Don Chalmers Ford Holds Meals on Wheels Food Drive

This week, starting June 17th until This Saturday, June 22nd, Don Chalmers Ford is hosting a canned food drive for Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque.

Hours will be 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Mon-Fri and 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Saturday and we’ll be collecting all non-perishable food items at all of the Don Chalmers Ford locations:

Don Chalmers Ford Main Dealership - 2500 Rio Rancho Blvd, Rio Rancho
Used Car Outlet in Rio Rancho – 1400 Hwy 528, Rio Rancho
Coors Used Car Outlet – 3500 Coors Blvd, NW, Albuquerque
Coors Quik Lane in Albuquerque – 3130 Coors Blvd, NW, Albuquerque

“Don Chalmers Ford is proud to be a long time supporter of Meals on Wheels. Our main location serves as a drop off point for daily meal deliveries. This food drive is just another way we can support this great organization, explains Shauna Kessler of Don Chalmers Ford. “New Mexico is number 2 in the nation for senior food insecurity and anything we can do to help drop that number is important. Meals on Wheels receives no federal or state funding so volunteer donations are even more crucial.”

Help us beat our goal of collecting at least 100 items per location for Meals on Wheels!

Meals on Wheels Food Drive

A canned food drive for Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque in the following locations: Don Chalmers Ford Main Dealership and Used Car Outlet in Rio Rancho and the Coors Used Car Outlet and Coors Quik Lane in Albuquerque.

Starts: 06/17/2013 09:00 am

Ends: 06/22/2013

2500 Rio Rancho Blvd

Rio Rancho, NM

87124

Chalmers Tips for Tire Safety!

National Tire Safety Week was last week, so our latest Chalmers Tips is all about caring for your car’s tires! Obviously your car isn’t going to get very far without tires, so we want to keep them in optimum shape. Plus, we can all agree that tires are expensive, so the better care you take of them, the longer they last before needing to replace them.

We can use the Rubber Manufacturers Association campaign, Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART, which creates a helpful acronym for tire safety and care.

P – Pressure

Check tire pressure when tires are cold (wait 3 hours after driving)
Pressure may be low, even if tires don’t look flat
Find recommended PSI for tire pressure in your owner’s manual of inside door

A – Alignment

Hitting potholes and curbs can throw off your tire alignment
Misaligned tires cause increased wear and tear
Uneven handling or the car “pulling” to one side more than another indicates misaligned tires

R – Rotation

Tires should be rotated at 5-6,000 mile intervals (estimated) if not otherwise specified in your owner’s manual
Rotating your tires encourages even wear and tear among all four tires
Tire rotations also prevent unbalanced wheels, which may cause shock absorbers and struts to wear more rapidly

T – Tread

Tire tread influences the amount of resistance you’ll have on the road and low tread means a looser grip
Always check the tire sidewalls for cracking or punctures that increase your chances of tire burst
Use a Penny to measure the tread as a test of when to replace tires. Stick Lincoln’s head between the tread and if you can see the top of his head, it’s time to buy some tires!

Ford and GM Collaborate for Ten-Speed Transmission

American automakers, Ford and General Motors, have announced a new collaboration to develop advanced automatic transmissions. As the largest two of Detroit’s Big Three car manufacturers, the two automotive giants feel that this collaboration will be beneficial in leading the world in gearbox technology.

Ford and GM work together

These two companies will develop both nine-speed and ten-speed transmissions, which will be an upgrade from current market offerings that sometimes extend to eight-speed but usually stop at the six-speed layout. The new transmissions will be designed for both front- and rear-wheel drive vehicles. Engine noise and vibration will be reduced significantly while engine optimization and fuel efficiency will improve thanks to the new transmissions.

Ford and GM are often seen as bitter rivals, but this collaboration actually marks the third time the automakers have worked together on transmission technology in the last decade. Due to their previous partnership, they have developed more than 8 million transmissions that currently power vehicles on the road. Ford plans to incorporate the ten-speed transmissions mostly in its rear-wheel drive products, specifically trucks and performance vehicles.

According to Craig Renneker, Ford’s chief transmission engineer, Ford and GM will work together only to develop common parts. From there, each company will customize the transmission using its own software.

CHALMERS TIPS: Maintaining Your Car – Checking Fluids

It’s that time again and we’re bringing you the latest installment of CHALMERS TIPS on Right Turn Only. Our featured video today regards to those of you how prefer maintaining your car at home. Mike Zeyen, of Don Chalmers Ford Service Department, is here to show you the best way check the levels of the different fluids and your tire pressure at home.

One of the most important processes of car maintenance is checking the fluids and tire pressure. When done properly, maintaining proper fluids will lubricate and protect your engine and ensure a long life for your car. Keeping your tires inflated to the recommended pressure will reduce the amount of wear and tear with and also improve your fuel economy!

Midnight Madness Memorial Day Sale

In honor of our veterans this Memorial Day, Don Chalmers Ford is partnering with Kirtland Federal Credit Union to host a Midnight Madness Memorial Day Sale this weekend. We’ll be offering special rates plus we will be donating to Wounded Warriors for every loan through KFCU.

For the Midnight Madness Memorial Day Sale, this Thursday, Friday and Saturday (May 23-25) we will be open until midnight, as well as all day this Monday, May 27^th.

You can save big on any new Ford car, truck or SUV in just interest alone! This weekend only we’re offering 0% for up to 72 months on all of our Ford F-Series trucks! Plus, complimentary basic service is included!

Other great specials at our Midnight Madness Memorial Day Sale include a new 2013 Ford Edge for $239 per month and a new 2013 Ford Fusion for just $209 per month. You can also find a new 2013 Ford Focus for the very low price of $199 per month and a new 2013 Ford Escape only $219 a month!

For more information on the deals of the Midnight Madness Memorial Day Sale, visit Don Chalmers Ford this weekend or call the dealership at 1-800-481-9374. Stop by for a great deal on a new car as well as to help out a wonderful cause that helps those injured while serving our country.

Time to Celebrate National Transportation Week

Bus - National Transportation Week

The amount of new holidays and national weeks of recognition seems to increase annually—and the actual celebrations continue to grow increasingly more obscure. The month of May is riddled with these days, from International Tuba Day, which occurs on the first Friday in May, to National Macaroon Day, which closes out the month on the 31^st. Don Chalmers Ford is celebrating a week in May that holds a little more significance: National Transportation Week (NTW).

NTW has been supported by the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) since 1962, and with its backing, NTW has increased in awareness every one of those 51 years. The week dedicated to increased awareness and appreciation for the transportation industry will run from May 12^th through the 18^th this year, and will feature events to celebrate transportation professionals and educate the transporters of the future.

Every year, the NDTA assigns a theme to NTW. The theme for 2013 is Transportation – The World is Right Next Door.” The theme was designed to highlight the increased technology in transportation that is bolstering globalization.

To experience the most up-to-date automotive technology visit Don Chalmers Ford in Rio Rancho, NM. You can also check out our vehicles online, at http://www.donchalmersford.com/default.aspx.

Top Ten Tips for Eco Driving Month – Part 2

Please contain your excitement as we deliver the much anticipated continuation from our Top Ten Tips for Eco Driving blog post last week. These tips are more focused on the what to do for eco driving opposed to what not to do. So without further ado, here are the final 5 eco driving tips in celebration of Eco Driving Month.

Keep your car updated on routine services to make sure your engine and everything are all running smoothly to ensure maximum gas mileage. Check out the local dealership’s service specials to save some cash too.
Keeping your car driving at a steady, consistent pace, especially during longer distances with greatly improve your fuel efficiency. Go ahead and use that cruise control – that’s what it’s there for!
Check the pressure in your tires. When the tires on your car aren’t properly inflated, your gas mileage suffers and the ride also becomes more unsafe. Check the driver’s side door jamb for the sticker with proper tire pressure info.
Reset the trip part of your car’s odometer each time you fill up your tank to see how many miles you’re averaging on a tank of gas.
Plan ahead. When you plan and consolidate your trips, you can work around heavy traffic times and quicker routes.

Top Ten Tips for Eco Driving Month – Part 1

Eco driving is defined as techniques and behaviors used by drivers to optimize and maximize the fuel economy of their vehicle. This May is Eco Driving Month and Don Chalmers Ford has selected ten of the best tips used for eco driving that you can start using now to improve your fuel efficiency.

Be mindful of your speed. Research shows that you gas mileage takes a noticeable hit, usually decreasing pretty rapidly at speeds above 50 mph.
Be aware of how you’re driving and avoid driving aggressively. When you find yourself rapidly speeding up and slowing down, pressing heavily on the gas pedal only to hit the brakes hard a minute later, you’re driving aggressively and your fuel efficiency suffers.
Carrying extra cargo and equipment in your car that you won’t be using can really pack on the extra weight in your car and lower the fuel economy, so unload things that you know you won’t need for the day.
Avoid idling. When your car just sits there with the engine on, you’re wasting gas and adding emissions into the atmosphere. It’s always better to turn off the engine while you’re waiting somewhere.
Even though the weather is warming, while you’re driving at high speeds or on the highway, its best to keep your windows rolled up to reduce the amount of wind drag and keep your fuel economy high.

Check back next week for the final five tips for eco driving!

Take a Road Trip and Explore America this Spring

Spring time is the best time to take a break from life and go on a great American road trip. Travel and Leisure has a list of America’s Best Spring Drives. So, whether you drive there or fly there and rent a car, you might want to start planning that spring road trip!

1.) Santa Fe/ Taos Loop, New Mexico: Step back in time, before 1400, to one of the oldest inhabited communities in America.

2.) Catalina Highway, Arizona: This route will take you through various terrains from the dry desert to cool lush greens and into the high Santa Catalina Mountains.

3.) Texas Hill Country Bluebonnet Tour: Go for a weekend getaway and take in the vast expense of bluebonnet flowers that cover the Texas country side. Start in Austin at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and head toward Burnet.

4.) Acadia All American Road, Maine: For a coastal getaway, hop on a plane and then drive the 40 mile route along the Acadia National Park. Take your binoculars to spy exotic wildlife and pristine scenery.

5.) Antelope Valley, California: Along this drive through the Mojave Desert and you will find golden poppies blooming along with tons of other flowers.

6.) Cherokee Foothill Scenic Highway, South Carolina: Take this route in late spring or early summer to catch the most beautiful scenery of blooming flowers, lush trees, waterfalls and covered bridges.

7.) Tamiami Train, Florida: For a more tropical vacation, stick to this 275 mile route that runs along the west coast. You’ll see tons of rare plants and animals; some even call it “the Amazon of North America”.

These are just a few of the many places you could explore this spring. Pack up your bags, hop in your car and start driving. Our staff, here at Don Chalmers Ford, hopes you stay staff during your adventures!

Ford and GM Team for Advanced 9 and 10-Speed Transmissions

Ford has announced that they have signed a partnership with General Motors Corporation to jointly develop and produce new nine-speed and ten-speed automatic transmissions.

These new transmissions will be available for cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks as well as both front and rear-wheel drives.

“Engineering teams from GM and Ford have already started initial design work on these new transmissions,” said Jim Lanzon, GM vice president of global transmission engineering. “We expect these new transmissions to raise the standard of technology, performance and quality for our customers while helping drive fuel economy improvements into both companies’ future product portfolios.”

By working together on this project, Ford and GM are able to design, develop, engineer, test, validate and deliver this advanced technology to vehicles at a faster rate and lower cost than before.

Stay turned to Right Turn Only for more information!