Pennsylvania Auto Dealers

Your Warrington Porsche, Audi, and VW dealer believes in taking care of your vehicle so that safety isn’t a concern. Your brakes are perhaps the most important piece of safety equipment on your vehicle, and are critical to everyday travel.

Fortunately, there are audible warning signs when your brakes need to be serviced. Paying attention to the noises your Porsche, Audi, or VW makes can not only save you headaches down the road, it may even save your life.

The first thing you want to listen to from your brakes is a high pitched squeal. This usually means your brake pads need to be replaced. That sound comes about on purpose; there is a piece of metal in your pads that will rub against the other parts of your brakes and make that noise. While you might hear a similar noise when your brakes are wet, if you’re hearing it often, you probably need to replace your worn out brake pads.

Another noise to listen for is a grinding noise. A grinding noise usually means serious business. It means your brake pads have totally worn off. If your brakes grind, it won’t be long before they fail altogether. It’s time to get in to have them replaced, right away.

Listen carefully to your brakes, and they’ll tell you when it’s time to replace your brakes.

Everybody always talks about checking and changing the oil in their cars, but most drivers forget about their transmission fluid. Transmission fluid in your Porsche, Audi, or VW is as important as the oil and it’s almost as easy to check.

The first thing to remember about checking your transmission fluid is that your car should be running. Park your car on a level spot, put it in “Park” and let it idle for a few minutes.
While the car is idling, look for the transmission fluid dipstick. It’s usually towards the back of the engine, which means it’s closer to the dashboard when looking underneath the hood. The transmission dipsticks are often colored yellow or red, too. On older cars, however, it may just be a metal hook. Other than the oil, however, the transmission fluid dipstick is the only other one you should see.

Pull the dipstick out and clean it off with a lint-free rag. Put it all the way back into the holder. Then pull it out again to get an accurate reading.

If your car hasn’t been running long, the level of the fluid should be in the “Cold” operating range. You should see this marked on the bottom of the dipstick. If you’ve been driving the car for awhile and it’s heated up, the level of the fluid should be in the “Hot” area of the dipstick.

You should also notice the condition of the transmission fluid. If it smells burned or if it looks brown or black, bring it to your Philadelphia Porsche, VW, and Audi dealer.

Audi has long been one of the most beautiful cars on the road and true Audi lovers will really enjoy driving the 2010 Audi A4 Avant, for a number of reasons. For one thing, there are very few other vehicles on the road that can gracefully combine luxury, sophistication and utility. Audi does it magnificently in the 2010 A4 Avant.

On the outside, Audi looks like a luxury vehicle with practical sporty features. On top there’s the Open Sky sunroof for your driving enjoyment. Lots of room, air and sun can fill your driving experience and that’s as it should be. Alongside the sunroof, the A4 Avant showcases outer edge roofrails, perfect for carrying cargo, bikes, skis and other large objects that won’t fit in the back hatch.

Moving to the inside, the 210 Audi A4 Avant includes MMI control logic through state-of-the-art technology that allows better control over audio and internal technological features. One of those advanced technological features is easy integration with the iPod. Then there’s the superb rear storage feature with a rear power tailgate.

The 2.0-liter 4 cylinder engine leads its class in torque and fuel efficiency with gasoline direct injection. You have the Audi valve lift system, the Dynamic Shift Program and the Electronic Stabilization Program. It delivers an impressive 211 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque. Gas mileage = 21 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway and 23 combined.

The A4 Avant’s drivetrain consists of a self-locking center differential as well as automatic and variable front to rear power proportioning. The 6-speed Tiptronic transmission coupled with a rack-and-pinion steering affords an easy 37.4 ft. turning circle.

The suspension system is just as impressive as anything else on the new Audi A4 Avant. On the front end, it’s a five-link suspension with upper and lower wishbones and a tubular anti-roll bar. On the rear, it’s wheel independent, trapezoidal link and a mounted subframe with anti-roll bar.

Safety-wise, the 2010 Audi A4 Avant includes a tire pressure monitoring system and an advanced airbag system. Front airbags for the driver and passenger are full size with two-stage activation and both front passengers also have side airbags and Sideguard head airbags. Audi also includes a rear impact backguard system that sustains body support and head support for the passengers when the vehicle is struck from behind. The seatbelts are active restraints with belt-force limiters and belt tensioners.

Audi also includes some impressive add-on packages. There’s the Driver Assist Package, HomeLink and Bluetooth Package, Navigation Plus Package, and two Sports Packages. You can learn more about these on the Audi website.

All in all, the 2010 Audi A4 Avant is a spectacular vehicle made for the 21st century driver. If you seek luxury in a sporty package then this is the vehicle for the discriminating driver.

As drivers, we all have pet peeves, or things that other drivers do that annoy the snot out of us. Some of us only have a couple pet peeves while others may get annoyed at much more. Your Trenton area Audi dealer thought this was a good topic to discuss. According to a recent survey of drivers, here are the most common pet peeves of drivers.

• Driving while distracted is a pet peeve for many drivers. In fact, more than 28 percent said they are annoyed when they see another driver talking on their cell phone or doing something else that distracts them from focusing on the road.
• More than one-fifth of the drivers surveyed said they get annoyed by drivers who drive too slowly in the fast lanes.
• Tailgaters (drivers who follow too close) are a pet peeve of about 18 percent of the drivers surveyed.
• Drivers that weave through traffic to get ahead annoy about 12 percent of the driving population.
• Less than one percent of those drivers surveyed listed the habit of leaving one’s turn signal on after making a turn as a pet peeve.

Many of these pet peeves are things drivers should not be doing when they are behind the wheel in the first place. Tailgating, weaving through traffic and talking on your cell phone when driving are habits that are dangerous and even illegal in some places. Be a courteous driver and help make the roads a safer place to be.

Did you know that the most “at risk” age group for drivers is the ones between the ages of 15 and 24? That’s why your Philadelphia area Audi dealer encourages new teen drivers to take a defensive driving course to help them make better decisions and stay safe behind the wheel.

In Spartanburg, South Carolina, the County Sheriff’s Office is offering a defensive driving course called Alive @ 25. It is designed as an earl intervention program for young drivers to teach them how to prevent traffic violations and avoid accidents and other dangerous situation. Through safer driving habits and taking responsibility for their own behaviors in various situations on the road, the course helps young drivers make better choices when driving a vehicle.

The four-hour course also teaches the following:

• Young drivers are the most likely to be injured or killed in an auto collision.
• Peer pressure, inexperience and distractions are the most common causes of accidents among young drivers.
• Drugs, speeding and alcohol increase the chances of accidents and injury or even death.
• Changing their bad driving habits just makes sense personally, legally and financially.

We need more of these types of courses in other places to teach our young drivers the various dangers they are in for on the roads.

If you have the pleasure of owning and driving an Audi, you probably want to ensure that you will enjoy it for many years to come. Here are four simple things you can do to maintain your Audi vehicles and minimize repair costs so they will provide you with enjoyment for a long time.

1. Check the fluids regularly. Some drivers think the fluids in a car are not important. However, if one of those fluids is leaking, you can do serious damage to your car if left unchecked. Have your car checked at the first sign of a leak to ensure your car’s proper working order.
2. Look for signs of something wrong. Cars do not usually break down all of a sudden. There are usually warning signs that will tell you something is about to go wrong. Get in tune with your Audi so you can pinpoint any warnings before they become a major problem.
3. Get more than one opinion. You may think taking your Audi to any mechanic is fine, but you’d be wrong. Take it to at least two or three mechanics before making your final decision. Some are more honest than others so just trust your gut instincts to find the right one. You can always bring it to your trusted Allentown area Audi dealer for an honest assessment of repairs and maintenance.
4. Keep your receipts. Looking at the receipts and work orders for any repairs or maintenance you’ve had done to your Audi is the best way to keep track of its history.

You would probably be surprised how many drivers try to “beat the train” when they are approaching a railroad crossing. In 2002 alone, more than 3,000 collisions occurred between trains and cars because the car drivers were simply careless when crossing the railroad tracks.

One of the reasons so many drivers think they can “beat the train” is because the train creates an optical illusion that looks like it is not moving as fast as it is. As such, many drivers think they have more time to cross the tracks than they really do. By the time the train gets closer, it’s too late to turn around and many times, they do not even have enough time to get out of the way.

Your Trenton area Audi dealer wants you to stay safe at railroad crossings. Here are a few tips to accomplish that goal:

• If the gates are down and the signals indicate that a train is coming, simply wait until it completely passes and the gates go back up.
• After a train passes, look both ways before proceeding across the tracks.
• If you get stuck on the tracks for some reason and a train is approaching, abandon your car and run towards the train. The collision will send debris your way if you run the same direction as the train so it is best to go the opposite way.

How many times have you looked at your insurance documents or shopped around for quotes and wondered what the difference is between collision coverage and comprehensive coverage? If you’re like me, you may have been perplexed by those terms in the past. But your Philadelphia area Audi dealer wants to take the mystery out of those terms for you. Here is a brief explanation of each term so you can make a better decision next time you need to shop for auto coverage.

Collision Coverage
With comprehensive coverage, an auto insurance company pays for damages done to the policyholder’s car as a result of an accident. It also pays for damages to the policyholder’s car if the other driver involved in the accident does not have insurance.

Comprehensive Coverage
This type of coverage is almost self-explanatory. It covers any type of damage done to the policyholder’s car as the result of anything besides a collision. For instance, if a tree falls on your car and you have comprehensive coverage, the auto insurance company will pay for the damages. This also covers vandalism, fires and other damages.

Now that you know the difference, you can make a more informed decision about auto insurance once you get a new car from your Audi dealer!

Many people are calling the new Audi Q7 TDI the “world’s cleanest diesel SUV” because it complies with the emissions standards for all 50 states and gets 25 mpg on the highway. With all of those qualifications, it may very well be the cleanest diesel SUV in the world. As such, the Audi Q7 TDI has a right to carry a price tag of just under $51,000.

At 25 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg in the city, the 2009 Audi Q7 gets about 600 miles for every full tank of gas. But the Q7 also produces 25 percent less carbon dioxide than traditional gasoline-powered engines. It also emits 90 percent fewer nitrogen oxides than those loud and obnoxious diesel engines that come to mind when you hear the word “diesel.”

As far as the price goes, there is some good news. When you purchase a 2009 Audi Q7 TDI at your Allentown area Audi dealer, you are eligible for the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit which is $1,150. That’s not bad for getting the SUV of your dreams while helping save the planet at the same time. It’s a win-win situation all the way around!

We all know the name Audi and many of us even own Audi cars or we have a dream of owning one someday. But how much do you really know about the Audi company? Like other car companies, the Audi name has a storied background that many people do not know about. Here are some facts about the company that will make you appreciate the brand even more.

• Audi is a German automaker that is also a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Audi has been almost completely owned by Volkswagen AG for 35 years.
• The origins of Audi can be traced all the way back to 1899. August Horch had the idea to create an automobile and he completed his creation in 1901, thus founding his own car company. He was forced out of it by 1909 and, after several lawsuits, he was barred from using his name on any future products.
• In German, Horch’s name meant “hark!” This is how the Audi name came to be. In Latin, the word “audi” means the same thing.
• The first Audi had a 2.6-liter four-cylinder engine.
• Audi was the first German automaker to introduce a production car with left-hand drive. The popularity of this model spread through the 1920s because it offered a better view of traffic.

These are just a few facts about the car company we now know as Audi. Why not visit your Philadelphia area Audi dealer today and see what else you can learn about the present and future of this luxury automaker? You’ll be glad you did!