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Summer is on its way with hot roads, humid air, and plenty of glaring sunlight. That means it’s time to install summer tires on your vehicle. Do you currently have winter or all-season tires on your ride? Need to buy a new set of summer tires or have some in storage? No matter your situation, we can help you with all of your summer tire needs here at the Palmen Motors dealership in Kenosha, Wisconsin! more How Long Can a Vehicle Sit Without Being Driven? The Advantages of Summer Tires Summer tires provide the following advantages over all-season and winter tires: Better Performance in Wet Road Conditions Improved Speed and Agility Improved Braking and Cornering Performance Maximum Road-Holding Shop for Summer Tires If you don’t have a set of summer tires ready to be installed, we can help you find them! Contact our Parts Center here at Palmen Motors and our team can help you find the best fit of summer tires for your ride! Schedule a Service Appointment To get your summer tires installed, please schedule a service appointment at the Palmen Motors Service Center. To schedule an appointment, drivers can contact our staff online, over the phone, or on-site at our dealership location. 50,000-Mile Vehicle Maintenance Checklist Explore Automotive Maintenance and Repair Opportunities at Palmen Motors For additional automotive services available at the Palmen Motors dealership, please browse through our website and contact our team. Additionally, we encourage drivers to check out our service specials for savings on oil changes, tire rotations, fluid services, and more. Furthermore, as a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealership, we also offer a lot of accessory, customization, and detailing work on models, such as the Dodge muscle cars, the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, and the line of Ram light-duty and heavy-duty pickup trucks. Contact us to learn more!

Unused Vehicles Auto Service Care and Prevention Depending on your job, lifestyle, and living situation, you might not be driving very often during this period of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), self-isolation, and social distancing. So, what happens to your vehicle if you let it sit for weeks and months on end? It is safe to leave your car like that? Will there be any damage to your vehicle for letting it sit, unused? more What's Considered an Essential Business in Wisconsin? How Long Should You Leave Your Car Unattended? You should drive your vehicle at least once every two weeks to put your engine to work, lubricate the car’s moving auto parts, and to give everything else a wake-up call. Think of it like exercise and stretching to keep your car in shape. What Happens When Your Car Sits So, first off, what exactly happens when you let your car sit on its own for weeks and months? Here are some of the most common problems and vehicle damages that occur: Battery Slowly Loses its Charge Bug and Small Animals May Take Up Residence Gas Tank Accumulates Moisture Tires can Develop Flat Spots Rust can Form on Some Materials (Brakes Primarily) How to Reduce Damage and Negative Effects You don’t need to just wait around and let your car turn into junk or break down, causing you tons of bank on unneeded service appointments. There are plenty of ways to lessen and prevent damage to your vehicle if it’s just stuck in its parking place for weeks or months on end, including: Check and Fill Tire Pressure (Prevents Flat Spots) Check for Any Leaks Fill Up Tank (Prevents Excess Moisture) Get an Oil Change Put a Cover Over Your Vehicle (Regulate Temperature, Prevent Dust and Dirt) Unhook Battery (Prevents Loss of Charge) Use Vehicle Once Every Two Weeks (Drive a Block or Two) Palmen Motors - COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response Find Vehicle Service Tips & Tricks in Kenosha, WI For more local auto help, sales, and service, continue to read our blog, browse through our online inventory and service department, and contact us to learn more. The Palmen Motors dealership is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and serves drivers in the nearby areas of Racine, Milwaukee, and more cities in Southeast Wisconsin with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram sales and service.

During the Stay At Home order provided to Wisconsin residents, businesses that are deemed Nonessential are being forced to temporarily suspend operations for public safety and to decrease the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). However, that still leaves those classified as Essential Businesses. What are considered Essential Businesses in the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin? more Campgrounds and Hiking Trails in Kenosha, WI What IS and ISN’T an Essential Business in Wisconsin? On a national scale, what’s considered an Essential Business is pretty standard across the board. However, official rulings, at this time, are made on a state level. What Wisconsin defines as an Essential Business can be found here. Essential Business Locations in Milwaukee, WI Essential Business categories for Wisconsin locations are as follows: Healthcare and Public Health Organizations Human Service Operations Essential Infrastructure Essential Government Functions CISA List Stores that Sell Groceries and Medicine Food and Beverage Production and Agriculture Childcare Settings Financial Institutions and Services Organizations that Provide Charitable and Social Services Gas Stations and Businesses Needed for Transportation Transportation Critical Trades Home-Based Care and Services Professional Services Mail, Post, Shipping, Logistics, Delivery and Pick-Up Services Manufacture, Distribution and Supply Chain for Critical Products and Industries Critical Labor Union Functions Hardware and Supplies Stores Higher Educational Institutions Laundry Services Media Hotels and Motels Weddings, Funerals, and Religious Entities Restaurants (Off-Premise/Carryout Sales) Bars and Breweries (Off-Premise/Carryout Sales) Supplies to Work from Home Supplies for Essential Businesses and Operations and Essential Governmental Functions All persons are asked to observe and participate in basic social distancing protocols when sharing an area with others. Please visit the link in the previous section for more information. Palmen Motors is an Essential Business in Kenosha, Wisconsin Professional automotive service can still be found at the Palmen Motors service department, which qualifies as an Essential Business under the category of ‘Businesses Need for Transportation’. If your vehicle needs regular or emergency maintenance, schedule a service appointment at Palmen Motors online. 5 Warning Signs of a Dying Alternator Find Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram Sales and Service in Milwaukee, WI What other businesses and services are opened and offered in the Milwaukee and greater Southeast Wisconsin areas? Learn more by continuing to read our blog here at Palmen Motors. For additional assistance, please contact us. The Palmen Motors dealership is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and provides Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram vehicle sales, used auto sales, and automotive maintenance services to drivers in Racine, Milwaukee, and more!

Bad Credit Loan Approval and Financial Assistance in Kenosha, WI How much does your credit situation affect your ability to purchase or lease a new vehicle? For those with good credit, bad credit, and everything in between, today we’ll lay out your options for financing here at the Palmen Motors dealership. more Credit Application and Credit Approval Palmen Motors makes it quick and easy to get pre-approved online. If you fill out the fields of the form here with the necessary information and submit, Palmen Motors will check your eligibility and contact you shortly after with the results of the assessment. As is standard, all personal information provided to Palmen Motors is protected and used purely for the purpose of a business transaction. To learn more about the logistics and details of the credit approval process, please see here. 'Best of Kenosha' Palmen Auto Group So, that’s how you go about getting credit approval from the Palmen Motors dealership. However, circling back to the original query, what are your options for securing a car loan if you have bad credit? Bad Credit Car Loans Bad and imperfect credit does not disqualify you from obtaining a car loan for a purchase or lease at the Palmen Motors dealership. Therefore, you can and should apply for credit approval online in the same manner as dictated above. However, obtaining a car loan with bad credit, as opposed to good credit, does have certain challenges. The initial interest rate on a loan will be higher at the beginning of a payment plan or lease. However, steady and consistent payments open up the option of refinancing during the period of the payment plan. To learn more and to discuss your financing options in relation to your credit score, please view our previous landing page on the topic here for more detail and contact our finance department here at Palmen Motors if you have additional questions and concerns. The Palmen Motors finance department can be reached over the phone or with a visit to our dealership located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Tips for Buying a Used Car Find More Financing Options at Palmen Motors Additional financial assistance found online here at Palmen Motors includes trade-in evaluation, our car payment calculator, and fuel savings comparisons. For more information on financial assistance offered, or regarding our online inventory selection of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram models, please contact us. We’d love to hear from you at any of the Palmen Automotive dealerships here in Kenosha, Wisconsin!

What do car dashboard lights mean? When any of the dashboard lights in your car turn on, it probably leads you to feel concerned and frustrated, especially if you don't know what the icon that is lit up means. While it can depend on your vehicle's make and model, for the most part the icons have the same general meaning across the board. Let's take a closer look at what some of these specific icons mean! more View Our Inventory Warning Symbols Some of the icons are very serious, so you should get your vehicle checked out immediately if they light up on your dashboard. These icons are typically red and indicate an emergency issue that affects how your vehicle runs. Yellow lights typically indicate a service or repair issue that needs to be addressed soon, and green or blue lights tell you that a specific system in your vehicle is operating. Check out this helpful video to see some of the most common lights and what they mean! For all of your automotive needs, come to Palmen Motors!

Free carwash and air top off with Service Appointment at Palmen Motors Drivers in the Kenosha area looking to get their vehicle serviced should take advantage of the special offer available at Palmen Motors! Drivers that bring their vehicle in for a service appointment can get a free carwash and free air top off in their tires! more View Our Inventory Schedule a Service Appointment at Palmen Motors The service department at Palmen Motors offers everything from standard vehicle upkeep to major repairs. The service team uses only quality licensed parts that are approved and issued by the automaker to ensure that new parts will work just as well as the originals, and they install them with accuracy and efficiency. If you would prefer to install parts yourself, we also sell parts and can order a specific part for you if we don’t have it in stock. The team of service professionals at Palmen Motors is friendly and knowledgeable about a wide variety of makes and models. Services offered at Palmen Motors include lube, oil and filter change, front end alignment, coolant flush, tire balance, tire rotation, and more. The team can also handle repairs like muffler or exhaust repair, brake replacement and more. Drivers that bring in their vehicle for any service can take advantage of getting a free car wash and air top off in their tires here at Palmen Motors! You can schedule an appointment online here, by phone at 877-479-0953 or in person at the dealership, located at 5431 75th Street in Kenosha. We hope to see you soon here at Palmen Motors!

Keeping your vehicle in great shape requires more than seeing an expert when things start to fall apart. Instead, you'll want to ensure that you're having things inspected, repaired and replaced regularly throughout the life of the vehicle. One of the first milestones in the life of a vehicle is the 50,000 mile mark. Once your vehicle has been driven for 50,000 miles, it's best to have a thorough inspection of the exhaust, suspension, fuel system and tires. Check out the 50,000 mile maintenance checklist here: more Maintenance Checklist for 50,000 Miles on Car Inspect the Fuel Cell Cap Fuel systems are complex, and it's important that each of the systems are working together. The fuel cell cap has a rubber seal that can easily become damaged over time.  In order to keep an engine running the way it should, the rubber seal should be inspected and replaced if necessary at 50,000 miles. Replace the Fuel Filter Between the engine compartment and the fuel injection system the filter works to stream out any particles and contaminants that should not enter the fuel injector. It's best to replace the filter on most cars, trucks and SUVs that use unleaded gasoline. Perform Exhaust System Inspection Bringing a vehicle in for an exhaust system inspection will mean that they take a look at the muffler, exhaust manifold, exhaust downpipe, catalytic converter, resonator and tailpipe. This system takes the fumes out of the car, so any issues could lead to bad fumes ending up inside the cabin. Inspect Suspension Components Your front-end suspension system is worn out over time, and often needs to have the CV joints and tie rods replaced around the 100,000 mile mark. Getting these two parts inspected at the 50,000 mile mark will allow you ensure that your suspension is working the way it should, and is properly aligned. Replace All Four Tires Most new cars roll off the dealership lot with the OEM tires. These tires are usually made from softer rubber to provide a smoother ride, but tend to wear out around 50,000 miles. It’s a good idea to have your tires inspected and potentially all replaced Schedule Maintenance Online Kenosha WI If you'd like to have your vehicle inspected and checked for issues, we would love to help. Our experienced service team is here to ensure your vehicle drives its best, and we’ve got the tools and knowledge to get it done the right way. Schedule a service appointment online or give us a call.

We all know that our car has a battery, and that our engine uses it. We also know we have to fill up the gas tank to get our car moving, and get where we need to go. But other than the engine, battery and gas tank, many of us aren't aware of very many specific parts our cars need to get out on the road every day. If you think you might have an issue with your alternator, or aren't even sure what the warning signs are, we are here to help. Check out these five warning signs for a dying alternator. more 5 Ways to Tell Your Alternator is Dying Dashboard Warning Most of the newer vehicles on the road have a dashboard warning light that will show up when the alternator is acting up. Some may say ALT and some may say GEN, but the light will usually only come on when you are using multiple electrical components at the same time. Rough Starts Your car battery is not made to last forever, but if your alternator is not replenishing the power that it uses, you'll go to start your car to hear it hesitate or not start at all. To find out whether it’s the battery or  the alternator that's causing you issues, charge the battery and attempt to start the car. If it's still a rough start, you're looking at alternator issues. Strange Sounds Producing electrical current requires a lot of parts that all work inside your alternator to power your vehicle. A grinding or whining noise might indicate a worn out part or belt needs to be replaced. Specifically, worn out bearings cause this sound. If you hear it, get in touch with our service experts to have us take a look! Burning Rubber Smell The alternator works with a variety of belts inside your engine, and if a belt is not turning the way it should, the friction will cause a burning smell. If you catch a smell similar to an electrical fire, you might need to replace or tighten a belt. Have then evaluated by our service team to ensure your vehicle is safe to drive. Dimmed Lights Your alternator runs all the electrical components in your vehicle, including your headlights and dashboard lights. If either of those are beginning to dim, it's an important indicator that you've got an alternator issue. Other parts like power seats and windows might also experience slower operation because of alternator issues.

Cold Wisconsin winters take a toll on our vehicles. From the slippery roads to the constantly changing temperatures, winter is a tough time for cars on the road. Luckily, we get a break from the harsh driving conditions of winter, and at Palmen Motors, you get a break from the full-price maintenance too! We offer free online coupons for our service center, and if you keep reading, you'll find a summer service center checklist that'll help you get your car in shape! more Service Center Coupons Kenosha WI Whether you're looking to get your tires rotated, or you'd like to stop in for a routine oil change, there are savings options available for you! Our skilled technicians can handle maintenance and repairs for any make and model, and every trip to our service center comes with a complimentary inspection. We want to help keep your vehicle looking and driving its best. Summer Vehicle Maintenance Checklist You might have an older car, or even something new and shiny, but after a long Wisconsin winter it's important to get things checked out.  Several parts of your car can begin to wear down after being out on slippery, salty roads for a few months. Check out this list to find some of our top suggestions for maintenance this summer. Tire Inspection and Rotation With Alignment Brake Inspection Wiper Blade Replacement Battery Test A/C System Inspection Oil and Filter Change Wash and Wax Schedule Service Appointment at Palmen Motors of Kenosha If you are ready to bring your vehicle in to see the experts at Palmen Motors, give us a call or follow the link below to schedule your appointment online. We want to get your car back in shape, and do it at a time that fits your busy schedule. Be sure to give us a call with any questions, or to order parts you need to do repairs or maintenance at home. Read More: Will Premium Fuel Help My Efficiency Ratings? Our technicians pride themselves on quality customer service, so you can trust that you'll have a great experience when you come to see us here at Palmen Motors. We look forward to getting your vehicle back in shape for the summer!

Palmen Motors Inventory on Sale Through September If you are in the market for a new vehicle for a great price, then Palmen Motors of Kenosha is the perfect place to stop! This month and through September all of the 2015 model year vehicles are sale priced and ready to be driven home. Whether you are looking for your next adventure-mobile, or a minivan to drive the kids to soccer practice, we’ve got a vehicle and a great price for you. more At Palmen Motors of Kenosha WI, we offer a variety of different makes and models to fit any specific needs or preferences. It's no secret that these closeout prices won't last forever! Hurry in to take advantage of them before the end of September when they disappear! Connect with Our Sales Team! The possibilities are endless at Palmen Motors where your preferences and needs are made the number one priority. Our service center technicians are happy to help with vehicle problems and even offer fantastic deals on regular maintenance! Service Center Coupons Check out these information pages and images of our best selling vehicles! When it comes to buying a new car, the folks at Palmen Motors have got your back. Our team of qualified and experienced automotive experts are prepared to answer any questions you have regarding inventory or financing. Our free online tools make financing a breeze because you can get pre-approved for a car loan and find the value of your trade-in vehicle all without leaving the comfort of your livingroom!

what's the difference between regular and premium fuel? There are some vehicles, believe it or not, that require the premium fuel. While these are usually the more powerful luxury vehicles, it is important to know. Do you find yourself wondering, what's the difference between regular and premium fuel? We are here to answer that today! Read on to find out what makes it so much more expensive! more Your traditional modern vehicle has a very efficient engine in it. Newer vehicles roll off of dealership lots each year with more technology and modern features than the previous year. Only some luxury cars and old vehicles require premium fuel, but what is the difference? We'll start out by making sure to underline the fact that there are myths surrounding the use of premium fuel. There are some that believe that premium fuel is cleaner or more pure. This simply is not true. There is also the myth that it increases the performance of the vehicle. While this is also mostly false, the performance does increase a small amount. It is such a small difference in performance, however, that it is deemed not worthy of the price difference. READ MORE: Spring Car Washing Tips! So, why do some cars require premium? The answer is in it's ability to combust. Older engines and high end engines have a higher compression ratio, and thus need fuel that ignites less easily. Cheaper fuel ignites more quickly and can leave an older engine with a knock. What's an engine knock? That is when the engine is burning the fuel more quickly than it's parts are able to handle. A knocking engine is usually audible and can cause damage if left unchecked. READ MORE: Staying Awake Behind the Wheel If your owners' manual says that your engine requires premium fuel, it is probably best to follow it's instruction. An engine knock could mean expensive repairs down the road. However, a vehicle without the requirement will not be negatively affected by the more expensive fuel. The price difference makes the cheaper fuel more appealing, and it is most likely a fine choice for vehicles that do not require premium. If you are unsure of what your vehicle requires, simply give us a call at Palmen Motors in Kenosha. Our friendly and experienced automotive specialists are happy to answer any questions!

Best spring car washing tips in Kenosha WI We are all ready for spring to arrive. What better way to prepare than to wash up your car and get it looking it’s best for the sunshine ahead? Washing your car can be a chore, but doing it the most efficient way and with the right tools can make it much easier and more effective. We want to help you by giving you our best spring car washing tips in Kenosha WI so that you can drive the best-looking car this spring! more Before you even start washing, you can make the job a lot easier by having the right tools prepared and ready to go. Tip #1: Use Car Washing Soap This might seem obvious, but it makes a big difference in the long-run. Other soaps like dish detergent can strip the polymers from the paint surface of your car. You don’t want to encourage oxidation, so the use of car washing soap will protect your vehicle’s pretty paint. Tip #2: Forego the cheap sponges We know that it can be appealing to grab the cheapest sponges for washing your car, but going for a microfiber washing tool is much better for your car. The microfibers will hold onto the dirt from the vehicle instead of spreading it around or scrubbing it into the paint on the surface. Small scratches add up over time! Tip #3: Two Buckets are Better than One Use two different buckets of water. One with soapy water, and one with just plain water. After you scrub a section of the car, rinse the cleaning tool in the clean water to get as much dirt out as possible. This way you won’t contaminate your soapy water. Now that you are ready to clean, do these things to make your car come out as shiny as possible! Tip #4: Work your Way Down Washing from top to bottom and not front to back will keep dirt from going anywhere you’ve already cleaned. This will save you the time it would take to re-clean areas and help your car to dry efficiently. Tip #5: Dry ‘er off! This is important. After washing, rinse the car and take the time to dry it by hand. Allowing it to air dry will result in soap spots and a less shiny finish. We hope these tips help you during your spring car cleaning adventure! Let’s all cross our fingers for warmer days ahead and a summer to drive a shiny clean car through! Make sure to give our service department a call if you have any questions. We’d love to help you out with advice from the professionals!