it. If you do choose to do this at home, then do it in the shade. Direct sunlight is never a good idea when you’re applying protectant. Replace your wipers with ones that haven’t seen the ravages of winter. The salt, dirt, and other debris that gets thrown at your windshield with snow and road slush can do a number on your wipers, and with those spring showers that are coming, you’ll need your wipers to work well. Keep A New Kia Clean!

Just because winter is already here doesn’t mean that you can’t check up on your car and make sure it can handle the weather that’s still yet to come. Sound like a plan to you? Here’s how to ensure that your vehicle is ready for this upstate winter! Make sure your radiator and coolant are in good shape - i.e. the level of your coolant is where it should be and your radiator is in working order. Use your garage! Clean it out if it’s full and start parking your car in it. If you don’t have a garage, use a car cover. Check your defrosters and make sure they work properly. Fill your windshield washer fluid, preferably with fluid that contains non-toxic antifreeze. Check your windshield wipers and consider replacing them with wipers specifically meant for winter use. Check your battery, which means checking the connections and the electrical system as well. Replace your battery if it is dying. Put your snow tires on your car if you have them. If not, consider investing in a set, or investing in tire chains or other tire traction accessories. Get Your Service For Less!

Did you know that one of the most important and helpful things you can do for your vehicle is to check your oil at least once a month? Yeah, it is. Don’t know how? It’s very easy, and we’re about to tell you how to do it. Remember that this isn’t a substitute for regular oil changes, and only your dealer can tell you how frequently you should get your oil changed. Check out how to check your oil, and then remember to do it once a month. Open the hood. Prop it so it stays open. Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel. Dip the stick all the way back in. Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks. Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible. Put the dipstick back in. Close your hood. Schedule Your Next Oil Change Today!

A few weeks ago on our Destination Kia blog we discussed the different kinds of vehicle maintenance that is safe for you to do on your own and the following weeks we’ve been covering how to actually do those pieces of maintenance. This week: Spark Plugs. Changing your spark plugs is a relatively simple and quick process that can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on how many plugs you have. It costs around $15 to do this yourself (the price of new spark plugs). Here is how to do it: Locate the spark plugs by following the thick, rubbery wires under the hood of your car. Depending on the number of cylinders in your engine, you will find four, six, or eight spark plugs. Start at the end of the row of spark plugs, pull the wires off the plugs by grasping the wire as close to the engine as you can then pulling or wiggling it a bit. Only pull off one wire at a time. After you get the first wire off, attach a spark plug socket and extension to a ratchet. Set your ratchet to loosen, slide it over the plug as far as it will go, then remove the old plug. Install the new plug by screwing it in by hand then tightening with a wrench. Reattach the spark wire plug. Then repeat with each spark plug, one at a time. So now you know! Granted, it’s winter weather out there and is getting pretty cold, so if changing your spark plugs yourself feels like more work than it’s worth, you can definitely stop by Destination Kia and we’ll be happy to do that for you! Or if your vehicle requires work more complicated than changing your spark plugs, we’ll be more than happy to help with that too. Destination Kia is here to help! Get Your Vehicle Serviced Today