Scratches and chips in your car’s paint job can be frustrating, but fixing them is easier than many people realize. Depending on the size and depth of your paint scratch, fixing your car’s paint job is a lot simpler than it used to be­ – if you use the right products.

For my Nissan I always use the Nissan Automotive touch up paints, because they are made to exactly match your car’s paint color code. Rather than risk using the wrong color with a generic touch up paint, going directly to the car’s maker makes touching up your car’s paint a lot less stressful. You can typically find your car’s paint color code on the driver’s side door or under the hood. For Nissan, the paint color code is three characters long. If you still can’t find the color code, you can usually call the dealership where you bought your car for assistance. DO NOT buy touch up paint for your car until you know the exact color code.

Important!

Determine whether you need to use a touch up pen or brush. I like touch up pens for their accuracy and because they create less of a mess. But, pens are not designed to cover large areas, so they work best on small chips and scratches. Pens also can give you greater precision in narrow scratches. If you are going to use a paint touch up brush, you are going to need a steadier hand. Keep paper towels close by in order to wipe off any excess paint before you use the brush on a scratch or chip.

Weather conditions definitely impact how well you can apply touch up paint to your car. Never apply touch up in direct sunlight, or on a day that is very cold or very hot. Extreme temperatures will affect the consistency and flow of your touch up paint- and no one likes touch up blobs or runny paint. Make sure your car is in a clean, dust-free space before getting started. Applying your touch up paint in a wind-protected area will reduce the risk of having dust and other floating debris stick to your new paint job.

Do a test! If you have never applied touch up paint before or are using a new pen or brush, do a test on a metal can or shiny piece of paper. Getting used to the consistency and slow of the touch up applicator will allow you to do a better job on your car. If you are using a new touch up paint pen, never depress it directly on your car. It’s better to get the paint flowing by pressing it on a hard surface away from the car in case excess paint drips out.

Ok. Now let’s apply the touch up!

1. Clean the area that you want to touch up- First clean it with soap and water. Then use a wax or grease remover on the area.
2. Shake the bottle of touch up paint very well.
3. Apply the touch up paint to the scratch. Use very light strokes (not enough paint can be fixed a lot easier than too much paint). Let dry about 30 minutes or to touch.
4. Apply a second coat of touch up paint. Let dry completely.
5. Apply a small amount of clear coat over the painted area. Let dry overnight.
6. Do not wash or wax your car for at least 24 hours so the touch up paint can set.

Hope these tips can help you solve your scratch and chip woes. Applying touch up paint to your car will have it looking as good as new!

Nissan has put a lot of work in their All Season Floor Mats. If you compare Nissan’s floor mats to the average aftermarket floor mats, you will find that Nissan does make the superior floor mat. For instance, a lot of aftermarket floor mats are just a flat piece of rubber that fits a RANGE of vehicles. While Nissan’s All Season Floor Mats are vehicle specific with the name of the vehicle molded into them. Now some people would say, “I wouldn’t pay extra just for a name”, and I agree, neither would I!

So, lets look at some of the other benefits that Nissan’s floor mats have. If you look at the picture to the left, you will notice a beefy looking floor mat. A set of 4 Nissan All Season Floor Mats weigh about 18lbs depending on the vehicle, now that’s heavy duty!!! They have a heavy duty lip around the edge, and deep ridges to hold snow, ice, and water from leaking onto your floor. They are made of rubber, not plastic, so they STAY pliable, and wont crack. They fit like the factory carpeted floor mats. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE NISSAN ALL SEASON FLOOR MATS IS the grommet that fits over the factory floor hook to keep the mat in place. This is essential because it keeps the floor mats from getting stuck under the brake pedal and not allowing you to brake properly. The mat can also pin down the accelerator pedal and cause the car to go out of control. These can become safety issues if not watched!!     Now, there are some aftermarket all season floor mats that are vehicle specific, and they are getting better year after year, but you usually get what you pay for and these can come with a hefty price tag!! as far as fit and durability are concerned, Nissan’s mats are far better for the money. The average Cost for the Nissan All Season Floor Mats are around $84.00 depending on the vehicle. Some of the aftermarket mats can reach $130.00 or more for the front 2 mats. ALL Nissan floor mat kits come with front AND rear mats!

So, if you are looking for great deals on Nissan Floor Mats or Nissan Accessories, go to NissanAccessories247.com

Bringing a New Level of Performance and Style to the Hybrid Market

The all-new 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid offers the style, convenience, comfort, quality, performance, and technology features of the next-generation 2007 Altima, plus the added benefits of improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.

The Altima Hybrid is Nissan’s first production gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, and combines an advanced electric motor/generator, a Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) high voltage battery, a refined version of Nissan’s QR25 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, and a standard electronically controlled hybrid transaxle with advanced electric drive motor/generators. The combination of the two power sources results in net power of 148 kW (198 hp), low emissions, and enhanced fuel economy (42 mpg City/36 mpg Highway). With Altima’s standard 20-gallon fuel tank, the hybrid has a projected driving range of up to 700 miles between fill-ups.

The advanced hybrid drive system manages both the gasoline-powered 4-cylinder engine and the emissions-free electric motor, allowing the Altima Hybrid to run solely on electric power if appropriate, especially during stop-and-go driving. If extra performance is needed, the gasoline engine starts instantly and smoothly adds power as required. The gasoline-engine-driven electric motor/generator, plus regenerative braking recharge the high voltage battery while driving. The battery never needs to be “plugged-in.”

Rated as an Advanced Technology-Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), the Altima Hybrid meets California emissions requirements and will be sold in states that have adopted California emissions regulations: California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Like all 2007 Altima models, the Altima Hybrid is built on the all-new Nissan D platform, which is designed to make Altima one of the best performing large front-wheel drive sedans in the world. The Altima Hybrid also offers all-new distinctive styling and a roomy, comfortable, full-featured, high-quality interior. The Altima Hybrid will reach dealerships in early 2007, following the November 2006 introduction of the 2007 Altima 2.5-liter 4-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 gasoline powered models.

Click Here to learn More about how to safely work on Your Nissan Altima Hybrid!

The Ultimate Travel Companion

Introducing the Garmin Nüvi 750 – the ultimate traveling companion for your Nissan Rogue, Versa or Sentra- a versatile travel assistant that is approximately the size of a deck of playing cards. The nüvi is a portable GPS navigator, traveler’s reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one.

SIMPLE & INTUITIVE OPERATION

The nüvi 750 is user friendly. The “Where to” button provide easy access to the most common destinations.

NAVTEQ® MAP OF U.S. & CANADA

The nüvi comes preloaded with maps of U.S. and Canada.

PORTABILITY

Take the nüvi anywhere – from another vehicle, to another country. The system is

completely portable, and features a 3-7hr battery charge depending on usage.

BRIGHT & COLORFUL TOUCH-SCREEN

4.3″ dia. widescreen touch display makes it easy to enter and view information.

TURN-BY-TURN VOICE GUIDANCE

Text to speech feature provides both directional and street name voice prompts.

BUILT-IN CHARGER

The nüvi is fully integrated into the vehicle with a mounting system located at the top

center of the dash.

TRIP INFORMATION PAGE

The trip information page displays your current speed and provides helpful statistics about your trip.

DESTINATION ENTRY

Search from 6.7 millions of Points of Interest, or enter by Street Address, Home, Recently Found, Coordinates and more.

ADVANCED NAVIGATION FUNCTIONS

• Sorts multiple destination entries to provide efficient routing for errands,

deliveries, sales, calls, etc.

• Preview simulated turns, specify waypoints and save up to 10 routes

for route planning

• Route avoidance
• Automatic reroute
• Bread-crumb trail feature
• 3D Map Views & Zoom options

MP3 PLAYER

Load MP3 files to the internal memory or SD card.

FM TRANSMITTOR

Listen to the nuvi audio on an FM stereo.

AUDIBLE BOOK PLAYER

Purchase books from Audible.com, and listen to them through your system.

TRAVEL KIT

Includes calculator, picture viewer, world clock, currency converter, and more.

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

Garmin offers many ways to enhance your nüvi 750, such as European maps, Language Translator, and much more.

Buy a Garmin Nüvi 750 Navigation System for your Nissan today!

With the price of gas increasing daily, there are many people asking how they can improve their gas mileage. Well I am here to tell you that there are many different ways that you can improve your gas mileage. There are ways such as general maintenance like getting regular tune-ups as well as making sure that your tires are inflated properly. Yes, having your tires inflated properly can effect your gas mileage! Have you ever tried to ride your bicycle with flat tires? It takes A LOT more effort to ride with flat tires! Ok, so it may not be as difficult for your car, but every little bit helps with gas mileage.

Certain things that you can add to improve your car’s engine performance and airflow will also improve your car’s gas milage. I will go in detail about how and what you can do below.

COLD AIR INTAKES

How do cold air intakes work?

Cold Air Intakes work by sucking in the colder more dense air and then it rams it into the intake. The cooler air mixes with gas better and in return the gas burns hotter. Cold Air Intakes also tend to have better breathing air filters that are both washable and reusable. The only downfall it being reusable is that it needs to be oiled in order to catch the dirt particles. It is common that people over oil them which will damage the mass air flow sensor. If you maintain a cold air intake properly than you would improve your horsepower AND fuel efficiency! A good thing is that they are typically easy to install. They also have a mandrel bent tube that maintains a smooth inner diameter for better air flow. A lot of cold air intakes have an inline air bypass valve in them to help with the winter cold air. They suck in warmer air from engine compartment during full throttle or hard acceleration. See diagram below:

There are many names for cold air intakes like CAI’s, Filterchargers, FIPK’s, etc.. The key to better performance is to get as much air in the combustion chamber as possible (CAI’s) and then get it out as quickly as possible. That’s where exhaust systems come into play.

Performance Exhaust Systems

Performance exhaust systems are made from a variety of material. Some are made of aluminum while others are made from stainless steel. They are all made for one reason which is to get the best possible performance from your engine! They are also mandrel bent to keep a constant diameter for better flow and they are usually bigger in diameter. Typically they have a stylish chrome plated muffler and tip. The muffler has bigger baffles for better flow so it will change the sound to a more performance sounding engine. If you get a system that attaches after the catalytic converter it will not mess with the emissions and it will be covered under the factory warrant. Most systems are a direct bolt-on replacement from the stock unit. But beware, there are some that will need some modification of either your vehicle or the system.

Additional Tips

We covered Intakes and exhausts so now let’s talk about some other ways to improve gas mileage. If you have a pick-up you can gain better gas mileage simply by adding a bed cover. You can add a soft roll-up tonneau cover or a fiberglass tonneau cover. If you put a lot of things in the bed of your truck, like dirt bikes or equipment, the best cover for you would be a soft, roll-up cover that is easily rolled away and leaves the bed free to put in the things you need. If not then you can consider the fiberglass cover. They are a bit pricey but they look fabulous and can be painted to match your truck. As for car drivers, you can put on splash guards or a sunroof wind deflector. Anything you add that will deflect the air and make it more aerodynamic will help improve your gas mileage.

Ok, I think I have covered the biggest gas mileage savers for now. Some of these ideas are expensive and are not for everybody but in this gas climate, every little bit helps and these are all proven ideas of how to save on gas mile

The all new 2009 Nissan Maxima was recently unveiled at the 2008 New York International Auto Show in an attempt to return to its roots as 4-door sports car. Over the past few redesigns, the Maxima was slowly approaching the level of a luxury car with a sporty look yet still containing a certain practicality to it. However, inspired by the concurrent top secret development of the 2009 Nissan GT-R supercar, Nissan engineers threw away positioning words like “conservative” and “balanced” and concentrated on striking a balance between those words like “Thrilling” and “Sophisticated”.

The all-new 2009 Maxima will be offered as two well-equipped models, Maxima 3.5 S and Maxima 3.5 SV, and is scheduled to arrive at Nissan dealers nationwide in early summer 2008. It comes equipped with a 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 is now rated at 290 horsepower and 261 lb-ft of torque (estimated), increases of 35 horsepower and 9 lb-ft of torque over the 2008 Maxima.
It is available in your choice of eight exterior colors: Winter Frost, Super Black, Navy Blue, Tuscan Sun, Radiant Silver, Mystic Jade, Precision Gray and Dark Slate.

“Maxima has always enjoyed a certain ‘duality’ – a unique fusion of sedan practicality with the soul of a sports car,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “In recent years, however, competitive vehicles have caught up with Maxima in ‘sporty’ looks and performance. For 2009, Nissan is reclaiming its rich 4-Door Sports Car heritage with an infusion of emotional design, driving excitement and advanced technology – creating a silky, stimulating sports sedan like no other on the road today.”

With the 2009 Maxima redesign, Nissan engineers focused on three key areas:

• Exterior design, which needed to be more aggressive, with more personality and attitude.
• Creating an interior that combines a driver orientation with high quality, roominess and user-friendly technology giving it a “super” cockpit feel.
• Class-leading performance, enhancing what previous generation owners called “Maxima-ness.”

“Our goal was to keep Maxima relevant to sports sedan enthusiasts, maintaining excitement and segment leadership,” said Castignetti. “Breakthrough design can only be accomplished by breaking through the limits you place on yourself. The passion and vision demonstrated by the Maxima development team has energized the entire organization. In the long, proud history of Maxima, this is one to remember.

Still waiting to upgrade your car to the all new 2009 Nissan Maxima? Why wait? Just visit http://www.nissanparts247.com/nissan-Maxima-accessories.asp to find all the Nissan Maxima accessories you need to keep your Nissan Maxima running and looking great!