All Tech Automotive: Ballston Spa NY. Local European Specialists

Halloween is a holiday that children and adults alike can enjoy. Who doesn't love costumes, candy, and scary stories? But Halloween can also be a very dangerous time to be a driver and a pedestrian.  If you have to drive this Halloween, follow these driving safety tips. 1. Use your headlights. Even in the daytime, trick-or-treaters are much more likely to see you if you are shining your headlights (not your brights – you don’t want to blind anyone). Especially important in residential areas. 2. Don’t drive distracted. It’s a good idea anyway to avoid distractions while driving, as distracted driving is the largest cause of motor vehicle accidents. Put your cell phone away, don’t reach for anything until you’re safely stopped, and save your snacks for your destination. 3. Turn the radio down. We all love to jam out in the car, but Halloween is a time when it’s vitally important to be able to hear what’s going on around ... read more

This month is Car Care Month, and All Tech Automotive wants to share some important information with you. This article we found on AAA.com highlights the main points you should always check to prepare your car for the cooler months. October is Car Care Month, an ideal time to remind motorists as the weather cools, motorists should complete a seasonal vehicle checkup to maintain safety and maximize efficiency. Winter Car Care Checklist Battery and Charging System Have the battery and charging system tested by a trained technician. A fully charged battery in good condition is required to start an engine in cold weather. AAA members can request a visit from a AAA Mobile Battery Service technician who will test their battery and replace it on-site, if necessary. AAA Approved Auto Repair shops can also test and replace weak batteries. Battery Cables and Terminals Make sure the battery termin ... read more

New Saturday Hours Coming Soon Starting October 7th, 2017, All Tech Automotive is pleased to announce that we will be open on Saturdays, ready to assist you and your vehicle needs. Saturday Hours: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Call us today at (518) 885 - 0880 to schedule your appointment. We look forward to seeing our customers soon

Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall... How often should I wash my car? Have you ever parked your car at the office or grocery store only to come back and find that a ‘helpful’ citizen has written ‘please wash me’ across the back? It’s quite funny when that message is on someone else’s car, but it’s extremely disheartening when that mud-caked dust-adorned vehicle belongs to you. But with a busy schedule and seemingly more important things to do, washing your car often falls by the wayside- I understand, I’ve been there. All of this begs the question, how often should you wash your car, really? How many times do you need to take a bucket of water and a cloth to your car’s exterior in order to feel like a good car owner? Well, we’ll answer that question below in full detail. So if you’re banging your head on the wall and asking yourself ‘how often should I wash my car?’ this comprehensive guide is for you. Why Shou ... read more

Keeping Your Car in Good Running Order While You're Away There are a number of times when people need to store a vehicle for an extended period of time. Maybe you have a convertible that you love to drive in the summer, but winter is on the way. Or perhaps you're going to leave town for a job or an extended vacation. Maybe you are in the military and are being deployed overseas. Whatever the reason for your time away from the vehicle, you'll need to put it in storage. If you simply let your vehicle sit on the street or in a garage for an extended period of time, you may return to a dead battery or — worse yet — a damaged engine, ruined tires and a rat's nest under your hood. Here are important steps to take before you store a vehicle. They will preserve the life of the engine and ensure that your car starts when you return to it. Keep It Covered A garage is the ideal place to store a vehicle. This will protect it from the elements and keep it at a temper ... read more

School days bring congestion: Yellow school buses are picking up their charges, kids on bikes are hurrying to get to school before the bell rings, harried parents are trying to drop their kids off before work. It's never more important for drivers to slow down and pay attention than when kids are present – especially before and after school. If You're Dropping Off Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. More children are hit by cars near schools than at any other location, according to the National Safe Routes to School program.  The following apply to all school zones: Don't double park; it blocks visibility for other children and vehicles Don't load or unload children across the street from the school Carpool to reduce the number of vehicles at the school Sharing the Road with Young Pedestrians According to research by the National Safety Council, most of the childr ... read more

10 Surprising Myths About Gas Mileage Myth: You have to drive a small car to get good fuel economy. Advanced technologies like hybrid drivetrains, diesel engines, direct fuel injection, turbocharging, advanced transmissions, low rolling resistance tires and aerodynamic designs are allowing standard-sized vehicles to be very fuel efficient. For the 2014 model year, about half of the top 10 most efficient vehicles (the list that excludes electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles) are midsize or large cars and wagons. Myth: Manual transmissions always get better fuel economy than automatics. Advances in automatic transmissions have improved their efficiency to the point that the automatic version of a vehicle often gets the same or better fuel economy than the version with a manual transmission. For vehicles offered in both automatic and manual transmissions, consumers can easily compare fuel economy at the government website. Myth: It takes more fuel to start a car than it does to let it ... read more

Your car gets you safely everywhere you want to go, but it requires that you take good care of it in order to keep running right. Taking care of your car is as important for keeping you on the road and getting where you want to go as it is for your safety. Some of these simple maintenance issues can actually result in an accident or injuries.  Take the time to make sure these 10 things are checked regularly and maintained as needed and avoid a potential accident or claim. The Oil The oil in your car keeps everything running smoothly, and your car can’t run without the right level of oil. You can check your oil level by yourself easily by simply pulling out the dipstick and seeing where the oil level is. You should take your car in for an oil change on a regular basis as recommended by your vehicle manufacturer or mechanic. Oil changes are one of the most basic car maintenance procedures, and checking your oil an easy way to catch leaks. The Tire Pressure A tire pressure ... read more

Can You Buy a Car That Drives Itself? The time when we can sit back and tell our car where to drive itself is getting closer every day. Self-driving cars (also called autonomous vehicles or driverless cars) promise new levels of efficiency and take driver fatigue and inattention out of the safety equation. We’re on the cusp of a transportation revolution, where driverless cars become an essential mobility option. It won’t happen overnight, but self-driving vehicles and changes to our transportation infrastructure are coming sooner than you might think. Self-driving cars require sophisticated suites of sensors, backed by advanced software that can interpret massive streams of data in real-time. While there are several barriers to the adoption of self-driving technology, automakers are making strides to quickly bring elements of the technology to the road. Pushing harder than anyone is Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, whose advanced products have forced other automakers to rapid ... read more

Fall is here and it's time to start thinking about preparing your vehicle for the winter season.  To Snow Tire, or Not to Snow Tire? Winter has already arrived in some parts of the county, and with it comes a decision: Do I need snow tires, or are my regular tires good enough? The answer depends on where you live and your travel plans, plus the condition and type of your current tires. “If it’s cold enough to see your breath, it’s time to start thinking about winter tires,” says Justin Hayes, a product manager with Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. Deciding when to put your snow tires on is a bit of a balancing act, you don’t want to have them on too early, as you don’t want to give up any dry pavement performance. However, if you’ve seen the crowds at a tire shop when there’s snow in the forecast, you know that waiting too long can leave you unprepared for the weather. But My Car Has All-season Tires They’re calle ... read more