Ken Barrett Chevrolet's Official Blog

Winter Safety!

2012-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

With ice, sleet, snow, and poor visibility, maneuvering a car in the winter can pose a dilemma. In order to increase the safety of you and your passengers, follow these important safety tips.

1. Familiarize yourself with your vehicle. Read the owner's manual and follow proper winterizing suggestions that involve the battery, lights, defroster, heater, motor oil, antifreeze, wiper blades, windshield washer fluid, tire pressure, brakes and brake fluid, belt, hoses, and filters.

2. Always clear the snow and ice from not only all windows and lights, but also the hood and roof of the car.

3. It is suggested to keep your gas tank above the halfway mark in case you become delayed or stranded in a snowstorm.

4. Stock your trunk with emergency supplies, including a small shovel, jumper cables, tow chain, scraper, brush, and bag of sand (or kitty litter), which provides traction for tires. You should also have blanket, gloves, boots, road flares, warm clothing, flashlight, extra batteries, water, and a first-aid kit.

5. Always wear a seatbelt.

6. Stay alert.

7. Drive with headlights on.

8. Give yourself enough time to slow down when roads are slippery.

9. Do not pass maintenance vehicles or plows on the right and give them at least 200 feet between them and your vehicle.

10. Since trucks take longer to stop than cars, do not cut in front.

11. Avoid cruise control or overdrive in freezing cold weather.

12. Avoid pumping anti-lock brakes - it is much better to "stomp and steer."

Happy Driving!

Winterize Your Vehicle!

2011-10-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We just wanted to share a few tips to help you all prepare your vehicle for...winter. Yes, I said it. That horrible "W" word. Like it or not, it's right around the corner. So, here's what you can do to make sure your car is ready:

1. Install new windshield wiper blades
2. Check anti-freeze levels and inspect for signs of fluid leaks
3. Test your vehicle's anti-lock braking system for proper operation
4. Test your battery, inspect and clean terminals and cable ends, and install anti-corrosive protectors
5. Check charging and starting systems for proper operation
6. Clean the inside and outside of your windshield
7. Set tires to proper cold inflation pressures

Not sure where to start or how to do something? No problem. Currently we have a special for winterizing your vehicle, so you don't have to worry about a thing! This special includes everything mentioned above for just $79.95 plus tax. BUT!! If you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can print out a $10 off coupon (and a few other goodies). So you can have everything done for only $69.95 plus tax! That's a deal you really can't beat :)

However, if you're looking to winterize your vehicle on your own, just follow the checklist above and you should be all set!

Coupon Specials Fall 2011 -

Almost Done!

2011-10-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we've had some exciting events since our last blog! Our new Collision Center is looking great, and we had the pleasure of giving away a car that one lucky woman won at the Batavia Downs! Here are some pictures!

Free Phone Apps, Construction, and a Long Weekend!

2011-08-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to share 3 free mobile phone apps with all of you that are pretty cool. If you have a 2010 or newer Cadillac or Chevy vehicle (a few vehicles are not included), and a smart phone, then you definitely have to download these FREE apps! The first one is OnStar Remote Link, and the second one is either the MyCadillac app or the MyChevy app (depending on which vehicle you have.) Once you have them downloaded, you can link your vehicle to them by entering the VIN and creating a user name and password..and that's it!

In the OnStar Remote Link app, you can view your fuel tank level-including how many gallons you have left and how many miles left on that tank, your remaining oil life, tire pressures on all 4 tires, and how many MPG you are getting! It's really cool! You can also lock, unlock, start your vehicle, cancel start, and set off your horn and lights from almost ANYWHERE! As long as you aren't parked in an underground parking garage, this will work! You could start your car in Batavia, NY from California if you'd like! There's also a really cool navigation system. You can find a location on your phone and press the button "send to nav," and it goes right to your vehicle's navigation system!

In the MyCadillac/MyChevy app, you can request roadside assistance, set parking reminders so you never forget where you parked, schedule service at your preferred dealership, locate a dealer, view current GM incentives on service visits, view your owner's manual, and view your lights and indicators! All from your phone. Crazy, right?!

On another note, we are seeing some progress on our new Collision Center!

That's all for now! I hope you all have a great long weekend~and Happy Labor Day!

Our 2nd Car Clinic!

2011-08-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, our second New Owner Car Clinic was a success! Thanks to everyone who came-we hope you had a great time. We also gave out some really cool door prizes...which, of course, is just a small reason to attend our car clinics! Here are a few pictures...

Our new Collision Center is also coming along! Here are a few new construction pictures...

Have a great week!

GM Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles (CPO)

2011-08-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

How Does a Vehicle Become GM Certified?

Our detailed, 172-Point Vehicle Inspection and Reconditioning Process is one of the toughest hurdles in the industry. Before any Chevy, Buick, GMC, Pontiac, or Saturn vehicle earns the title of Certified Pre-Owned, it must pass all of our rigorous standards first. This process is conducted only by highly trained technicians and adheres to strict, factory-set standards to ensure that every vehicle's engine, chassis and body is in excellent condition. And we do check it all. From the engine block to the shocks, right down to the floor mats, no part is overlooked. If it fails a single point, we completely recondition it—or it won't be Certified.

Do GM Certified Vehicles Come With a Warranty?

YES!! Every Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle comes equipped with our impressive 12-Month/12,000-Mile Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty. That's four times better coverage than Chrysler and Ford. Plus, every Certified Pre-Owned Vehicle from Chevy, Buick, or GMC comes with a $0 deductible, transferable 5-Year/100,000-Mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, with roadside assistance and courtesy transportation. We believe in our vehicles and aren't afraid to stand behind them!

More GM Certified Benefits

We provide you with a CPO exclusive 2 years or 30,000 miles of standard vehicle maintenance which includes:

Oil Changes: based on your vehicle's Oil Life Monitor system
Tire Rotations
Multi-Point Vehicle Inspection (MPVI)

Not Bonding With Your GM Certified Vehicle?

If you're not satisfied with your purchase, simply bring it back to your dealer within the first three days or 150 miles (whichever comes first) to exchange it for a Chevy, Buick, GMC, Pontiac, or Saturn that fits your needs. No regrets. No doubts. No question about it.

Oh, and one more thing-GM also offers a free trial of OnStar and XM Satellite Radio!

Knowledge is power! Get more for your money!! Now go shopping!!!

Our First Blog!

2011-08-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here we are! Brand new to the blogger community and ready to go! We will be blogging at least once a week and are open to any topic suggestions that our followers may have. Feel free to share our blog with your family and friends~and if you want to share something with us, we will be open to the idea!

This week, construction of our new Collision Center is coming along. We are excited to see the final results! The plan is to have everything wrapped up by the end of this year, which will be a great change of scenery for all of us!

That's all for now. In the meantime, find us on Facebook (Ken Barrett Chevrolet-Cadillac) and visit our website at www.kenbarrett.com. Thanks!