Car Air con not as cold as last year?

It happens to us all, as the temperature is rising we all start to notice that we need the Air conditioning more in our car.

Did you know your car Air Con can lose 10% of its efficiency every year, even more if you haven’t been using it regularly?

As the refrigerant is under pressure in the system, it can weep through joints in the pipework, making the Air conditioning work harder to keep you cool.

We always see a steep rise in bookings for Air conditioning servicing and regas when the temperature rises, and the last week is no exception.

So what’s really cool, just to be different as the temperature has risen we have decided to reduce our price for an Air conditioning regas by £20 to just £49.

As our summers can be brief don’t wait weeks for an appointment, we guarantee we will get this booked in, in the next 24 hours for you.

Have a cool summer.

Start Your engines

Google driving you round the bend?
 
Well in this case, it’s actually true!
 
That’s right, Google have produced their very own self-driven cars with a ‘friendly face’.
 
The cute looking prototypes simply have a start and stop button, making them literally the modern day horse and cart…without the horse!
 
The car is limited to 25mph (sigh) and works on laser and radar sensors to navigate around the streets.
 
The technology is something quite mind-boggling, but the real question surrounding this new break-through is: do we want one?
 
You can just picture Jeremy Clarkson’s face…’no gear box, no speed, no appeal!’. I must admit the thought of doing nothing to get from A to B would be the same mundane experience I get whilst riding the peasant wagon (the public bus)!
 
The political nature of this discovery would be a no brainer, bringing an end to fatal car crashes and boy racers doing donuts round the McDonalds car park!
 
But the idea of machine being in control over man brings peculiar repercussions of Demolition Man or I Robot to mind.
 
And I for one am not ready for an Apocalyptic, Terminator style, Judgement day!
 
Okay that’s my imagination running wild, but that feeling of freedom and the control you have whilst driving is like no other.
 
So Mr Google, no deal. But on the other hand, if you install a driver mode as an option, that really would be some food for thought…
 
For more information on this article, let me steer you to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27587558

We are trying our hardest to give two cars away

This car is sitting in Buckingham Garden centre, and is the prize if you can find Santa’s missing reindeer; we have even left you a clue on the entry form at the garden centre.

As you know we like to keep things local, and just like the garden centre we employ a lot of local people, putting our money back in to the local economy as important to us both, as looking after local customers to the best of our abilities.

We have joined in this promotion, in an attempt to keep it local and are both giving away some extra special gifts before Christmas, If you come into either of our branches before Christmas you will be given a voucher for the other company (even if you come in for a free winter check), and could win some great prizes, but the amazing thing is there is a prize every time.

In the showroom at both dealerships we have a second car to win, we have a stack of presents under our Christmas trees, all you have to do is guess correctly there value, its not that hard as we have given you a hint to them when you come in, If you test drive or buy a car before 20th December you will have multiple attempts to win this great Fiesta worth over £10.000.


Are you missing our Facebook competitions, we have given away some great prizes, and announced some great promotions on Facebook this year, if you don’t want to miss out go and like our pages there, and if you don’t use Facebook ask you children or a member of the family that does to do it for you, and they can make you aware when we are having a mad moment and giving it all away.

www.facebook.com/buckinghamford
www.facebook.com/bicesterford

Are you an eco friendly driver

Welcome to the environmental challenge, over the next 6 weeks we want to get as many local people to take up a two day challenge to see who can get the best miles per gallon from the new Ford Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost. 

We already have many willing volunteers, well who would say no to a free car for 2 days!

You need to be over 25 and hold a clean driving licence, and been driving for over 12 months, and that's it, you don't need to be an existing customer either, just live in the Buckingham, Bicester or Brackley area.

We know that the New ecoboost engine is good for the environment already as it emits so little, the road fund licence is free on on this little car, yes you heard me right Nothing, Nil yes exactly £0. we also already know the government figures on this car are very good with a combined MPG of 65.7.

So watch this space for updates.

We are a Badger free zone

I just had to share this when I was shown it. 

This is very very funny, and you will NOT find a badger at Buckingham or Bicester Ford.

We are a Wiggle free zone.

View Badger at work here

If you have ever experienced the Badger at another dealership, come and see us for a refreshing change.

• Take a test drive not a short trip around the block
• We give you all the facts, and don't hide behind a monthly payment
• 1000's of new and used cars available to us, so you don't have to buy the one we have here, you can choose.

I got this email yesterday about James.

                "Just a quick note to say how pleased I am with the new Focus ST I purchased from you. Fabulous colour the Spirit Blue and the power and drivability of the car really is breath taking. So, thanks for persuading me to purchase it. Also many thanks for the help and advice you gave me with the models, optional extras and the general understanding of the car."
Many Thanks
Keith

Compound clearance starts 12th June for 8 days only

1       For Eight days only you can make massive savings on any car on display or in our compound. (We need the room)
Over £4000 off some new cars

2       We need more used cars, and as you know we always pay more for privately owned cars like yours. We would always prefer to sell a privately owned car other than ex fleet or hire cars, they are more sought after and easier to sell, so your car could be worth more than you thought this week. 

How about a New Ka for under £85 a month and that’s without a big deposit and an Apr of only 4.9%. 

I've had my arm twisted by James and Jeff to run the 5 year FREE warranty offer for one more month, so June will be the last month we are offering 5 Year’s Warranty on all our New cars instead of the standard 3 years. 

Even if you don’t keep your car for 5 years it will improve the value of your car in part exchange in the future. 

Book an appointment today with Jeff or James and make sure you find out which special offer is right for you.  

Remember we don’t do or know how to do any hard selling, it is up to you, we don’t hide the facts behind a monthly payment, and we are here to help you make the right decision for you not us.

3       Extra bonus for the lucky five who are quick to reply 
If you are in the first five to take action on these offers I have over £500 worth of extras waiting for you, and they are on me, completely free, and they will help you enjoy your new car even more. 

The compound clearance starts on June 12th and will run for eight days only; this is your chance to get a look at the offers before we go public.
  
Some of the offers James and I have calculated are amongst the strongest we have ever made and include some new technology’s you may not have seen or heard of

• Ford SYNC enabling safer usage of your phone or music playing device.

• MYKey on New Fiesta, a programmable key that restricts speed for younger drivers, amongst other things.

These are standard on a lot of our offer cars

How to use Traction control in snow or ice

After seeing so many people sliding around in the snow and ice yesterday, with their traction control obviously still switched on, we made this small video to help.

The video explains what happens with the traction control on and off, and then we go on to explain how to switch the traction control/ESP off on Ford cars that don't have an obvious button on the dashboard.

Its worth watching until the end, and please share as this may help others with there safety in the snow.

View You Tube video here  Traction control in snow and ice

Please make sure you turn traction control back on once snow and ice has cleared.

Free Breakdown cover with a Ford service

We like to look after you and your car between annual services, we now offer Free breakdown cover with any Ford service. Prices start from just £99 for a service with us.

The Breakdown cover includes;

• Home Start - Assistance at your home, not always included with free breakdown cover.
• Roadside Assistance
• Vehicle recovery - If we can't arrange a prompt repair, we'll transport you and your vehicle to the nearest Ford Authorised Repairer.
• European emergency assistance
• All from a man in a yellow van.

And this cover is available on a Ford car or light commercial of any age and mileage.

The cover is activated by us when you request it with your service, the cover then runs until your next service is due, so if you do 25,000 miles a year, the cover will last until your next service is due say 12500 miles later, but don't worry come back for a service and we will renew the cover.
If you only do 6000 miles a year we will renew your cover when you come in for your yearly service, the breakdown cover is acctivated with the service requirements of your vehicle.


If this is of interest call David or Carol on 01280 812121

Who is this for?  If you can answer the following as yes it is for you

Do you own a Ford car or Light Commercial?
Would you like your breakdown cover for free?
Would you like the peace of mind, of Ford qualified mecanics working on your car?
Would you like all work on your car guaranteed for 12 months
Would you like the garage working on your car to have past, regular audits by the RAC?

We can confidently answer yes to all of the above.

More great reviews of new 1.0litre-Ecoboost engine by press

• Autocar editor in chief Steve Cropley declared: "This engine is a game changer" and said: "Daft as it may sound. the tiny but super advanced turbo triple - engineered in Dunton_ confers a remarkable new layer of smoothness and refinement on Ford's big selling C-segment hatchback that is so obvious, so impressive and so refreshing that it leaves the four-cylinder models gasping.
• After driving the 125PS version of the engine. Andrew English wrote on Daily Telegraph Online that it was a surprising success, provong that , just ocasionally, less can actually mean more.
• Andrew Frankel said on What Car Online that the ecoboost-powered Focus "Is the most fuel-efficient, conventionally-powered family hatchbackthe world has seen"
• Giving the new 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine five stars out of five. What Car?said"Extraordinary is not too strong a word"

Not too long now and we will have this great new product for everyone to drive and give there own opinions.

Looking for our lovers

You may be aware last year we won Buckingham's most loved Business, the competition is on again until 14th February and we would like to try and retain our title. Please if you can find the time, and of course love the services we provide, we would appreciate your help. We get some great testimonials from our customers like the ones below, and this helps us greatly, with new customers, they can use our services in confidence, when we are endorsed by other customers. This year we would like to give something back to all those who participate. We have a case of wine to give away to one lucky person who enters a testimonial about us. As well as if you go to

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/buckingham/

For Buckingham Ford

http://www.thebestof.co.uk/bicester/

For Bicester Ford

and submit a testimonial you will be entered into the main draw as well to win a Trip on the Orient Express, Ferrari driving experience or Dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant. And there’s more good news, the local Bestof website can save you money, If you sign up to them you get regular money saving offers from other local companies. If you just want to help us out but not register for the Bestof site, please email me directly ian@buckinghamford.co.uk and I can get the testimonial entered directly on your behalf. Thank you in advance, and I hope you don’t mind this direct approach, winning this competition would give us some much needed publicity. Regards Ian "Without exaggeration the service and attitude provided by Buckingham ford is probably unique in the day and age of 'don't care' and 'its too much trouble' attitudes which too often prevail. No matter whether one is planning to buy and expensive new car or just seeking free and advice or service nothing is too much trouble for them. This is so refreshing and it even restore ones faith in human nature and the existance of old fashioned service and attention. If only more businesses were like this! " David Trimby February 2012

I would like to take this opportunity to say how very pleased with the car i am, which is one of many Ford cars i have owned over the years. This is the first time that i have dealt with Buckingham Ford, and would like to say i am very impressed. On taking delivery of the car it was found that the presentation of it was excellent. I did have a problem with a door lock, but this was rectified quickly and effectively. All the staff from sales and workshop were excellent. I will certainly recommend your company and will return to you in the future. S Daniels January 2012

Great day of parking fun

We held the parking competition on Tuesday, and then had to set it up again on Thursday as we had more people wanting to try the Focus that parks itself. Everyone seemed to like the idea of the parking aid, but a lot thought it felt very strange to let go of the steering wheel and let the car do it for you. Customers who hadn't parked a car with just park assist were impressed and are looking to have us fit these to there existing car. The overall winner of parking the car without any aid was one of the first to try Sarah Kellett, who parked with only a 6am gap between the tyre and the kerb. If my memory serves me correctly she said "If I win this my husband will never believe it" Well Sarah will have some proof when we see her next week to hand over her prize.

Parking challenge event next Tuesday

According to a survey on net mums 21% of women say they are great at parallel parking and 38% say ‘Yes they are ok at it’, so thats over 50% are quite happy and a further 32% find it tricky but get there in the end.

Of course there was no such survey on Men parking as they would obviously all be great or not have answered the question.

We are holding a fun parking competition on Tuesday 11th from 11am to see if it is easier to park a car with or without the cars help.

With a prize for the best solo effort, along with some other great prizes.

Watch the focus part itself on you tube, just copy the link below