Category Archives: April 2012

Canadian and American drivers not only love their Hondas, but they respect the Honda Service reputation.

Honda combines leadership in the industry with a savvy driving experience that is built on reliability, creativity, durability, and high quality.

Honda owners have a special relationship with their cars that can only be described as love…A love for Honda’s deliberate creative design considerations, their always friendly and knowledgeable customer service, and of course renowned fuel economy. It’s widely speculated that Honda’s unwavering dedication to safety ties the commitment knot even for those who formerly played the field…so once you’ve established a relationship with your Honda, why take any risks with Honda Service/repair?

The reasons why Honda Service/repair is paramount at Authorized Dealers are plain and simple, and best summed up in 8 words:

ASSURANCE, CONSERVATION, DISCIPLINE, SECURITY, ACCESSIBILITY, EQUIPMENT, VALUE, and SATISFACTION.

1. You will find ASSURANCE with your Honda Service and repair because we at Okotoks Honda, focus on optimal customer satisfaction. In fact, our values, ethics and integrity has resulted in a strong reputation within the High River, Okotoks and Calgary area and we proud ourselves on the work we do. So we guarantee that our diligent technicians and service advisors will do what we can to ensure that your repairs are done right the first time around – with all of Honda’s certification policies, regulations and original manufactured parts.

2. You will exercise CONSERVATION while employing Honda Service/repair because you shouldn’t have to depend on anyone BUT the highest ranked professional. Okotoks Honda’s offers state of the art equipment, expertly trained technicians, and factory specified parts.

3. The DISCIPLINE with Honda Service/repair consists of continuous and always current training programs, and accordingly, many technicians are certified by Honda Canada and in some instances, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

4. You’ll experience SECURITY because manufacturer warranties have exact maintenance schedules and repair policies detailed in full. There are extended Honda Service policies as well to provide extra protection to the Honda owner.

5. There is tremendous ACCESSIBILITY offered through Honda Service/repair because dealerships are more convenient, often having later hours, or service on the weekends, better adapting to your busy schedule. Okotoks Honda offers express lanes for basic maintenance needs, as well, further cutting down on wait time when you bring your vehicle in for service.

6. The EQUIPMENT at Honda Service/repair departments is only available to us, as a franchised Honda dealer. It is the best, and connected via computer links to factory service experts. Diagnostic furnishings for today’s autos can cost over $100,000, and simply will not be available to you anywhere else.

7. The VALUE of Honda Service is unmatched. We, as your local Okotoks and Calgary Honda dealership, can get you the best competitive price, and offer the fastest expert service.

8. Ultimately, SATISFACTION is the mission for everyone involved in Honda Service and repair. We will instill confidence and resolution within every transaction, always.

Call us today and book your Honda in for service. It doesn’t matter where you are – North, East, West or South Calgary, Okotoks, High River or any surrounding area. We will offer you unparalleled service that you deserve. A service we are proud to offer, where you can Discover the Difference and deal with the #1 Service Department in rural Alberta. Try us! You won’t be disappointed. If you are, then contact Asif Premji, the GM, and he WILL make it right!

If you are ready to buy a used car – or are still in the research phase – we encourage you to head on down to our dealership to learn more about our used cars in Okotoks and to get started with your used car buying process today! There are a few things that we can help you to learn about used cars – and there are some ways that we can help to ensure that you save a significant amount of money off of the cost of the used cars that you buy from us. Here are just a few things that we think you should know about why it may be beneficial to Okotoks Honda when buying your used cars in Calgary, Okotoks, High River or other surrounding areas:

Financing

Once of the most important considerations on the minds of many of our used car customers is financing. Based on your financial arrangement, you can save a significant amount of money off of the cost of buying a used car – including the cost of repaying your used car loan. Our financial advisors will review your budget and develop a financial solution that is uniquely suited for your needs. Based on this financial arrangement, you’ll have the best possible price for the used car – and will be able to more easily afford to buy and own it. This arrangement may include a competitive used car loan, trade-in opportunity, or even a special program that is currently going on at our dealership and can help to save you even more money!

Warranty

Our customers love the fact that we offer the options to get a Okotoks or Honda Certified Warranty with every used car in Calgary that we sell. We inspect every used car before we put it on the lot. However, even with this inspection, we are well aware that sometimes unexpected things can go wrong with a car. In order to help protect our customers’ investments, we back up every certified used car we sell with a warranty that helps to cover the cost of maintenance and service to the used car.

Selection

It’s essential that you are able to select the used car that is right for your needs – whatever those needs may be. Through our extensive used car selection process, you’ll be able to select the right used car for you – including used vans, used trucks, used sedans, and more. Come on down to see what we have in store for you!

At Okotoks Honda, your Honda Dealer in South Calgary, we look forward to helping each of our customers get the best possible used cars available. Contact us today to get started with your search or for more details about our used car programs.

Okotoks Honda
100 Northgate Boulevard
Okotoks, Alberta

We all look for fuel economical vehicles. The Civic. The Fit. The CRV…among the rest of the manufacturers fuel saving vehicles. But apart from the vehicle itself, it’s important to consider current, simple and economical steps to save on fuel. Here are some tips, courtesy of fueleconomy.gov

1. Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.

2. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money. Use cruise control whenever possible and avoid excess idling.

3. Keep your engine properly tuned-up. Fixing a car that is noticeably out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Fixing a serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve your mileage by as much as 40 percent. Should you have any issues, don’t hesitate to contact our Service Department and speak to our certified Service Advisors or Service Managers.

4. Keep tires properly inflated. You can improve your gas mileage by up to 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. The proper tire pressure for your vehicle is usually found on a sticker in the driver’s side door jamb or the glove box and in your owner’s manual.

5. Use the recommended grade of motor oil. You can improve your gas mileage by 1–2 percent by using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil. Should you have any questions in regards to your vehicle’s fuel economy, refer to your vehicle owner’s manual or contact our Service Department.

6. Keep your vehicle properly aligned. When your vehicle’s wheels are not perfectly aligned they cause additional friction with the road increasing gas consumption. Should you need a vehicle alignment, our certified technicians will be more than happy to perform a wheel alingment for you.

7. Aligning your vehicle will also increase your tire’s tread life, thereby saving you money on replacing them sooner than expected. At any point in time, if you need all-season or winter tires, our Parts Department has ongoing specials.

Contact us for additional tips and suggestions at 403.842.1100 or http://www.okotokshonda.com

Cars today are more expensive than ever. Many cost more than the average Americans/Canadians paycheck. Most Americans/Canadians have car loans that average over 60 or even 72 months. That is basically 6 year car loans with very hefty payments, so if we are going to invest that much money, not to include taxes and insurance, in our cars than we best protect them and make them last as long as possible. One area of grave importance is rust protection and treatment.

Rust is like cancer for a car. Once it starts it will only get worse and grow. Being that every car manufacturer except Saturn uses sheet metal and all use metal frames and undersides, rust is a major problem. Rust is not just a northern state problem. It can happen anywhere that there is moisture, extreme weather, salt (road salt used in winter weather and salty air and spray from the ocean). Rust can be prevented and treated, however.

We have seen commercials showing us what extreme weather and conditions can do to our cars and trucks. Your vehicles sheet metal is coated by a thin protection of primer paint and clear coat. All it takes is a small nick, a chip, road debris, even hail to cause this very thin protective layer to become damaged. Even the smallest damage like a little cut can let in moisture and this will start the oxidation of the metal commonly called rust. Rust is basically a loss of electrons which weakens the metal and allows oxidation to occur. Every car gets door dings in grocery parking lots, rock chips from trucks and vehicles on the road (tip, never follow a construction truck too closely as they are always throwing rocks), etc.

It is a good practice to clean and wax your car at least every two weeks and while doing so, look for any possible areas where rust could start. Look for nicks, scratches, dings, anything that breaks through the paint. It is important to notice these areas as early as possible so you can prevent rust from ever starting. To treat a deep nick or scratch, it is important to cover the spot and seal it from moisture.

Touch up paint matched for your cars exact color will of course look best and give good protection. If touch up paint is not readily available you can use a clear touch up or even clear nail polish. Be sure to use a toothpick instead of the included brush for application. The included brush will put on too much and actually make the repair standout. It will build up both sides of the scratch or nick. A toothpick works better as it will put the touch up paint directly where it is needed, inside the cut, nick or scratch.

For best results either go to an automotive dealer or an automotive parts store whom can easily locate your particular cars paint. The exact paint will look best and help hide the repair. Some cars have clear coats and will look best with a clear coat touch up after the initial repair. This will help seal out moisture and keep your car rust free.

If rust has already started than there are treatments available for this. It is a little more involved, though. You must sand the area until the rust is gone and there is just bare metal. Walmart carries a scratch repair pen that works great for minimizing the area affected. Next a product like NeutraRust is added. This will actually chemically alter any rust that is left and prime and seal the surface for paint.

It is a good idea to check the underside of the metal where the rust occurred to make sure it has not penetrated to the other side. If it has then treat it the same way, but instead of touch up paint there are under car spray treatments that will give thicker and longer lasting protection.

For surface area repairs follow up with touch up paint. This also works with larger areas, but it may be easier to have our Service Department do the job as the results will be much more noticeable. A good idea that will save you some money is to stop by Okotoks Honda’s Parts Department for paint pens or the Detail Department for complete Detail Package.

There you have it, how to treat and prevent rust from little nicks to bigger problems. A little proper care really can make your car last that much longer.