Fogged Headlight Repair

Fogged headlight lenses not only make your car look tired but also restrict the amount of light illuminating the road ahead of you. Headlight restoration kits are cheap and can produce dramatic results. I recommend the Sylvania's Headlight Restoration Kit, selling for just over $20. There are a dozen other kits available at different prices, including some that include a buffing wheel to eliminate the manual labor.

Step 1: Preparation

Wash lenses, mask painted surface (tape included in kit). Next, spray on the Surface Activator--a proprietary surface corrosion softener only from Sylvania. Immediately, you’ll see the yellow gunk start to break down.

Step 2: Sand/Polish

Remove corrosion with a wet-sanding process using the provided 3 grades of premium waterproof sanding papers (400, 1000, 2000 grit). You’ll notice the lens to take on a cloudy, smooth finish. Apply the oil-free Clarifying Compound. Already, this step will help you feel confident in the kit’s ability. You’ll be amazed at how clear the lenses will be.

Step 3: Clarify/Seal

You’ll then apply the UV Block Clear Coat. It’s simple. Just apply as instructed in smooth, even applications. This UV Block Clear coat is a specially formulated polymer coating with active and passive UV blockers. This is the component that gives you long-lasting results.

Make your Journey an Affordable One

I've heard it said; 

"it's about the journey, not the destination." 

Some of the best vacation memories are the laughs, the conversations and car concerts we endure on those good old fashion family road trips. Before you pack up the car in preparation for a journey across American, I recommend you visit GasBuddy.com where you'll find the amazingly useful tool that is the Trip Cost Calculator, so clever. There you can input your destination and vehicle year, make and model to receive accurate mpg information. In addition, it will provide you with an entire trip summary, including total gas cost, distance, gallons needed, carbon footprint and suggested gas stations to fill up at. Since it's all about the journey, plan to make yours an affordable one! 

Save at the Pump with GasBuddy

As we are all well aware, filling up at the pump these days breaks the bank....and my heart. Yet on a recent road trip I used the GasBuddy smart phone application, which helps you find the cheapest gas on the go!  

The GasBuddy mobile application is available for the Android, iPhone, and Blackberry-- for FREE! With it you can locate gas stations near you, get directions and compare current prices on different gas types. GasBuddy is a community of users working together to update gas prices, for every gas price reported you'll earn points towards prize give-aways. This App is brilliant and I highly recommend it! While there is no telling when gas prices will go down, there is some joy in beating the system and getting gas for the cheapest price near you! 

Is It Time to Retire Your Tires?

For years, people have relied on a tire's tread depth to determine its condition. But the rubber compounds in a tire deteriorate with time, regardless of the condition of the tread. An old tire poses a safety hazard. 

In determining the age of the tires on your vehicle, you must first look at the sidewall of a tire. Look for the DOT XXXX-XXX-XXXX which is the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number that in code tells you the manufacturer plant code, size, brand, week and year the tire was made. 

For determining the age of a tire look at the last digits of the DOT. The first two numbers represent the week in which the tire was made. The second two represent the year. A tire with a DOT code of 0812 was made in the 8th week of 2012.

After checking out a tire's birth date, give the rubber a visual inspection. Check tires regularly for any sign of aging, such as tread distortion or large or small hairline cracks in the sidewall. Vibrations or a change in the dynamic properties of the tire could also be an indicator of aging problems, and the tire should be replaced immediately. 

It's too bad that tires don't have a "sell by" date, like cartons of milk. Since there's no consensus from government or industry sources, lets just say that if your tire has plenty of tread left but is nearing the five-year mark, it's time to think about retiring your tires.

2013 Hona Fit EV

The 2013 Honda Fit EV, has received a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe! The EPA rated annual fuel cost for the 5-passanger hatchback at only $500. Full EPA MPGe ratings for the Fit EV are 132/105/118 city/highway/combined.
With such an efficient drivetrain, the Fit EV 's 20-kWh lithium-ion battery provides the capacity to earn an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82-miles, allowing the Fit EV to surpass the EPA efficiency and range ratings of the Ford Focus Electric (105 MPGe, 76-mile range), Nissan Leaf (99 MPGe, 73-mile range), and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (112 MPGe, 62-mile range). The Fit EV 's exceptionally efficient design – encompassing everything from savvy powertrain design, weight-conscious engineering and effective aerodynamics – makes the most of the Fit EV 's smaller battery. Additionally, the Fit EV battery can be recharged in less than 3 hours from a low charge indicator illumination point when connected to a 240-volt circuit.
"Just as important as the industry-leading fuel-efficiency and fast recharging time, as a Honda, the 2013 Fit EV will be an absolute kick to drive," said Steve Center, vice president of the American Honda Environmental Business Development Office.
Honda debuted the 2013 Fit EV at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and announced plans to begin leasing the battery-electric commuter vehicle to customers in select California and Oregon markets during the summer of 2012, followed by an East Coast rollout in 2013. The Fit EV will have an MSRP of $36,625, though initially it only will be made available for a 3-year lease. 

Must Have Road Trip App: iExit

Ever find yourself on the road with your destination entered into the GPS and suddenly you're craving certain fast food? Ever needed to find how many exits up until a familiar chain hotel? Ever wondered where the next rest area is? 

Well there's an App for that. 

While your GPS will tell you how to get there, the smart phone App iExit will tell you where to stop along the way. iExit tells you what's coming up in real time when driving on the interstate. It's designed to easily communicate the upcoming exits that have what you need, whether it's gas, a hotel, a rest area, or even a Chick-Fil-A.

Search the following categories:

• Auto Services
• Biofuel
• Campgrounds
• Chain Hotels
• Coffee
• Diesel Gas
• Fast Food
• Ice Cream
• Independent Hotels
• Sit Down Food
• Shopping
• Trucker Services
• Unleaded Gas

For only $0.99 you can downland iExit and have the ability to search what's at exits up to 100 miles ahead along with filtering searches by your Favorite chains. There is even a Deals tab to click and see which upcoming exits have chains currently running promotions. iExit is the perfect driving tool for your summer road trip in your Honda!

Bright Future Ahead as Honda Sales Improve

In 2010 Honda Manufacturing of Alabama Celebrating The Start of Odyssey Mass Production

At Honda's Lincoln, Alabama manufacturing plant there is never a shortage of work to be done. Since Honda announced its impressive May automobile sales which increased 47.6 percent compared to May 2011 when sales were down due to supply chain delays. American Honda reported increased sales for most of its vehicles, including the Pilot SUV, Ridgeline pickup and Odyssey minivan, which are solely produced at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln. Compared to May of last year, Odyssey sales increased by more than 10 percent, Pilot's sales increased by more than 5 percent and the Ridgeline's increased by 32 percent.  In addition, 

sales of the Civic substantially increased by over 80 percent in May, which represents a whooping 33,450 vehicles. 

"With our best May sales performance since before the financial crisis it's obvious Honda's return to strength is in full swing and our May sales are impressive irrespective of last year's production supply problems," John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of sales said in a press release. "They sold 33,000 Civics -- that's a big month no matter how you look at it." 

Ted Pratt, spokesman for the Lincoln plant, said employees there worked many hours to keep up with demand in May. 

"We are working some overtime," Pratt said. "Right now demand and supply is really good." 

The heavy work output in May is in stark contrast from the same month last year. Sales dipped across the board for the auto manufacturer due to an interruption in supply lines from a tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan in April 2011. As Honda strives to meet the demand of customers all while constantly improving on our classic Honda design structures it's no surprise that there is a bright future ahead for Honda vehicles. 

FC Sport: A New Era of Performance

The Honda FC Sport can be summed up like this: Imagine beating your best lap time while hearing nothing but the tires rubbing the tarmac and the quiet buzz of the high-torque electric motors. 

Picture a true no-holds-barred supercar with all the speed, handling and sleek looks of today's fastest sports cars, yet without the noise, heat, vibration and emissions of the internal-combustion engine.

Built as a design study, the FC Sport demonstrates Honda's vision for making environmentally responsible vehicles that are also fun to drive. The "FC" stands for "Fuel Cell" as in hydrogen fuel cell—the same technology powering the FCX Clarity. With a 3-seat, driver-centered cockpit, a fuel cell powerplant opens the door for unprecedented engineering flexibility, allowing for a lower center gravity than any modern, piston-engined sports car. The FC Sport is symbolic of a future in which alternative fuel and zero emissions will rule the sports car world. 

2013 Honda Crosstour Unveiled!

The 2013 Honda Crosstour Concept, was unveiled on April 4th at the New York Auto Show. This vehicle, although a concept, offers a sneak-peek at what's in store for this incredibly innovative midsize crossover.

The Crosstour makes a strong statement right from the start with a more rugged look staring you down from the enhanced grille and headlights. The aggressive profile, however, belies the refinement waiting inside, including convenient features like Pandora^® internet radio interface and SMS text message function.

The 2013 Crosstour will also join the 2013 Accord in introducing some new advanced safety technology, including the visibility enhancing LaneWatch™ blind spot display – a Honda exclusive that uses a camera system mounted on the passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway – and two active safety systems: Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). 

Since launching in 2010, the Crosstour has proved to be one of the most versatile and dependable vehicles in its class. In fact, J.D. Power and Associates named it the "Highest Ranked Midsize Crossover/CUV in Initial Quality" in their 2011 study. We expect that kind of acclaim to follow the 2013 Crosstour when it goes on sale this fall. 

Until then, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay connected about the latest news and information. 

Benefits of a Factory Navigation System for a New Honda

2012 Honda Pilot with built in navigation

With all the technological advances, it only seems fit that Honda drivers continue to have additional accommodating and beneficial additive options. The days of the World Almanac Maps fade away, as we've become a generation of GPS and Portable Navigation Device (PND). So when equipping your new Honda, is it better to go with the option to have a factory GPS system built into the vehicle’s center dash or wait to purchase an after market standalone PND system?

New 8-inch color display

There are four benefits of investing in the Honda built in factory GPS option:  

1. Appearance. When you have a built in navigation system, it simply looks better. The sleek and polished appearance of a built in navigation system creates a high-tech and integrated appearance for your vehicle. In addition, they have larger screens and are designed to work specifically with the vehicle. But, if you purchase an aftermarket navigation system it will most likely attach to the windshield and the wire plug will be visible because it will have to attach to the power adapter (cigarette lighter). 

2. Warranty. Because the factory navigation system is part of your Honda, it is covered by the bumper-to-bumper warranty. If anything goes wrong with the system, you can schedule a service appointed at Greg May Honda and have it repaired that day, as opposed to shipping off an aftermarket system back to the manufacturer and waiting for them to fix it or replace it. 

3. Theft. To prevent theft with an after market PND, you will have to take your system off the dash, unplug it, and store it away every time you go somewhere. With a built in navigation system it's more difficult to remove the system it without damaging it, so thieves rarely bother to even try and steal it while a portable device is easily snatched because it's only attached to the windshield with a suction cup. In addition, most insurance policies will cover the replacement of built in systems while portable devices are not covered. 

4. Resale Value. A factory navigation systems substantially improves a vehicles resale value. According to Edmunds.com, used-car analysts say that visible options on used cars, like navigation systems, tend to hold their value in the used-car market and make a car more desirable to potential buyers.

Though, it all comes down to personal preference. If you're still on the fence about investing in a factory GPS system for your new vehicle then I suggest you visit Greg May Honda to test drive a car and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.