Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Nissan Restores Luke Aker’s 1996 Nissan Maxima

 Craigslist fans probably remember Luke Aker’s ad that went viral last year. He advertised his downtrodden 1996 Nissan Maxima GLE ironically as “Luxury Defined,” and enticed buyers to invest in this vehicle that “will get you from point A to point B…most of the time.” And Nissan bought it.

After Nissan picked up the old Maxima, they reached out to Motor Authority fans to decide what should be done with the car. The fans voted that the car should be refurbished and “returned to its former glory” – and return it did. Nissan repaired and updated the car from the inside out, and the result was better than a fixer-upper. The 1996 Nissan Maxima is now a fully capable sedan. Motor Authority testers got to take the new and improved Maxima around for a spin, and they said “it’s likely the best 1996 Maxima to be found today on the planet earth.”

Click here for more details from Motor Authority on this blast from the past. 

Monday, December 29, 2014

Nissan Titan Truckumentary: Chapter One

In preparation for the big debut of the 2016 Nissan Titan, Nissan is releasing “Truckumentary” videos exploring the history of Nissan trucks.


When you think about Nissan heritage, you may think of an iconic vehicle like the 240 Z, but chapter 1 of the “Nissan Titan Truckumentary” offers a look back at Nissan’s rich truck heritage. Brent Hagan, Product Planner for the Next Generation Titan, explains the history behind the Nissan Smyrna assembly plant and tours the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN which offers a unique snapshot of the Nissan trucks from years past. Watch the video below, or click here.


At Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville, Nissan’s rich history makes us even more excited for future innovation. The 2016 Titan is set to debut on January 12, 2015. Stay tuned for the latest information, and as always feel free to contact us with any questions or to set up a test drive of one of our other impressive Nissan vehicles. 

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Ask a Technician: Is it safe to continuously drive on low gas?

Q. Is it bad to regularly drive my car until the low gas light comes on?

A. It’s like dancing with the devil. All right, not really--but it’s still not a good idea. Running out of gas is a serious drag and depending on where and when it happens, it can turn into a dangerous situation.

Aside from the risk of getting stranded on the side of the road at the mercy of passersby, driving your car down to the bottom of your gas tank can actually do damage your car’s engine.

Gas has small particles of dirt and other gunk that accumulate and sink to the bottom of your tank. The lower your gas level goes, the more gunk gets stirred up and mixed with the remaining gas.

If you’re driving with a low tank, this sediment is pulled up into your engine. Some of it will be caught by your fuel filter, but some dirty gas will make it into your fuel line and finally to your engine where can do some serious damage, including ruining your fuel pump.


Mucking up your engine with dirty gas is easily avoidable. Just fill it up. Try not to let your tank get below a quarter of tank and you should be good to go.

Friday, December 19, 2014

5 Tools To Keep On Hand For DIY Car Care

As nice as it would be to pay a mechanic or your service department for every single item of work on your car, unless you are a millionaire, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to afford it. Keeping on top of routine repairs and maintenance helps keep your car in tip-top condition and while avoiding excess repair bills. Of course, it pays to be prepared, so here are five tools that you should keep on hand in the event that you need to a little DIY car care.

Ratchet (socket wrench)
A ratchet is a very handy gadget to have around you for a variety of different auto DIY purposes. A ratchet allows you to rotate or move bolts in one direction, while preventing any movement in the other. You will almost certainly need a ratchet if you want to change a spark plug or replace an oil filter.

Set of wrenches
Wrench sets come in a host of different sizes and designs. Wrenches are used to provide grip and torque to turn objects like nuts and bolts, and there are plenty of places where they are going to come in handy around your car. You’re likely to use a variety of different wrenches when working on the engine, and the different sized nuts and bolts all require different sized wrenches.

Funnel
In the midst of a car’s mechanics, it’s easy to overlook the importance of the humble funnel, but you’ll regret it if you don’t have one. The funnel makes it easy to pour liquids into a narrow opening, without causing a lot of mess that subsequently needs to be cleaned up. You’ll need a funnel if you’re replacing coolant or engine oil.

Screwdrivers
Screwdrivers come in a variety of sizes, and with a number of different sized blades, but car mechanics generally rely on two different blades. A flat-head or straight screwdriver is the most common screwdriver, consisting of a simple, single head blade. A Philips screwdriver has a cross-head blade, and is also commonly required when removing a variety of different parts in a car. A flat-head screwdriver is also useful for prising objects apart, or for lifting something up or out carefully to allow inspection underneath.

Hammer
A hammer may sound like a relatively crude object to use during car maintenance, but it can be very useful in a number of different ways. The Ball Peen hammer was designed specifically for working on your car. The hammer’s head has one flat end and one rounded end. This enables you to make measured, well-aimed taps and blows if you need to make repairs to a damaged body panel. The flat end of the hammer can, of course, be used for a variety of purposes, making this a surprisingly useful tool to keep around.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Nissan and Adam Levine Declare December 15th "Red Thumb Day"

Nissan, in partnership with Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, has declared December 15th “Red Thumb Day” to raise awareness for the fatalities caused by texting and driving.

“Red Thumb Day” is based on a program created by Steve Babcock of EVB advertising – “Red Thumb Reminder.” The new campaign, promoted by Nissan and Adam Levine, encourages all drivers to mark their thumbs red on their own, or with a Red Thumb Reminder Band available at local Nissan dealerships. The red is meant to serve as a reminder not to text and drive, on “Red Thumb Day” and every day after.  

At Sheehy Nissan Mechanicsville, we’re proud Nissan is backing such an important cause. The U.S. Department of Transportation reports statistics that show cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes each year, causing a half-million injuries and taking 6,000 lives annually. Join us in the effort to turn our thumbs red, and you could prevent injury or death on the road – and it might be your own.


For more information about Red Thumb and to find out where you can get your own Red Thumb Band, visit www.redthumb.org or contact us at Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville. 

Image: Nissan