Category Archives: February 2011

If you want to extend the service of your car, maintenance is the key. One way to maintain the service is doing some cleaning. Washing car is important. Do not underestimate dirt since it might bring damage to some parts of your car. Here we have some tips on how to wash your car.

Washing car is very easy activity that you can do by yourself. Nevertheless, people prefer going to car wash for time and energy efficiency. However, this can be fun activity to spend your leisure time, especially when you can do it with your children or the other member of your family.

Firstly, take your car to some shadowed area so that you feel comfortable while washing the car. You can choose an open area. However, keep in mind that the area should not be prone to get dirt. Otherwise, the washing process will be useless. Before you start washing, you need to close all doors and windows to avoid the water wet the inside.

Then prepare a sponge, bucket, and car soap. It is better for you to use warm water to be mixed with the car soap. Warm water will ease the cleaning process more than cold water. Remove all dirt from your car by hosing the roof to the tires. Now take the soapy water with the sponge and rub it to the wet parts of your car. It is suggested that you start with the roof. After the whole roof gets cleaned, hose the excess of the soap. Do this step for all sides of your car, one after another. Rinse thoroughly one side before you move to another one. If you have done with all sides, you can give thorough rinse.

Now, you need to dry your car. Don’t let it air-dry. Instead, use a towel. Wipe the roof first then continue downward. You can also use window cleaner to wash the windows and newspaper to dry them. Our last suggestion, give some extra rubs to remove the water spots. If you have more time, clean the interior of your car. Hopefully this article can be useful for you in maintaining your car.

Your last resort and option can be bringing your vehicle to Okotoks Honda, where we will do full Interior & Exterior Detail Packages are very cost efficient prices. Not only will we follow the steps outlined above, but we will also make every effort to remove any scratches, dings and facia damages on the outside of your car. Inside, we will remove all personal belongings, shampoo the car in and out & make it look brand new!

For more information on how you can have your car detailed FREE, visit us at www.okotokshonda.com or call us at 403.842.1100. Please let us know that you have called from this WordPress article. For more freebies, contest and prizes, visit www.facebook.com/ohhonda

Welcome to the Okotoks Honda blog. We hope to bring you lots of information about the day to day happenings at Okotoks Honda as well as information about vehicle maintenance, Honda news and whatever else we can think of.  We hope to be your link to the Auto World with news, tips, insights and alot more.  If you have any suggestions or tips, please feel free to contact us at www.okotokshonda.com

We all know that purchasing a vehicle is already an expensive purchase. Whether new or used, you have spent your hard earned money getting the vehicle of your choice. But it doesn’t stop there. In order to have your vehicle drive, stay and run in optimum performance, regular scheduled service and maintenance is required.

These days, getting the vehicle repairs have always been a tough job and it is very ompulsory that you get the car servicing in time and by us at Okotoks Honda and our experienced technicians who can handle your car with efficiency, diagnose any of the problem with the car and provide it an instant repairs. Car problems can be really serious and these can be quite costly as well. You are to remain prepared and active with regards to your vehicle maintenance and need to get it repaired in time as soon as some problems is detected with the car.

Suppose you are driving with your family. You just on your way outside the city and suddenly your car breakdown. And it gets stopped in the middle of the road. Your kids are with you and there is no dealership, service station or any help on either side and its late evening and you can’t expect any help easily. This can be a troubling situation and under such circumstances it would be really tough to determine what to do and how to get help. These situations can be eliminated if regualrly schedule maintenance and diagnosis are completed when you visit us at Okotoks Honda.

One thing for sure is that car problems rarely come all of a sudden. Generally cars show some symptoms for the arrival of car troubles and if they not detected or declined as part of diagnosis at time of service, then costs and inconvenience increase.

Here is the good news: Always rely upon us at Okotoks Honda to be there for you to assist you in servicing your vehicle, offering help to keep your vehicle in optimum condition and increasing the life and driveability of your vehicle. Honda Canada now offers free roadside assistance on all their new vehicles, so, in the event that we are clsoed at Okotoks Honda, do not hesitate to contact Roadside Assistance at 1-800-465-7587 (24 hours a day in Canada or Continental US). They will assist you in getting your vehicle to Okotoks Honda, where our technicians can and will evaluate its condition and will give an instant solution to your car.The service department and our technicians at Okotoks Honda strive to assist all our customers in their vehicle needs and to ensure to extend the longevity of your vehicles so that it performs well over a longer period of time.

Lastly, our certified technicians at Okotoks Honda have all the latest tools and technology and will quickly plug in diagnostic tools and bring out any area of errors. Once the errors are noticed, not only will you be notified and directed on what to do, but we will also ensure that they be removed so that your vehicle would be ready to cruise over the roads.

Therefore, t is very essential that when you have vehicle service needs and issues, that you rely on us at Okotoks Honda to have our certified technicians diagnose, service and prepare your vehicle instantly.

For any additional information, please feel free to contact us at 403.842.1100 and be directed to our Service Department.

For more tips and news, follow us on www.twitter.com/OkotoksHonda and on www.youtube.com/OkotoksHonda

Used Honda cars are considered to be among the most dependable used cars that can be bought. Even with such a good reputation, though, how can you know the used Honda you’re considering is actually a good buy? You can’t always know. But with Certified Used Hondas, you can be sure.

These ‘certified’ automobiles can be found only at qualified Honda dealers in good standing. Strict guidelines must be adhered to for a used car to be known as certified.

At the very minimum, to be even considered for certification, a Honda must be less than six years old. Or it must have less than 80,000 miles on it. Seven-year-old cars with 50,000 miles are ineligible. Just as five-year-old cars that have 90,000 miles are ineligible.

Factory-trained technicians evaluate all major systems on each vehicle. They also can recondition any Honda part not meeting strict standards. If the part cannot be sufficiently made for use, then a genuine part is used.

The local Honda dealer is also required to run a CARFAX Vehicle History Report, which costs the buyer nothing. This report contains a vehicle’s documented history. It uncovers any reported incidents the DMV has received. If a car has been damaged by flood or fire, this report will show it. If there is a history of engine troubles, odometer alterations, or being salvaged, this report will show it.

Every Honda dealership keeps a copy of this report. Customers can access them at any time. In many cases, reports can even be accessed online.

The most comprehensive evaluation is the last test given. This is known as the 150-point inspection. It is a detailed evaluation of the vehicle’s appearance and working mechanics. But before this 150-point inspection, verified documentation and manuals must be looked at.

The manuals include the new car warranty manual and the owner’s manual. There is also the warranty booklet and a report on the history of the car’s title. Documentation would include a verifying of the radio code and a copy of the 150-point checklist, when completed.

An inspection of the Vehicle Identification Number is done first by checking the door jamb’s VIN label, all VIN repairs or recalls (if any), and the VIN plate. Found on a list of basic replacements are coolants, tires, floor mats, air filters, and oil filters. All fluids levels are notated and the closest scheduled maintenance is also given. Other things evaluated and replaced are brake pads and shoes and wiper blades.

A road test is next. What are the vehicles starting and idling temperatures? Do they run hot or cold? How does it drive or accelerate? Are those sounds normal or signs of a problem? Does the car drift when steering and do all gauges work properly?

The car is then given a thorough going-over to find any unauthorized aftermarket modifications. Rims, exhaust systems, headlights, transmissions, and more are gone over with a fine-tooth comb. The overall appearance of both the interior and exterior are part of this evaluation.

If the vehicle passes the exhaustive inspection, it can be made available for the showroom or lot. Anything that fails inspection is replaced or reconditioned. If replacement or reconditioning are not possible, the car fails the evaluation and will not be sold. This is how customers can be confident that Certified Used Honda Cars are in good shape.

Okotoks Honda dealership offers a diverse selection of high-quality vehicles, including trucks, SUVs, minivans, and commercial cars. Choose your dream automobile from both new and used Hondas to satisfy your driving needs.

Much has been written in the automotive press about the advantages and disadvantages of leasing your next vehicle. Unfortunately, most of what is written in the press and even in respected publications such as the Lemon-Aid guide, really miss the point. The advantages usually focus on the lower monthly payment, the ability to drive a new vehicle more often, and potential tax advantages of leasing (if you are using your vehicle for business).

The disadvantages typically focus on a higher overall cost of ownership if you are planning on buying out your vehicle at the end of the lease term or potential mileage and excess wear and tear charges if you decide to return your vehicle at lease end.

Both arguments really miss the point. The overwhelming advantage to leasing your next vehicle is quite simply capping the amount that your vehicle will depreciate over the lease term. Virtually all automotive manufacturer leases are closed end which sets a specific residual value at lease end. This lease end value means that you only pay on the principal difference between the selling price of the vehicle and that residual value. Take a look at the following example:

2011 Honda Civic DX-G

Selling Price: $21,000

Residual Value: $ 9300

Depreciation to be paid over 48 month term = $11,700

Let’s assume that when you return to the dealership after 48 months, you have your vehicle appraised and it is only worth $8,000. Under those circumstances, you would probably choose not to purchase it for $9300. Furthermore, there is $1300 in depreciation that the manufacturer has to absorb rather than coming out of your wallet.

If you had purchased the vehicle rather than leased it, you now are driving a 4 year old vehicle that is still only worth $8,000. Whether you choose to trade it in at that point or not, the bottom line is that you have still paid $1300 more in depreciation than the customer who leased their vehicle.

How often does this happen? Well, based upon the past decade, manufacturers are high on their estimated residual value at least half the time. Since they are under immense pressure to keep lease payments competitive with other brands, they will often be overly optimistic with the residual value to keep the payment down. The example above is only $1300 but often the manufacturer is off by thousands of dollars and every dealership has seen examples of a residual value being over $10,000 higher than the actual value at lease end, particularly on high end vehicles.

Lastly, the issues of mileage penalties and charges for excess wear and tear are often cited as a reason not to lease. First of all, if you decide at lease end to buy out your lease, you are not subject to any excess mileage or wear and tear charges. Secondly, the reason these charges exist is as an adjustment to the estimated residual value based upon a normal amount of driving and average condition of a vehicle at lease end. Since the residual value is a guess at the the future value of a vehicle at lease end, it makes perfect sense that the vehicle would be worth less if you drive more than the standard kilometres allowed (which in the case of a Honda is 24,000 kms per year). Similarly, with the condition of the vehicle at lease end, it seems justified that the manufacturer would require a certain level of care and maintenance to be maintained on a vehicle that they are guaranteeing the residual.

What is often forgotten is that you also pay a penalty for excess kilometres and excess wear and tear even if you finance or pay cash for your vehicle. Since ultimately, you will be trading the vehicle in at some point in the future, the trade value is going to be negatively impacted by driving higher than average kilometres or if you fail to maintain and keep the vehicle in otherwise good repair. While this calculation is formalized and specifically spelled out in a lease contract, your vehicle will be worth less either way. Whether leasing or not, the customer is going to be the one who pays.

When you buy your next vehicle, make sure to consider leasing. Even when you can afford the higher payment of a finance contract, leasing may be your best option.