9 Steps to a Flat Tire
The inconvenience of a flat seems disastrous at the time, but if you remember your steps—and we cannot stress this enough—in the right order, you can be up and running in about 20 minutes.
- Pull off the highway to a relatively safe spot where you can work. Open the trunk.
- Familiarize yourself with the jack, the tools, the spare and the owner’s manual. Ideally you should have done this when you bought the car. If you didn’t, stop reading this article and do it now. It takes 10 minutes, which will save you 10 minutes when it really counts.
- Loosen the lug nuts with the lug wrench. Sometimes this means attaching the lug wrench to a nut so that you can stand on the handle of the wrench and use all your weight to loosen it. Lug nuts are usually very tight. Loosening lug nuts before you jack up the car may be the second most important step to remember.
- Jack up the car (make sure it’s in park), using the owner’s manual as a guide so you know where to place the jack.
- Get the car high enough so the tire is no longer touching the ground plus 3-4 inches. Take the loose lug nuts off, by wrench or by hand.
- Pull the flat and put on the spare. This step takes the most strength, and is most likely to mess up your clothes.
- Put on the lug nuts but do not tighten all the way. Just get them as tight as you can with your hand.
- Lower the car down to the ground using the jack.
- This is the most important step—tighten the lug nuts with the wrench as much as you can, again using the standing and bouncing method if you think it’s necessary.
This should get you on your way in the shortest possible time. You can figure out what went wrong with the tire later.
Nissan to Create 1,000 More Jobs
Japanese car giant Nissan is to build a new hatchback at its UK plant, creating more than 1,000 jobs at the site and at component companies. The announcement was made by Prime Minister David Cameron and Nissan chief operating officer Toshiyuki Shiga, during a visit to Nissan’s headquarters in Yokohama, Japan on 10 April, The Telegraph reported.
The new medium-sized model will be built in Sunderland in 2014, creating an additional 225 jobs at the factory and 900 at component companies supplying Nissan.
The move follows an announcement last month that the North East plant will also produce a compact car based on the so-called Invitation concept model from next year.
The two new models will result in more than 3,000 jobs being created in the UK automotive sector within the next two years – 625 at Nissan and the remainder across the supply base.
Once recruitment for both models is complete, the Sunderland plant’s workforce will stand at a record 6,225, supporting annual production of more than half a million models.
Nissan said the new hatchback, which will be named closer to its sales launch, marks the carmaker’s return to the mainstream medium segment in Europe and will play a major role in the company’s continued expansion.
Around 80,000 of the new hatchback model will be built annually, triggering the need for the Sunderland plant to launch an additional shift.
This will see both the factory’s production lines operating around the clock for the first time in the plant’s 26-year history, a move which will take manufacturing capacity beyond 550,000 units.
The announcement also consolidates Sunderland’s position as the UK’s largest car manufacturer, a title it has held since 1998.
In 2010 Sunderland became the first UK car plant to produce more than 400,000 models in a single year when 423,000 Qashqais, Notes and Jukes rolled off the line.
The record was beaten last year when 480,000 cars were produced, and Nissan said the plant was preparing to pass the half-million mark for the first time.
Nissan is investing an additional £127 million in its Sunderland operation, supported by an offer of £8.2 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
Nissan built the Sunderland plant in 1984 and production began in 1986, with total investment set to reach £3.5 billion.
More than 6.5 million cars have been built at the factory, with 80% of production exported to 97 world markets.
*A Special thank you to neurope.eu for this wonderful article!*
2012 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
Featuring bold, motorsports-influenced styling inside and out, the aggressive new 2012 Nissan JUKE sport cross is built to thrill combining agile handling, boosted power, and advanced technology that synchronizes driver to machine. Factor in its versatility along with affordable pricing, and you’ve got a vehicle unlike any other in its class.
Nissan’s jazzy new JUKE offers bold styling, unexpected levels of performance, and an available advanced torque vectoring AWD system with performance technology typically reserved for only premium vehicles. With its new 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, Nissan’s bold urban sport cross provides plenty of scoot to boot while earning up to 32 mpg on the highway.
2012 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
JUKE features Nissan’s sophisticated 1.6-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG™) Turbo engine and advanced torque vectoring AWD system. Grip and rip with JUKE’s standard DIG™ Turbo engine delivering the power and energetic performance of a larger engine while maintaining the better fuel economy of a smaller one. Two transmissions are offered in the sporty JUKE — Nissan’s advanced Xtronic CVT™ (Continuously Variable Transmission) with S-Mode and a 6-speed manual transmission (SV FWD and SL FWD models only).
Available in eight well-equipped models, Nissan’s distinctive sport cross delivers an unmistakable bold presence and sculpted athletic design inside and out. It’s aggressive and lean, with form-fit skin pulled tight around its muscular frame. The expressive JUKE delivers 5-door functionality of a compact SUV, with the curves and lines of a 3-door sport coupe.
Providing drivers with a unique connection with their ride is JUKE’s innovative Integrated Control (I-CON) system. Explore the I-CON system’s functions in one setting as a controller for the automatic climate control system, and in the other it offers a Driving Dynamics Mode (D-Mode) selector with three different throttle/transmission (CVT)/steering response settings — Normal for everyday driving, Sport for a more intense performance feel, and Eco for maximum efficiency.
Discover the radically new Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan.
The Amazing 2011 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
The diminutive Nissan Juke is all-new for 2011. The crossover rides on the chassis employed by both the Versa and the Cube, and power comes from Nissan’s new direct-injection turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder, which puts out a strong 188 hp. The Juke is offered in both front- and all-wheel drive, and front-wheel drive models equipped with the continuously variable transmission return 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.
The Amazing 2011 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
The growing crossover segment is creating a competition among auto manufacturers of who could best balance the conflicting components of small yet roomy, powerful yet fuel efficient and sporty yet rugged. Nissan, long famous for both athletic and tough vehicles, seems to have hit all the buttons with the new Juke. The car’s small-car origins mean it is ideal as an around-town cruiser and easy to park, yet its all-wheel drive capabilities will allow you to leave the city behind. Rivals like the Suzuki SX4 can’t match the Juke for performance, and its distinctive looks mean that it will surely turn heads.
The Amazing 2011 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
The new Nissan Juke is about as small a car as you are likely to find in the crossover class. Its car-based origins can be traced to the chassis shared by both the Versa and the Cube, and yet its potent little engine is all-new. The Juke has a 99.6-inch wheelbase and 162-inch overall length, which actually makes it smaller than the Versa 5-door. The Juke is propelled by Nissan’s new direct-injected 1.6L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The little unit is good for a sprightly 188 hp and 177 lb-feet of torque. Jukes come standard with front-wheel drive, and torque-vectoring all-wheel drive optional. Nissan mated the vehicle to either an Xtronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with a Sport mode, or, in front-wheel drive models–a 6-speed manual. Jukes handle great, thanks to MacPherson struts up front and either a rear torsion beam setup on front-wheel drive models or a multi-link setup on all-wheel drive models.
The Amazing 2011 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
Three trim levels are offered: S, SV and SL. Standard equipment on the S includes 17-inch alloy wheels, power mirrors, windows and locks, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, air conditioning, tilt steering column, steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, 12v outlets, manual front seat adjustability and a 6-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with MP3 capability and iPod interface. SV models with the CVT add Nissan’s Integrated Control system (I-CON), which allows drivers to set the transmission’s response, steering input and throttle response to one of three modes-Sport, Normal or Eco. SVs also get rear privacy glass, automatic temperature control, push-button ignition, XM satellite radio, premium suede-tricot cloth seating and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The SL gets fog lights, auto on/off headlights, a touch-screen navigation system, XM NavTraffic, a rear back-up camera, heated leather front seats and a premium stereo with Rockford Fosgate subwoofer. Navigation is available as a package, as are special exterior and interior treatments through the Sport Accessory and Chrome Accessory packages. Safety features standard to all Juke models include dual-stage front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags. Stability and traction control are also standard, as are 4-wheel anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution.
The Amazing 2011 Nissan JUKE at Windsor Nissan
Nissan Juke, Nissan Juke, Nissan Juke!
Beep-Beep! Watch out, everyone, the 2011 Nissan Juke is heading your way!
The Juke, a production model of Nissan’s Qazana that was showcased at the 2009 Geneva auto show, is a vehicle aimed at, “the attention-seeker, aggressive kind of guy,” says Larry Dominique, Nissan’s U.S. product planning chief. It is not your typical kind of family SUV. The center consol is designed to look like a gasoline tank of a motorcycle (with a dashboard that changes color!), and the exterior has extreme curves with a coupelike roofline.
The Juke is powered by 1.6-liter, tubocharged four-cylindaer engine, producing 180 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. All wheel drive is available, as well as a six-speed manual. The Juke’s selling price will be under $20,000, sitting right below the Rogue.
I have added some photos of the Juke for you to take a look at. Also, go to the Juke’s interactive website to check out all of its specs and see a 360 degree view!
The Maguire Auto Blog 