Fight the Fuel pump

Posted on April 11, 2013 by brownbrosfordlincoln

With gas hovering around $1.35 a litre and sure to go up this summer, one of the questions we keep hearing these days is, “How can I increase my fuel economy?” It can be done and Ford has a few ways to try and achieve it.

Drive at a Moderate Speed: Did you know that driving at 90kph is the most efficient (on the highway only please). If you drive at 105 you can use up to 15% more fuel and driving at 120kph can consume 25% more fuel as you fight your way through the wind.

Drive Smoothly: Avoid hard acceleration and braking whenever possible. Frequent bursts of acceleration and braking can reduce efficiency by as much as 10%. Smooth acceleration will also extend the life of the engine, transmission, brakes and tires.

Reduce Unnecessary Drag: At highway speeds more than 50% of engine power goes to overcoming aerodynamic drag. Large car top carriers can lower fuel efficiency by as much as 15% at 100kph. Even empty roof racks can reduce your fuel economy.

Keep Tires Properly Inflated: Underinflated tires increase rolling resistance and that can mean up to 3% more fuel usage. More importantly, underinflated tires compromise handling and braking and they wear much faster. Becuase a low tire runs much hotter it can also lead to tire failure. Check pressures once a month when tires are cold.

Consolidate Trips: Engines are most efficient when they are warm so plan all your errands around one trip. Taking multiple little trips can reduce fuel economy by as much as 15% because the engine never has the opportunity to warm up.

Avoid Idling: Think of it this way, when you’re idling your car is getting 0 kilometres per litre! If you are going to be sitting for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine.

Don’t Use Premium Fuel: Your owners guide will tell you the recommended fuel. Most Ford’s are designed to run on REGULAR (87 octane). Running on premium will not improve performance, it will only help lighten your wallet.

If you would like to save more fuel take a look at Ford today. Ford’s Ecoboost engines offer top line performance but maximize fuel economy. Smaller displacement engines replacing larger ones, same power, better fuel economy.

See what Ford is up to today when it comes to technology and fuel savings. Follow this link: http://www.ford.ca/technology/

There is also the Hybrid option now you will find many more choices, lower prices and they are no longer limited to “quirky” looking vehicles. Ford offers the Fusion Hybrid, the C-Max Hybrid. We also offer the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. One step further is the Fusion Energi and the C-Max Energi which are plug in Hybrids and we also have the Focus Electric. They are the future and they are here now. We have them available for viewing and test drive.

The other way to save fuel is to take another look at what your driving and your current needs. Does the vehicle fit? It used to be that if you wanted “luxury” you had to go to a larger vehicle. These days though you can have all the luxury in a smaller package. The Fiesta, Focus, Escape all have as available options, leather, moonroof, navigation, park assist, rearview cameras.

Merry Christmas HO HO HO

Posted on December 13, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

It’s time to thank all of our customers, whether, Sales, Service or Parts. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas (or if you prefer, Happy Holidays). We can’t begin to tell you how much we appreciate your continued patronage. We hope to see you in the new year!!

Brown Bros Ford Lincoln has a nice tradition that is now into it’s second year. A Christmas party for employees children. A great time is had by all. I’m not sure if the kids or the parents have a better time. I am sure that it would not happen without the people we lovingly call the “girls in the back”. They are wonderful!

So Merry Christmas to those that came and a special thanks to Santa Claus for making the special trip down from the North Pole. We serviced his sleigh while he was here since we certainly wouldn’t want sleigh problems Christmas eve!

lots of games to be played

crafts to be enjoyed

mini bowling

lunch about to be served

“Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night!”

“Track Day” with Brown Bros Ford Lincoln

Posted on September 13, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

It’s nice to give back, to show your thanks. Once a year Brown Bros gets the opportunity to do that for our customers that have purchased a high performance SVT product. Now it’s Shelby’s and Raptors. In earlier days it was Cobra’s, Focus, Lightning and Contour SVT products.

Since 1996 we have been holding “Track Day” out at Mission Raceway. Our customers get a day of instruction, with in car track time to learn about their vehicles and how to handle them. Oh yeah and to have one heck of a lot of fun. We hold it in conjunction with Morrissport Advanced Driving which specializes in a variety of automotive-based services. Again, it’s our way of saying thank you and we’re the only ones that do it. That combined with our own High Performance Centre with on site Dyno is some of what makes Brown Bros. the largest Ford Lincoln dealership in BC.

Here’s a pictorial of our latest event this past Monday September 10th. Great weather, great company, great food and most of all a great time. Thanks to all who participated!!

Getting our early morning instruction of the do’s and don’ts on the track. Below, taking to the track!

Tim Brown taking to the track in his Ford GT (geez that thing is fast). Some people got rides, I missed out

During the lunch break, while we were enjoying some excellent food, Tim did some hot laps in his Boss 302 “S” .

Again, it was great for us and we hope our customers had as much fun. We look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Invest in YOUR Business

Posted on August 2, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

When times are good it’s easy to sit back and look for growth in your business. People spend their money and hopefully they’ll come and spend some of it with you.

What happens though when the economy falters? Some businesses just wait and hope, some will cut back staff and services, a few will look to improve the way they do business. They’ll look for customer service improvements, invest in their business and hope they see a return.

Brown Bros Ford Lincoln has done the latter. We are reaching out, trying to improve the customer experience and trying hard. We’ve undergone a multi million dollar renovation. We’ve looked at and brought on board new systems, invested in new equipment and invested in new people.

Our Service Department is a case in point. We have expanded our two convenient locations, our main facility at Main and Marine and our devoted diesel and performance shop on Sherbrooke St just blocks away.

We thought our customers would like us to open Saturdays, so we did. We needed a covered vehicle drop off area for customers, so it was added. We maintained our free service loaner policy and added a shuttle service with a devoted driver as well. For customers that want to wait, large HDTV, wifi, comfortable chairs and free coffee. Our exclusive Loyalty Rewards program was added. Competitive pricing was kept as well.

Apparently customers have agreed with us about the changes because they keep coming back. To meet demand, Phil Poon our Service Manager has needed to add two more factory trained technicians bringing the total to 27. Those 27 technicians average more than 13 years of experience each. Also joining us are another receptionist, cashier and one more Service Advisor. All in all, 5 new people have been hired to meet a 15 percent increase in business over the same period last year.

If you read the business section of the papers every day it can be hard to find a positive story or outlook. Here’s one, look after your customers and they will come to your business. Brown Bros. is seeing growth when service intervals in vehicles have been cut in half or less. Maybe more businesses need to look at improving customer service as a way to grow rather than cutting back at the first sign of economic trouble.

Long Lasting Relationships

Posted on May 9, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

“My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetary, people would stop dying” — Rodney Dangerfield.

Life can be funny. I had never planned on staying in Automotive Sales, it was just a means to an end at the time. As luck would have it though I landed in the right company. So I stayed and here it is going on 19 years later! Most of that time has been spent at Brown Bros Ford Lincoln. I stayed, had to leave and wanted to come back because of the people. I don’t think you can find a better owner in the Brown’s. They care about their employees and they care about the community. (No they aren’t paying me to say that, I’m not even sure they read the blog.) Although there are approximately 110 employees, BBFL is about family (not inlaws), a pretty close knit family.

The years of experience we offer here is quite amazing whether it is our Parts Department, Service department or the Sales or Fleet departments.

Yes it’s great that we have 36 available service bays and the techs to work in them.

Yes it’s great that we offer our service customers loaner vehicles at no charge when needed.

Yes it’s great that we have a dedicated diesel shop and high performance shop.

Yes it’s great all customers get a Loyalty Rewards card giving real dollars back towards purchases here. (okay I got the plug in)

It’s also great that we have the largest parts department in the province. You need it? the odds are very good we already have it!

The best thing of all though is family. Remember I’ve been here going on 19 years. It is a very good feeling to see technicians in the shop that were here when I started and others that I remember, started out as a “lot guy” or “car washer”. They were given an opportunity to move up and did. It’s seeing fathers and now sons (my own included) and mothers and daughters. It’s just as promising to see the new fresh faces beginning careers here. I’m talking about people like Ben (please don’t ask me his last name, cuz we’re all on a first name basis here). Ben has been with us more than two years now. He spent the first six months washing customers vehicles and is now on his way to becoming a full technician.

Better though is that people here don’t leave, they stay, they collect more experience and training, becoming full experts on one brand which I believe benefits our customers.

We offer stability, we’re just about to turn 66 years old.

We hold an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

We have won Ford’s “Presidents Award” for customer satisfaction since it’s inception in 2000.

It’s trust, it’s experience, it’s family. I think it’s what we are always looking for whether it’s a Doctor, Dentist, Realtor or Sales or Service Department (after all a car is your second largest purchase).

Brown Bros & Ford = Go Further

Posted on April 11, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

Time to do a little bragging both for the dealership and for Ford/Lincoln. The renovations are finally complete right down to the artwork on the walls and it makes for a very nice environment to work in. It’s a place Mr. Brown and all 110 of us can be very proud of.

Below, you’ll see our new look!

Artwork is now on the walls and the images are really clever. The inserts are magnetic which allows us to change the images when ever we want.

Please drop by, we look forward to seeing and serving you.

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I’ve talked about Ford’s technologies in the past but it’s time again. Let’s look at the 2013 Mustang. First glance you might think, not a lot of changes but Giddy-Up, it’s packed with coolness.

4.2” colour LCD productivity screen

Located between the speedometer and tachometer there is a 4.2″ colour LCD productivity screen. It allows drivers to access information related to vehicle performance.

Unique to Mustang’s 4.2-inch LCD productivity screen is Track Apps, which delivers performance metrics for drivers straight from the factory in an engaging, easy-to-use manner. The screen displays braking performance, and measures g forces and acceleration times complete with automatic and countdown starts.

Accelerometer Measures the g forces the car is pulling from left to right.

Brake performance Indicator shows stopping time and distance for speeds of 60-0 or 100-0.

View/clear results. Drivers can view their top times, including their alltime best. They can also review their last results and saved results from the acceleration timer and brake performance screen.

Acceleration timer: Drivers track their fastest time and choose from 0-30 mph, 0-60 mph, 0-100 mph, the eighth-mile and the quarter-mile. Both an automatic start, and a countdown start with a drag-racing start light, are available. Once the vehicle hits the selected speed, the screen instantly displays the elapsed time.

How about 3 powerful, efficient engine choices.

3.7LTi-VCT V6 with 305 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque.

5.0L V8 cam torque-actuated Ti-VCT with 420 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque.

5.8L V8 supercharged, aluminum block with 650 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque.

Select-Shift is now standard with automatic transmissions.

New trim, grille and hood with heat extractors.

New standard HID headlamps, GT wheels and rear appearance.

New signature LED lighting surrounding the brake lights and headlamps.

Sequential LED brake lights with turn signals that illuminate in sequence.

RECARO ® race-inspired seats are sporty, supportive and very comfortable.

New Shaker Pro Audio System and Selectable Electric Power Assist Steering.

The best power to weight ratio in it’s class!

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I get a kick out of the latest Honda Civic commercial, it’s funny, but the part that makes me laugh the loudest is when they brag that the car understands 600 words. 600???? Sync in ALL Ford & Lincolns understands 10,000!!!

My Ford & Lincoln Touch pt2

Posted on February 29, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

We went over some of the basics with my Ford & Lincoln Touch last week, looking at the Phone, Entertainment, Navigation and Climate controls. This week we’ll dig a little further into how easy the system actually is to use.

Off the top, we’ll have a look at the MENU items and what you can do. The intuitive menu gives you total vehicle control at your fingertips. Control audio settings, upload wallpaper and receive customized directions based on travelling preferences (shortest, fastest, or eco-route) and which streets/areas you want to avoid. The menu’s Help tab will even give you your exact location—street name, city and coordinates—if you get lost.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fwy6LAYl3eU

Now it’s time to have a look at the INFO button. The Information tab gives you real-time vehicle notifications, helping to keep you alert and informed at all times. You can also install the newest SYNC® apps with the touch of a button and keep yourself organized with a digital calendar. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E3EML7OdvKI

We also have the HOME button. It offers a fully customizable home screen that allows you to create and edit two pages of vehicle feature “shortcuts.” You can also upload a personal photo for the home screen to display. Options such as radio presets and climate controls are easily accessible.: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aA9GZukj5dQ

You can also set up a lot of your own personal information for My Ford and Lincoln Touch to remember. : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pjb7Ah4K94c

There are also two Multifunction Information Cluster screens on either side of the steering wheel, on the left: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zZNcyB9nWPI

On the right hand side: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=E_eYnBVQeO0

Nothing is perfect and Ford has been working to improve the system. There is an upgrade on the way and if you want more information on what to expect you’ll find it here. http://www.ford.ca/pdf/ford/MyFordTouchScreens_en.pdf

Finally, you can find all this information if you want to keep it as a reference tool at: http://www.ford.ca/app/en/technology.html#touch

The NEW House of Ford

Posted on February 15, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

We’ve come a long way in the past year and we thought it was time to go on a tour. Please tell us if it was worth the wait. .

This is how we started. Brown Bros moved to this location in 1985 in what used to be a glass factory. It was time for change and change we have.

We are now complete and ready to work for you

Let’s start in Sales. We now have devoted Ford and Lincoln showrooms that are large enough to accomodate one of each model. We can show you the best without making you stand in the elements anymore. We’ve increased our office space so there’s less crowding. You will also find more amenities while you are here.

Our new Ford and Lincoln Showrooms

Should you need to wait, you can enjoy our fireplace, large screen TV, comfortable seating and free wifi with coffee.

Over in our Service Department we made numerous changes as well. Outside you’ll find a new covered drop off area to keep you dry.

Walk in our door and you’ll find our Service Advisors front and centre ready to help. At their disposal are 26 service bays with a technician for each bay. We also have a devoted Diesel shop for our heavy duty vehicles customers. You can get your vehicle in and out in the least amount of time.

If it’s parts you are looking for, Steve and Ming are there to help. They know their inventory inside out. Along with the expertise, we have the parts on hand.

Brown Bros Ford Lincoln has the largest selection of parts you can find in the entire province. That means we have it in stock for you so you have less down time. Of course we are also an authorized supplier of Ford Racing Parts.

If you choose to wait for your vehicle while it’s being serviced you can now enjoy our new comfortable surroundings with big screen TV, wifi, and complimentary coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

British Columbia has looked after Brown Bros Ford Lincoln for 65 years, making us the largest Ford Lincoln Dealership in the province. While it is always nice to work in a modern facility, the changes weren’t for us. The changes were made for our customers. We want to make your time with us as enjoyable as we can and we hope that if you haven’t been by lately you will come by soon. Please watch for our Grand Re-opening as well.

This dealership was almost rebuilt from the ground up just about every, nail, bolt, wall is new. However there is one piece of heritage left over from the original building that was built in the 1950′s.

Yup. Everything is new except….. Go figure huh!

Pairing Your Phone with Sync

Posted on February 8, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

As Ford moves forward into offering more and more technology, it can be confusing for both customers and Sales people. Ford was the first to introduce SYNC back in 2008 and it has come a long way since then. Initially it recognized 300 different voice commands and now it recognizes 10,000! Along with that, Ford has since introduced MyFordTouch and MyLincolnTouch adding on the Sync platform. Every new vehicle we deliver we make sure we have “paired” a customers cell phone to the vehicle but occasionally a phone will get deleted and customers don’t remember how it was done. We thought we would help. Ford does have an excellent reference website at www.syncmyride.com which answers lots of questions.

So how do we pair a phone with MyFordTouch or MyLincolnTouch?

The first thing to remember is that for safety, you can not pair a phone while a vehicle is in motion.

In the upper left hand corner of the touch screen we are going to touch: Add Phone

When prompted, select add:

Our third step is Add Device. Please make sure you have your cell phones “bluetooth settings” turned on. Sync will provide a six digit code on the screen.

Your phone will also be seaching for Sync and will let you know it has found it. When prompted, enter the 6 digit code into the phone. When pairing succeeds, the touchscreen will say, (phone name) added successfully!

The system will now ask you if you want to download your phonebook. Finally the touch screen will give you the option of setting a voicemail number. The defualt is your cell number.

The steps are easy. We find the hard part generally is finding the blue tooth settings in each persons phone as it seems all manufacturers are different. If you are having trouble please stop by, we can help you out and go over it in person.

Safety Technology Convenience in a Ford

Posted on February 1, 2012 by brownbrosfordlincoln

I’ll be sitting home watching TV and watch the car commercials hit the screen and every manufacturer has things they want to brag about to convince you thier product is the best. It’s the “so called” Luxury brands that I always get a chuckle out of.

Welcome to FORD. We are a domestic manufacturer. We’ve been around for more than a 100 years and we keep up with, or exceed the Luxury groups and we do it keeping thousands of dollars in your pocket.

You can’t be in this business selling one brand without having some passion. I have it for both Brown Bros Ford Lincoln and the Ford Motor Company. Last week I talked about SOME of our technology, this week there’s more. I ask you to remember our vehicles are priced far below some other brands that try to offer LESS technology…

2010 – 2012 Taurus.

–SelectShift 6 speed automatic with paddle shifting on the steering wheel.

–SYNC, offering hands free just about anything. It understands 10 thousand different words and we had it first.

–Play DVD’s through the 8″ navigation screen when the vehicle is parked.

– Adaptive Cruise Control uses radar to automatically adjust your cruising speed to maintain 1 of 3 preset gaps to the vehicle in front of you.

– Collision Warning with brake support can give you up to 2 and a half extra seconds of reaction time to brake if radar sensors detect a potential collision and a warning on your windshield. It even pre-loads the brakes for you.

– Blind Spot Information System gives you a warning if you are about to make an unsafe lane change.

– Cross Traffic Alert lets you know if there is a vehicle crossing your path if you’re backing out of a parking spot.

– MyKey lets you program your ignition key to limit speeds, radio volume, mutes the audio until seatbelts are fastened and more.

– SOS Post Crash Alert can (if programmed) automatically flash your hazard lights and sound your horn after a serious crash.

– On that note, SYNC can automatically call 911 in certain collisions.

– Capless fuel filler (my personal favourite due to convenience). NO fuel cap. Simple. Effective. Convenient.

Convenience: Heated & Cooled seats, rear window shades, cars that park themselves (way faster than the competition), remote start, push button start, 12 speaker Sony audio, rain sensing wipers, twin turbo chargers that still deliver 40mpg. As I mentioned last week, lots of Green technology, now using plants in door panels. Greatly reduced service intervals. Of course 5 star safety.

Again we are FORD. We do it as well or better than anyone. In a lot of cases we did it first. We hope you’ll check out Ford and Brown Bros Ford Lincoln to compare. We know you’ll be glad you did.

Brown Bros Ford Lincoln

The House of Ford, 66 years strong

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