Newsletter

January 2011

Knock. Knock. What's That? Plus 10 Tips for Treacherous Winter Driving.

York's Tire & Auto Center

We have expanded our level of customer service by being open longer hours, increasing inventory of name brand tires, and offering walk-in service six days a week on all makes and models.

GREAT PRICES ON TIRES

We’re really focusing hard on the Tire business.  Because we are a franchised new car dealer, we are able to purchase tires through Ford and Toyota (who purchase millions of tires to put on new vehicles) at deep discounts.  And we’re passing those discounts on to you in the form of lower prices.  We have most of the popular brand name tires in stock, so we can install your tires quickly and efficiently, usually the same day you ask for a quote.

WALK-INS WELCOME

Most of our service customers in the past have called to make an appointment when their vehicle needed service, tires or repairs.  We’ll continue to offer appointments for those who want them, but we’ll also keep more time open each day for customers who walk in (or drive in our customer service drive) and want routine maintenance, tires or repairs on their vehicle.

ALL MAKES AND MODELS

We’ve been a franchised new vehicle dealer for a long time for both foreign and domestic makes, and we’ve sold, serviced and repaired used cars and trucks of all makes and models for many years.  Our service technicians and parts people are experienced in working on all types of vehicles, including yours.

EXPANDED HOURS

We’re now open from 7- 6 Monday - Friday, and Saturday from 7 – 3.  So if you wake up early for a long trip and have forgotten to service your car, come on in at 7am and we’ll take care of you.  At the other end of the day, you won’t have to get out of work early to pick up your car before 5pm – we’re here until 6pm Monday – Friday and 3pm Saturday.

We’re really excited about the changes in the York’s service operation, and we invite you to stop in anytime to experience the ‘new’ York’s Tire & Auto Center.


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In-House News: Body Shop

If your vehicle ever gets damaged, help is only a phone call away.  York’s of Houlton has the most modern auto body repair facility in northern Maine with experienced technicians that will help get you back on the road.  Some features of our Body Shop are: 


•    12 Service Bays
•    Down Draft Spray Booth
•    Frame Alignment Machine and Laser Measuring System
•    Experienced Technicians with Formal Auto Body Repair Training
•    Fast and Free Computerized Repair Estimates
•    Reliable Parts Sources Reduce Waiting Time
•    Discounted Rental Vehicles Available
•    5 Year Limited Warranty
•    All Makes & Models

Choose the body shop where you get friendly, efficient and professional service.  Pick the place with top-notch technicians who care about your vehicle.  Select the Body Shop with years of experience in making vehicles as good as new.  Choose York’s of Houlton Body Shop and rest assured your vehicle will be in the best hands.  Call Roger or Shane at 532-9483 or 1-800-427-9675 for fast, efficient and friendly service.


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Employee of the Month

Every month at York’s of Houlton, the Management Team selects an individual for Employee of the Month. The employee is typically selected because they consistently turn in a stellar performance every month and deserve to be recognized for their hard work. Our employees are an important part of our business, for without our people nothing gets done! It is their dedication and diligence to quality and the day-to-day effort to keep everything moving that allows us to enjoy our reputation as a great place to do business.

The Employee of the Month for December was Corey Sirois.  Corey has worked in the Detail Department for 4 years and consistently turns out quality work.  Corey is dependable, reliable and an extremely hard worker.  Corey’s productivity is remarkable, day in and day out.  Corey will take on any job with a smile and is a pleasure to work with.  We all congratulate Corey on his achievement and know that he will continue to strive for perfection in every job he tackles.


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Product Information: 2011 Ford Explorer

The 2011 Ford Explorer was named the Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show.  The awards are unique in the United States because instead of being given by a single media outlet, they are awarded by a coalition of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.

The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year.  These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.

It is the third year in a row that a Ford was named the North American Truck of Year.  Last year the winner was the Transit Connect.  It is also the seventh time a Ford has been the “North American Truck of the Year,” a category it has dominated.

Mark Phelan, the auto critic of The Detroit Free Press said the Explorer offers “class-leading fuel economy and technology and features you can’t get in luxury crossovers that cost twice as much.”

The 2011 Explorer delivers both power and efficiency with ease.  Thanks to its smart new 3.5L Ti-VCT V6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission, Explorer delivers the best highway fuel economy of any V6 in the class: 25 mpg.  It also produces 290 horsepower – the most of any V6 in the class.  The key to this outstanding combination: twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) adds an extra measure of precision to this new standard engine, contributing to fuel efficiency or power output as conditions demand.
To learn more about the all new 2011 Ford Explorer, call or stop by York’s of Houlton anytime.



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Safe Side: 10 Tips for Treacherous Winter Driving Conditions

To keep safe this season, Rand McNally’s editors have pulled together the Top Ten Tips for Safe Winter Road Travel:

1. Know the differences among various winter weather advisories. The National Weather Service issues several cautions; understand what they mean before you hit the road:

2. Let someone know your timetable and travel route. This is especially important if you'll be driving in areas with little traffic, rural locations, or large park areas.

3. Prevention is the best medicine:  Driving slowly and maintaining plenty of room between you and the next car is the easiest way to avoid accidents. In bad weather, allow for 3-to-12 times more stopping distance depending on the size of your vehicle.

4. Stock your car with a shovel, broom, ice scraper, jumper cables, blankets, flashlight, warning devices (flares), sand or kitty litter, and high-calorie non-perishable food.

5. Keep spare, charged batteries for cell phones in your car. Duracell and others make instant chargers for popular phones such as the iPhone. If your car battery dies, you will be glad you spent the extra $15 to reach help. If you regularly travel to very remote areas where cell towers are few and far between, consider investing in a satellite telephone or an in-car service like On-Star.

6. Keep your gas tank full to prevent the fuel line from freezing. Also, make sure the windshield wiper fluid reservoir is full.

7. Check to make sure your lights and windshield wipers are functioning properly. In most states it is illegal to drive if either is malfunctioning; and in certain weather situations it is also extremely unsafe.

8.  Know your health insurance plan's emergency care policies. What kind of doctors can you visit? If you have in-network benefits what happens if you need medical care beyond your home city or state? Are you charged differently for treatment at a hospital emergency room (without being admitted) or an emergency walk-in clinic?

9.  If you get stuck in the snow, stay in your car – it’s your best shelter. Don’t leave unless help is within 100 yards.

10. Nearly 60% of accidents are the result of improper driving. Whether you've had a bit too much pie or a bit too much pilsner, don't drive until you are fully awake and not impaired by anything. Most adults know well enough not to drink and drive, but few realize being drowsy or impaired by legal drugs like cold medicines just as easily causes accidents. When in doubt, pull to the side of the road or check into a motel for a quick nap.

And a bonus point: carry a first aid kit in the car with you.  This is especially important if you have children or the elderly riding with you.



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Tech Tips by Joshua Ledger: Knock. Knock. What's That?

Bet you thought you were going to hear a child’s riddle, but this is not a joke. This noise mans your vehicle’s engine needs attention.

Here are some early warning signs that you need to check your vehicle:

Stalls – check sensor or switches, idle speed, spark plugs, fuel filter or other fuel system elements.

Lower gas mileage – check tire inflation and/or wheel alignment, transmission issues, brake problems or cold-running engine.

Starts hard – check sensors (fuel injection models only) or choke (carburetor models); also electrical or electronic ignition components.

Loses power – there can be numerous causes for this, easily detected with diagnostics, but a common cause is a dirty fuel filter.

Runs rough – may be a fuel or ignition issue or an internal engine problem.

Keeps on running – known as dieseling, the engine keeps running after you turn it off due to carbon buildup, bad gas or too high an idle speed.

It is the goal of York’s of Houlton’s Service Department to deliver quality care at its best.  We install Ford, Toyota and competitive parts using state of the art equipment.   Our dedicated highly skilled Advisors and Technicians are committed to providing informed, accurate answers to your questions.  The next time you find yourself in need of vehicle service, we hope you choose York’s of Houlton.  We look forward to meeting all of your ownership needs!


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A Message from Jerry York

People often ask when they see me on the street “How’s business?”  My usual reply is “Business is pretty good” because for the past few years business has been ‘pretty good’. 

Further explanation is necessary.  We live in Aroostook County, Maine, and things here in ‘The County’ are different from most places in this great United States.  From a business perspective, we don’t experience the ultra highs that many spots in the country experience, nor do we endure the ultra lows that sometimes follow those highs. 

For the past dozen years or so I’ve played golf in southwest Florida for a few days in January with some of my golfing buddies, and for years we were amazed at the growth of the region.  Each year there would be new major thoroughfares, new housing projects that seemed to stretch for miles, and newly constructed golf courses.  Life was wonderful for southwest Florida residents!  Housing prices were going up so fast many people were buying second homes on speculation, and making more when they sold that second home than they made all year working for wages.  And we all know ‘the rest of the story’, so Paul Harvey used to say.  Many houses in Florida are selling for less than half of the selling price of just 3 years ago, new golf course construction is on hold, and there aren’t as many cars on those new roads as before.

But life in The County hasn’t changed drastically in the past few years.  Someone remarked that  “we live in a recession all the time, and sometimes we slip into a depression.”  That may not be totally accurate from a business point of view, because business has been ‘pretty good’ for the past few years, and I expect that trend to continue for some time to come.

Here’s the advertising part of my message – customers are telling us they really like the new service drive that was part of our recent expansion/renovation.  They drive into a heated area, out of the elements, and we greet them while they are still in their car.  They get out of the car and walk directly to a comfortable customer waiting area with hot coffee or tea, today’s newspaper and current magazines, and an HD TV.  If the weather is not so good when their vehicle is ready to go, we can bring the car back into the service drive so the customer can have their car serviced and never have to go outside.  They love it!  And if you haven’t yet given it a try, stop in anytime – walk-ins welcome – to experience the York’s difference first hand, where ‘you deserve the best’.