Chains and snow tires will help (we have both in stock 250-758-7742). We also carry salt for your walk ways and stairs, winter windshield washer fluid, and every kind of windshield wiper needed. Drive safe Nanaimo.

PS. Chains will only work if you put them on the driving tires. Front Wheel Drive cars, like the Toyota Camry in the video, does not get chains on the rear tires!

Fact: Karen Fehr is a fast walker, and she’s hilarious. We love her!
Fact: Not everyone can pull off a wink, Karen sure can!
Fact: Shawn Hildebrandt almost fell while running backwards in Phoenix Kitchesn & Designs.
Fact: Ryan Fife was great.
Fact: Karen Ann laughed too much while watching the outtakes.
Fact: Cheryl said, “It’s not THAT funny”.
Fact: Karen Ann’s favourite outtake got cut. :(

What a great team we have here!

Jon, Shaun, Rob and Brad stayed after shift just to make sure that the tire and tool room for the shop got all cleaned up. Amazing work guys. So glad you are part of our Family here at Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln.

While they might moonlight as shop cleaners, they are excellent technicians!

Consumers should remember that fuel economy is dependant on proper air pressure. Monitoring air pressure regularly, and using proper inflation pressures as directed by the vehicle owner’s manual, is the best route to ensure maximum fuel economy and maximum tire life.

Remember, regardless of temperature, tires lose between 1-2 psi per month. In addition, for every 7 degrees Celsius drop in temperature, a tire will lose another pound of pressure. So a tire left unchecked from the time it was filled in warm June to 35 psi, is down 12psi in cooler November. That under inflation is going to hurt fuel economy, traction, and increase tire wear.

Press Release

We are so excited to try this out. Can’t wait for the new Ford Escape to arrive!!

Tread depth is typically measured in 1/32″ increments. Using a recent Canadian penny (the Queen is not wearing a crown) you can quickly and easily check the tread depth yourself.

With the Queen facing you, insert the penny into the tread hair first. Repeat this by placing the coin into several treads across the tire from each side and the middle. Take the lowest reading as the overall tread depth.

The top of her head is approximately 4/32″ of tread depth. If you can see her entire head it is time to find some new Tires!

Quick and Easy!!

Ready to start shopping for tires? Good timing, cause our parts department is selling tires at 99¢ over cost!

For those of us with Quarters jangling in our pockets, the same measurement can be taken using the the moose head (does he have a name?) put him in the tread nose first and if you can see his muzzle it’s time to start looking for new tires!!

With a Sterling Award from the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce already under her company’s belt, Judith Chinn of JAC GeoDesign is fierce about creating 3D buildings on Google Earth!

What an amazing local talent, the first Google Certified Geo 3D Develper. Check out the JAC GeoDesign website for more information.

Press Release:

Click on any image to be taken to the larger detail photo. Email karenann@stevemarshallford.com to contact the seller

The all-new Ford Focus achieves significantly improved aerodynamic performance, cutting drag by up to 7.8 percent to help reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. It’s a key contributor to achieving projected 40 mpg fuel economy for the all-new Focus.

The 2012 Focus exudes energy with its athletic Z body lines. It’s designed to cheat the wind and steal your breath. The shifting belt line creates sinuous shoulders over the wheels. It looks ready for anything and the looks don’t lie.

Our available Parking Technology Package comes with a rear view camera, front parking sensors and Active Park Assist. Unlike other systems that use imaging devices, our Active Park Assist uses ultrasonic sensors. Once activated, your Focus will parallel park itself with almost no input from you. And it will do it nearly three times faster than competitive park assist systems can.

On June 1st, 2 flags and 7,000 greeting in 12 books left Nanaimo for the troops in Afghanistan.

They were distributed to all the Canadian troop bases, including Forward Operation Bases(FOBs)through the chaplains.

This flag has travelled over 24,000 km. and is signed by 100 “heroes”-Canadian Forces from Army, Navy and Air, from Privates to Captains.

This flag was raised at the Kandahar Air Base,and went out on missions in Chinook helicopters.

It will be on display at various locations around Nanaimo this Spring 2011.

Read the full article here: theglobeandmail.com

For several years, the City of Nanaimo has been offering incentives to revitalize the economy of the downtown core, and it’s worked. There is the new Vancouver Island Conference Centre, restaurants in heritage buildings, a four-kilometre seawall, boutique stores moving in, and tourists and locals walking around the streets.

(Can you spot all the cell’s our staff are taking pictures with?)

ROYAL OAK, Mich., August 25, 2010 – A rare reptile, believed to be a stowaway in a shipment of auto parts from Mexico, has found a new home at the Detroit Zoo. A Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana was spotted scurrying across the loading dock at the Ford Motor Company’s Van Dyke Transmission Plant on July 29. The reptile can only be found in a 1,200-square-mile range of the Yucatan Peninsula.

After discovering the surprise visitor, a safety engineer at the Ford plant called Sterling Heights Animal Control, who helped relocate the iguana to a temporary home at the Sterling Heights Nature Center. The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) was contacted the next day and was asked to provide the fugitive reptile with a permanent home.

The DZS is frequently asked to help with the rescue of exotic animals from private owners, pseudo-sanctuaries, circuses and roadside zoos. “This is a unique and rare rescue situation. This particular species is from a localized area in Mexico and it’s uncommon to see them in zoos,” said Curator of Reptiles Jeff Jundt.

The Yucatan spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura defensor) is one of the smallest iguana species, only growing up to a foot long. Its body sports a variety of colors, including a black chest with white spots, gray tail with a blue tint and a red lower back. The species sometimes uses its tail, covered with spiny scales, for defense by lashing it back and forth.

The iguana, an adult male, is currently in quarantine to make certain it is healthy before joining the Detroit Zoo’s black iguana in the fall at the Holden Museum of Living Reptiles.

Ben: I was just wondering why you guys were the first to put a fully boxed frame in a 8500.

Doug Scott: We were the first to use a fully boxed frame in the U8500, light duty segment, in our F-150, the 2004 model because it made sense for the light duty pickup customers needs. As you know, heavy duty pickup customers are even more diverse, including pickups, chassis cabs with service bodies, and numerous other considerations that must be factored into the decision. At the end of the day, heavy duty truck customers are most interested in capability (maximum payload and towing), durability, and performance, not as much in how it is delivered.

Kyle: thought Dodge was bold to switch to coil springs for their 1500. Your thoughts on that?

Doug Scott: Bold, but not meeting the needs of the capability oriented buyer who compromises the majority of today’s full size pickup customer. It shows up in their declining market share performance.

Bobby: How do you feel about the new Chevy truck coming out?

Doug Scott: Since they are upgrading the front suspension and the Duramaz diesel, I expect that it will be a formidable competitor than the 2010 Silverado HD has been. We’re anxious to get our hands on one and really see what it can deliver.

Craig: Truck quality/performance is always the major consideration – how is Ford continuing to stay ahead of the pack in this area especially with the larger truck class 450+

Doug Scott: Our watchword is continous improvement in all aspects. As such we spend an incredible amount of time and effort analyzing customer survey feedback, focus groups discussion, and face to face meetings learning for opportunities to give our customers a better product. Additionally, at the manufacturing level, better design, CAD, CAE, and a dedication to being the best has helped us achieve our current position of having the best quality in the industry. Obviously, you don’t get to be the Best Selling Truck in America for 33 consecutive years if you aren’t delivering a durable, reliable, high quality product.

Mike: Some news I read about the new F250 ford diesel was claiming 28 avg mpg. Is that possible?

Doug Scott: The fuel economy on the 2011 Super Duty (all models) is 18% better than the previous model. Some versions such as the F-450 boast up to a 40% improvement. Every day, we are hearing that customers are getting in the 20′s. When we did our media drive out in Arizona a few months ago, we had an 80 mile fuel economy challenge and one journalist actually got over 34 mpg.

The British Columbia Vehicles Sales Authority estimates that in ‘just’ the Lower Mainland “curbers” represent as much as half the vehicles currently being advertised privately in the newspapers, in trade magazines and through various used classifieds website.

In March of 2010 multiple agencies concerned with illegalities surrounding misrepresented “private” sales of motor vehicles by those called “curbers.” Among the participants in the conference were the RCMP, ICBC, Canada Revenue Agency, Crown Counsel (Commercial Crime), Canada Border Services Agency, municipal bylaw enforcement officers, the B.C. Transportation Ministry’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement and the Vehicle Sales Authority(VSA).

How do curbers victimize so many people? There is high degree of odometer tampering, imported salvage vehicles banned in other jurisdictions, wrecked vehicle rebuilds (often fronts, rears or chassis from different wrecks welded together) and other safety and misrepresentation issues.

This series of 4 videos has been put together by the Vehicle Sales Authority to alert consumers to the exact dangers you should watch for when purchasing privately.

Part #1 – Buying a Vehicle Privately – Be Very Careful!
Part #2 – How to Spot a Curber or Fake Private Seller
Part #3 – 6 Steps You Should Take Before Buying a Vehicle From a Private Seller
Part #4 – Why You Should Get a Vehicle History Report that Includes a Lien Check

Shutting down computers at night saves Ford more than one million dollars

• Simple step of “powering down” laptops and desktop PCs is useful to corporations and individuals
• Ford estimates it will save $1.2 million and reduce its carbon footprint by 16,000-25,000 metric tons annually
• Ford and ENERGY STAR offer tips for consumers to reduce their own household energy use

DEARBORN, Mich., March 22, 2010 – At Ford Motor Company, the commitment to energy efficiency and saving money now starts at the office computer.

Under a new program called PC Power Management, the power settings on Windows laptops and desktop computers are centrally controlled to reduce energy waste and optimize software updates. A managed shutdown of computer systems not in use, especially overnight and on weekends, further reduces energy use.

At the same time, the system ensures all computers connected to the Ford Intranet are awake and able to receive software deliveries during off hours, decreasing downtime during working hours due to software loads.

The savings to the company on power cost alone is expected to top $1.2 million annually when the system is fully implemented. By reducing PC power consumption, Ford also stands to reduce its carbon footprint by an estimated 16,000 to 25,000 metric tons annually.

“In the past, as many as 60 percent of Ford’s PC users haven’t shut their PCs off at the end of the business day, resulting in wasted energy,” said Keith Forte, Ford IT project supervisor. “Going forward, we’ll be able to manage PC power consumption more efficiently while minimizing interruptions during the working day as a result of software updates.”

PC Power Management is being rolled out to Ford computer users across the U.S. this month. It will be migrated to Ford operations around the world later in the year.

The cost savings and reduced carbon footprint are obtained by developing “Power Profiles” for each PC in the company. With its power profile enabled, each PC monitors its usage patterns and determines when it can be turned off. If the user is working late, he or she will be alerted of the approaching power down and given the opportunity to delay it. In addition, the PC is able to detect when a Microsoft Office product is active and is able to save open documents before shutting down in case the user is not present.

Ford developed its PC Power Management system with NightWatchman™ software from 1E Inc. 1E research found that almost half of all employees who use computers at work typically do not power them down at the end of the working day. In the U.S. alone, over $2.8 billion of PC power is being wasted every year, according to 1E.

Ford’s actions to reduce the amount of energy used in all of its facilities, from manufacturing to office buildings have earned it the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s coveted 2010 ENERGY STAR Award for the fifth consecutive year. In 2008, Ford improved energy efficiency in the U.S. by 5 percent resulting in savings of approximately $16 million. Since 2000, Ford’s U.S. facilities have improved energy efficiency by nearly 35 percent. That’s equivalent to the annual energy consumed by more than 150,000 homes.

As part of the company’s commitment to ENERGY STAR, Ford urges its employees and customers to join the effort by reducing their personal energy use and cutting their CO2 footprints. Home energy use accounts for about 25 percent of the average American’s carbon footprint. Individuals can help reduce that by pledging their support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR” campaign. http://www.energystar.gov/

The ENERGY STAR Pledge includes small, individual energy-saving actions that collectively can make a difference. Among those recommendations from the EPA:

• Change incandescent light bulbs to ENERGY STAR rated compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) or LEDs
  • CFLs are 50-80 percent more efficient that incandescent bulbs.
  • ENERGY STAR qualified residential LED lighting uses at least 75 percent less energy, lasts 25 times longer than incandescent lighting and provides optimal light color.

• Use a programmable thermostat to save energy while asleep or away from home.
  • The average household spends $2,200 a year on energy.
  • Properly set programmable thermostats can save $180 a year.

• Enable power management settings on computers and monitors so they go into “sleep mode” when away or not in use.
  • To maximize power savings, EPA recommends setting computers to enter system standby or hibernate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. <
  • To save even more, set monitors to enter sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity. The lower the setting, the more energy you save.

• Make purchases of ENERGY STAR-qualified products, such as home electronics, office products and/or appliances.
  • A refrigerator from the 1970s uses four times more energy than an ENERGY STAR rated model.
  • In the average home, 75 percent of all electricity used to power consumer electronics is consumed after the products are turned off. ENERGY STAR labeled consumer electronics save energy and money without sacrificing performance, features, or reliability.

• Make sure homes are well sealed and insulated.
  • Sealing and insulating the “envelope” or “shell” of a home — its outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors — is often the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort
  • Proper home sealing and insulating can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs.

By working together, Ford believes both individuals and corporations can make a difference in reducing energy use.

The Ford Transit Connect is truly becoming the greatest addition to Fleets in Canada!! Including Nanaimo, Check out Mid Island Towing’s Transit Connect!