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In wet weather, you depend on your windshield wipers for clear visibility. It's hazardous if they suddenly stick, smear, bend, or break. Here are some early indications that you need wiper service and replacements at your local Buick dealership. 5 Signs It's Time for a Buick Wiper Blade Replacement Cracking or Fraying The rubber in windshield wipers gradually stiffens and dries out as it ages, which causes cracks and damage. If your wiper rubber looks cracked, frayed, or split from the frame, it's time for replacements. more Inspect your wipers regularly for this kind of damage, especially before and after winter; you'll need strong wipers for winter when intense cold, frost, and snow can harm wipers considerably. UV rays during summer can also damage wiper rubber. Bent Wiper Frame Buick windshield wipers are tailored precisely to the size, shape, and curve of each model's windshield to flow smoothly over the glass. If an aging wiper's frame warps or bends out of shape even fractionally, the rubber no longer hugs the glass snugly. This renders the wiper ineffective and no longer safe to use. Streaking or Smearing When wipers are damaged or wearing out from age, they typically fail to wipe water from as much of the windshield as they should. This means they leave wet streaks or smears across the glass, which hinders driver visibility. Any kind of streaking or smearing means you need new wipers at once. Chattering and Jumping Both extreme heat and cold can stiffen wiper rubber, which can eventually cause wipers to chatter across the glass rather than wipe smoothly. This chattering means the wiper is making lots of little jumps, leaving unwiped vertical stripes on the windshield. To minimize this phenomenon, it's a good idea to buy special winter wipers at the end of fall. Winter wipers have special cold-resistant rubber that remains pliant even in freezing temperatures. Squeaking or Slapping Your wipers should do their job quietly. As with most car parts, an increase in noise probably means trouble; one or both of your noisier wipers is wearing out. Aging wipers may start to squeak loudly. If the rubber element has pulled away from the frame, they can make slapping noises. Schedule Wiper Service at Our Buick Dealership Today Let our experienced professionals inspect and replace your windshield wipers. Given how affordable wipers are compared to some other vehicle components, it's never worth delaying wiper replacements; remember, even slightly reduced visibility on a rainy day raises your risk of a collision. Faulty wipers sometimes also emit rattling sounds. Visit Vachon Buick GMC in Old Saybrook, CT, today for new windshield wipers. We're an award-winning local dealership that places great emphasis on customer satisfaction in all that we do.

The five-passenger 2025 Buick Encore GX is an ideal small SUV for your busy urban or suburban lifestyle. This model has an eco-friendly gas mileage of 29 MPG in the city and 31 MPG on the highway, making it a great choice for workday commuting. The 2025 Buick Encore GX: Urban Style Meets Smart Utility The first of the two Encore GX powertrains is a 1.2-liter turbocharged motor, which is standard on the Preferred FWD model. This engine provides 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque for easy-going urban performance. The second engine option is a 1.3-liter turbocharged powertrain, which is standard on the Preferred AWD and both driveline configurations for the Sport Touring and Avenir. This upgraded motor produces 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. more This Buick model has performance-tuned mechanical features, like a Ride and Handling suspension system to act as a buffer between the vehicle and the road for a smooth ride feel and engaging, sporty handling. Standard trailering equipment for this model includes a four-wire electrical harness and a four-pin sealed connector to mirror taillights with your hitched trailer lights. Available Features The Encore GX is compatible with the Comfort Package, which upgrades the cabin with a heated steering wheel, a center armrest for the second row, and an eight-way power-adjustable heated front seat with two-way lumbar support. This package also upgrades the front-row passenger seat with fold-flat capabilities for even more cargo space. Connectivity The Encore GX has an 11-inch ultrawide infotainment unit to house all of your connected apps, such as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A six-speaker audio system is standard, which also supports the active noise cancellation system. Bluetooth-enabled devices allow you to make calls or send texts while you drive so you can contact work, text your ETA, and more. Upgrading to a wireless device charger can keep your smartphone and other compatible devices ready for use while you're on the go. Driver Assistance This Buick model comes fully equipped with advanced driver assistance technology to help you avoid accidents on the road. Standard technology includes forward collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane-keeping technology. Other safety features include Buckle to Drive and OnStar Basics. Buckle to Drive is an automated system that reminds the driver to buckle in before the SUV can shift into driving gears. OnStar Basics adds confident driving essentials like an automatic crash response system, real-time traffic updates, and a built-in voice assistant to help keep your hands on the wheel. The Encore GX is a compact SUV with a big personality thanks to features like a turbocharged powertrain and intuitive infotainment. Drop by Vachon Buick GMC in Old Saybrook, CT for a test drive today.

Catering to large families with its three rows of spacious comfort, the 2025 GMC Yukon XL offers more legroom than the regular 2025 Yukon model while providing first-class luxuries and powerful engine performance. 5 Strong Points of the 2025 GMC Yukon XL 1. Three Engines for Different Needs While many of its competitors might offer only one engine, this SUV has three available among its five trim levels: a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel I-6, a 5.3-liter V8, and a larger 6.2-liter V8. The 305-horsepower diesel engine provides excellent mileage, lending the vehicle up to 27 MPG, while the 355-horsepower 5.3-liter V8 provides the strongest towing, with a maximum capacity of 8,400 pounds when the vehicle's fully equipped. Then, there's the 6.2-liter, which has the most output, delivering 420 horses. more 2. Luxurious and Comfortable Seats This edition's seats take luxury and convenience to the next level, with both the first and second rows of seating coming standard with heating in every model. All trim levels other than the base trim, Elevation, also have standard front-seat ventilation, and seating materials include highlights like Woodland Mahogany full-grain leather, Jet Black perforated leather, and CoreTec synthetic material with perforated leather-appointed trim in Dark Atmosphere/Gideon. 3. An Advanced Infotainment System Pairing with a 5G Wi-Fi hotspot that works with a data plan, the standard 16.8-inch diagonal full-color display serves as the vehicle's infotainment system and provides AM/FM radio, natural voice recognition for making hands-free calls, controls for climate and vehicle settings, and Google built-in services, which include access to Google Maps for navigation. This system also streams audio wirelessly from smartphones, which sounds great on the Bose Performance Series CenterPoint Surround 18-speaker audio system found in select upper trims. 4. The Autosense Hands-Free Liftgate This vehicle's two liftgate offerings are also impressive, as the Elevation trim comes with a power-programmable liftgate, while all other trims come with the hands-free Autosense Power Liftgate. With the latter feature, you can approach the rear of the vehicle with your key fob in your pocket, and the liftgate will open automatically for you. Also, this liftgate comes with a memory height function, so you can program how high it opens each time. 5. Advanced Driver-Assist Features A suite of high-tech driver-assist features also comes standard with this SUV, which includes the 360-degree HD Surround Vision camera system, Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Alert, Front Pedestrian Braking, and Bicycle Braking. There's also standard Blind Zone Steering Assist and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, and the hands-free driving system Super Cruise. Elevate your driving experience and come test-drive the 2025 Yukon XL today by contacting us at Vachon Buick GMC in Old Saybrook, CT.

If you set the 2025 GMC Sierra 1500 a task, then it's going to excel at it. It has brute strength, fantastic modern technology, and a range of engines that let you find the right one for you. Both its towing and payload capacities are also great, with the towing capacity in particular beating out some close competitors. Tows Better Than Competitors The Sierra 1500 can be configured in a lot of different ways. The towing capacity varies depending on the configuration you buy. However, its strongest configuration, towing 13,200 pounds, is hard to beat strength-wise. It out-tows many of its closest competitors. If you want that top towing capacity, then make sure you get a Double Cab model with 2WD, 20-inch wheels, the Max Trailering Package, and the available diesel engine. more It Can Carry Your Cargo With a maximum payload capacity of 2,530 pounds, the GMC Sierra 1500 is also highly capable of getting a lot of equipment from place to place in the truck bed. The maximum payload capacity does vary based on the truck's configuration, so make sure you're careful and ask questions while deciding what model you want. If you're only interested in the base model, for example, you'll be getting a truck with a maximum towing capacity of 2,204 pounds. It Can Make Sure You're Comfortable If you plan on spending long hours driving your Sierra 1500, then you may want to consider equipping some of the great comfort options, including a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat. This replaces a 4-way manually adjustable seat, allowing for more precise control over how your seat is positioned. There are lots of other upgrades you might like, including a memory function to save your favorite seat position, a heated steering wheel, and heated seats. It Can Help You Stay Safer The Sierra 1500 has a lot of driver assistance technology, including available Super Cruise, which lets you let go of the wheel on certain roads. The truck's standard driver assistance and safety features include a rear vision camera, an HD surround vision camera, forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. There are several additional driver assistance features and camera views that you can get. If you plan on towing a lot or traveling with a full bed, then the bed view, hitch view, and auxiliary trailer camera might be of interest to you. It Can Give You the Best Engine for You There are four engine options you can consider finding the right one for your needs and desires. There's a 3-liter Duramax turbodiesel, a 6.2-liter EcoTec 3 V8, and a 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8. The truck's standard engine is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder TurboMax. Come to Vachon Buick GMC in Old Saybrook, CT, for a great experience test-driving the Sierra 1500. We open at 9 AM six days a week.

Regular alignments are as important as rotations for maintaining your tires. While rotations switch your tires around to keep them even, alignment sets them straight, returning each wheel to a perfectly parallel position. It's a good idea to book an alignment service twice a year at your local Buick dealership. Tire Alignment Service Offered at Your Buick Dealership Why Tires Become Misaligned Whenever your tires are bumped or jolted by potholes, curbs, or rocky surfaces, they become ever-so-slightly less perfectly aligned. This means the suspension holding each wheel in place has been adjusted. Uneven tires also push themselves out of proper alignment. For most drivers, it takes a long time for tires to become noticeably misaligned, when their handling and steering eventually start to suffer. more The Three Angles of a Car Tire Tire alignment is measured on three angles. The toe angle can be seen from above and measures whether the tires are pointed inward or outward, which would steer the tire toward the left or right. The camber angle is seen most clearly from the front of the car, measuring whether the tops of the wheels are leaning inward or outward. The caster angle, which can be seen from the side, measures whether the wheel's steering axis is tilted forward or backward. Problems Caused By Bad Alignment When car tires aren't straight anymore, steering can become looser and less accurate, and the vehicle may veer off to one side. The tires will also develop uneven wear patterns, which lessens traction and heightens the risk of blowouts. Your car's overall road noise and vibrations will also increase, along with rolling resistance and fuel costs. Eventually, your wheels will look clearly crooked, especially when viewed directly from the front. First, Measure Your Alignment Naturally, drivers who spend most of their time on well-maintained highways tend to have better alignment than frequent off-roaders. As alignment issues vary from driver to driver, you'll need to have the angles of each wheel measured regularly to determine how it's doing. It makes sense to have an alignment check carried out twice a year, each time you have your tires rotated. Correct Your Alignment When Needed If any of your wheels are found to be out of alignment, it's time to correct them. Your car will be raised, and an alignment machine will be attached to each wheel. This machine measures the three angles very precisely, providing computerized readouts that our mechanic can use to adjust the suspension, bringing each wheel back into its original factory alignment. The entire process rarely takes longer than an hour. Test the alignment of your tires today at Vachon Buick GMC in Old Saybrook, CT.