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How Do I Know What Tires to Buy in WI? When it comes to shopping for car tires, the process can be daunting. Salesmen are trying to get you to spend more and buy tires before you need them. We'll cover how to tell when you need new tires, and also how to read your tires to find out what size and type you need for your car. Read on to learn more! Do I Need New Tires? You might wonder if your tires are ready to be replaced. The easiest way to test this is to look for bulges, gouges, or cracks. If you don't see those, grab a penny! Use the penny and stick it into the tread of your tire. Lincoln's head needs to be pointing down. If you can still see the top of his head, you definitely need new tires! Also make sure to check your tire pressure is within a reasonable range. Tires that are losing air are going to have a lower air pressure. Don't miss this! What To Do With A Flooded Car? Measuring My Tires On the side of your tire, there is a string of numbers and letters that help you to see what size tire to purchase. The first letter, assuming you drive a regular car, is a P. This means you drive a passenger vehicle. Say your tires said this: P125/65R15 The next three numbers after the letter "P" measure the tire width in millimeters from the sidewall to the other sidewall. Following the slash mark, the next two numbers indicate the aspect ratio. The bigger the aspect ratio, the bigger the tire sidewalls will be. It measures the height of the tire's cross-section to it's width. The letter "R" is for Radial, meaning that the the layers of the tire run radially. Finally, the last numbers you need are following the letter "R". This tells you the wheel diameter. This is the number that you'll need when researching tires for your car. Check this out! Engine Won't Start? 4 Fast Tips! Some Final Tips For Buying Car Tires in Wisconsin Consider getting a set for winter (snow tires) and getting another set for warmer weather. This can help to make sure your vehicle performs its best in tough road conditions! If you like the tires your vehicle has, buy the exact same ones! There are a great number of differences between tires and it can be difficult to find the best ones. Why fix something that isn't broken? OUR SERVICE CENTER Have any other tips for buying car tires? Leave them in the comments section below!

4 Good Reasons Your Jeep Engine Won't Start One of the worst feelings is the fateful day when you climb into your car to leave for work to find that it won't start. Whether it's turning over and simply not starting, or giving you complete silence when you turn the key, it's not good. We're here to give you some tips on why your Jeep engine isn't starting and what to do to get back on the road as quickly as possible. Complete Silence When You Turn the Key: Open the hood and take a look at your car battery. If the cables look corroded and dirty, take a screw driver (with a wooden or insulated handle) and force it between the connector and the battery terminal. Twist slightly to lodge it in there firmly. If the engine starts, you need new cables! There's A Clicking Noise, But That's It: This usually indicates a dead battery. In this situation you can jump your engine or get a new battery. READ MORE: The Pope Loves His Jeep The Engine Turns Over but Won't Start: If this is happening, take a look at the fuel lines running to your engine. If that all looks good, there's a chance your spark plugs aren't receiving the spark. There's also a chance that your vehicle's security system is malfunctioning. On older vehicles, especially, this can be a real issue. If you are worried that your vehicle's security system is activated, simply put your key in the ignition and turn it without trying to start the engine. Leave it in for at least 15 mins and then remove the key before attempting to start the engine. The Engine Won't Start on Rainy Days The issue here might be dampness under your distributer cap! Unscrew this cap and look underneath. If there is moisture, stop by your nearest service department and purchase some mechanic's solvent or buy an aerosol can of it. Clean the cap with it and make sure to dry it thoroughly. Make sure the solvent is clean! Even a small amount of dirt can ruin the process! READ MORE: Win A Free Garage Makeover From Dodge! None of These Tips Helping? Give our qualified service team a call. We love to help our customers get their vehicles running and back on the road as quickly as possible. We are sure we have a solution to help you get your engine running! CONTACT US OUR SERVICE CENTER

Three Tips to Prevent Back Pain While Driving When you have a long road ahead of you, and a car seat beneath you, it can be tough to make it through without back pain. Not many drivers find their vehicles to be the most comfortable for long drives, and nobody enjoys the stiff feeling of standing after a few hours behind the wheel. So what can you do? We'll give you three tips for preventing back pain and stiffness while driving. Read on to find out! Before Driving, Work to Prevent! Before you even get behind the wheel, there are things you can do to get your body ready for the drive. First of all, stretch! There are lots of great stretches that can make your body feel much better when it comes to hitting the road. Try the Cat-Cow stretch, or the Half Pigeon Yoga pose to loosen back and hips! Here's a great website with pictures of the stretches to help! READ MORE: Fuel Cells vs Batteries Get Out And Stretch During the Drive! Don't wait the full length of the road trip to stretch. THis can make the end result much more uncomfortable and tight. Instead, take a break every hour to do a few quick stretches of your shoulders, back, and hips! Here's a great page with three different easy stretches to try! Bring a Body Care Kit Along! There are items you can bring along that can help with preventing and reducing back pain on long drives. The first is an ice pack. This might be simple, but a little ice on your back can really ease tension and make for a more comfortable ride when things start to get sore. It's also important to remain hydrated! Drinking water while you drive will not only help to keep you awake, but can help your body to feel better during long trips! Also remember to bring a pillow that will support your lower back if your vehicle doesn't offer lumbar support in the drivers seat! READ MORE: How to Avoid Hitting Deer on the Road Have any more tips for making a drive more comfortable? Let us know in the comments below! We wish you all the very safest and most comfortable drive possible! Happy Travels!

Out of the many uses of a car, one of the oft overlooked aspects is the towing ability. No matter what the situation, whether it is getting your boat safely from storage to the water or getting your tractor to the mechanic to find out what could be wrong with it, being able to tow is a huge advantage that an SUV or truck has over a sedan. As useful as towing is, it can sometimes be a hassle to get everything copacetic. If you follow these helpful towing tips, you'll be a pro in no time at all. 4 Tips for Towing Trailers and Other Large Equipment Like most things, the best way to ensure a good towing experience is to make sure that everything is in working order before you use it. Checking tire pressure, electric braking mechanisms, and lights before your trip while pay off great dividends in peace of mind. Another great tip for towing well is to always recall the action at hand. You could drive professionally every day of the week, but forgetting that you have something riding behind you in the trailer could be a death sentence for your trip. Make sure to be an active driver, taking extra time on your turns, and simply remembering that the center of balance has been changed slightly will save a ton of headaches later on. If using a trailer, make sure to do regular maintenance on the bearings. If the trailer is seeing regular use, make sure to replace the bearings and bearing grease. Many a trailer have met their demise due to ignoring this part. Under the trailer hitch, make sure to not only use safety chains, but cross them in an X formation for maximum stability. Not only will this help your turning radius, but if there was ever a break in the hitch, those chains could save your load. Towing is a lifelong skill that is most greatly affected by experience. If you ever wondered why your dad was so skilled in towing things and you were just happy to make it home, it was almost surely just accumulated time spent towing. Spending more time with a trailer hooked up and following the above tips will not only make your towing go more smoothly, but will also ensure a safe trip for you and those around you.

No matter how careful of a driver you are, collisions are a part of driving that every person needs to be prepared for. Avoiding dangerous situations with other cars is a common skill taught even to the youngest drivers, but dealing with an animal while on the road is another topic that doesn’t get enough time in the spotlight. It can be quite scary to be thrust into one of these potentially life threatening situations; but by following a few simple guidelines, you can drastically decrease the chances of hitting a deer and causing great damage to your vehicle. Tips to Avoid Hitting Deer and Reduce Vehicle Damage The first tip that has the highest chance of success is to be proactive in your driving and keep an active line of sight that is constantly scanning the road for potential hazards like deer. Dusk and the early evening are often the times when the deer population are moving around, so it is especially important to keep your head on the swivel during these times of the day. In the unfortunate situation that a collision with a deer is unavoidable, it is important to remember the size rule. The size rule stipulates that if the deer is lower than the hood of your car it is safer to hit it straight on, where as if it is bigger, it is safer to swerve and get out of the way. Hitting the deer with your car will unfortunately cause damage, but is much safer than swerving and potentially causing a much larger crash with other vehicles. READ MORE: Nine Color Options for the Jeep Renegade! Getting into an accident involving a deer is always traumatic and can be tragic, but by being an active driver, being proactive rather than reactive, and following the size rule can potentially save the lives of you and other drivers on the road. The deer population during the fall is more active than any other time of the year, so it is important as ever to remember these tips and practice safe driving this autumn.

Is your engine running a little hot these days? Well, whether you are on the road or hopefully just trying to make it home, these 5 tips for cooling down an overheating Jeep engine are hopefully going to help! Read on to learn what to do! It's hot. You need to cool it down. Your engine is not a happy camper, and because of that you are here reading this blog. Fear not! We'll give you some great tips for calming down a scorching engine! 5 Tips for Cooling Down an Overheating Jeep Engine Tip #1: Pull over. Turn off the air conditioning. Roll down the windows. This might seem simple, but it's amazing how much work it is to keep your engine cool when the A/C is on! Try and cool things down the natural way by shutting everything off. Tip #2: If that doesn't work, turn on the vehicle and crank the heat! Pulling heat off your engine and into the cab of your vehicle might make you uncomfortable, but it will definitely decrease the strain on your engine. Tip #3: Use your brakes less! It's a known fact that friction causes increased heat. And the friction of your brakes paired with the work the engine does to slow down your vehicle and speed it back up again can mean extra heat being thrown around. Try coasting as much as possible to avoid adding heat to an already steamy situation. Tip #4: Try parking your vehicle and revving the engine. Sometimes the revving of the engine can increase the activity of the water pump and help to cool down the engine. Don't do this a lot. If you don't see immediate results, assume that it's not your best solution. Tip #5: Too late and things boiled over? At that point, pull your vehicle over. Get out of it and open the hood. Your Jeep is gonna need some time to relax before you think about starting it again. You might need to add some water if things boiled over a lot. Make sure the engine is VERY cool before attempting this! READ MORE: Does the Jeep Renegade Drive Like a Jeep? If all else fails, give us a call and we'll help you figure out what to do next. Our qualified service department is trained and ready to handle whatever your vehicle throws our way. We want to help you get back onto the road and moving again as quickly as we can! Safe travels!

Tips for getting a boating license in WI Living in Wisconsin has hundreds of up-sides, but perhaps the best one is the beautiful bounty of nature that we get to experience. From the numerous state parks filled with an ever stretching length of forest to the picturesque lakes where we can boat and fish the day away, the Dairy State has some of the best nature to explore in the world. However, to traverse the many waterways of Wisconsin safely, it is important to remember to acquire and maintain a boating license. This process can be a tad confusing to both newcomers and veterans of Wisconsin's water, but with a little help the process can be painless. Read our tips for getting a boating license in WI. READ MORE: What do you think of the Jeep Cherokee redesign? The first thing to discuss when talking about boating licenses in Wisconsin is the fact that if you were born before January 1st 1988, you do not need a license to operate a boat on any of Wisconsin's waterways. Unfortunately for the Generations X and Y boaters out there, you will have to go through the process of taking both a safety course and registering. The easiest way to do both of those things is to peruse the internet and find any of the recognized boating associations that run DNR sanctioned programs for boat safety programs. These will take you through all of the state mandated information, as well as getting you ready to safely operate a boat in Wisconsin. This course will culminate in all of the paper work being done and your new license being sent right to your home. Easy peasy right? "Born Before 1988? You don't need one!" If doing the course in your home does not sound like your preferred option, you may also contact the DNR and find when they are offering physical classes. These typically occur in the spring months so new boaters may enjoy the summer on the water, but classes also happen throughout the year. After completing this one day course, you are fully registered to boat to your heart’s content knowing. READ MORE: What is the Jeep Death Wobble? Whichever method you choose, you really cannot go wrong boating in Wisconsin. Whether you prefer a relaxing evening of fishing on Lake Winnebago or taking a pontoon boat down the Wolf River with friends, being on the water in Wisconsin is just about as good as it gets.

When you graduate from college, one of the first big steps into adulthood is to take responsibility for transportation. This usually means purchasing a new or used vehicle. Today we are here to share with you 10 reasons why the Chrysler 200 is the perfect car for college grads. Read on to find out more! There are a lot of available cars on the market today. Many used cars have been poorly maintained and many new cars are simply outside of the average graduates price range. However, at Palmen Dodge Jeep Chrysler of Racine, we pride ourselves on offering great financing deals and affordable vehicles to our customers with a tight budget. Here are 10 reasons to buy a Chrysler 200: 1. Classy American design stands out from the crowd! 2. A high-tech interior makes driving convenient and entertaining! 3. The award-winning Uconnect with all it's entertainment and convenience features! 4. Fuel econony without sacrificing power 5. Five-Star Safety Rating from the NHTSA 6. Safety features usually on luxury vehicles come standard on the Chrysler 200 7. Trim levels offer choices between a sporty, luxurious, or efficient interior and features suite 8. Awesome features for an affordable price! 9. Storage throughout the interior makes for a clean and classy look 10. It's made in the USA! It might not be possible to find a vehicle with more to offer a recent college graduate than the Chrysler 200. With so many people choosing to drive home in one, it's easy to see that they are worth every penny of their affordable starting price. If you are interested in taking a Chrysler 200 for a test drive, be sure to give our sales team a call or schedule an appointment online. We are looking forward to hearing from you!

You find yourself driving down a road only to notice that as you speed up, your Jeep starts to shake violently. It's hard to control the vehicle and you are worried for your life. You slow down only to find that the shaking stops. This is why we are here today to talk about how to solve the Jeep Death wobble and why it happens. The Death Wobble sounds a lot more exciting than it is. When the suspension system is not balanced correctly, the vehicle will shift from side to side, making the wheels wobble. At higher speeds this becomes more apparent and can be dangerous. It's important to get it fixed. READ MORE: Girls Dance to Big Sean in a Dodge Challenger What causes the suspension to become unbalanced? This, unfortunately is just something that can happen to certain vehicles. Because of the way Jeep Cherokees and Jeep Wranglers are built, their suspension is susceptible to the death wobble and eventually may require a new steering stabilizer. What parts affect the death wobble? It's a common problem but can have multiple answers depending on the vehicle. The death wobble can be associated with: * wheels that aren't aligned properly --> easy to fix! * Unbalanced tires --> also easy to have checked out! * Worn ball joints * steering stabilizing bar READ MORE: Does My Car Use Struts or Shocks? We hope that you never experience the death wobble, but should it happen to be a problem in the future, it's important to bring it in to a trusted service department. Be sure to check for service center coupons before coming in to see if you can save money on maintenance or checking certain parts of the vehicle.

How Do you Fix Flood Damage in the Car? Flooding is a harsh reality for many who live in places that receive heavy rain during the spring and summer. With the rain comes potential for flooding, and if your car gets stuck in the middle of it, it can result in extensive damage. So how do you fix flood damage in the car? We'll give you some starting tips and tricks to get the clean-up process going! There are a few important things to remember before trying to clean up your flooded vehicle. When in doubt, have it towed to a trusted service center. Do not start the engine unless you are ABSOLUTELY sure that there is no water in any part of it. Contact your insurance company before doing anything to make sure you understand what is covered and what they need you to do. READ MORE: Does My Use Struts or Shocks? Now that you've taken care of the basics, you should try these next steps to minimize any damage. Find out how much water your car was in: Usually the water will leave a line along the side of the vehicle if it reached above the tires. If it was below the doors, your car is most likely okay. Any higher and you are looking at some work ahead. Try and soak up some water: Despite the fact that the mold will grow quickly, you might be able to keep it at bay by pulling out all the floor mats and other removable fabric. If the water reached the upholstery, there's a good chance you'll have to replace it to avoid mold. Check all the fluids: This means the oil, transmission, brake, power steering, fuel... all of them. Any water contamination can mean serious damage without being flushed first. If there is water in any of these fluids, it's important to bring it to a service center, pronto! READ MORE: Why Does My Manual Suggest Premium Fuel? Even if your vehicle passes most of these tests and you work to repair damage, there's a high likelihood that the vehicle will experience issues related to the flood down the road. This might mean months, weeks, or even years. It might make sense in some situations to have the vehicle totaled and to find a new one! We hope that these tips help to get you out of a messy situation easily and affordably. Nobody likes the hassle of a flooded car, but when it happens, your friendly team at Palmen Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Racine is here to help! Give us a call and we'll make sure we get you back on the road as quickly as possible.

Every vehicle on the road has its own set of either struts or shocks. There are a few important things that these parts do for you and your vehicle, and a few ways to tell if you need to get them replaced. So you want to know how to tell if your car has struts or shocks? We'll tell you that and more, so keep reading! The first step in figuring out what your vehicle has, is understanding what the parts do. We see shocks on many different forms of transportation, but most visibly on bikes. The idea of cushioning the rider from bumps in the road is one of the most noticeable things that the shocks or struts do, however they also serve the purpose of keeping the vehicle from shifting horizontally while on the road. So, on top of saving you from a bouncy and uncomfortable ride, the struts or shocks handle side-to-side motion, thus making the vehicle much safer on the road. Your vehicle's stability is very important in tough road conditions and bad weather, so you have a lot of pressure on your strut or shocks. READ MORE: Bad Car Sounds that Mean Trouble So what's the difference between them? It's mostly a matter of how they look and where they are. Shocks are more easily picked out because they look a lot like what we see on bikes. They are big springs that are there to keep your car from bouncing around. They absorb the shocks from the road. A strut, on the other hand, is horizontal and harder to see. They are usually right inside the wheels and almost look like they are a part of the wheel itself. Do you need to replace them? The general rule for replacing shocks or struts is every 50,000 miles, but there is a way to test them to see whether it's time. Stand in front and push down on the vehicle's bumper. If the vehicle comes back up and bounces more than twice, there's a good chance that you need to replace your struts or shocks. READ MORE: New Jeep Renegade in Music Video Not sure what you think about your shocks or struts? Give our service center a call or schedule an appointment to see us online. We would be happy to take a look at your vehicle and make sure that everything is running the way it should.

Looking for a summer activity that is both fun for everyone and teaches valuable skills? Take your kids out and let them help you to wash the car! There are different aspects to consider depending on the age and skill level of your kids, but the skills they pick up from washing the car with you can be helpful later in life. Read on to find out more about this family fun summer activity in Racine WI. Whether you have kids in preschool-3rd grade, or 4th-grade and up, washing the car can be a great way to cool down on a summer afternoon, while accomplishing something and learning new skills. For the younger ones, washing the car is mostly about bubbles and water. Having a good time taking car of washing the car for little kids won’t be filled with technical information, but letting them feel like they are helping to accomplish something is a great confidence builder. (Not to mention a great way to use up all that childhood energy!) READ MORE: Does My Car Really Need Premium Fuel? Using the fun sponges and car washing gloves available today will make the activity more fun for the kiddos, and everyone can get soaking wet. Let your kids spray off the car and wash things they can reach. It’s really about fun at this time. Once your kids hit that 4th grade age, things can be more technical and specific. You can start working on teaching them the methods of washing the car to get the best results. Help them to understand why it’s beneficial to park the car in the shade and to wash from the top down. It can be a great way to facilitate the use of logic and problem solving. READ MORE: How Often Do I Need to Wax My Car? If you have the car washing down pretty well, older kids might be up for learning how to wax a car. Give it a shot! On a nice summer day, there is nothing better than building skills and your relationship together as a family.