Checking your tire tread is an easy job that doesn’t take long at all, but your vehicle can suffer for it if you don’t check it regularly. If your tires go bald, you’re at a very high risk of accidents due to losing traction on slick surfaces, either icy or wet. It’s a lot easier to check your tread than having to figure out what to do if you start hydroplaning!

There’s a great way to check your tire tread using only a penny – seriously! Put the penny with Lincoln’s head down into your tire tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, you need to replace your tires!

You can also do this with a quarter. If you can see the top of George Washington’s head, you should definitely get your tires checked, if not replaced.

There are a lot of things that contribute to your tire treads wearing down. There’s the classic driving – if you drive your car, your treads will wear down. Another factor is tire air pressure. If your tires have low pressure, they can wear down faster, leading you to need to replace your tires more frequently. Another issue that might be contributing to your tire tread wearing down quickly is your vehicle’s alignment. If your alignment is off, your tires can wear down unevenly, causing you to need to replace them sooner than you might have planned to do so.

A way to keep your tires’ wear even is to have your mechanic rotate your tires every time you go into the shop for an oil change or any other maintenance. You should also have your mechanic check your tires’ PSI and re-inflate them if they’re a little low on air pressure.

We hope these tips have helped you – remember, it’s better safe than sorry! Checking your tires’ tread is very easy and quick and can save you a lot of hassle in the end.

I know, I know, having to stop at the gas station to fill up is always an inconvenience. That’s why I got a new 2017 BMW 3 Series 328d xDrive from Flemington BMW. I get 30 MPG in the city, which means less time spent at the pump filling up. But sometimes it gets reeeeally tedious to look down, see I’m low on gas and then have to stop in the middle of my drive to where I need to go to stop at the gas station, fill up, and then go on my way. So, one time I took a chance it and didn’t stop. Big mistake. Biiiiig mistake.

I was headed to my mom’s house, which is a good hour and a half away, and I was already running late. I knew I was kind of low on gas, but I had faith in my new car’s fuel efficiency and so decided to skip stopping to fill up on the way in favor of getting there at least a little faster and avoiding some of my mother’s wrath. But as I was driving, my car let me know that I needed to fill up by making that helpful beep and I, of course, ignored it. I could go for like three hundred more miles, right? Wrong.

About thirty minutes away from my mom’s house, my car just kind of… stopped. I managed to pull over, but there was nothing to be done. I was out of gas, and now I was really going to be late. No avoiding that one when you’re stopped on the side of the highway with an empty tank and no help in sight. Luckily I had my phone and could call my brother, who was already at Mom’s, to pick up a couple gallons of gas and bring them to me. I felt foolish but it was the only thing I could do! So, about 45 minutes later, my brother showed up, we put the gas in my car, and I made it to the nearest gas station to fill up. My brother came too, mostly to laugh at me. I did make it to Mom’s, but I was two hours late. Thank goodness she also decided that this was funny, because I don’t think I could take mom-anger after my adventure by the side of the road.

My advice for you is to never let your car get so low on gas that this happens. Even if your vehicle is crazy fuel-efficient like mine is, you’ll still have to fill it up every now and again – your car can’t run on air alone! I think another good tip is to always make sure your cell phone is charged when you set out on a longer trip (or any trip, really) in case you need to call for help. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t had my phone available to call my brother.

Anyway, now I always make sure I never get below a quarter tank of gas, especially in the winter, and I haven’t had an adventure like that one since. I hope my story and advice help you too, and if you’re in the market for a new car that gets great gas mileage, check out Flemington BMW and they’ll help you find the perfect car.

If you drive a BMW from us, you probably want to know the best type of fuel to be putting into your vehicle. We get it, it’s important. The right fuel can keep your engine going for years to come, and keep it going efficiently to boot. So, here’s a little primer on the types of gasoline you might see at the pump, and exactly what those numbers mean.

The difference between fuel types is actually pretty scientific. The numbers on the pumps actually indicate the octane levels of the gasoline, which can make a difference in the performance of your engine. What do we mean by octane? Here comes the science – the oil used in gasoline production is a “hydrocarbon fuel,” so the individual molecules hold both carbon and hydrogen atoms. Different types of fuels have different numbers of hydrocarbons, one of which is isooctane (what we just shorten to “octane”). This molecule is resistant to spontaneous explosion, which makes it more efficient in your engine. A higher level of octane won’t help your MPG – that’s something you can only change by careful driving – but it will help your engine’s performance when driving.

The way your engine works, for those of you who might not be familiar, is that the gasoline is injected into the cylinders of your engine, compressed, and then the gas is ignited by the spark plugs. So, you can see why the ignition resistance provided by the octane is so important! If the octane level is lower, there’s a higher chance that the gasoline will ignite before it’s supposed to, which creates a “knock” in your engine. That sound means that you should probably be using a higher octane fuel in your engine.

A caveat, however: not all engines are created equal. Some engines, like those in some models of BMW, are made for a higher level of performance and therefore require a higher octane fuel. Some engines don’t need this higher octane, and to get it at the pump would be a waste of your money. However, if you do have a high-performance engine, purchasing the higher octane – or premium, if you prefer – fuel will allow your vehicle to perform at its highest level. Racecar drivers usually use fuel with an octane level of 100 or higher for ultimate performance on the racetrack.

You might not be racing in Formula One, but BMWs are designed for a higher level of performance. Knowing what type of fuel to put into your tank is just one step to knowing how to reach your vehicle’s fullest potential.

I like to think I am consistently a reasonable person. OK, so maybe it’s like 90% of the time… OK fine, it’s more like 75% of the time. So taking all that into consideration, I’m an understanding-at-times, caters-to-her-kids mom who just almost lost her cool.

Why you ask? Let’s rewind.

I work hard, as we all do. So when I buy new things, the last thing that I want is for my kids, or anyone for that matter, to ruin them.

I decided that landing my new job called for a celebration, so I bought myself a new BMW. My one rule, THE one rule I have always had, for riding in the car is: no food or drinks allowed. This rule came about because, in my old vehicle, my kids thought it was great to start a water fight after soccer practice. I don’t know about you, but when I was younger, all my mother had to do was give me one stare, you know the one I’m talking about, and I knew that the world was about to end. Well, enter me channeling my mother and putting the fear of some higher power in my kids.

So anyway, back to my new car. I told the kids if they came with me to visit Grandma, I would let them enjoy food and drinks in my car IF and only if they promise not to spill anything which is not altogether that unreasonable. Obviously, if I stop too quick or what not that is a whole new story, but other than that, the food should be glued to their hands.

We get the food, my heart starts pounding and of course, I start panicking. Let these kids spill something, I might lose it.

Well, you wouldn’t know this, but I’ll let you know, I have ZERO luck in my life. My son spills his soda ON MY SEATS and BRAND NEW floor mats. You can imagine the colorful language I was using.

With tears in my eyes and not even a single thought going through my mind aside from “REALLY?!,” my kids and I drove home in dead silence. I calmly called my dealership’s service department and asked if there was any way on this good earth that they could squeeze me in for a cleaning. The one good thing that happened that day? They said, “Sure come on in!”

I guess I couldn’t be mad at my son anymore, could you? I was just so grateful that they were able to take me in and clean my new baby. I guess I could let them eat in the car, why not right? I have the best service department ever!

Think about all the ways people travel, by train, by boat, and by car. Let me start off the story by saying that I am always right or at least 90% of the time. We took our car,  that needed to have a routine check up done mind you, for the trip.

Although most of the time nothing really happens when you miss one routine checkup, for our car, we needed desperately to have an oil change. Although my husband would disagree, I know how to check my oil to make sure that I am on point with my checkups.

I think he’s a tad jealous that I can check my own oil and he can’t! So this is for all you that do not know how to check your own oil.

Step 1) Find an old rag. Something that you don’t expect to ever use again. Something that can get dirty but you won’t need again, like an old t-shirt.

Step 2) If you have zero idea what you’re doing, take out that owner’s manual. That’s right, nothing to be ashamed of! This will let you know what to expect under the hood of your car.

Step 3) So, the oil is best to be checked while warm, so maybe take your car for a spin around the neighborhood or go grab some Chipotle.

Step 4) That doesn’t mean leave your car on! In fact, your vehicle should be off before checking the oil!

Step 5) When you open the hood of your vehicle, usually on the driver’s side you’ll find a handle. Pull handle and press lever under the center of your vehicle’s hood.

Step 6) Find the dipstick on the left side of the engine and remove it then clean it with the rag in step one. Slide the dipstick in again and remove it again.

Step 7) Look at the end of the dipstick, and find the line marked “full”. Oil will appear in color on the textured area that represents the capacity of the oil pan.

Might seem like a long list of checking your oil, but once you get the hang of it, these steps will seem like nothing! Make sure that you do follow instructions on your owner’s manual! Bring your vehicle to get checked by a certified mechanic to change your oil!

“How to Check Your Oil.” Driving-Tests.org. N.p., 24 Apr. 2012. Web. 20 July 2017.