Dick Scott Automotive Group

It's that time again!! Time for the Old Village Restaurant Crawl!

TONIGHT, Wednesday, August 8th, 2012 from 5:30 - 8:30pm come on down to Old Village Plymouth and sample GREAT Food and Drink from Local Restaurants!!

 
This year's participants include:
Hermann's Old Towne Grille,
JoJo's Treats N' Sweets
Liberty Street Brewing Co.
Plymouth Fish & Seafood
Station 885
Jeff Zak Catering
 
Tickets are ONLY $15 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the Chamber of Commerce office (850 W. Ann Arbor Trail) and at the participating restaurants.

Plymouth, MI - Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram helped raise $470 for Moraine Elementary School with Chrysler brand's Drive for the Kids ? program. The fundraising event was held on June 1, 2012 by the Moraine Elementary PTO.

Forty seven participants earned a $10 contribution to the school from Chrysler brand by taking a brief test drive in a Town & Country, the company's award winning minivan. Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram supplied the vehicles, and volunteers from the dealership were on hand to assist in fundraising drives.

"Drive for the Kids ? is a mutually beneficial program. We're pleased to support our local schools, and enjoy demonstrating a terrific, world class product," said Nichole Scott, Director of Dealership Operations at Dick Scott Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. "Parents are genuinely interested in testing our 2012 Chrysler Town & Country minivan with all the advanced safety, technology, and economy features; and we are happy to help raise extra dollars for the school. We all work together for the kids. Everyone has a great time!"

Chrysler supports schools in the communities where the company does business. Since 1993, when Chrysler introduced Drive for the Kids ?, Chrysler dealers have worked with parents and educators in communities across the nation. Chrysler has contributed over $4 million, directly to local schools, for student needs from playgrounds and field trips to reading programs and computers. Chrysler is proud of this tradition of community involvement. To learn more about Chrysler Group LLC, visit the website at www.Chrysler.com, or visit your local Chrysler Dealership at www.DickScott.com.

It's always important to remember to wash your vehicle regularly and with that in mind we're offering up a few friendly reminders regarding the proper way to wash your vehicle.  

 

Wash as often as your vehicle needs it - No one would suggest you wash your vehicle every day, or even every week, but it's important to note that regular washing will indeed keep your vehicle looking pristine. Among other benefits, washing removes dirt, grit, dust, pollutants, and hazardous material (aka bird droppings) that will in time and if left alone adversely affect the finish of your vehicle.

• Only use products designed for cars & trucks - All soap is not created equal, or, rather, all soap is not created to do the same job. While dish detergent might be just the thing to cut through bacon grease, when used on a vehicle, it can have the unwanted consequence of stripping away wax. In this and in all jobs, be sure to use the right tools. The initial investment for the right kind of soap, wax, etc., will be worth it in the long run, both in terms of how your car looks (great!) and how long the finish stays good (years!).


• Dry thoroughly - Using a clean cotton towel or shammy to dry your vehicle after washing will help prevent against the formation of water spots. These blemishes occur when water evaporates and leaves behind a mineral residue. More than just looking bad, the excess minerals can, in time, do harm to the paint.


• Find a spot in the shade - Unless you drive only at night (or in an Alaskan winter), the sun will in time take a toll on your vehicle's finish. This is true despite all preventative measures, which drastically slow the rate of sun damage but cannot arrest it completely. To slow the rate even more, take steps to keep your vehicle out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Park in the shade, a garage, or carport. Think about covering your vehicle when, for whatever reason, it will be sitting unused in the driveway for extended periods of time.

• Wax poetic - Waxing your vehicle will keep it looking shiny and new. It will also help maintain a protective barrier between the finish and certain harmful elements of the environment, including dirt, dust, and the sun. In fact, you can think of wax as a kind of sun screen for your vehicle.

To keep your vehicle looking like it did they day you brought it home follow these tips and it will help prolong your "New Vehicle Look" for years to come!

Increased Fuel Economy
One of the biggest advantages to having a tonneau cover is the positive effect it will have on your wallet - tonneau covers save gas! While the effect may not be immediately noticeable, most people agree that having a tonneau cover does lower fuel consumption.

Every Little Bit Helps
According to EPA Emission Facts, the average light truck is driven about 12,400 miles per year. Given that the average domestic pickup truck has a fuel economy of around 16 miles per gallon, you can expect to burn around 775 gallons of gasoline each year. At $3.00 per gallon, you're spending about $2,325 annually. According to a fuel economy study conducted by the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), tonneau covers increase gas mileage by around 11.81%, for an average increse of 1.18 miles per gallon. That increase in fuel economy can reduce your annual gas consumption by about 53 gallons per year, for an annual a savings of around $160.

Over the life of your vehicle, the cost savings can be significant. If you were to drive your pickup truck with a tonneau cover for 100,000 miles, you could potentially save 430 gallons of fuel - that's $1,290 in savings! Some people drive that in a year. Of course there are many factors to take into consideration, such as engine wear, tire pressure, driving habits and more - but the fact remains that tonneau covers help improve fuel economy.

Tonneau Covers vs. Lowered Tailgates
Many people still believe that you'll get better gas mileage with the tailgate down. However, this is simply not true. In fact, having your tailgate down may actually reduce gas mileage! The Discovery Channel's MythBusters actually tested the lowered tailgate myth in a series of tests during episode 43 and 64, in which they proved that driving with your tailgate down decreases gas mileage.

Reduced Pain at the Pump
Gas prices are at an all-time high and show no signs of returning to the low prices we once enjoyed. The reality is that gas prices will continue to rise as we drive along in the twenty-first century. Savvy consumers can recognize the benefit that tonneau covers offer. Increased fuel economy means fewer trips to the gas pump, and more money in your pocket to pay for other expenses.

Good for the Environment
Although pickup trucks are not the most fuel efficient vehicles on the road today, there are ways you can help improve your gas mileage, which is always good for the environment. Tonneau covers reduce the amount of drag caused by wind while you drive down the road. Everyone knows that as you reduce drag, you increase performance, which saves gas. A tonneau cover combined with good driving habitis and a well-tuned engine can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and thus help the environment.

The Tonneau Cover Debate
There have long been many controversies surrounding the relationship between tonneau covers and gas mileage. While it is accepted that truck bed covers help improve gas mileage, many people refuse to believe this at face value. Most people cannot detect the improvement in gas mileage because the change is so slight. Online forums are filled with positive and negative results, but most of these comments are far from scientific. While its true that individual results may vary, tonneau covers have been proven to increase fuel economy.

The FBI's temporary Internet servers will go dark Monday, leaving thousands of unsuspecting malware-infected individuals without online access.

What temporary Internet servers, you ask? They might have been connecting you to Facebook, YouTube, and -- ahem! -- ABCNews.com for the last month, and you didn't even know it. Really.

Why is this happening? It all has to do with a piece of computer malware called DNS Changer.

It started in 2007, when a group of hackers -- six Estonians and one Russian -- allegedly started masquerading as Internet advertisers who were paid by the click, according to an 2011 indictment from the U.S. Attorney General's Office in the Southern District of New York. In other words, if an ad got more clicks, they pocketed more cash.

So they figured out a way to beat the system, according to the indictment. They created a piece of malware, called DNS Changer, that tampered with the DNS -- the thing that takes a website address and finds the numerical IP address to connect you to that website -- redirecting millions of Internet users to sites they didn't search for.

For instance, if your computer was infected and you clicked a link to go to Netflix, you would wind up at "BudgetMatch," according to the FBI. The practice is called "click hijacking."

Once the FBI got around to fixing the problem in 2011, it realized it couldn't simply shut down the rogue servers because infected computers would be left without a functioning DNS, leaving them virtually Internet-less. So it set up temporary servers to give malware-infected Internet users time to fix their computers.


(There isn't a planned attack this Monday that will shut down the Internet; those whose computers are already infected will lose the Band-Aid the FBI put on the problem more than a year ago.)

Who Is Affected?

Initially, there were more than 4 million infected computers in 100 countries, including 500,000 in the United States, according to the indictment.

As of July 4, there were only about 46,000 in the United States, FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer told ABCNews.com today. (That's out of nearly 300,000 worldwide.)

PCs and Apple Macs have been infected. Routers and iPads were hit, too.

As of June, the United States had more infected computers than any other country, according to data from the DNS Changer Working Group, or DCWG, a group working on cleanup resulting from the malware.

How Do I Know if My Computer Is Infected?

You can check to see whether your computer is infected by clicking on this link, http://www.dns-ok.us/ which is run by DCWG.

If the page is green, you're in the clear. If it's red, your computer is infected.

On Thursday the site got 2 million hits, but very few of those computers were infected, DCWG volunteer Barry Greene told ABCNews.com.

Google and Facebook say they have also set up notifications for infected users. If you type in a search term and see a message that says, "Your computer appears to be infected" at the top of your screen, guess what. Your computer is infected.

Comcast, AT&T and Verizon are among the other organizations notifying customers if they have infected machines.

Important: According to DCWG, you should not need to scan, make changes or download anything to tell whether your computer is infected.

My Computer Is Infected. Now What?

The good news is DCWG has put together a page of trusted tools and a step-by-step guide for how to fix your computer.
CLICK HERE to view the Page.

The bad news is it can take a day or two actually to fix the problem, Greene told ABCNews.com. That's because the malware is in a deep section of the hard drive called the "boot sector."

"The malware problem out there is nasty, and it's impacted society on multiple levels," Greene said. "It's extremely hard to get rid of. In most companies, if they get infected with it, they throw away the hard drive."

If you can't do that, follow the instructions. They include backing up your files and reinstalling your operating system.

What Do I Do if I Lose Internet on Monday?

The FBI and DCWG recommend contacting your Internet service provider. They'll be able to give you instructions on what to do next.

As read on: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/dns-changer-malware-300000-people-worldwide-lose-internet/story?id=16726397#.T_nokpGDmSo

With temperatures in the 90's so often lately here are some warning signs about Heat Stroke and other good tips on staying cool while riding during the hot summer months!

 

Riding in temperatures reaching triple digits can be as dangerous as riding in freezing temperatures. The beginnings of a heat stroke, as with hypothermia, can affect your judgment and impair your ability to operate a motorcycle safely.

With the help of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), we put together nine easy ways to save on gasoline.

1. Slow Down
One of the best ways to save on gas is to reduce your speed. According to the DOE, every 5 mph you drive over 60 mph represents a 7 percent decrease in fuel economy.

2. Check Your Tire Pressure
Under-inflated tires have more rolling resistance, which causes you to burn more fuel to keep the car moving. Refer to your vehicle's owner's manual, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (if equipped), or the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) label on or near the driver's side door. Properly inflated tires may improve your fuel economy by up to 3.3 percent.

3. Accelerate With Care
Fast acceleration wastes fuel. Accelerate modestly so the transmission can shift up into the higher gears more efficiently. Rapid acceleration and braking can lower your gas mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and up to 5 percent during city driving.

4. Drive A Consistent Speed
Follow the lead of trucks and keep a consistent speed. Constant slowing down and speeding up reduces fuel economy. Consider using cruise control when appropriate.

5. Avoid Excessive Idling
Idling your vehicle gets 0 miles per gallon.

6. Stick With Stock
New wheels and tires may look cool, but if they're not the same as the OEM specifications, they could create more resistance, thereby reducing fuel economy.

7. Clean Out Your Car
Carrying around extra baggage - or anything that you don't need for that trip - only adds extra weight to your car and impacts fuel economy. For example, depending on your vehicle's weight, an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could decrease your MPG by up to two percent.

8. Plan Your Trips Better
Consider grouping your trips instead of making several trips to accomplish your daily tasks. Several short trips may use twice as much fuel as a single, longer trip that covers the same distance.

9. Use The Proper Maintenance Fluids and Replacement Parts
Always use the engine oil, replacement parts and any other fluids that the manufacturer recommends. Change your oil at the recommended intervals and follow the manufacturer's guidelines for all routine maintenance.

As read on: http://www.dodge.com/en/owners/fuel_conservation_tips/index.html?pid=HR&adid=DodgeQ2eNews&sid=Ram&channel=e_News

Selecting the right tow vehicle to tow your RV, especially one that is that is agreeable as a daily driver, can be a very difficult decision. And even if you begged, most dealers would not allow you to actually hook up your RV and test the combination out. Much of what you have to go by has to depend on the vehicle's specifications, its towing capacity, and your driving impressions. Whether you have your heart set on a particular vehicle or not, there are still many choices to be made about the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, comfort and luxury features, and whether you want two or four-wheel drive. 

 Here are some important steps you should take when considering buying a vehicle to tow your RV.

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 1) Trailer weight: Know the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the actual weight of your RV. You can find the GCWR of the RV on the weight placard. Never use the "dry" weight rating typically found in a brochure, as this is the weight of the RV with no options or any of your stuff loaded in to it. To find the weight of your RV, visit a public scale and have it weighed. See the Related Article section below for instructions on how to do this. 

  2) Vehicle loading: Consider the weight to be carried in your vehicle. Every vehicle has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR). This is the maximum permissible weight of everything on board your vehicle, including the vehicle itself plus passengers, cargo, and fuel. Estimate the weight of all your camping gear, passengers, and luggage that is going to be in the vehicle, then add up the weights. You must also include the tongue or pin weight of your RV. This can add substantially to the vehicle's total weight and put many vehicles over the permissible GVWR. If you'll be carrying close to the maximum GVWR while towing near the maximum towing weight, you should forget about that particular vehicle and go to something with more load and towing capacity. 

 3) Vehicle type: For comfortable, no-nonsense hauling, heavy duty trucks with towing packages and big diesel engines cannot be beat for towing the big 5th wheel. But for towing a smaller travel trailer or a pop-up camping trailer on the weekends, you don't necessarily need a truck. You might be able to get by with a passenger vehicle, like an SUV or large sedan. Check the vehicle's manual for tow ratings. Be aware though, that seemingly similar vehicles (in power, size, and weight) can have quite different towing capacities, and some vehicles don't allow towing at all. 

 4) Frame type: There are two type of frames in today's vehicles: full-frame and unit-body. Full-frame vehicles and traditional trucks are the better choice for hauling very heavy loads because the tow hitch can be attached directly to the frame with trucks and full-frame SUVs, minimizing the strain placed on the body of the vehicle. With a unit-body vehicle, there is not a traditional rail frame. The body and the chassis share the load together. The tow hitch is attached to the body or bumper in a unit-body vehicle. If you tow heavy loads regularly in a unit-body vehicle, you're likely to find more creaks, rattles, and body integrity issues. If you just tow occasionally on weekends, it's nothing to worry about. 

 5) Drive train: The undisputed choice for serious towing is rear-wheel drive. It offers better traction and stability compared to front-wheel drive. Truck-style four-wheel drive is not advised, as it should never be used while towing, unless you are in an emergency situation. All-wheel-drive systems are a mixed bag: some aid in towing, while others have a reduced towing capacity and are vulnerable to added wear or damage from towing. If you're thinking about the all-wheel-drive model, check that the towing capacity for the all-wheel-drive model is similar to the two-wheel-drive version. Some of the more sophisticated all-wheel-drive systems will change the proportion of torque going to the front and rear to compensate for any change in stability due to the RV. These systems are typically available on the car-like SUVs that are otherwise front-wheel drive. 

 6) Transmission: An automatic transmission is usually the best choice for towing. A manual is OK only for experienced, careful shifters. With an automatic, just remember a few precautions: make sure your vehicle has a transmission cooler, and remember to always disable overdrive to prevent excessive wear. 

 7) Engine type: Think torque rather than horsepower for towing. If the terrain permits, see how confident the vehicle can accelerate from a stop up a steep hill. Torque is what gets the load moving so in general, the more you have the better. Modern turbo-diesels really excel in towing, and they're a great choice when available due to their better mileage and long-term durability. They also maintain their power at higher altitudes where gas engines tend to lose power, as much as 3% power per 1000 feet of altitude. This assumes the gas engine is not turbo or supercharged. Be aware that if you choose a smaller engine for economy, it might be so strained that it actually uses more fuel than the larger engine, not to mention all the extra engine wear. 

  8) Brakes: Most modern vehicles have assisted braking, known as ABS. Ensure that the vehicle you choose has ABS. It can really help in a panic situation, especially towing a large RV. Some vehicles have an electronic trailer brake option which is incorporated into the vehicles braking system. This feature controls the brakes on the RV in relation to how much you are braking the vehicle. If the vehicle you are looking at has this option, get it! 

 9) Towing packages: Make sure you get a vehicle with the special towing package if it's available. If it's not, look at another vehicle. The towing package should include an oil cooler, transmission fluid cooler, heavy-duty alternator and battery, higher-capacity rear springs, and possibly a stabilizer bar (or larger one than standard). Trucks might also get a lower final drive ratio (a higher number means lower gearing which is desirable for towing), and heavy-duty differential. Don't get a stripped-down version of the vehicle you want thinking to add all of these things as needed. It will be cost-prohibitive and likely void your warranty. 

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 Tips & Warnings 

 Along with the vehicles GVWR is another important specification: the GCWR, or Gross Combined Weight Rating. This is the maximum combined weight the tow vehicle and the RV can weigh legally. Exceeding this can not only damage the tow vehicle, but may have insurance implications in the event of an accident. 

 When selecting your tow vehicle, make absolutely certain that you consider the tongue or pin weight of your RV when determining the payload you need. For example, if you have a vehicle that can carry 1500 lbs., 750 lbs. may be tongue weight from the RV, leaving 750 lbs. for cargo, including people, fuel, bikes, coolers, chairs, wood, generator, etc. This might not be enough reserve payload capacity for your needs. 

 CLICK ON THE BRAND NAME to Check out the TOWING CAPACITY on a CHRYSLER, DODGE, JEEP or RAM Vehicle! 

 As read on: http://www.ehow.com/how_2094697_choose-right-vehicle-towing-rv.html#ixzz1yobcFwCi

Despite record high fuel costs, RV vacations remain affordable!

The experts are predicting fuel costs will reach $4 a gallon this summer. Don't let this affect your vacation plans! Even if you factor in higher fuel prices, RV vacations remain the most economical. In fact, A recent study by PKF Consulting found that fuel prices would have to triple for RVing to be more expensive than other forms of travel.

A typical vacation, even with just a family of four, can become quite expensive. There are costs for transportation, lodging, food-and don't forget the entertainment. Amusement park tickets, museum admission, historic tours, boat rentals and the like all add to vacation expenses. RV family vacations are, on average, 26 to 74 percent less expensive than travel by personal car, airline or cruise ship.

The RV combines your transportation, lodging and restaurant all in one. RVs come fully equipped with state-of-the-art kitchens, bathrooms, central air and heat, king-sized beds, entertainment systems and more, allowing you to bring all the comforts of home when you travel. Here are some tips that will help you save money on fuel while still enjoying all the fun, freedom and flexibility that RVing has to offer.

    Camp closer to home. There's no need to venture outside leave the state! There are over 1,000 campgrounds in Michigan, located near popular destinations, along major tourist routes and even in metropolitan areas. You're always on vacation at the campsite, even if it's only an hour drive home.

    Stay longer in one place. Many RV parks are vacation destinations in their own right, offering something for everyone-swimming pools, playgrounds, game rooms, boating, fishing, nature trails, planned activities and more!

    Eat in. Cook your family favorites in the convenience of an RV to avoid the high costs of eating out. Better yet, cook over your campfire!

    Drive 55 instead of 65. AAA reports, for every 1 mph increase over 55 mph, fuel efficiency decreases 2.2 percent.
    Adjust home thermostats to save energy when traveling.

    Pack light and purchase firewood, water and other camping materials at the campground to keep the RV lightweight while traveling.

    Tune up the engine of your motorhome or tow vehicle, inflate tires properly and conduct regular maintenance to maximize fuel efficiency.

    Use the grade of fuel recommended by the engine manufacturer to increase miles per gallon.

    Travel during off-peak times. Avoid rush hour or travel at night when the weather is cooler and the vehicle air conditioning is needed less.

Veteran RVer, Jayne Kasper travels nearly 2,000 miles in Michigan each year with husband Ted and dog Jasper. Jayne doesn't let the cost of gas slow her down, "We stay at campgrounds closer to home. I'm on vacation the moment I step into my motor home, whether we're 20 minutes or 2 hours from home."

Here are some other facts to remember:

    Airfares and hotel rates are rising rapidly as fuel costs increase and fuel surcharges are added. You can avoid those costs in an RV. Fuel prices would need to triple from their current level to make RVing more expensive for a family of four than other forms of travel.
    Fuel is typically only the fourth largest expense on a road trip, behind lodging, food and vehicle payment and maintenance.

    Save on entertainment costs by bringing along your family's favorite DVDs and game systems.

    Memories made on RV trips will last a lifetime-as will the physical and mental health benefits. With a few simple adjustments for fuel price increases, RVing remains as affordable and as fun as ever.

RVing is still one of the most cost effective ways to explore Michigan. Replace family memories of airport delays, cramped hotel rooms and expensive restaurants with those of scenic drives, comfortable, amenity-filled campgrounds, campfire cookouts and outdoor adventures. There's so much to see and do right here in your home state! RV owners surveyed by Robert Hilton Associates cited the most important benefits of family camping are bringing the family closer together, having new experiences and teaching a respect of nature.

As read on: http://www.marvac.org/rv-fuel-costs-affordable.htm

The NEW 2013 Dodge Dart has made it to our Showrooms and we are excited to show it off!!

We are also very excited to announce that we can OFFICIALLY start taking orders on your very own 2013 Dodge Dart! Our knowledgeable sales staff is ready and waiting to show you all the 2013 Dodge Dart has to offer you starting at ONLY $15,995!

 Experience the largest touchscreen in the compact car class, available Uconnect® 8.4, featuring AM/FM/CD/MP3 and available SiriusXM Satellite Radio+ with replay mode. Get up-to-the-minute weather, fuel prices, sports and movie listings with available Garmin® Navigation and SiriusXM Travel Link+. Crank up your own tunes via remote SD card or remote USB Port with iPod® mobile device control and more!

Stop in today and see it in person!