If you own a car with a cloth interior, your seats are going to get dirty. It’s inevitable, but they don’t need to stay dirty. We’ve picked up some great tips and tricks throughout our time in the automotive industry, and you know that we’re believers in sharing the information that’ll help make your life easier! For easy solutions to cleaning your car’s cloth seats, keep reading!

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Cleaning fabric seats in a car

Your fabric seats are going to get dirty at some point, but luckily for you, it’s pretty easy to restore your seating surfaces to their original glory. The first thing you’ll want to do is remove any dirt or debris covering the seats by thoroughly vacuuming. Once you have finished vacuuming, you’ll want to lightly spray the seats with a high-quality fabric and cloth cleaning solution. Make sure you don’t spray too much or allow the spray to saturate or over-soak the seats, as this may cause mold in the underlying cushion.

Immediately after spraying a small area of the seat, use a soft interior brush to get a thorough clean. Dirt and grime will be picked up, so make sure you have a microfiber towel on hand to scoop up any debris. If you notice that there are still stains on the seats after this has been completed, it’s time to call the heavy hitter. An interior scrub pad should do the trick, but be careful to not scrub too hard or the seat’s fibers. Once the seats are clean, you’re going to want to vacuum again just to make sure you’ve picked up all the dirt and grime before it reattaches to the seat.

Related: Tips and tricks for spring cleaning your car

Drivers interested in learning more tips and tricks from our team here at Craig Dunn Motor City are encouraged to contact us today at 888-611-6021. Interested in seeing us cover a specific topic on our blog? Let us know in the comments below!

How to reset the TPMS light in your Chevy

Tips for spring cleaning your car

Diesel engines haven’t been popular in North America for years and you won’t find a ton of them in Canada or the United States. These engines are most common in large equipment like trains, electric plants or as options on heavy duty trucks like the GMC Sierra 2500 or the Chevy Silverado 2500. The engines can get a bad rap as too noisy or dirty, but there are plenty of benefits to diesel. If you’ve ever asked yourself “What are some advantages of diesel?” we have a basic answer for you that might change your opinion of this much maligned fuel.

Heavy duty engines

Because combustion in a diesel engine is triggered by compression rather than a spark, the engines are built tough and don’t break down often. Because they do not use an electrical ignition system they also can adapt easily to damp environments.

Impressive Fuel Efficiency

Diesel burns fuel about 33 percent more efficiently than gas. That can add up quickly to some pretty impressive savings even when diesel fuel itself is more expensive.

Read More: 2016 GMC Canyon Diesel Is the Most Fuel Efficient Truck!

Definite Safety Advantages

Diesel fuel burns more efficiently, so you won’t have fuel residue coming out with your exhaust. Also, diesel is significantly less likely to burst into flames or explode than regular gasoline.

Ramped Up Torque

Diesel engines offer better torque than their gasoline counterparts, which means significantly smoother acceleration and more towing and hauling capabilities.

Clean burning fuel

While diesel has a reputation for being a dirty fuel, new advances in engine design and fuel composition have worked to decrease the traditional sulfur smell as well as unpleasant emissions. Because diesel needs less fuel to drive farther, each engine ends up producing less carbon dioxide than a gas engine would to cover the same distance.

With new trucks like 2016 GMC Canyon and the 2016 Chevy Colorado being available for the coming year with diesel engine options, there are even more chances to take advantage of the many benefits of diesel fuel and engines. Schedule your test drive for one of these great trucks at Craig Dunn Motor City today.

Vehicles these days all have different grill sizes, from the lean lines of the Chevy Camaro to the wide intake lines of the GMC Sierra, and the shape of the grille can define the style of the car, from stylish, to aggressive, to downright weird. But looking at the array of different shapes and sizes of grilles even on the Chevy, GMC, and Buick vehicles on the lot at Craig Dunn begs the question “Why do cars even need grilles?” We investigated, so keep reading for the best answer we could find.

New GM Inventory

What do car grilles do?

While the look of a grille is certainly vitally important for customer satisfaction, each grille also plays a very important role in cooling the vehicle’s engine, specifically the radiator. Without some way for air to flow into the engine compartment, a car would pose a major risk of overheating. While many modern cars could get enough air cooling through vents underneath the vehicle (and so could skip the front grille) it’s more effective and cool to have a grille in the front.

So while the grille is important, that leave a lot of leeway for how it actually looks. Just by looking at grille designs through the ages (and a handful of modern options) it’s easy to see that the grille can define the style of the car.

New grille technology can improve performance

While grilles come in all shapes and sizes, some technology using them can even improve performance. Many modern cars like the 2016 Chevy Volt and the 2016 GMC Canyon have aerodynamic technology that will close some of the grille grating when the vehicle is moving at top speeds. This reduces drag and improved aerodynamic flow. Other vehicles like the elite performance trims of the Chevy Camaro have specializes airflow paths built into the hood so that air can easily move through the engine and out in such a way that the Camaro can maintain its tight hold on the track and efficiently cool the radiator.

Basically, cars do still need grilles, and every year they are getting cooler than ever.

Learning how to work advanced technology can be tough, not to mention frustrating, but our team here at Craig Dunn Motor City has your back. We’re going to give you a step by step guide, teaching you how to your Wi-Fi enabled device to your Buick’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot.

Connecting to Buick’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot

1. The first step to connecting to your Buick’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot is finding your SSID and password. You won’t be able to connect your device to the hotspot without these two things, and there are multiple ways to find your SSID and password. Probably the easiest way to find them is to hit the white voice command button on your rearview mirror. When the systems says “OnStar ready,” you’ll want to reply with “Wi-Fi settings.” Once you do this, your SSID and password will appear on your Buick’s display. Another way to find your SSID and password is to pull open your  RemoteLink® app and click the hotspot tab, and the information will be displayed. The final way to find your SSID and password is by pushing the blue OnStar button on your rearview mirror. You will be connected to an OnStar advisor who will walk you through the process.
2. Once you find your SSID and password, you’ll probably want to change both your SSID and password to something that is easier to remember. You can change your SSID and password in the settings tab of your RemoteLink® app or by pushing the blue OnStar button on your rearview mirror.
3. You are now ready to connect to Wi-Fi. Keep in mind that your Buick’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi can accommodate up to seven devices at any given time, and you won’t be able to exceed that number. To connect your device, go to your device’s settings menu and turn on Wi-Fi. Your device will automatically detect the Wi-Fi hotspot, and once it recognizes the hotspot, click on it. You will then need to enter in your password. Once that is done, you are all connected!

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Buick 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot limitations

The system allows users to easily stream movies, play games or read book, but if you’re out of service range or data, you’ll probably run into issues. You can purchase more data from an OnStar agent by pushing the blue OnStar button on your rearview mirror. For more information about Buick’s 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot signal strength, watch the video below!

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Drivers interested in learning more about this great technology are encouraged to contact a member of our team at Craig Dunn Motor City. To get behind the wheel of any Buick with the 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, schedule an obligation-free test drive online today!

Why Is My Chevy Silverado Losing Power?

While generally the Chevy Silverado is a premium, reliable truck, there are times when even the best vehicles can end up having problems. If you’ve ever had your Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra suddenly lose power, you may be wondering exactly what is going on with your truck. Keep reading to find at least one possible answer to “Why is my Chevy Silverado losing power?”

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If your GM truck occasionally loses the ability to accelerate and warns you of reduced engine power, that could be caused by a faulty throttle body. While not common, this issue can interfere with your engine function and cause your vehicle to lose power anywhere from once in a while to several times in a day. When given a digital diagnostic, the vehicle scan will tell you there is an issue with the throttle body. This is a sign that your truck’s throttle body should be replaced.

What is a Throttle Body?

A throttle body is a butterfly valve in between the intake manifold and the air intake filter. Connected to the gas pedal, it is responsible for making sure that there is enough air entering your engine to meeting driving and accelerating demands. It works together with the Engine Control Unit to balance the right mix of air and fuel in your engine for the best power and performance.

When the throttle body is dirty, damaged, or just not receiving the right signals, airflow can be cut off to your engine. Without air, your engine cannot run and will stall out. This can be a serious issue, but fortunately it is not a hard one to fix. Simply replacing the throttle body should resolve the issue. Make your appointment online today at Craig Dunn Motor City near Winnipeg MB if you are having engine issues with your truck, and we will do our best to get you back on the road and good as new.

If you are concerned about mechanical issues with the new 2016 Chevy Silverado, remember that the complimentary Chevrolet Complete Care program comes standard with every new Chevy. That means that basic repairs and any freak mechanical errors will be covered for up to five years at low or minimal cost to you.

Although the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) is set up in the factory before it even arrives at dealerships, there are a variety of factors that can cause the system to malfunction or need to be reset. It’s actually fairly simple to reset the TPMS light in a Chevy, so read on for step-by-step instructions!

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Resetting the TPMS light in a Chevy

It’s pretty easy to reset the TPMS light in your Chevy, and following the instructions below will save you a trip to the dealership. Not that we aren’t happy to see you if you need some help resetting the light yourself! Take a look at the instructions below, and come see us at Craig Dunn Motor City if you need a little extra help! Before you are able to reset the TPMS light in your Chevy, you’re going to need a J-46079 Tire Pressure Monitor Tester, which is an inexpensive tool that can be purchased online.

1. With your vehicle off, turn the key to the on position, without actually starting the vehicle
2. Push the Vehicle Information button using the Driver Information Cluster until “Relearn Tire Positions” displays. Push the “Set/Reset” button, and the message “Tire Learning Active” will display.
3. If your Chevy is not equipped with the Driver Information Cluster, press and hold the odometer reset until the “Tire Learning Active” message displays
4. Use the J-46079 Tire Pressure Monitor Tester on the left front tire, holding the antennae to the valve stem, and press the active button. Wait about 10 seconds, and you will hear a horn chirp. Repeat this step for the other three tires in this order: right front tire, right rear tire, left rear tire.
5. Once you’ve retrained the left rear sensor, turn the key in the ignition to the off position.
6. Adjust all tires to the recommended PSI. The recommended PSI can be found inside the driver’s side door or in your owner’s manual.

Read more: How to clean your car’s cloth seats

Have additional questions about how to reset the TPMS light in your Chevy? If so, feel free to contact a member of our team at Craig Dunn Motor City today! We’ll walk you through the steps, or you can bring it in to our location in Portage la Prairie, and we’ll help you reset it in person!