Ask a Technician: What should I do about my chipped windshield?

Q. If I have a window chip repaired, could it still develop into a full blown crack?

A. Nothing lasts forever, including windshield repair. Because no two cracks or dings are alike, there’s no hard and fast rule about how long a repair will last. Read on for a detailed explanation of what to do if and when your windshield cracks from our service team at Sheehy Nissan of Glen Burnie.

The size, severity and location of the crack, as well as the quality of the repair, all play a role in the life of the repair. There’s no guarantee that that three-inch crack won’t spread.

Many repairs are as strong as the original glass, but you just won’t know until it fails. Making sure you go to a reputable shop will help you get the highest quality repair job-- your dealer is a good choice if you have a new car. Over-the-counter kits are a bit dicey.

If the worst should happen and you need to replace your windshield, make sure you get OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) glass. OEM glass is made to the same specifications as your original windshield. Aftermarket glass is often cheaper, but, unfortunately, you get what you pay for. Inferior quality glass can be a poor fit causing whistling and leaks and, worse yet, it can pose a safety risk. This is one area where spending a little more is definitely worth it.

The Benefits of Winter Driving Technology

Winter driving technology has come a long way beyond heated seats and power steering wheels. While those improvements are welcome, there are other features that make driving in winter weather safer and less of a hardship. Read on for information regarding six different types of winter driving technology from Sheehy Nissan of Glen Burnie

Accident preventive anti-lock brakes

Having anti-lock brakes on your car makes sense during any season, but especially for winter driving. An anti-lock brake system keeps your car under control when applying your brakes. This feature stops your car wheels from locking and helps to prevent skidding by shortening stopping distances. Even if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, your anti-lock brakes will allow you to continue steering your car while bringing it to a halt.

Heated side mirrors for safety

When you drive during extreme winter weather conditions, you need to be able to see not only the road in front of you but also the road behind you. Heated side mirrors are a common safety option on many new vehicles. The heating element clears snow, ice, fog and prevents any more build-up as you continue to drive. Certain models connect the heated side mirror function to the rear window defroster, while many others have a dedicated button for this purpose.

Improved windshield technology

Although heated windshields are rare, more common are heated wipers (also called "de-icers") and washers. No matter what this feature is called, the point is that the heating element dislodges frozen wipers to allow them to clear the full arc of your vision through the windshield. Most new cars offer this technology as an added option with its own control button, while others connect the feature to work automatically with standard feature defrosters. Windshield washer fluid is always accessible during freezing temperatures when you have heated nozzles/hoses connected to the washer reservoir.

Remote start feature

This feature is especially attractive for people who hate to get into a cold standing car. When your car has the remote start feature, you can turn the car on automatically without getting inside. The best system will also turn on the heat and activate defrosters and heated seat warming. While this feature isn't environmentally friendly because it wastes fuel, it is a luxury feature that people choose if they drive in extreme winter weather conditions.

Special winter transmissions

Winter transmissions help to prevent your tires from slipping during acceleration whether you have traction control or not. Transmissions with this feature begin to accelerate in second gear (not first) while shifting automatically and promptly through higher gears. Why so quickly? Because when a car uses higher gears, thrust is reduced at the drive wheels.

Vision enhancing adaptive headlights

While standard headlights shine directly ahead in a straightforward way, adoptive headlights react to steering speed and car elevation and adjust automatically to illuminate your road vision ahead. Steer your car left and adaptive headlights will angle to the left as well. These headlights are designed to help not only the driver, but to also other cars driving towards you on the same road. Who hasn't been blinded by on-coming car headlights? Because adaptive headlights are directed downwards toward the road, headlight glare is reduced.

The Road Tripper's Manual: Unique Thanksgiving Celebrations

Sitting around the house watching football and stuffing yourself silly has its appeal. But maybe it's time for a new Thanksgiving tradition. Maybe it's time to hop in your vehicle for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and check out these unique Thanksgiving celebrations recommended by our team at Sheehy Nissan of Glen Burnie.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Get a taste of natural beauty along with the taste of a delicious Thanksgiving feast. The area west of Philadelphia offers numerous Amish-themed family style restaurants ready to serve a bountiful feast. Since you're already in the area, you might as well head to the Landis Valley Museum, which recreates country style celebrations from ages past. If you want to get a nice start on the Christmas season, you can't go wrong with a visit to Bethlehem—Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that is.

Plymouth, Massachusetts. What could be better this Thanksgiving than visiting the home of the original Thanksgiving? Take a boat tour on a replica of the original Mayflower. While you're there, take in a concert, food festival, and the town's annual Thanksgiving parade. Plymouth brings history to life over the holiday weekend with pilgrims, soldiers, patriots, and pioneers milling about town.

San Diego. Thanksgiving is associated with leaves turning color, football, and the onset of cold weather. Why be in such a hurry to be cold? Instead, take advantage of the four-day weekend and take the kids on a road trip to beautiful Southern California, where you can be thankful for Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and some of the nicest beaches on the West Coast. Don't worry. There are plenty of restaurants that will gladly serve up a feast and you can still watch football on TV—or you can listen to the game while enjoying a ride up the Pacific Coast Highway.

Arizona. If you're out west, you don't need to travel to New England to appreciate the Thanksgiving legacy of Native Americans. Arizona, home to dozens of reservations, is a great place to learn about Native American culture. Arizona's mild fall and winter climate allows you to enjoy a scenic drive on the Apache Trail near Phoenix. This well-traveled road offers scenic views of canyons, geologic formations, desert plants and trees, and desert and lake views. In Northern Arizona, there's also this little hole in the ground known as the Grand Canyon, not a bad spot for a Thanksgiving picnic or scenic drive.

New York. Other than Pilgrims and Natives feasting on a beautiful fall day in New England, nothing brings forth memories of Thanksgiving like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Instead of watching it on TV this year, hop in the car and head to the Big Apple to see it in person. Afterwards, there'll be plenty of shops to help you get a head start on your Christmas shopping.

St. Augustine, Florida. The oldest permanent settlement in the United States also claims to have held the first Thanksgiving-like celebration on Sept. 8, 1565, 56 years ahead of the pilgrims. According to legend, Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles celebrated the establishment of the St. Augustine Church by feasting with the Timucuan Indians.

5 Tips to Remember When Driving on Icy Roads

When ice covers the neighborhood pond, it makes skaters happy. But when ice covers the roads and highways, drivers feel quite differently about the slippery substance.

Ice is a major cause of winter accidents because it's not always visible. Also, some drivers feel overconfident about driving on ice due to their car's high-tech safety features.

Overconfident drivers may end up ruing their lack of precaution, however, if treacherous ice causes them to slip, slide, skid and spin wildly out of control. These five tips from Sheehy Nissan of Glen Burnie will help you stay on solid ground even if it's a sheet of solid ice.

Buckle up and put on your defroster

You should wear your seat belt at all times, but especially during icy conditions when accidents occur at a greater rate than normal. Put on your defroster, too. Your defroster helps to keep your car windows from forming ice and melts snow if you're facing the double winter whammy of ice and snow.

You always need to keep your visibility clear but especially in bad weather. Prepare for the unexpected and be on high alert for potential dangers like skidding, slipping or stalled cars blocking the road.

Slow it down

Seems like all drivers should know it’s important to reduce their speed when driving on icy pavement, but some drivers think that snow tires, all-wheel drive (AWD) and electronic stability control (ESC) will eliminate slipping and sliding.

Good tires help to grip the pavement, AWD assists in accelerating and staying mobile, and ESC helps to avoid spinouts, but even improved traction won't keep you safe if you're traveling at speeds too high for icy conditions. By reducing your speed, you give yourself a better chance to stop safely, to stay on the road, and to get where you're going in one piece.

Don't stomp on the brakes

When the roads are icy, you have to drive with greater caution and with slower, gentler actions. Brake softly, and try to avoid sudden hard stops which can initiate a spin that you may not recover from. If you do find yourself skidding:

• Immediately, take your foot off the gas pedal or brake
• Let the car naturally slow down and gain traction
• Steer in the direction you want the car to go
• As your traction improves, gently brake or accelerate as needed
• Avoid over steering or sudden sharp turns

If you're walking on ice and quickly twist your feet in another direction, most likely you'll fall. That's why people walk cautiously and prudently on icy patches. Same thing goes for your car. Sudden, quick, steering maneuvers can create skidding just like over braking.

Follow the skidding advice above, because it doesn't' matter how or where you're attempting to steer the car's wheels if they have no traction. Only when the tires are gripping the road and actually rolling can turning the steering wheel alter their direction and yours.

Be aware of road conditions

Check social media, TV or the radio to see what meteorologists are saying about the weather. Low temperatures and even a few droplets of precipitation can make ice. Also, keep in mind, black ice may look like an innocent puddle, but if you know it's 31 degrees outside and there's light rain, you should treat the roads like a sheet of ice whether you can see it or not.

3 Mobile Apps to Help You Stay Safe While Driving in Winter Weather

Winter traveling—be it visiting grandma for the holidays, daily commuting, or for emergencies—can be wrought with hazards. These three mobile apps, recommended by our team at Sheehy Nissan of Glen Burnie, take some of the hazards out of winter driving, so you can feel secure as you travel. 

The Weather Channel. You'll definitely want to have access to daily and hourly weather reports during the winter driving months. The Weather Channel app, available on iPhone or Android devices, provides access to all the information you might need to avoid or escape a winter storm. The Weather Channel app is convenient and unobtrusive, delivering temperature alerts displayed in a systems tray. It also offers an extensive amount of local weather information, exactly what you need for the daily commute. With extended forecasts, animated radar maps, video forecasts, detailed precipitation facts and forecasts and health and safety information, The Weather Channel has your winter driving covered.

Dark Sky. You checked out the weather forecast and it mentioned the threat of snow or tricky driving conditions, but you need to know exactly where it's snowing at the exact location you're driving to. The Dark Sky weather app is what you need. Dark Sky uses state of the art weather forecasting to predict rain or snow down to the exact minute at your exact location. The app ties into radar available from the U.S. government to predict precipitation hourly wherever you are. The app's stunning radar animation lets you track the path of a storm, so you don't get stuck in it.

Winter Survival Kit. If you find yourself stuck or stranded in severe weather conditions, your safety might ultimately depend on your smartphone. The Winter Survival Kit app will help you determine your current location, call 9-1-1, contact friends and family, calculate how long you can run your engine without succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning and how long you can run your engine before you run out of gas. Of course, you'll want to put together a physical winter survival kit as well. The Winter Survival Kit app will help by providing the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension Service information on how to put together a physical winter survival kit, how to prepare your vehicle for winter driving and how to stay safe if stranded in a winter storm.