Million Mile Cars

What does it take to get a car to the Million Mile Mark? A few brave souls have made the mark a few times over. One Volvo owner coaxed his beloved car over 3 million miles! It’s pretty amazing what regular maintenance and a strong passion and love for your car will do! Here’s the list:

1. Peter Gilbert’s 1989 Saab SPG

Peter is a Wisconsin salesman who has put way more than a million miles on his meticulously maintained 1989 SPG than someone living in harsh Wisconsin winters would have thought possible.

2. Guy Newmark’s 1964 Porsche 356

Here’s a car that’s not quite to the million mile mark, but for all intents and purposes, needs to be included in this list. “Blue” clocks in at way over 800,000 miles. We’re not sure anyone loves their car as much as Guy loves his Blue. This gorgeous Porsche made such a stir in the automotive world that Petrolicious did a full-blown YouTube feature on the car and its owner back in 2013.

However, just a few months later, Blue was stolen from Guy’s San Pedro, Calif., home. Guy was crushed, as you can imagine. Fortunately the car was recovered with only minor damage not long thereafter, and Guy has since returned to daily driving this seemingly indestructible work of art/machinery.

3. Irv Gordon’s 1966 Volvo P1800s

Irv Gordon spent an entire year’s salary on this gorgeous Volvo back in 1966 and has racked up more than 3 million miles on it since then! This car and its owner were awarded a Guinness World Record for “highest vehicle mileage” in May 2014. As far as we can tell Irv is still behind the wheel of this beauty, gunning for the 4 million mile mark! Whoa!

Is it just us or do these cars look so much better than a car with a million miles should look?We, as an automotive group, are always stressing the importance of regular maintenance and if this article doesn’t make you a believer, we don’t know what will! Guy, the owner of “Blue” the Porsche, said he takes his car in for oil changes every 3,000 miles without fail.

If you’re curious about what other cars made the million mile list, click  HERE.

Butler Employees Team up For a Service Win!

A heartfelt testimonial about our Acura Service Advisor Joe Butterfield and Rental Manager Chris Hansen came in today via email to our General Manager, Warren Cooper, and we just couldn’t wait for next week’s Testimonial Tuesday to share it with you.

“We want to send our compliments to you and your staff for helping us turn a potential nightmare into a minor bump in the road.  We live in Kent, Washington and own a 2003 Acura TL.  We purchased our car new and have had all of our service done at Acura of Seattle.  Prior to leaving on a long road trip to southern California we took our car to Acura of Seattle to have a complete check up and service so that we could make our trip with peace of mind that we would have an uneventful drive.  We spent $2000 on service.  One item replaced was our oil pump.  Twenty miles north of Roseburg we pulled off the freeway for a bite to eat.  When we pulled into the parking lot, our oil warning light began to flash.  Panic set in.  We checked the oil and found it almost empty.  We added three quarts and got on the freeway and phone looking for the nearest dealer.  Butler was that dealer.  We spoke with Joe Butterfield and he said get to Butler and they would take care of us.  The rest of the story is simple.  We contacted Seattle Acura on our way to Butler and they said “Don’t worry, we will work with Butler and take care of you.”  We arrived and Joe got us in to see a tech and they found that the problem was our new oil pump.  Joe couldn’t have been more helpful.  He made us feel like we had been a Butler customer for 15 years, not 15 minutes.  The only problem was our trip to Southern California looked like it was ending in Ashland.  Then we met Chris Hansen your rental manager.  He assured us not to worry.  Seattle again had sent instructions to take care of a rental for us.
Chris got us a car to get back and forth to a motel for the evening, and helped arrange for a rental for the rest of our trip.  The following morning we were on the road in a rental, while our Acura was left for your service department to repair.  We had a wonderful trip and our car was fixed and waiting for us when we returned to Ashland.

We can’t express our gratitude more for the help that we received from Joe Butterfield and Chris Hansen.  All of your staff made us feel like we were long-term customers.  We love our Acura, and we have always loved working with Seattle Acura.  Even though there was a problem with the repair they did before our trip, we found new friends at Butler Acura in Ashland who took care of us.  You have great people working for you.  We want to thank Joe and Chris.  They were great.  Congratulations on having amazing employees. Thanks again to you and the owners of Butler.”  –Dean  and Chris Warner

Extend the Life of Your Vehicle and Keeping You Safe

We’re always looking for tips that can extend the life of your car AND keep you safe! My Ford Magazine is a great resource and they’ve posted an excellent article about your shocks and struts – and why this is important to you!

Below are great tips to protect your car in winter and spring driving conditions and what to look for if your shocks and struts are not the best they can be and you need to be ready for those summer road trips!

1. REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY
When your shocks or struts become worn down, your vehicle “jounces” more over bumps, which means it bounces up and down. This makes braking more difficult and could significantly increase your stopping distance. So take note: If your vehicle is taking longer than usual to stop, or if it is nose-diving when you do so (another sign of decreased traction), have your vehicle checked at any of our four service locations. A suspension check is part of the multi-point inspection included; during the inspection our technicians will ensure that all possible pothole-related damage is assessed, and you’ll have less to worry about.

2. LESS CONTROL ON CORNERS
Watch out for an exaggerated “body roll” when you turn corners—this is when you feel yourself and your vehicle tilting a bit more than normal, which can be a sign of damaged shocks or struts. If that’s happening to you, take your vehicle in for a suspension check right away, because excessive body roll can affect your ability to safely steer around obstructions in the road.

3. ROUGHER RIDE
Getting jostled on your journey is not only uncomfortable, it can affect your ability to safely control your vehicle. Try a quick bounce test at home by pushing down firmly on the front and rear of your vehicle. If the car moves up and down more than once or twice, have your shocks and struts checked at any of our four service centers.

4. TIRE WEAR
When struts or shocks are worn out, your tires wear out faster. A damaged strut or shock can also contribute to quicker wear on the other steering components of the vehicle, like rods and wheel bearings. If you notice a rumbling or increased vibrations at higher speeds, have a Ford auto technician look for “cupping” on your tires, which is a type of scalloped wear pattern associated with struts and shocks. Cupping happens when your car jounces up and down, leaving indented scuff marks on the tires, and is a big red flag that your suspension needs repairing.

5. MORE HYDROPLANING & SKIDDING
Worn shocks and struts can affect the way your wheels engage with the road, especially when roads are slick. If your vehicle is sliding or hydroplaning frequently, get your suspension checked out now—before more April showers arrive.

Our Ford and Acura service centers are located at 1899 Highway 99 N in Ashland and can be reached at 541-482-2521. Our Kia dealership is located at 4950 Crater Lake Avenue, 541-776-3088 while our Hyundai dealership is located at 5000 Crater Lake Avenue, 541-245-5335. Call for an appointment today if you notice any of these issues with your vehicle.

USA Made “Pulse” Brake Technology Available at Butler Dealerships

So what exactly IS “Pulse” brake technology? We were so smitten by its incredible safety appeal, we just installed it in our vehicles this week! Butler is the first in the valley (actually one of the first West coast!) to do so. Pulse
Safer Braking Technology ® (Pulse) is truly the leader in safer braking technology. Pulse is the only pulsing third brake light that meets regulatory requirements for use in all 50 states. Other third brake light safety technologies utilize flashing lights. What’s the difference between flashing and pulsing? Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations restrict flashing lights to emergency vehicles. This award-winning rear-end collision avoidance technology causes the third brake to pulse four times in a row, each time you  brake, more effectively alerting the driver behind you that you’ve stopped. Additionally, Pulse is proudly designed and manufactured in the USA and each unit is hand-tested twice at the manufacturer before being shipping to us.

Why install this? Is it worth it? Here are some sobering statistics:

• Rear-end collisions account for nearly 30% of all traffic accidents, and almost a third of those are deemed to be a “total loss” by insurance adjusters, according to the DOT.  With over 2.5 million occurring each year in the US, everyone knows someone close to them that have had their lives significantly affected by a rear-end collision. The statistics show, that the time it took to read this blog, four rear-end collisions have occurred somewhere in America.
• In the last five years, rear end collisions have increased significantly. In fact, the number one cause of death now in traffic accidents is now attributed to “distracted driving” rather than “reckless driving.”
• According to a 1992 study by Daimler-Benz, if passenger car drivers have a just a half-second of additional warning time, about 60% of rear-end collisions can be prevented. An extra second of warning time can prevent about 90% of rear-end collisions.

I actually just witnessed a rear end collision where a pedestrian was crossing the street at a designated crosswalk and the car in the lane beside me stopped, but the driver behind that car was distracted on her cell phone, and slammed right into the back on the other car. Thankfully, the pedestrian was not hit, but both cars suffered significant damage that might have been avoided if the driver in front had a rapidly pulsing third brake light to alert the driver behind.

So, how can Pulse Safer Braking Technology ® make things safer on our roads?

• According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), 90% of rear-end collisions could be avoided if the trailing vehicle had just ONE SECOND of warning.
• DOT and manufacturer studies have demonstrated that Pulse increases the reaction time of the trailing driver by almost 50%!
• DOT studies have also shown that a distracted driver is 60% more likely to notice you stopping or slowing with Pulse on-board.

As pictured, all vehicles equipped with Pulse receive a sticker alerting other drivers and raising awareness of this life-saving technology. Do recall the ubiquitous “Baby on Board” signs? They are visible and these stickers are very similar.

I can’t help but think the unfortunate accident I witnessed yesterday could have been avoided with Pulse. Qualified technicians at Butler Ford just installed this technology on my little three-door hatchback Ford Focus and I already feel safer! I’m not certain my little Focus (or me!) would survive a rear-end collision with many vehicles.

You can bring your vehicle, regardless of make or model into our shops at Butler Ford, Butler Acura, Butler Hyundai or Butler Kia to get Pulse installed for just $299. Just make an appointment with any of our service departments and we’ll get you in ASAP. In Ashland, call 541-482-1489 and in Medford call 541-776-3088.

Butler Auto Group is ONLY dealer right now in the valley with this technology in all of our vehicles (except our Acuras, but the option to install is available.) Click HERE for more information and check out this great testimonial video.

HID’s – A Glaring Problem in Oregon

The hottest trend nowadays in headlights is installing HIDs, or High Intensity Discharge lights. Proponents of the new lights say the crystal blue color highlights the road and cuts through the fog better than the typical halogen lights.

However, HID opponents say those lights can be blinding in the darkness and make it dangerous when trying to share the road. Many of them are also illegal. Oregon State Troopers pull over drivers daily for the illegal lights, which are most often bought from the internet and installed incorrectly.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, improperly installed headlights can throw out as much as three times the amount of glare legal headlight put out.

Here’s why – think of your headlight like a flashlight, and inside is the bulb. A halogen bulb is shorter than an HID bulb. A longer HID bulb filament widens-out the beam. That sends more glare out of the side of the light, right into drivers’ eyes. Additionally, older drivers are more at risk for being blinded by the ultra-bright lights because the retina in the back of the eye takes longer to recover after getting hit with bright light as you age.

According to Oregon State Police Senior Trooper Douglas Brown, the illegally bright headlights can have tragic consequences.

“I’ve had cases where they’ve swerved across into the oncoming lanes and hit the car that was blinding them,” says Brown.

So what can you do to be safe? If you do purchase HID lights, make sure they say DOT approved and take them to a certified dealer service center like ours to get them properly installed. If you are blinded by illegally bright HID lights on the road, pull over and the let the vehicle pass if possible. Remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Get 20% Off a SuperSaver Rent-A-Car Vehicle 3 Days a Week!

We know rental cars aren’t usually in the budget unless one’s planning a vacation but, when you need one you really need one! That’s why we’ve set aside a few days every week during which to offer lower rental car prices. Rent any Butler SuperSaver Rent-A-Car vehicle on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and get 20% off! Just print this coupon and present it when picking up your car, truck or SUV.  You can even check out our rental fleet and make your reservation online at  supersaverrentacar.com.  The offer’s good until the end of the year.  See you soon!

Butler Techs Nail No-Shave-November Before Month Even Starts

Iman and Oscar contemplating their burliness

It’s the last day of October 2014, one day before the official start of “No Shave November”, but two Butler technicians are already rocking a serious amount of facial hair.  Iman Pirasteh and Oscar Malfavon are famous around the Butler campus for not only their ability to grow a seriously healthy beard but for the speed with which said beard appears.  Oscar’s been working on his masterpiece for a good six months but Iman’s only been forgoing the razor for a couple weeks.

Depending on who you ask, the No Shave phenomenon formerly known as “Movember” (a mashup of the words “mustache”‘ and “November”), is either an opportunity to show support for, and raise awareness of, cancer, or a good excuse to be lazy.   Iman and Oscar like the idea that their decreased personal grooming is somehow in line with the American Cancer Society’s mission while totally enjoying the social movement towards slacker-dom.  In fact, Oscar’s well on his way to being able to claim a “No Shave 2014”!

Recall of Vehicles Outfitted with Takata Airbags Expands

If your vehicle is equipped with an airbag we suggest you read this post immediately.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has upped to nearly 8-million the number of vehicles that may be affected by faulty airbags built by Takata.  Caranddriver.com says the airbags have the potential to inflate improperly, resulting in the shrapnel-like shooting of metal fragments.  The NHTSA is providing a list of potentially affected vehicles but says that list may change as more information becomes available.  We advise running your vehicle’s VIN through the NHTSA’s database to see whether it falls under the recall, and then signing up for alerts so as to stay informed.  You can also check your manufacturer’s website for more information.

Sources:  nhtsa.gov, www.caranddriver.com

Last Butler Open House of 2014 in the Books

We wrapped up our Open House season last night with a delightful evening at Butler Kia.  Good conversation, happy customers, and plenty of food made for the perfect event.  The highlight might have been the presentation of flowers to Butler’s Service Manager, Curtis Hancock, for Boss’s Day.  He just about had a heart attack when he ran across the toy snake hidden in the bouquet!  Thanks to everyone who participated!  See you next year!

Vanguard Pictures Brings Hot Wheels Race to Life

If you were a Hot Wheels fan as a kid today’s blog will take you back to your childhood and the dreams you poured into your tiny toy cars. That’s because the ultimate Hot Wheels race has finally been brought to reel life thanks in a short film by Vanguard Pictures. The three minute production required more than 25-thousand frames of stop animation. The result is pretty spectacular. Enjoy!