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The coronavirus pandemic has forced many businesses to close and many employees to work from home. When under the same roof as your family, working for home can be challenging. As such, be sure to follow these tips for effectively working from home with your kids. Establish clear boundaries If you have little ones, it may be difficult for them to understand why you’re working instead of playing with them. Accordingly, it’s important for you to sit them down and have a conversation about what working from home entails. Explain that there are specific tasks that you need to complete before you can spend time with them. If your home office has a door, let them know that while the door is closed, they cannot enter the room, unless there is an emergency. Create fun schedules There are many activities that your children can enjoy without an adult present. To keep your kids entertained and out of your office space, give your kids a loose schedule or list of activities they can do. These activities may including watching TV shows, playing board games, reading books and making crafts. Give yourself a break It’s unrealistic to expect yourself to work uninterrupted for eight hours each day. Don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes you longer to get a task done or you need to check on your kids every so often. Furthermore, be open with your company if you need more flexible hours or if you expect conference calls to be a bit more hectic.   We at Romeo Ford in Kingston, New York, hope you are able to successfully work from home. If you’re looking for a new family hauler, check out our inventory online.

So you’ve decorated your lawn, your house, and your tree for the holidays, but what if you could decorate your Ford, too? If you really want to add some pizzazz to your Christmas party, here are our tips for decorating your Ford with Christmas lights. Only decorate for events While it would be cool to see a Ford covered in Christmas lights driving down the highway, it’s probably illegal. As a result, you should only decorate your Ford for events where you’ll be taking them off afterwards. Get a power inverter A vehicle’s car battery alone typically can’t power a string of Christmas lights. That’s why you need a power inverter. The 12V DC produced by the car battery is converted to 110V AC by the inverter in order to power the Christmas lights. Use outdoor lights This may seem obvious, but your best bet is to use string lights rated for outdoor use. These are the kind you’d put on a house rather than on your Christmas tree, for example. This is so the elements won’t cause any problems for you, especially rain. Secure the lights well You don’t want your Christmas lights to drag. When you decorate, make sure you keep everything secured. Drivers can use anything from zip ties to magnets to keep Christmas lights securely attached to your Ford.   Romeo Ford wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas. For more ways to decorate your truck or for suggestions on holiday events to attend, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

We are now officially in the holiday season. This means many families have travel plans coming up very soon. If you plan to do any driving for Thanksgiving, there are a few times you should avoid and some that you should aim for. Here are the best and worst Thanksgiving travel times. Worst Times In general, the worst time to leave for your Thanksgiving weekend is Wednesday evening. However, according to AccuWeather, Tuesday evening can also be pretty bad in the greater New York area. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Sundays are going to be the busiest travel day to return home. Best Times If you don’t have far to travel, the best time to drive will be anytime on Thanksgiving Day. For your return trip, Friday, Saturday, or even Monday will give you the lightest traffic. If you have to leave earlier than Thanksgiving Day, try to leave early in the morning to avoid most of the traffic. You should also try to plan your route to avoid the most congested highways. Keep in mind that Thanksgiving is a bit later this year and falls on Nov. 28. Here in New York, that means the likelihood for snowy or icy weather goes up. Schedule your Ford vehicle’s seasonal maintenance appointment here at Romeo Ford before winter sets in. We’re here to help ensure that your holidays are as safe as they are fun.

Ford recently filed a new patent for a video projector that would mount to a vehicle’s tailgate. This innovation promises to revolutionize the way people view media while traveling. How it works Per the patent’s abstract, the design will feature a video projector that will attach to the liftgate. When the liftgate is open, the device will project the video away from the vehicle onto whatever surface the user chooses. The projector also has a secondary mode which projects light away from the vehicle. This feature uses a bright white light to illuminate the space and a yellow light that attracts insects so humans can avoid getting bug bites while watching their favorite movie. Implications on the driving experience Having a place to play video in a car is nothing new, but a mountable projector opens up many possibilities for enjoying a Ford vehicle. For instance, you could drive to a remote location and project your favorite movies on a broad screen rather than from a smaller display screen located inside of the vehicle. It’s a great idea, especially for outdoorsy folks who want to relax in nature while still enjoying some of the conveniences of staying at home. For more exciting news from Ford, stay tuned to our blog in the days ahead. Or better yet, stop by Romeo Ford in-person to test-drive the brand’s shiny new models for yourself.

The Check Engine Light - formally known as the Malfunction Indicator Lamp - is a signal from your vehicle's engine computer that something isn’t working quite right within your system. Now, this can be anything from a bad catalytic converter or something minor like a loose gas cap so it’s important to get in and have things checked out. While you can buy an inexpensive code reader and try to diagnose the problem yourself, bringing your vehicle in to see a professional is best. In some cases, these code readers might be able to diagnose the problem and turn off the Check Engine Light. But that could be a short-lived solution and chances are, your light will light up again. Ignoring your Check Engine Light could mean bad things. So, don’t ignore it, okay? It’s not good for you or your wallet, seriously. When your Check Engine Light shows up the first thing you’ll want to do is pull over and take a look at your engine. Most drivers will try to squeeze every mile out of there engine that they can, which we can understand. But in the end, this is going to cost you when you’re hit with a hefty bill when it is time to repair that engine! Your Check Engine Light could be sending you mixed signals. Sometimes your Check Engine Light will show up and there could be nothing wrong with your vehicle. Some of the most common occurrences for that are: Loose gas cap Faulty oxygen sensor Spark plug wires Mass airflow sensor The best way to diagnose these issues are to stop in to see our team right here at Romeo Ford of Kingston! Whether it is something minor or major - it’s best to have the pros take a look and make sure your vehicle is running properly, especially now that summer is here and you’re planning on taking a few road trips. So, start by scheduling your service appointment online today and be sure to snag a service offer from our specials pages to help save you a few bucks when you stop in to see us! We look forward to seeing you soon! Service With Us And Save Big!

It’s National Car Care Month folks, that means it’s time to get off of your bottom and get outside to treat your vehicle to the TLC that it truly deserves! While we know this can be a very time-consuming part of the year, we want to assure you that the time you spend checking over your vehicle, will be time well spent! Below, you’ll find our list of items that are most important when transitioning into spring from winter. Take a look below and if you’re not sure if you are able to complete these tasks, no worries! Give our team a call and we will be more than happy to set up an appointment that works best for your schedule! Things To Look For: Fluids: Check up on your vehicle’s fluids, if you notice they are dirty, filmy, or have changed color, it’s time to swap it for fresh new fluids. Not sure how to do this or what to look for? Just schedule a service appointment with our team and we will take care of your vehicle. Windshield Wipers & Lighting: When you’re out and about on a road trip, being able to see is vital. That’s where your windshield wipers and lighting come in to play. Make sure that all of your lights are working and are bright enough to light up the road when the sun goes down. Also, if it’s been more than six months since you replaced your wipers - change them NOW! Got Tires?: Another important piece to your vehicle’s puzzle is your tires. Coming out of a winter season means that your tires could have improper PSI levels and excessive wear and tear. So, check your tread and make sure that your tires are filled to proper PSI levels. HVAC System: Summer is coming, we all know this. That means spring is a great time to make sure that your HVAC system is in proper working condition and will get you through the season without any minor or major hiccups. Check for smells, too! You’ll notice these when you turn the A/C on. Schedule Your Tune-Up: Going somewhere and want to have the best possible fuel economy when you’re out and about? Then schedule a tune-up to help your engine deliver the best balance of power and produce the lowest level of emissions. Service With Our Team Today!

Thinking about spring service? This week we want to tell you why you should be swapping out your old filters for fresh new ones! Trust us, it will only benefit you in the end. So, take a few minutes to read through our blog and gain some knowledge on why spring is the best time for you to swap your old filters. And when you’re done, head on over to our service and parts offers page because we have a sweet little coupon that will help you save when you stop in for those new filters! We hope to see you soon! Pollen Is Not Your Friend - Even if you have the slightest of allergies you know that you and pollen, well, don’t get along! Now think, you have a broken down air filter that is allowing dust, pollen, dirt, and other allergens right through your vents and making their way into your cabin and right into your nose. Gross! We recommend that you change your air filter or really any filter at the end of pollen season or at least give it a look over. In addition, your filters should be changed every 12,000 to 15,000 miles. Clean Air Is Your Friend - Living in Kingston, NY, you know that spring weather can be all over the place. One minute you’re A/C is on full blast and the next your heat is on. This action actually puts a lot of strain on your filters which means they’re getting a lot of use and could deteriorate at a quicker pace than normal. A broken down air vent means that allergens are just crusin’ right through your filter, your vents, and right into your precious nostrils. So, swap out your old nasty filter for a fresh new one. Efficiency Is What Makes You Happy - A clogged filter is known for tanking your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. No pun intended! If you let your filter clog up, it’s making it more difficult for air to get through which will result in lower efficiency and one grumpy driver aka you! Leaving a clogged filter in there can also do a bit of damage to your heating and cooling unit which can lead to hefty repairs down the line. Snag Your Coupon Here!

You do it, I do it. Everyone suffers from road rage at one point or another in their driving career and while this is just part of being human, we don’t want it to become a frequent habit of yours. This week we have a few tips to help keep you calm behind the wheel and avoid turning into that angry drive you promise yourself that you’re not. So, check out our tips below and stop in to see our team when you’re ready to upgrade your ride! Recognize Your Anger Signs of anger normally creep up on us while behind the wheel and in most cases, they are physical signs like our tone of voice, language, or gestures. When you notice these signs, it’s important to practice staying calm and mentally check yourself. Signs of anger are as followed, angry thoughts, muscle tension, headaches, or increased heart rate. If you notice these signs building up and prevent yourself from becoming angry, you can prevent your own road rage! Take The Time To Calm Yourself If you can feel yourself becoming angry, pull over or exit the highway. When it is safe to do so, put your vehicle in park and take some time to allow yourself to relax and collect your thoughts. We recommend taking a few deep breaths to help relax you and bring your mind to the right place to ensure safe driving. Angry driving puts everyone at risk, so give yourself some time to relax and the rage. Resist Retaliation Many times we want to retaliate when someone cuts us off or is driving too slow in front of us. Don’t be that guy to retaliate because quite frankly, other drivers are watching! Instead of honking your horn, tailgating, or using profane gestures, try giving the other driver some space and allow them to go about their business. If you retaliate, you can make a bad situation worse. Take a deep breath, keep your distance and be smart. Drivers make mistakes - we are only human after all. Accept that mistakes happen and don’t let the little things get the best of you! Stay Safe With Aggressors If you notice that another driver on the road is being aggressive, keep your distance and stay calm. No matter what the other drivers may be doing to provoke you or other drivers, it is important to avoid eye contact and pay attention to the road ahead. Drive defensively, it is better to let someone pass you than to worry about them tailgating you from behind and causing a collision. Keep Calm In A New Ford!

Are you ready to understand why the right fuel matters? Let’s get into it! Every vehicle on the road is designed differently and needs a specific fuel level in order to perform at its’ best. For example, each vehicle has a specific gas type that will help it perform at maximum capacity. While we all like to save a little bit of money here and there, filling your tank with a lower fuel level when it requires a higher one can lead to some pretty negative effects. Not only was your vehicle designed to take premium octane levels, but lower levels allow combustion to occur at a faster rate which can lead to engine problems. So, if this is you, you probably hear your engine make knocking noises, plus you will reduce your car’s power and fuel economy, and run the risk of causing engine damage. Let’s reverse the roles, the risks are not as great if you choose to use a higher octane fuel when you usually use regular. While you might not run into issues but you also won’t notice any extra benefits. So, in short, save yourself the cash in your wallet and choose to fill up your tank with the appropriate octane level. What is the actual difference between fuel levels? The most obvious difference is the price associated with premium octane levels. Premium fuel tends to run about 20 cents higher than regular fuel which is pretty obvious at first glance when you pull up to the pump. Premium fuel comes with a higher octane level, as well as having a high price tag. Those numbers are commonly seen as 92 or 93 and 87 at the pump and indicate the different octane levels. Premium is a higher number and regular gas is the lower number. But what are octane levels? Octane levels indicate how much compression the fuel can withstand before igniting. For example, the higher octane gas won’t pre-ignite or explode as quickly as lower octane gas. Science, yeah! For more information, your owners manual will have all of the answers if you are unsure what level you should be filling your tank with! Or give us a call, after all, we do know the ins and outs of Ford vehicles! Choose A Fuel Efficient Ford Here!

BRRRR! It’s been pretty cold the last few days here in New York. And I know, heading out to work in the mornings can be brutal. I went to help with that! Below you will find a few tips to keep your vehicle warm in those dropping temperatures. Check them out below and stop in to see our team if you’re looking to upgrade into a new Ford! Hurry in and let’s get you warm in a new Fore model! Hit the road, don’t idle. Allowing your vehicle idle for long periods of time is actually bad for your vehicle. Did you know that? And it won’t actually help warm up your vehicle. If you’re trying to warm up your vehicle, turn it on, let it run for a minute or two and hit the road. Why? Well, your vehicle warms up off of the heat from the engine. If your vehicle is still parked in your driveway, the engine isn’t “working.” So, if you hop in and hit the road - you will be toasty warm faster than letting your vehicle idle for 20 minutes and then leaving for the day. Invest in block heaters. Have you ever heard of a block heater? Me neither. Essentially the same thing as a remote starter, a block heater is less expensive and is designed to warm up your vehicle’s engine rather than just starting your vehicle. What does that mean? That means, your vehicle will warm up faster thanks to this handy gadget. Plus, block heaters can be set on a timer so when you’re ready to leave your engine will be warmed up and ready to hit the road! 10 seconds and go. If you’re familiar with Stop-and-Go technology, you know that your vehicle turns off when it comes to a full and complete stop more than a few seconds. This is actually a beneficial feature to equip your vehicle with. Not only will this help you save fuel and money, but it also won’t be enough time for your vehicle to cool down. So, don’t worry - you can still save on fuel while staying warm! Stay Warm & Drive A Ford!

It’s a dilemma that has been happening for years - are your headlights dying or are they really just dirty? This week we are going to help you solve this issue and get you back on the road seeing as clear as day thanks to our guide below! If you’re ready to let our professionals take care of the issue for you - give us a call or schedule your service appointment with us today! Don’t delay, ignore or deny - your safety is important and your dirty/ dying headlights put you at risk! Are they dirty? One of the quickest and easiest ways to fix dim headlights is to give them an in-depth cleaning. Whether you choose to create your own cleaning solution or pick on up at your local auto store - there are plenty of choices. But, the most important thing is to clean them properly and keep ANY/ ALL moisture out of your headlights. If your headlights have fallen victim to the “foggy” look, there are options to get rid of the moisture in your headlights. If you’ve previously tried and failed, investing in a new set of headlights might be your best option! Are they dying? So, you’ve cleaned them up real nice but you notice they still are not shining bright like they should or at least, how they used to. This means there could be an issue with the bulbs themselves or with your system. We recommend replacing the bulbs first; more often than not, this will be the issue and you’ll be good to go in no time. If you’re looking to upgrade your lights, choose either LED capsules or HID’s to get a better, brighter view of the road ahead. Bulbs are fine, what’s next? If your headlights still look dim, there may be internal issues going on within your vehicle. At this point, things begin to become complicated and if you’re not sure what you are doing under the hood, we recommend for you to schedule a service appointment with our team. We want all of our drivers to be proactive and solve these issues before something bad happens. Don’t be left in the dark - shine bright tonight with new headlights! Give our team a call and let’s fix your lights up right. Service With Us & Save!

What important vehicle fluids should you know about? Take a look at our guide below and be sure to schedule your service appointment with our team today! Let’s get your ride in great health and filled with the proper fluids! Engine Oil is an important fluid that’s main task is to keep your engine lubricated and properly working. This should be changed around 3,000-5,000 miles or 6 months, depending on the recommendations from your vehicle manufacturer. You should also check up on your oil level and viscosity at least once a month. Coolant: No matter what the temperature on your outdoor thermometer is reading, your vehicle ALWAYS needs coolant in order to regulate the heat of your engine. Also commonly known as antifreeze, can be checked via through the radiator and needs to be checked once per year. We recommend once during the winter and once in the summer. We recommend replacing your vehicle’s coolant about every 2-3 years. Brake Fluid: When you’re on the go, you want to get to your location safely and efficiently. Brake fluid will get you there and help you stop on the way. It should be changed every 2 years and checked each oil change you stop in for. If your brakes seem “off”, check on your brake fluid first, it most likely could be the cause. Transmission Fluid: Under the hood, your vehicle has plenty of moving parts and the transmission fluid keeps those parts and gears running properly. Transmission fluid should be replenished every 50,000-100,000 miles. Also, check it each time you get an oil change to ensure that it’s still good quality fluid. Windshield Wiper Fluid: We like to see and windshield washer fluid does just that - helps us see a clear path on the road. Plus, this one is pretty easy to tell when you’re empty and it’s easy to fill up! Next time you’re out and about, stop at your local auto parts store and grab a container to fill up! Also, in cooler months, use an antifreeze mixture so your windshield will not freeze when you need a spritz or two! Service With Romeo Ford & Save!