Driving in the Snow
When roads are covered in ice or snow, drive with more caution.
Here are some additional tips from West Chevrolet.
• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don't try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning - nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brake...
Wet Weather Driving Tips
Driving in any wet weather is considerably more dangerous than driving when the weather is dry. Poor visibility, lower levels of grip and the chance of hitting deep puddles are just some of the problems a driver needs to deal with.
The good news is that modern technology has helped make wet driving
Take a moment to review these tips for wet-weather driving.
Get Your Car Rain-Ready: Tire tread is key. Use a quarter to test your tire's tread. Insert it upside down into your tire tread. "If part of Washington's head is always covered by the tread, your tires have more than 4/32 of an inch of tread remaining. If the top of Washington's head is exposed at any point, you should replace the tires."
According to NHTSA, tires with 2/32 of an inch of tread are unsafe. However, you may want to replace...
Fall Car Care & the Penny Test
all weather can mean rainy days and cooler nights. Taking time to maintain your vehicle makes a huge difference and can prevent additional repairs down the road. Ever stepped on the gas and felt the tires spin?
It's definitely time for some TLC as October is Fall Car Care Month.
Special attention should be paid to the tread on your tires, especially for the gray, rainy days that often occur this time of year. Without sufficient tread depth, your vehicle can't properly grip the road. Under wet weather conditions, insufficient tread depth can cause a vehicle to hydroplane - skim over the surface of the road with little or no traction, which can lead to a crash. So check your tread. All you need is a Lincoln penny.
1. Insert Abe's head into the tread in a couple of spots on each tire. If you ca...
Car Seat Basics & Tips for Child Safety
Kids are precious cargo and West Chevrolet would like to share some general tips on how to keep your kids safe on the road. Common sense dictates children should ride secured in a car seat while in the vehicle. However, navigating the landscape of car seats and installation can be daunting. Good news, there are several online and local resources to help parents understand the do's and don'ts of car seats.
CarSafety.org is an excellent online resource to start with and offers a car seat buying guide in addition to many other tips and articles.
Parent Central has an interactive car seat selector to help you decide on the right car seat by child's age and size.
Once you've decided on the right car seat, have your car seat inspected by National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) . Certifie...
Scenic Drives of the Great Smoky Mountains
West Chevrolet is proud to call Alcoa, Tennessee home and recognizes the vast beauty that surrounds us. The Great Smoky Mountains are shared with our neighbors in North Carolina and are worth a day trip to explore the lush countryside.
The Smoky Mountains are a national treasure and worthy of the many songs, stories and legends that surround them. In fact, auto touring of the Smoky Mountains goes back several generations. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is America's most visited national park.
An auto tour of the park offers a variety of experiences, including panoramic views, tumbling mountain streams, weathered historic buildings, and mature hardwood forests stretching to the horizon.
There are 384 miles of road to choose from in the Smokies. Most are paved, and even the gravel r...
Things To Do in Knoxville
Summer adventures await in nearby Knoxville. West Chevrolet has compiled this list of fun things to do with the family.
Knoxville Food Tours
Downtown Knoxville's Award Winning, Original Tour.
Knoxville, Tennessee is a city unlike any other - with a respect for its historic beginnings, and old mountain ways, mixed with new and modern business and trends. Rich farmland begins not far outside of town, and has produced nationally known food brands Bush's Beans and Mayfield Dairy, as well as renowned chef favorites Benton's Smoky Ham & Bacon, and Cruze Farm.
Tours include:
- Sample signature dishes from a rotating selection of
new and iconic restaurants featuring local, regional,
Southern & Appalachian cuisine.
- Add pairings of beer from local and craft breweries, wine flights, craft cocktails, ...
Bike Racks And More
If you're a biker, you probably already own a bike rack and have it installed on your vehicle. But for those who don't own one and are looking to take up biking this summer, consider the below tips when shopping for a bike rack for your Chevrolet.
Hitch Bike Racks
Hitch racks are one of the best bike rack options available because they don't affect your vehicle's aerodynamics or cause noticeable drops in fuel efficiency. They also make it easier to load and unload your bikes. Installation is simple once you have a hitch installed; it's usually a simple connect and disconnect process.
Roof Bike Racks
Roof bike racks require a vehicle to have both a roof rack and a bike rack. Once you have the roof rack installed, the bike rack should be easy to install and uninstall. The drawback to roof bike...
Drive Green and Save On Gas
It's common knowledge that most cars are not the most environmental friendly - unless you're driving electric or hybrid models. Even so, cars are a necessity for many of us and so we use them. For those interested in reducing their vehicle's impact on the environment, follow the below steps.
Don't top off the gas tank.
Vehicles today have vapor lines and evaporative emission systems. Topping off your gas could pull raw gasoline into those systems and damage them. So it's not only good for the environment to not top off a gas tank, but it's also better for your car.
Practice proper vehicle maintenance.
Hang onto your owner's manual and follow its regular maintenance suggestions and recommended usage. Regular maintenance will keep your vehicle in top running performance and will assist in ke...
Spring Maintenance Tips
Spring is here and this is a good time to tune up your ride after the winter weather in Knoxville. Car, truck, RV, bike. Whichever ride you call yours.. all vehicles benefit from some TLC so invest in an annual spring maintenance check.
To get started, the ASE (National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence) recommends a complete spring maintenance check to help minimize major part replacements and limit future car expenses. If you have any questions regarding these tips, the mechanics at West Chevrolet are available to field your questions. We hope you find this information informative.
1. Remove Left Over Salt With A Thorough Exterior Cleaning
Road salt used to melt ice and snow is damaging to your car’s undercarriage; it is also harmful to your vehicle’s paint finish. Ensure your ca...
A West Chevrolet History
All things begin with a choice, and for West Chevrolet that first choice was made by C. Eckles West way back in the 1920s. Eckles West first ventured into the automotive business with his "West Garage" in the mid-1920's - a gas station with mechanic stalls. A few years later, a desire for growth fueled his decision to invest in a Chevrolet and Oldsmobile dealership - the Davis Motor Company. This decision would provide future opportunities for the West family to make more choices on how they grow within the automotive industry. The following are West family decisions that led to the evolution of West Chevrolet as you know it today.
1. After World War II, Charles T. West, the son of Eckles West, returned from the war and continued his auto career. By the mid 1950's, Charles T. West and Jud ...
Chevy Truck Month Is Back At West Chevrolet
It's March 2016 and it's time to celebrate trucks. Not just any truck though. Only the most dependable and award winning trucks. Chevy trucks. That's right. Chevy Truck Month has returned for a limited time and West Chevrolet is celebrating the Silverado and the Colorado with savings.
Chevy Colorado is your 2015 and 2016 Motor Trend Truck of the Year and the Silverado is the same ever-evolving, most dependable, longest-lasting, full-size pickup you have come to love and rely on. When it comes to mid-size and full-size trucks, Chevy is the family of trucks you want to choose and Chevy Truck Month is the time to buy.
You could save thousands of dollars on 2015 and 2016 Silverado models this March. View our specials today for more information regarding Chevy Truck Month sales.