Intro 1953 Corvette (Video)

On this day in 1953, workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, assemble the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that would become an American icon. Happy Birthday to the epitome of cool and class, the Chevy Corvette!

Malibu Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Initial Quality Study

Tahoe, Silverado HD and Avalanche place among top three in their segments

DETROIT – Chevrolet passenger cars are winning over consumers with their quality – the Malibu was the highest-performing midsize car in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study^SM. 

The Silverado HD, Avalanche and Tahoe were also among the top 3 in their respective segments and the Chevrolet brand turned in its best-ever performance in the study with an overall improvement of 8 percent.

“To have the Malibu recognized by our customers as segment leading in J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Study means a lot to us as their satisfaction is a top priority,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “We will continue to listen and learn from our customers so we can improve quality even faster on all cars and trucks that wear the Chevrolet bowtie.”

The 2012 IQS is based on responses from more than 74,000 purchasers and lessees of new 2012 model year vehicles surveyed at 90 days of ownership.  The study includes a 228-question survey designed to provide manufacturers with information they can use to quickly identify problems and drive improvement.

Chevrolet’s commitment to quality and steady introduction of new, fuel-efficient products with the technology and features that more customers want helped the brand achieve record first quarter 2012 global sales of 1.18 million vehicles. In the last two calendar years, Chevrolet has grown faster than other high-volume global brands.

 

Courtesy of Media.GM

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: What to Do If Your Car Overheats

There are many things that can go wrong when driving, overheating is a big one. Many factors can cause a car to overheat, typically low coolant during warm temperatures, long drives and congested traffic are to blame.

If your car overheats, do not drive more than a quarter mile. Have it towed to avoid further damage to the engine. However, if there is no experienced mechanic or tow truck nearby, follow these simple steps:

• Pull over to a safe location and turn off the engine.
• Do not open the hood until the car has completely cooled or the temperature gauge has moved from hot to cool.
• Check the coolant (also called antifreeze) level in the radiator. Look in the owner’s manual if you are unsure where the coolant reservoir tank is.
• Make sure the radiator cap is cool before opening it. Slowly twist it off with a towel and beware of any hot steam. If needed, fill coolant to the top of the radiator. Put the radiator cap back on.
• Be sure the upper or lower radiator hose and any of the heater hoses have not been blocked, disconnected or burst.
• Restart the engine.
• Carefully monitor the temperature gauge. If you see it crossing the optimal mark, pull over to a safe location and turn the engine off.

While your best bet is to get help from a mechanic, your safest bet is to be prepared. Store these essential items in you car: Coolant, tool kit, working flashlight, non-perishable foods and water.

 

Courtesy of The National Safety Council

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: What to Do If Your Car Overheats

There are many things that can go wrong when driving, overheating is a big one. Many factors can cause a car to overheat, typically low coolant during warm temperatures, long drives and congested traffic are to blame.

If your car overheats, do not drive more than a quarter mile. Have it towed to avoid further damage to the engine. However, if there is no experienced mechanic or tow truck nearby, follow these simple steps:

• Pull over to a safe location and turn off the engine.
• Do not open the hood until the car has completely cooled or the temperature gauge has moved from hot to cool.
• Check the coolant (also called antifreeze) level in the radiator. Look in the owner’s manual if you are unsure where the coolant reservoir tank is.
• Make sure the radiator cap is cool before opening it. Slowly twist it off with a towel and beware of any hot steam. If needed, fill coolant to the top of the radiator. Put the radiator cap back on.
• Be sure the upper or lower radiator hose and any of the heater hoses have not been blocked, disconnected or burst.
• Restart the engine.
• Carefully monitor the temperature gauge. If you see it crossing the optimal mark, pull over to a safe location and turn the engine off.

While your best bet is to get help from a mechanic, your safest bet is to be prepared. Store these essential items in you car: Coolant, tool kit, working flashlight, non-perishable foods and water.

 

Courtesy of The National Safety Council

EcoCAR 2 Challenges Students To Build Road-Ready Hybrids

One of the most important student car design competitions has returned. EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future features new schools, new cars and a whole new focus.

Unlike other student-built car projects, the three-year engineering and design challenge gives college teams an existing vehicle and tasks them with retrofitting it with an innovative and reliable hybrid drivetrain. The winning vehicle can’t be a kit car, either. Competition organizers are looking for production-ready powertrains and showroom-worthy designs.

During the competition’s first year, which just finished, students learned to maximize vehicle efficiency by testing powertrains and vehicle control systems using advanced modeling software — the same kind that car manufacturers use. Mississippi State’s team (shown above) won that round — their third first place finish in the nine years they’ve been competing. Now, the teams are taking delivery of their GM-donated 2013 Chevrolet Malibus and getting to work.

It’s a more space-intensive challenge than the last round of EcoCar, which ended in 2011 and gave students a fleet of relatively roomy Saturn Vue crossovers to stuff batteries and generators into. “The packaging challenge is much more significant for a sedan,” said Kristen De La Rosa, EcoCAR 2 program director at the Argonne National Laboratory.

Also smaller: the gains in fuel economy that the students will see. When EcoCAR first started, hybrids were the stuff of research projects. Now, they’re mainstream vehicle types, which makes software improvements almost as important as hardware ones.

“We have moved to a point in the competition where the teams have the tools available to them to be much more advanced,” said Brian Benoy, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition controls and simulation engineer at Argonne National Laboratory. “The distinguishing factor is the controls — the unique algorithms these students come up with. That’s what squeaks out that extra mile per gallon.”

In addition to vehicle controls, the students will be experimenting with E85, biodiesel and hydrogen along with five different kinds of plug-in hybrid vehicle architectures.”It used to be that we were on the edge of this type of technology,” said Patrick Davis, who directs the Department of Energy’s Vehicle Techologies Program. “Now we are there, and these students are attempting to take it even further.”

Nine of the teams will also be competing for a separate prize offered by Freescale. It requires students to create a vehicle infotainment system for a six inch touchscreen in the Malibu’s center stack that will control audio and climate functions and also show an energy flow diagram. It’s indicative of EcoCAR’s expansion from mechanical engineering into other fields.

“It’s an effort to expand on our software development side of the competition,” Benoy said. “We’ve had a lot of really good progress with it so far.” So far, students have created and tested their infotainment systems on a vehicle simulator, which should make installation in the Malibu seamless.

According to De La Rosa, the students participating in EcoCAR gain the kind of real-world skills that auto manufacturers demand. “About 75 percent of them end up in the auto industry,” she said. “That’s the main goal of our competition. They end up having not only the hands-on skills of developing these kinds of vehicles, but they understand all these engineering tradeoffs that the auto industry has to deal with.”

 

Courtesy of Wired

Thank you for the rave review, Richard! Your compliments are appreciated.

"I HAVE DEALT WITH HOLZ MOTORS FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW, I JUST PURCHASED A 2012 COLORADO CREW CAB TO PULL MY BOAT. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER, THEY KEEP GETTING BETTER AND BETTER WITH WHAT THEY DO."

- Richard

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Your Monday Maintenance Tip: How To Change a Tire

Sooner or later, it's bound to happen to most everyone. You're driving along with your mind on the important meeting agenda, and suddenly your car pulls to one side and you hear that dreaded flapping sound of a flat tire.

Nowadays, many drivers have roadside assistance services that will come fix your flats, but it's always smart to know how to change a flat yourself. Because it's a fairly common occurrence, car manufacturers have tried to make the tire change process one that virtually anyone can do.

Before Starting Out

It's a good idea to get your car serviced before heading out on a road trip. Part of the checkup should include a look at the tires.

Look for any unevenly worn spots, or skimpy tread. If the tires are iffy, invest in new ones. You'll need them eventually anyway, and it's better to start out on a trip with new tires than have a blow-out in the middle of nowhere.

Even if you're not heading on a trip, you should familiarize yourself with the tools you'll use in the event of a flat tire. Most cars come equipped with a simple jack and lug wrench, as well as a spare tire. Check your owner's manual if you aren't sure how to access these items.

Pull out the jack and the tire, and make sure the tire is in good shape. If your spare is flat, get it fixed.

It only takes a few minutes to make sure you have all the tools, and you'll save yourself a big headache later if you find yourself on the side of the road with a flat.

Optional Items to Pack

Besides the crucial jack, wrench, and spare tire, you might also want to consider placing these tools in your trunk to make a tire change much easier and more comfortable:

• Flashlight (with extra batteries)

• Gloves

• Tarp or mat to kneel on

• Plastic rain poncho

• Fix-a-flat™ spray foam

• Tire gauge

• Tire blocks

Changing a Flat Tire

Follow these simple steps to fix the problem and be on your way in no time:

1. Find a safe spot to pull over. If you're on the freeway, getting off is the safest bet, even if you have to drive on a blown tire. Otherwise, pull as far onto the shoulder as possible. Don't park in the middle of a curve, where approaching cars can't see you. Also choose a flat spot; jacking up your car on a hill can be a disaster. If you have a manual transmission, leave your car in gear. Be sure to set your parking brake!
2. Turn on your hazard lights. Get the jack, wrench, and spare tire from the trunk of the car and bring them over to the tire that is flat. Use other tools or supplies if needed.
3. Use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts. You may need to remove the hubcap. Don't remove the lug nuts at this point; simply loosen them by turning the wrench to the left (counter-clockwise). If the lug nuts are really tight, try placing the wrench on the nut and standing on the wrench arm to use your full weight on it. You can also try hitting the wrench arm with a rock.
4. Use the jack to lift the vehicle off the ground. Different car models may have different places to put the jack; consult your owner's manual for specific locations. Once the jack is securely in the correct spot, jack up the car until the tire is about six inches off the ground.
5. Remove the lug nuts and pull the tire off the car. Make sure to place the lug nuts in a pile that won't get scattered, and pull the tire straight toward yourself to remove it from the wheel base.
6. Place the spare on the car. Line up the lug nut posts with the holes in the spare, and push the spare all the way onto the wheel base until it can't go any farther.
7. Put on the lug nuts. Don't put them on tightly, just make sure they're on enough for the spare to stay on the car for a moment.
8. Lower the car back to the ground. Use the jack to bring the car back down to ground level. Remove the jack from underneath the car.
9. Make sure the lug nuts are tightened. With the car back on the ground, you can now tighten the lug nuts. Rather than tightening them one by one in order, start with one lug nut, tighten it about 50%, move to the opposite nut (across the circle) and tighten that one about the same amount. Keep tightening opposite lug nuts gradually in turn until each lug nut is as tight as it can be.
10. Put your flat tire and tools back in your trunk. Make sure you don't leave anything on the side of the road.

Quick Fixes

Once in a while, a tire isn't completely destroyed when it goes flat. If the flat is caused by a nail or other sharp object, and you can't or don't want to change your tire on the side of the road, you may be able to give yourself a few miles of leeway by using a flat-fix type spray.

Simply follow the manufacturer's directions. In ideal situations, the spray foam will allow you to at least find a close off-ramp and pull into a service station or a rest stop before you have to change your tire.

Courtesy of DMV.org

2012 Indy 500™ Pace Car: Corvette ZR1 | Team Chevy | Chevrolet

Chevrolet returns to the Indianapolis 500 and brings the ultimate pace car with it: the 2013 Corvette ZR1. Check out behind-the-scenes footage of the car, a rundown of the features from Chevy marketing manager Jeff Chew and pace car driver Guy Fieri's first impressions after his training session with Johnny Rutherford.

GM may use diesels in light-duty pickups

General Motors is considering a diesel engine for light-duty versions of its redesigned full-sized pickups.

GM North America President Mark Reuss said in an interview that a diesel is among the options for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, which are due in showrooms next spring.

Chrysler Group recently said it is considering a diesel for its light-duty Ram. Ford Motor Co. has no plans for a light-duty diesel, a spokesman said, adding that Ford's EcoBoost V6 engine is a less expensive option to save fuel and will be "our diesel fighter."

Speculation abounds that GM, smarting from Ford's success with the EcoBoost V6 on its F-series pickups, will counter with a turbocharged V6 on the redesigned trucks. But Reuss implied GM will go a different route.

"I wouldn't say that's a huge priority," Reuss said. "I think there are other answers to that--which they don't have--for us that make a lot more sense."

He was referring to GM's two-pronged strategy of offering a mid-sized pickup, the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado, alongside the Silverado and Sierra. Ford phased out its compact Ranger pickup last year and will stick with the F-series as its only pickup line.

Reuss believes the full-sized pickup can't be all things to all customers. Fuel economy often isn't a top priority for construction workers or ranchers who rely on their pickups for a living, he figures.

By offering a mid-sized Colorado, Reuss says, GM will have its shot at fuel-conscious buyers "and still keep that Silverado and Sierra as workhorses."

Courtesy of AutoWeek

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Driving and Tornadoes

When you prepare for tornado season ahead of time, you can increase your chances of protecting yourself and your property in the face of a tornado or heavy windstorm. If you’re in a tornado’s path, you don’t have much time to find shelter.

Tornado Driving Safety Tips:

• Try not drive during tornado conditions. Drive only if the tornado is far away and the traffic you will be driving in is light.
• Never try to out-drive a tornado in a vehicle. Tornadoes can change direction quickly and can lift a car or truck and toss it through the air.
• If you can see the tornado, and it is heading away from you… just sit tight. If it is heading toward you, and you have the time, drive away from it at right angles. Example, if it is heading north, travel east or west. If it is too close, find safety below ground if possible, or in the nearest depression. Do not stay in your car, as it will be tossed around with you in it.
• Do not, under any circumstance, drive over a downed electrical line.
• Get out of your vehicle immediately and seek shelter in a nearby building.
• Be prepared with a disaster kit in the car at all times. Take it, if possible, when you leave your car.
• If there is no time to get indoors, or if there is no nearby shelter, get out of the car and lie in a ditch or a low-lying area away from the vehicle. Be aware of the potential for flooding.
• Heavy rains often accompany tornadoes. Do not travel down a road submerged in water — underlying currents could carry your car away. Another likely threat: a collapsed roadway. If your vehicle stalls in water, immediately abandon it — floodwaters can rise several feet in a matter of minutes.

You should know these about tornadoes:

• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.

Other Tornado Safety Tips:

Be alert to changing weather conditions.

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.Look for approaching storms
• Look for the following danger signs:
  • Dark, often greenish sky
  • Large hail
  • A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
  • Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

 

Courtesy of Car-Use.net

We appreciate the compliments, Tim! Thank you for the 5-star review.

"Great service department, experienced staff and technicians"

- Tim

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Thank you for the 5-star review, Jeffrey! Kudos to his salesman, Bob!

"Great service. If a problem comes up it s handeled in a very professional manner. I feel confident sending my wife in for service. Great dealership. We have bought alot of cars and Bob Schwarz is the best salesmen we have ever dealt with."

- Jeffrey

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Kelley Blue Book - Best Green Cars of 2012

Overview

Fuel economy is up, fuel consumption is down, and the road keeps getting a little bit greener each new model year. But world-class fuel efficiency alone is not enough to win a spot on our annual 10 Best Green Cars list. Click the arrow above to see the standouts offering mpg and more.

2012 Chevrolet Volt

With its small gasoline engine on standby to generate electricity should the batteries run out of juice, the Volt conquers "range anxiety" and makes for a car that can be filled with gas at a pump and electricity from an outlet. Sleek looks inside and out, plus room for four passengers and cargo complete the package.

2013 Chevrolet Malibu

While recent non-hybrid compact cars are notorious for flirting with the 40 mpg mark, conventional midsize sedans continue to hover in the mid-30s. The new Malibu seemingly bridges the efficiency gap between the two categories with eAssist, a system that conserves fuel by using a small lithium-ion battery to supplement the engine, along with regenerative braking and start-stop technology.

 

Courtesy of Kelley Blue Book

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Sunny Day Driving Safety

To see your way clearly

• You could wear Sun glasses or draw down the window-shade when the  sunlight is too strong to make sure you can see your way clearly.

Prevent Engine Overheating

• Engine Overheating may cause breakdowns, especially on a hot day.
• Check the level, condition, and concentration of the coolant periodically.
• If your car overheats, do not drive any more.Never remove the radiator cap until the engine has thoroughly cooled.

Pay Attention To Tires

• Check your tires regularly
• Be sure the tires are properly inflated
• Don’t drive at a high rate of speed for a long time,particularly in hot weather
• Do not overload your car

 

Courtesy of Car-Use.net

Thank you for the compliments, George! We appreciate this 5-star review.

"My wife & I have purchased many vehicles from Holz Motors and every experience is better than the previous one. Holz motors is the only place to buy a new or used car or truck. The sales department, especially Bob Schwarz is the greatest and the service department is the best in the area." - George V