Cars, Now The Victims Of Computer Viruses

I bet when all of our grandparents were sitting around and thinking of wild things that would happen in the future there was one thing that wasn't on the list... Computers in your car. The only thing that seems more far fetched than the idea of a computer in a car is that computer getting infected with a virus... But it's happened.

Cars are almost more computer than machine these days, so it's not a leap to think that all those nasty viruses you get on your laptop, phone, or tablet can be translated to infect a car, and one angry mechanic did just that.

This guy did everything from making your car alarm go off without stopping to preventing it from starting at all. HowStuffWorks (the award-winning source of credible, unbiased, and easy-to-understand explanations of how the world actually works) wrote the following:

More than 100 Texas drivers could have been excused for thinking that they had really horrendous luck or -- at least for the more superstitious among them -- that their vehicles were possessed by an evil spirit. That's because in 2010, more than 100 customers of a dealership called Texas Auto Center found their efforts to start their cars fruitless, and even worse, their car alarms blared ceaselessly, stopped only when the batteries were removed from the vehicles [source: Shaer].

What seemed to some to be a rash of coincidence and mechanical failure turned out to be the work of a disgruntled employee-turned-hacker. Omar Ramos-Lopez, who had been laid off by the Texas Auto Center, decided to exact some revenge on his former Austin, Texas employer by hacking into the company's Web-based vehicle immobilization system, typically used to disable the cars of folks who had stopped making mandatory payments [source: Shaer]. Besides creating plenty of mayhem and generating a flood of angry customer complaints, Ramos-Lopez, who was eventually arrested, highlighted some of the vulnerabilities of our increasingly computer-dependent vehicles from a skilled and motivated hacker.

Read More: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-computer-virus.htm

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Tips From Around The Lot - Rust:

Are you experiencing lower MPG's on your routine trips? Has your car started stalling? Have you had to replace multiple fuel pumps?

These are all signs of a rusty gas tank. A rusted gas tank can have all of the symptoms above, and can cause more and more harsh issues the longer you run your car with a rusty tank!

Rusting can also cause issues not only in your gas tank, but in everything it connects to, so be sure to get it replaced or fixed as soon as possible. If this rust spreads it can cause greater and greater issues and can even result in fuel leakage.

To get an estimate on replacing a fuel tank give us a call at: (925) 566-7279 or visit us online at  http://www.lehmers.com/?http://lehmersconcordbuickgmc.cimasystems.biz  today!

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Tips For Long Trips:

Long road trips in your car can be cumbersome... They take not only a toll on your car (As it's doing most of the work) but also you as a driver... So here are a few tips and facts to stay safe!

1) Take a break every two hours!

Did you know this? The mind tends to wander, "Highway fever" can start to take over, you easily lose attention span, and that's how accidents can occur. To reduce this risk it's recommended you take an out of car break to stretch your legs and get fresh air once every two hours. It sounds like a waste of time, but it saves time compared to what you'd spend if an accident were to occur!

2) Sleep during the day

If you're taking a multiple day/night trip make sure when you're resting and sleeping that it's during the day! Studies show that while less places are open at night and that is a disadvantage, that the roads are also much less occupied. Driving at night can mean less waits in traffic jams and less risk of a car to car collision.

3) You may not need a break... but your car does.

Even if you're car is brand new, fluids are topped, and tires are new... extended driving without stopping can have a MAJOR impact on the future condition of your car. Constant stopping heats rotors, constant driving has tire wear, and prolonged engine heat can lead to stretched belts... so even if you don't need to stop, stop every few hours for your cars sake.

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Buick Enclave: Beautiful

This ain't your granddaddy's Buick is a phrase that's been jostled around online for a couple years now with innovations from Buick becoming so prominent. Never has this statement been so true as for the 2012 Buick Enclave and soon the same will be true for the 2013 Enclave headed to dealers later this year.

While Buick has continued to build cars suitable for long travel for many years the 2012 Enclave is the icing on the cake. It comes packed with everything your family needs including All-Wheel-Drive, a 16/22mpg rating, capability to comfortably seat 7 passengers, and more cargo space than you should need even while hauling passengers at full capacity. This is one SUV that's built to go long distances, and do it safely, quietly, and most importantly... luxuriously.

A Reviewer from TheRepublic had the following to say about the 2012 Enclave:


Buick is known for building great road cars. — Road trips imply family or kindred spirits traversing vast landscapes of fruited plain, complete with iced beverages, stuffed luggage bins and headphones on backseat passengers.


To win the hearts and minds of the full-size family, Buick certainly could not cede the seven-passenger market to the likes of Acura, Volvo or Infiniti., much less Chrysler or Ford.


Hence, Buick places its Enclave crossover utility vehicle front and center in the family transit competition...


"...If you're looking for style, luxury, comfort, capacity, safety and a reason to avoid stopping to see the two-headed snake or the world's largest ball of twine, don't go shopping for a seven-seater without first driving the Enclave..."


Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/autos-enclave/autos-enclave

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Responding To Your Check Engine Light

Imagine this: You're driving down the highway, everything seems smooth... No strange noises, smooth ride, then it happens... The check engine light comes on! The Check Engine light has the ability to immediately strike fear in the hearts of drivers everywhere, and leave you wondering how much the problem is going to cost to fix and if you will be able to afford it.

While it is true that sometimes the check engine light can signal a serious issue with your car, it can also signal much more simple issues with a cheap or free fix. These problems can be anything from a cylinder misfire to your gas cap not being on tight enough and everything in between.

So what can you do about it?

DON'T PANIC! If there doesn't appear to be any initial problems that are overly noticeable, see if there's a simple fix. Try checking for a loose gas cap, check all your fluid levels, and if that doesn't appear to fix it, maybe it's time to see someone about doing something a little more serious.

Get a free diagnostic! Often times car part shops such as Advanced Auto will do a free diagnostics check on your engine and can tell you what the issue is. It may be something you can take care of, or you might need to see a mechanic, but it's worth looking into.

If it is something that requires a mechanic we're here for you! With our body shop you can view service specials or schedule an appointment online!

For more info on what it means when your check engine light comes on, click here! 

To take a look at our service department online, click here!

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