News and Tips from American Pride Automotive
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September 2009 |
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Greetings!
Welcome to our September newsletter. This month we open our Williamsburg location, expanding our service area in the Historic Triangle. We look forward to serving our current and new customers with the same great American Pride care.
We also have a few tips for hurricane preparations, and caring for your vehicle's power windows and door locks. As always, we hope you find this information helpful and I welcome your feedback and suggestions for future editions.
Thanks again for your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Charlie Marcotte
American Pride Automotive
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Williamsburg Location Opens This Week!
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 We're excited to announce our new, second location opens this week in Williamsburg after a lot of work updating the building, parking lot and landscaping. Although we'll have a grand opening in the coming weeks, as a newsletter subscriber we wanted to let you know about our opening so you can take advantage of the great service you've come to enjoy at our Yorktown location.
The new center is located at 5406 Airport Road, at the intersection with Richmond Road in Williamsburg. You can call the new service center directly at (757) 903-2473. We invite you to stop in, have a look around and have a cup of coffee, even if you don't need service this week. Heck, bring a friend and let them learn about the American Pride Automotive difference!
Of course this expansion is possible thanks to your support, and we absolutely appreciate and value your business. Thanks for letting us care for your vehicles! |
Hurricane Prep for your Vehicle
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Many people spend a little time each July and August preparing a Hurricane Kit for their homes -- bottled water, canned food, flashlight batteries, etc. However, is your car or truck ready for hurricane season? If a really bad storm hits Hampton Roads, you may have to leave the area, or at least make so with what you have on hand. Here are a few tips to make sure your vehicle is ready for hurricane season.
Routine Maintenance -- when a storm is approaching is not the time to get service taken care of. We'll do our best to get you in and out quickly, but it's far better to be prepared. Make sure your oil has been changed this summer, your cooling system checked, tires rotated and at the proper inflation, windshield wiper blades replaced and all fluid levels topped off.
Tire Tread -- During and after a hurricane there is often more debris on the road. That's not the time to drive around with limited tread. If your tires are past their prime, it may be a good idea to go ahead and update them. At a minimum, check the tire pressure and have a few cans of "fix-a-flat" in the car, just in case.
Fuel -- Keep your vehicle gassed up when a storm is approaching. If you hear there is a storm headed our way, go ahead and fill up and keep the tank topped off. If we lose power, you may have trouble finding a station that is open for business.
First Aid & Emergency Kit -- Keep a first aid kit in your vehicle and make sure you replace any items that have been used. Now is the time to also add an emergency kit with a flashlight, water bottles, snacks/energy bars, a poncho, a blanket or two and a battery-operated radio. You may also want to include jumper cables, roadside flares, a quart or two of oil, duct tape and a small collection of tools.
Maps -- Have a good map of our area, and the surrounding region, in case you need to evacuate and find yourself in an unfamiliar area.
Lastly, keep an eye on the forecasts so you're not caught by surprise if a storm is coming.
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Service Tip -- Power Windows and Door Locks
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 Some of he most common service requests we receive involve power windows or power door locks. Although these systems are best left to professionals for service and repair, there are a few things you can do to help prolong their life, or minimize damage if things start to go wrong.
First, in the case of power door locks, remember the key fob is battery operated. If it starts working intermittently, there's a good chance the battery is dying. The fobs also do not react well to water, so keep your keys from getting wet.
Windows should be kept as clean as possible. Sand (particularly during vacation time), salt air/residue and road grime can impact performance, and also work their way past the window seal over time. We also recommend avoiding unnecessary stickers on driver and passenger windows, as they can impact the window seal over time.
Finally, if you do have an issue with the window, don't try to force it up or down. That can be dangerous and can also damage the window motor. Just give us a call at 757-595-4100 and we'll be happy to get things operating smoothly again.
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