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This week, our blog is dedicated to an interesting piece of history from Nissan. We all know about traditions like the Miss America pageant, “Barker’s Beauties” from The Price Is Right, and the Doublemint Twins, but did you know that there was, and still is, a similar position in Japan, working for Nissan? This position originated in 1963 as “Miss Fairlady,” named after the Nissan Fairlady, a model of the time. These women were chosen in a manner similar to that of a pageant and were employed on the showroom floor to demonstrate and explain the various vehicle models. In addition to being beautiful and having the right image, they also had to have an extensive brand knowledge and be able to answer customers’ questions about the vehicles. The Miss Fairlady position was modeled on the “Datsun Demonstrator” position of the 1930s, where women were employed in much the same way. Initially, there were only five women chosen for the Miss Fairlady job, but that number has steadily increased since the 1960s to 27 women. Initially, the position was created to market the Datsun Fairlady 1500, but due to the success of the program they branched out and now represent the full spectrum of Nissan vehicles. Not only do the women of the program go on to have great careers, their daughters are often encouraged to apply for the position as well. However, the training to be a Miss Fairlady is incredibly rigorous, including daily training, attendance at important special events such as the Tokyo Motor Show, and even shareholder meetings. The position is now officially referred to as the Nissan PR Specialist, but it still continues to be known as “Miss Fairlady.” Women who are graduates of the program often go on to successful careers, and the women currently in the program are enthusiastic about the work they do and the fact that it is important professional experience for their futures. Miss Fairlady has been around for over 50 years, but the name and the customer-facing aspect of the position are pretty much the only things that have stayed the same. Women are now trained as true professionals in not only their knowledge of the Nissan lineup but their presentation and communication skills are honed and their entrepreneurial abilities are explored. We’re excited to learn about this position as it moves into the future alongside Nissan! Miss Fairladys and the Datsun Fairlady 1500 Yuko Aoshima, Chief Miss Fairlady in the Tokyo and Yokohama District A New Nissan For The Future!

I didn’t think that we needed to have this conversation, but I guess we do. I thought we’d helped prepare you to make good decisions in life, but when we found out that you let your tank get to “E,” and reasonably frequently, we knew that we needed to sit down with you and tell you why that’s just a bad decision. We’re disappointed in you because we know that you can do better. We’re not mad - just disappointed. First of all, running on empty can make your fuel pump wear out. When you have to replace that tiny delicate part, it’s kind of expensive - definitely more expensive than a tank of gas, for sure. When gas goes through the pump, it acts as a coolant for your fuel pump, and when there’s no gas to suck in, it has to use air. The air creates heat, which then burns out the pump. We’ve been over this with you. Not only will your pump burn out without gas, but your fuel gauge is more of an approximation of the amount of fuel that you have than anything else. We want you to make educated decisions, and you could have between 50 and .5 miles’ worth of gas left. And you wouldn’t even know, because the gauge isn’t totally accurate. If you see it get down to a quarter of a tank, take that as your time to fill up. Stick a piece of tape at that point with a little “FILL UP NOW” written on it as a reminder. We’ll get it for you when we’re done with this conversation. Remember, not mad - just disappointed. The last thing is that sediment gathers at the bottom of every gas tank, including yours. When your tank is practically empty, the only gas left is the gas with the sediment in it. The sediment, which is riddled with disgusting qualities, then goes through all of your fuel lines and into your engine, bringing its nastiness wherever it goes. It’s like those friends you have that are just not the best characters. We want you to have good connections, and if you keep those friends you’re just on a downward spiral. Just like if you keep driving on empty. You’ll need a full engine flush if you keep this up. We just want you to do better, all right? We know you can. Great talk. Want to go toss the ball? Let’s Get You Sorted Out

There’s a secret about car maintenance that I am about to tell you - and unlike other secrets, you should tell literally everyone you know. The reason this is secret? Nobody really knows about it! But you will, and even though we can’t give you a cool pin or badge or anything to signify that you’re in the Club, you have a gold star on your heart forever. What is the secret, you ask? You should check your tire pressure at least once a week. And the tread. I know, it’s not that exciting of a secret, but I wanted to hype it up a bit because it’s actually really important. You need a tire pressure gauge, which is a cheap thing you can get at any auto parts store, and you need to just make sure that your tire pressure is where it should be pretty regularly - especially in this cold weather we’ve been having. How do you know what the pressure in your tires should be? It’ll be in three places: your owner’s manual, the sticker on the inside of the driver’s side door jamb, and even on the tires themselves. Checking your tread is similarly easy. All you need is a penny, and you just need to put the penny with Lincoln’s head facing directly down into the tread of your tire. If you can see the top of his head, then that means you really need to get new tires, like ASAP. If you can’t see the top of his head, then that means you’re good for a while. The closer you are to being able to see the top of Abe’s noggin, the closer you are to needing new tires. At least check your tread every time you remember to do it. It’ll become a great habit, and you’ll always know that you can rely on your tires. Isn’t that great? Need New Tires?

Topping off your gas tank is something that I think all of us do. We always try to get the number to an even one - instead of $19.42 I’ll try to get it to $19.50 or $20. However, topping off your tank is actually a really bad idea. Here’s why! It can overwhelm your vehicle’s evaporative system, which can break something or cause a leak due to built up pressure. If your gas tank is too full, the pressure inside of it builds up past the safe level when the gas heats up as your car is moving. If there is too much fuel in the tank, the extra gets sent to the evaporation system. If you habitually overfill your tank, then you’ll kill your evaporation system much quicker than normal. The second thing is that you’re wasting a lot of money by doing this. Modern gas stations have systems at the pumps where if the pump senses too much fuel going into your vehicle’s tank, the excess will just go right back up the hose and back into the station’s fuel tank. The cents on the screen go up, but the gas never goes into your tank. No matter how much gas it is, you’re potentially wasting a lot of money over time on gas that’s not even going into your car. Break the habit of topping up! When the handle releases the first time, just let it be. You can do it - and save some money at the same time! Save More With Our Most Fuel Efficient Vehicles

You might think that all your car needs to run smoothly is oil in the engine, gas in the tank, and you behind the wheel. But you might not know that there are a multitude of different types of fluids that live in your engine and keep everything running. Here’s a list of the fluids you should know about and be paying attention to, and how to make sure that everything is copacetic on your own. Oil. You know about this one! You might not know that you should be checking your oil regularly, though. To do this, just pull out the oil dipstick, make sure the oil is at the “Full” line and not below the “Add” line, make sure the oil isn’t dirty, and stick it back in. You should also be making sure that you’re taking your vehicle in for regular oil changes. A general rule is every 3,000 miles, but your manufacturer and dealer might have different recommendations, especially based on the age and mileage of your vehicle and the type of engine that’s under the hood. Transmission fluid. This is the other dipstick in your engine. You’ll want to check this pretty much the same way that you check your oil, but if it’s the same color as your oil then you’ve got a problem. The fluid should be clear to pinkish without any bits in it. If the level is low or if the fluid is dirty, you should probably make an appointment to get your transmission fluid changed. Brake fluid. This is what gives your car stopping power, which can be especially important if you’re driving in traffic often or if you tend to make a lot of quick stops. If you want to check this, you usually don’t have to open up the reservoir - it’s usually clear enough that you can see the level and color of the fluid through the plastic. If you do want to open the reservoir, clean off the outside and cap before you do; it can be dangerous for you if any particles or dirt get into the fluid. If the fluid itself is dark in color, you should take it in to get it changed - don’t try to do this yourself! Power Steering Fluid. With this, your ability to control the movement of your vehicle’s wheels is increased exponentially. Like with the brake fluid, you can usually see the level and color of the fluid through the reservoir, which is usually located around the passenger side of the vehicle under the hood. If the level is low, you can top it up yourself. Just make sure you don’t get dirt into the reservoir. We hope these tips help you know more about what’s under your hood - and remember, you can always come into Loughead Nissan and ask us any questions you might have. We’re also happy to check and change any of the above-mentioned fluids for you! Check Your Fluids, Then Our Specials

When you first get your license, you think the road is this wide space with no directions besides the signs that hang on the side of the road to tell you the speed limit. Thing is, there are many signs that we get from other drivers, or more so their vehicles. Indicators that tell us whether we should be going slower, going faster, if we should stop or even if we should give them space. Take the turn signals, for example, they are indicators that the person in front of you is turning. That means that you should give them some space and stay back until they turn. Some people take this indicator as a sign for them to speed up and cut them off so you don’t have to wait for them to turn. That is dangerous and a good way to get pulled over. Other indicators include the hazard lights. These indicators let people know whether you are having an emergency, you’re pulling over, or to simply tell them that you are going slower than the speed limit. People use these in snow or rain storms when they can’t see all too well out of their windshield. Brake lights! That is a popular one. The brake light is something I hope you all know what that does. The job of the brake light is to stop. If the driver in front of you steps on the brake, the light goes on to let you know they are slowing down and you should probably too. Flashing headlights is also an indicator. This is used when the other drivers are trying to grab your attention. Whether to let you know that there is construction ahead or even traffic, that is what they mean. A heads up to the other drivers. There are far more indicators that drivers use when driving, no the road rage ones don’t count. I know you were thinking of those signs. These indicators are mostly as a respect for other drivers as well as preventing anyone running their vehicle into you. Avoiding accidents one indicator at a time. Jenkins, Richard. "Signalling - Making and Responding to Car Signals." Signaling - Using Car Indicators and Other Signals. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2017. Check out the turn signals on these new cars

During a lifetime of driving, accidents happen. There are so many types of accidents that can occur on the road. Some that will have bigger consequences than others, depending on if there is one person at fault, if the accident was fatal, if vehicles were in critical shape, or if the driver was on their cell phone. Going through the accident process, calling the cops. No matter what call the cops! They will get a speedy indication of what occurred, speak with all parties involved, and write an accident report. They will indicate where your claim number, which will be needed once calling your insurance company. The claim number is used to assign a claims adjuster who then follows up with all who are involved. Once they gather all need statements, hospital bills, doctor's notes, etc. they will determine who was at fault. If a vehicle was damaged, the insurance will then drive out to see the car and they will be able to tell you if the car can be repaired or if it is time to get a new vehicle. Proving negligence is a big part of seeing who to point the finger at. Seeing how much you and the other driver (percentage wise) are at fault, will tell who the blame should be put on. You must be completely blameless for the accident in order to for it to be negligence. In a case where no one is at fault, most insurance companies have a no-fault car insurance which indicates that in these cases, each insurance company pays for their policyholder’s damages. This process takes over two weeks to be fully completed depending on how bad the accident actually was. If hospital bills and doctor’s need to be paid by an insurance company, the insurance company waits for all your bills to come in. Reading up on your insurance policy is important in the case that you do happen to be in an accident. Insurance Policy’s change over time and sometimes, people don’t even notice until they are in need. Accidents are taken very seriously as they can harm a person, a vehicle, and your pockets. Avoiding accidents does not exist. Even the most careful drivers will get into at least one accident. Being prepared, knowing the ins and outs of your insurance company, what they cover, and what you might need to pay are good ways to stay on top of things. Cars and More Cars