Maximizing Your Nissan's Performance with Regular Maintenance

With the daily demands of a busy schedule, it's easy to miss the signs that your Nissan needs an oil change. Whether you've noticed a problem with your car or you're just due for a routine oil check, your local Nissan dealership can provide friendly and professional help. more 1. Dark or Gritty Oil Over time, your oil starts to collect dirt and debris from the engine, which can cause friction and damage to other engine components. Therefore, when the oil starts to darken or become gritty, it's time to schedule a change. When topping off your oil, you can check whether it needs replacing by wiping off your dipstick and reinserting it into the engine. When you lift it out again, if the oil seems dark, thick, or gritty, it needs to be changed. 2. Unusual Noises Strange noises can mean many things, including insufficient or old oil. As your oil circulates around the engine, it lubricates all the components, preventing friction and allowing moving parts to operate smoothly. When the oil breaks down or if there simply isn't enough, friction increases and the metal parts start to knock against each other. You can hear this in the cabin, especially when starting the engine. 3. Smoking Exhaust A small amount of white vapor from the exhaust is normal, particularly on cold mornings. However, if you notice a large amount of smoke or a blue, gray, or black tinge, there may be a problem with your oil. Dirty or insufficient oil can cause parts to wear away, allowing oil to leak into the combustion chamber. The oil is then mixed with fuel and air during combustion before being expelled from the exhaust as darkly colored smoke. 4. Change in Fuel Consumption As mentioned above, when there's a problem with the oil, friction increases, making it harder for the parts to move against each other. This means the engine has to work harder, burning more fuel in the process. Although you shouldn't rely on a drop in fuel consumption to warn you there's a problem with your oil, it's certainly another factor to watch out for. 5. Burning Smell A burning smell is always a concern and should be checked promptly. In some cases, it may be due to oil leaking onto hot engine parts, creating a distinctive burned-oil smell. You may also notice a rise in the engine temperature gauge. Schedule a Visit to Your Local Nissan Dealership Today Changing the oil may seem like such a small task, but clean oil is integral to many critical processes within your Nissan's engine. If you have noticed your vehicle isn't performing at its best, or you recognize any of the above signs, speak to your local dealership today. To get advice from friendly professionals, call us today at Courtesy Nissan in Altoona, PA.

The battery provides the electrical charge that cranks the engine so it can start. Over time, the battery will wear out or become damaged by other issues in the engine. As your Nissan dealership, we want you to know a few signs you need to visit us for a battery replacement. more Swollen Battery Case Your battery has a tough plastic casing with smooth, straight sides. The casing protects the battery chemicals from contamination and also prevents them from leaking into your engine. If you look at your battery and the case is distorted or bulges, the battery is seriously damaged. This distortion is caused by increased pressure inside the casing due to extremely hot or cold temperatures. Cold temperatures cause the electrolyte solution to solidify and expand, forcing the casing to bulge outward. Hot temperatures can make the electrolyte boil. Since the boiling electrolyte increases pressure inside the battery, the casing will distort. We can't repair a damaged battery case, but we can install a new battery to fix this problem. Weak Alternator The alternator is a mini generator that produces electricity for all your Ford's systems once our engine is running. It's also responsible for recharging the battery. As time passes, components wear out, and a worn alternator will gradually produce less power. The drop in power supply is irreversible and will affect recharging. With less power available from the alternator, the battery can't recharge completely. The amount of power used to start your engine is relatively fixed, and the reduced recharging rate will eventually drain your battery, causing it to fail. A failing alternator can also trigger the check battery light as a warning that something is wrong. We'll test and replace the alternator if it's weak and recharge your battery. Check Battery Light The check battery light illuminates in response to any problem affecting the electrical system. Sensors in the system monitor each component, and they're sensitive enough to detect the slightest changes. This information is sent to your vehicle's computer, which logs it and activates the warning light. A failing battery will trigger this light if its voltage output drops too low. A healthy battery has a voltage output of approximately 12.6 volts. If it drops to 12 volts, this signals a problem. It could be as simple as a loose battery connector reducing the battery's recharging ability, or it could be a more serious issue, like battery failure due to age or damage. Our technicians will connect your computer to our diagnostic system to identify the cause of the problem, and then we'll repair it. If you have a battery problem, contact us ASAP at Courtesy Nissan in Altoona, PA.

Shopping for a new Nissan often comes with the burden of applying for and securing a car loan. To streamline the process and save time, you can find a range of competitive financing options right here at your Altoona Nissan dealership. Multiple Financing Options One of the main benefits of securing financing from your dealership is the comprehensive range of finance options you won't find elsewhere. As a Nissan partner, we offer a range of loan options directly from the automaker, including exclusive loan deals for select vehicles. Through us, you can also apply for a traditional car loan or opt to lease a vehicle. Leasing is often a great option to avoid a down payment, and it gives you the possibility to purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease term. Competitive Deals Beyond exclusive loan deals, you can take advantage of a range of exclusive dealership deals when getting a car loan through us. For instance, military buyers and college graduates can save on the vehicle's purchase price and combine these savings with other local or national incentives to reduce the vehicle's price and the amount they have to borrow. Trade-ins and price reductions on exclusive models bring further savings. Quick Application Process If saving time is one of your priorities, you'll be happy to know that applying for a car loan through your dealership is a lot faster than applying through banks and credit unions. That's because you only have to fill in one application form that our financial team will submit to various local and national lenders. You can even apply online to get pre-approved and speed up your application's processing time. Auto Finance Expertise Finding financing solutions tailored to your needs can be challenging when applying for a loan at your bank or credit union. These lenders offer a wide range of loan and credit types, meaning they are not specialized in auto loans. Our in-house financial team, on the other hand, deals exclusively with car loans and can find the right solution for you regardless of your credit score or credit history. Guaranteed Asset Protection Another huge advantage of getting a car loan through Courtesy Nissan is our Guaranteed Asset Protection program. This protection program is designed to cover any insurance coverage gap in case your vehicle gets stolen or damaged before the loan is paid in full. In this way, you won't have to pay the loan out of your pocket for an asset you might not be able to use. If you want to find out more about our financing solutions, contact us at Courtesy Nissan in Altoona, PA. Our specialized team will answer any questions you might have and schedule your appointment.