With winter weather on its way, it will be more important than ever to make sure you can keep your windshield clean, crisp, and clear for when you’re driving through whatever madness mother nature throws our way this year. For that reason, we’re going to give you some helpful tips on changing your wipers before the crazy weather shows up.

Replace Your Wipers

Changing your wiper blades is typically a simple task. If, however,  you’re not sure you’re up for that task you can always leave it to the professionals at Destination Kia in their service center. If you want to do it yourself, here are some helpful steps:

1. Measure. Measure the wiper blade length or check your car’s owner’s manual for the correct blade size.

2. Remove the old wiper. Lift the wiper arm away from the windshield and depress the small tab on the underside of the wiper where it meets the wiper arm. When the tab is depressed, slide the wiper blade off the arm by pulling downward.

3. Attach the new wiper blade. Pull the wiper blade tight onto the arm. You will hear a clicking sound when it locks into place. Now, simply lower the arm slowly back onto the windshield and repeat this process on the other wiper arm.

4. Test. Finally, test the wipers after installation. It’s better to do it now, when it’s convenient, as opposed to during the middle of a downpour.

Something as simple as keeping your windshield clean and your windshield wipers working to their best ability could be the difference between safe driving and an accident. Make sure you are taking all the precautions this year. Stop by Destination Kia to get your vehicle ready for the winter!

The holidays are a time filled with love, joy, and juuuust a little stress. My mom insists every single year that she loves getting ready for Thanksgiving and having the family around. “It makes me happy,” she says while she cries into a bowl of stuffing. I know that she loves having the family over, but she ends up stressing herself out with all of the preparations. This year, in an effort to help my mother stay calm, I’m bringing her to Destination Kia to test drive one of their many specials. Few things bring my mother as much joy as exceptional savings, so I’m thinking this will help to destress my poor mom.

With options like the 2017 Kia Forte LX which can be leased for $178 a month for a 36-month lease or $117 a month for a 36-month lease with $1,999 due at signing mom will be sure to zen out a bit! Mom has been looking for something fun with plenty of space, so the 2018 Kia Soul which she can lease for $229 per month with a 36-month lease and $0 due at signing is perfect! These prices are amazing!

Bringing the whole family together for a delicious meal can be pretty intense, but these savings will have even mom feeling lighter, even fluffier, than her special cheesy mashed potatoes. Other awesome deals you’ll find at Destination Kia include the 2018 Kia Sportage LX, 2018 Kia Optima PHEV EX, 2017 Niro Hybrid LX, and the 2018 Kia Sorento LX! To find out more about these deals check out our specials page on our website!

Stop by Destination Kia, to help mom get through her favorite time of year with most of her sanity intact!

*All specials expire on 11/30/17 see specials page for full details.

Last week we talked about the various kinds of maintenance that you should never do on your own. It’s not about you, it’s about safety, and having the necessary equipment. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t easy tasks that you can manage on your own. Below we have listed the top 5 things you can handle all on your own.

Air Filter
You need a new air filter for your car every 12 months or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. This is a fairly easy job that would take probably 10 minutes to do on your own.

Windshield Wipers
You’ll need new wiper blades after about six months or a year of use. It depends on how much you’ve had to use them that year. Driving with a streaked windshield is unsafe for you and those on the road around you, so it’s not worth the risk to ignore something as simple as this.

Headlights
Replacing your headlights is fairly simple and should only take you ten minutes. The only cost with this maintenance task is the cost of the new headlight, which can run anywhere from $20-$100 depending on what kind of bulb you need.

Spark Plugs
Changing your spark plugs 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).

Oil/Oil Filter
Your oil is typically changed every 3,500-5,000 miles depending on your vehicle. If you aren’t sure, check your owner’s manual. Your engine keeps everything in your engine running smoothly and acts as a temperature regulator, so it is vitally important that you keep up with your oil changes. It takes about 45 minutes to change your own oil and will cost around $20 (the price of oil and a new filter).

Over the next few weeks we will cover how to do each of these tasks so that if you all want to do them on your own, you’ll know how to do it. In the meantime, if you are thinking to yourself, “Well, that seems like a lot of work. Can’t I just get this done for me??” You definitely can. Stop by Destination Kia and we’ll be more than happy to get your vehicle in tip-top shape!

Now, I’m a firm believer in the Do-It-Yourself life. If I can fix it or do it myself, I 100% will. There are, however, a variety of things that I would never try to do on my own, particularly when it comes to my car. Let’s be real, I’d prefer to just pay to have something fixed up, rather than accidentally mess something up and have to pay even more to get it repaired. Or even worse, damage something crucial and end up in an accident because I made a mistake! No thanks, I choose life. So, here are some pieces of vehicle maintenance that you should maybe leave to the pros. Next week I’ll provide a list of regular vehicle maintenance that you can easily do on your own.

1. Wiring Harness Repair

Wiring harnesses are the brains of modern cars, sending electrical signals to make your vehicle run. Not to dismiss your mechanical abilities here, but this is a lot like a Doctor Frankenstein-kinda project if you tried to fix this on your own. We all know how that went down. Not awesome, friends. So the question is: Is this a vehicle you are driving? Or is a junker that you’ve been working on? If it’s just a junker and you’re out here for fun or a learning adventure, you’ll likely learn a lot, and there’s something to be said for knowing how your car is wired. If however, you depend on this vehicle to get you to work so that you can pay your bills, it is so not worth it. For real, wiring harnesses are notoriously temperamental and when something’s wrong in there you’re gonna need to call in a pro at Destination Kia.

2. Air Conditioning Repair

Even at the most basic of the 3 air conditioning repair levels, I’m not willing to attempt that fix. I don’t have experience working with hazardous materials like that found in a DIY refrigerant top-off kit. This is more a risk of my own health, than damage to my vehicle,  and I’m really not interested in that risk. The next 2 levels would require specialized parts like a vacuum pump to remove existing refrigerant before charging the system back to factory specs, or even having to dismantle the dashboard to check for leaks or a malfunction. That’s a bit more than I’m willing to take on as a project, and is best left to the professionals.

3. Body Work

Unless you are literally the Michelangelo of automotive body filler putty, I promise you this will not work out the way you want. Grand aspirations of fixing up your car to it’s former glory with some putty and a dream usually turns into second-rate fill and mismatched paint. You will definitely save money, but at what cost, friends.? AT WHAT COST?! Apparently around 7 dollars for a pint, BUT THAT IS BESIDES THE POINT! It’s usually best to leave these sorts of issues to the professionals — it will look significantly better than if you tried to fix it on your own.

4. Spring Removal

In order to take a spring out of its housing, you need to compress it with a device called a spring compressor(I know, shocking!). Ok, great, that sounds fine right? Well, hold on there friend, do you happen to have an industrial-grade compressor laying around the house, because that’s the kind of power you’d need. Yah, I didn’t think so. Even if you did, keeping that spring tamed and secured is a daunting task. Like, imagine that thing lets loose and you happen to be in the line of fire. Seriously, people have been seriously injured and even died this way. Once again, I choose life. Leave this to the safety of professionals.

5. Ignition System Repair

Fun fact: messing up your ignition system will definitely make it a wee bit tricky to start your car. And by a wee bit, I mean that thing is not going to start, you are going to be late for work, and that coworker you HATE will end up with the promotion. Honestly, the risk of failure and subsequent damage here has only grown with the creation of modern electronic ignition systems. It’s no longer as simple as pulling a spark plug wire and looking for a spark. Unless you’d really like to light yourself up like that cat from National Lampoon Christmas Vacation to the tune of 50,000 volts of electricity, I strongly recommend not tackling this job by yourself!

Ok, so there are quite a few car-related fixes that just aren’t practical to tackle on your own. I get it, I too want to be a wizard and fix my car on my own, but for the safety of your vehicle, and in many cases, your life, please leave it to the professionals. Next week, we’ll talk about some jobs that are safe for you to do on your own! In the meantime, if your vehicle is in need of service, stop by Destination Kia today and we’ll be happy to get you all sorted out.

We just wanted to give a quick shout out to all the amazing people out there who have had an experience with us here at Destination Kia and have felt moved enough by their experiences to leave us a review. We absolutely love hearing from our community to let us know what we’re doing right and hear about things that we could be doing better. We really and truly strive to provide our community with the best possible service we can, so we’re always happy to hear from you all. Below you will find a few of our most recent customer testimonials!

Thank you again to everyone who took the time to leave us a review. If you would like to leave a review of your own, feel free to check out our Google+ page, our Facebook page, or leave a comment on our DealerRater page! We’re always happy to hear from you! Thanks for helping to make us the #1 Volume Dealer in the Region!

From the Kia Rio subcompact to the Kia Sedona minivan, there’s always room for your dog if you’d like to have your pet come along. Here at Destination Kia, you know how we feel about our puppies and babies. We want to be able to take them with us everywhere. Fortunately getting your vehicle and your pup ready for a road trip is a fairly simple process. First, you need to get your pup ready, then make the necessary adjustments to your vehicle. We’ll walk you through the whole process, so don’t worry about it.

Preparing Your Pup

If someone just threw you into the back of some foreign vehicle you’d never seen before, you’d verily likely freak out a bit, right? I mean, that’s basically the plot of every alien abduction movie. No way you could get me to be calm. Similarly, your pup needs time to get used to your car and all the sounds and smells that go along with it. It’s all very new to your pup, so give them a little time to adjust. While your car is not running, we recommend you let your pet get inside and walk around for a while. We also recommend shorter trips at first with dogs that aren’t used to car travel until they get used to it and show they can handle it.

No matter the size of your dog, you want to make sure they are comfortable. It works both ways, too: They’re happy and cozy, and you don’t have to worry about them fidgeting in the seat.

You can keep them comfortable by:

• Providing a blanket or comforter, along with pillows, for their seating area.

• Not feeding them right before you leave. Eating a large meal right before leaving might make them carsick, just like it does for humans.

• Providing a crate with a blanket and pillows.  Please note that before asking your furry buddy to get into the crate that you should make it look like a positive thing and allow your dog time to smell it and get used to it before departing.

• Bringing chew toys and other supplies.

• Prep to Dispose of Messes and Waste

Even if you have the BEST, most well-behaved dog ever, accidents happen – especially on longer trips where you can’t stop as often for potty breaks. Make sure you have paper towels and plastic baggies for the accidents that do happen. A clean car isn’t only a benefit for the people to ride in, it also provides a calming and pleasant space for your dog to luxuriate in while you’re en route to your Destination in your Kia.

So, to find the perfect Kia for your next puptastic adventure, stop by Destination Kia today!

This Friday is Friday the 13th, but despite the day’s reputation, we’ve got some incredible savings at Destination Kia that will have you feeling pretty lucky! This Halloween season you’ll hear a lot of people calling out “trick-or-treat”, but at Destination Kia, it’s treats only! Right up through October 31st you’ll find a variety of sweet savings treats on Sedans, SUVs and Crossovers!

The 2017 Kia Forte LX which can be leased for $148 per month for a 36 month lease, the 2018 Kia Optima LX which can be bought for $228 per month with a 36 month lease, or maybe even the 2018 Kia Sportage LX which can be purchased for $248 for a 36 month lease. Any of these options would prove to be a rather sweet treat for this fall!

I promise you the 2017 Kia Niro LX which can be bought for $258 for a 36-month lease is not a ghost! It’s very much a real special and is a choice that won’t be haunting you anytime soon! Or maybe you’d prefer the 2017 Kia Forte which can be purchased for $13,888 which is a savings of $3,727 off MSRP!! To make things even better, all through the month of October for each new Kia sold, Destination Kia will be donating $100 to the local charity, ToLife! This organization educates our community about breast cancer detection, treatments and related health matters; and provides support services to breast cancer patients, caregivers, family and friends. It’s an important cause, and with the purchase of a Kia, you are helping to make a difference.  

Destination Kia has the savings you’re looking for on the vehicles you love! Stop by today for a test drive and avoid high prices that are spooky, Go Kooky!

*All specials expire on 10/31/17 see specials page for full details.

Whether this is your first ever new car, or you 5th, buying a new car is SUPER exciting! You get to go to Destination Kia and take a test drive in all kinds of new vehicles until you find one that has all of the features you’re looking for and feels right. You’ll know when it feels right. The only tricky thing is what you need to bring with you when you buy the car. My first time buying a car, I was so excited that I totally forgot to bring my checkbook! If you’re trading in your current car there are some additional things you’ll want to bring with you. To make sure you’ve got everything you need and have a stress free and fun car buying experience, here is a list of some of the things you’ll need to bring with you.

• Proof of insurance. Most places will ask for proof of insurance, but if you don’t already have insurance because this is your first car purchase, it’s a good idea to have contacted an insurance company to figure out how much insurance will cost for the vehicle you’re looking at, and have them on standby when you plan to buy the vehicle.

• Talk to your bank or credit union and get pre-approved for the loan you’ll need. You may get something resembling a blank check (up to a certain maximum) that must be signed by you and the dealer. By getting pre-approved, you will know the total loan amount and interest rate you qualify for.

• Your Driver’s License. To be able to test drive the vehicle you’ll need to have your license, but you’ll also need it when you buy the vehicle.

We will provide the DMV with the paperwork they need to get you driving your new car legally. But, if you need to transfer ownership of the vehicle yourself (or if you’d prefer to do it yourself), you should ask our representative for:

• The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (MCO), if the vehicle is brand new/has never been titled in NY.

• The current title, if the vehicle is used/pre-owned and has been titled before.

• A dealer’s invoice, to function as proof of sale and fees paid.

That’s it! Remember that you need to get insurance for your vehicle as soon as it becomes yours – it’s illegal in New York to have an uninsured vehicle. So stop by Destination Kia today or check out our website to find your brand new car!

Have you ever smelt something and it took you back to a very specific memory or person? Like the smell of a specific perfume reminds you of your grandmother, or perhaps the smell of chlorine smells like a summer spent at camp? Good news, you’re not going crazy! There have been a number of studies done on a person’s sense of smell and how it connects to your memory. It’s real. Some students even use smell to help them remember more information for classes by wearing a certain cologne or perfume, or even chapstick when they study and then wearing that smell during the test to help boost their memory.

So why does this matter to you? How is this relevant? Well, there are a few smells related to your vehicle that you should really be aware of that would even be beneficial to associate with certain vehicular problems to keep yourself safe. So if you smell the following things, it would be best to pull over and get out of your vehicle and have it checked by our extremely knowledgeable techs at Destination Kia.

• Syrupy sweet smell:

  • The most likely cause of that sickly sweet smell is a coolant leak. The smell is usually followed pretty quickly by a lot of smoke coming out of the hood of your vehicle and your engine overheating. Should your engine start to smoke while you are driving, pull over immediately and get a safe distance away from your vehicle and call for your vehicle to be towed as it will not be safe for you to drive it.

• Rotten eggs or a sulfur smell:

  • This smell usually means that there is an issue with your catalytic converter, also known as your “cat”. This gas is toxic and is 100% not safe for you to breath. You will likely need to get your cat replaced, which can be pretty expensive. The good news is that in most newer car that replacement is usually covered under warranty so you can contact us at Destination Kia to check.

• Hot oil:

  • As the smell would suggest you’ve likely got an oil leak. More specifically, oil is probably leaking onto your hot exhaust manifold, which collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. 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!

• Burning carpet:

  • This 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(your brake isn’t completely disengaging when you let off the brake) or an is an issue with the brake pad. This smell could also happen if you left your emergency brake (handbrake) and can cause damage to your brakes, so checking your E-brake before you start driving is important. If you notice the burning carpet smell, stop by Destination Kia and we’ll check out your brakes and replace the brake pads if need be.

• Burnt rubber:

  • If you notice this smell first check under your hood and make sure all hoses and belts are tight and not resting on the hot engine. If there are, that’s a cheap and relatively easy fix. If it’s not, this smell could also indicate that a belt is 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 Destination Kia and we will be happy to check out your vehicle out. It’s better to be safe than sorry and we just want you and your family to enjoy your vehicle safely!

A lot of time and effort goes into owning a vehicle. Much like a small child, you need to keep it fed to keep it moving, and you are in constant need of changing something. Usually a fluid of some kind. There are so many fluids that keep your car working and running at its peak so it’s understandable that you’d need to change those fluids regularly, but what are those fluids and what do they do? Why are they so important to your vehicle’s performance? Well, in this week’s blog we’re going to discuss exactly that! It’s time we had a slightly better understanding of what’s happening in our cars, so hopefully, this will help!

Engine Oil
Engine oil lubricates the engine and absorbs heat. It is a necessary fluid in your vehicle and fortunately, checking your engine oil is pretty easy. Simply open the hood, remove the oil cap(it should be labeled, and if not consult your Owner’s Manual) to find the dipstick, take the stick out and wipe it off, put it back in and then finally take it out one more time. The stick will show you what your oil level is, and the color of the oil will tell you if it needs to be changed out. Make sure your car is off and has been off for at least 10 minutes before checking your engine oil. Some experts recommend you check your oil every time you fill up with gas, but checking once a month should be fine for newer vehicles.

Transmission Fluid
Your transmission fluid, much like the engine oil, lubricates your vehicle and in this case, keeps your vehicle’s gears moving. Checking your transmission fluid is a lot like checking your engine oil, except you will want your vehicle on when you check your transmission fluid. The fluid should be red, so if you notice that it’s brown and smells vaguely burnt, you should replace the fluid. Your transmission fluid should not get low, so if it does, stop by Destination Kia and we’ll check it out to see what’s going on. Transmission fluid should be checked at each oil change interval and replaced typically every 30,000 miles.

Coolant
Basically, coolant keeps your engine at its optimal temperature. Like transmission fluid, your vehicle’s coolant levels should not get low. If it does, your vehicle is most likely going to overheat, which can really burn a hole into your savings if enough damage is done. The most common reason your coolant level is low is because of a leak. You can usually identify a coolant leak by a very distinct sweet maple syrup smell. You can check your coolant level by checking the overflow reservoir (an opaque white container under the hood) and seeing if the fluid level is at or above the minimum line. If your coolant level is low, be sure to add the same type of coolant already in the vehicle. Check your coolant levels at least every 6 months, once before winter and once again before summer. Your coolant should be replaced every 2 to 3 years.

Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is another one that should never get low. If your brakes don’t feel as responsive or you feel like you need to use more pressure to stop, check your fluid first. Your brake fluid can be checked by looking through the brake fluid reservoir on the driver side of the vehicle and should be a golden color. If the fluid looks brown, you need to change the fluid. Check your brake fluid every time you have your oil changed and look to replace the fluid every 2 years.

Power Steering Fluid
Power steering fluid keeps your steering running smoothly. If you feel or hear a creaking as you steer, your power steering fluid may be running low. You can check the level by opening the hood and checking the reservoir. If you do notice the power steering fluid is low, it’s worth having your vehicle looked at by your friends at Destination Kia. Checking your power steering fluid monthly will help avoid any leak based issues. It’s also important to note that your power steering fluid may never need replacing, but it doesn’t hurt to keep track.

Keeping up with all the various maintenance that your car needs to run efficiently isn’t as hard as you thought! At the very least it’s not quite as daunting a task as raising toddlers. So remember, if you have any questions about your fluid levels, your friends at Destination Kia will be happy to help. Just give us a call or stop by today!