Is Your Vehicle Ready for Winter?

With winter right around the corner, it's important that you make sure your vehicle is prepared to handle the season. Certain precautions can be taken to ensure your vehicle remains in proper working order during the harsh North Dakota winters. It's important to check the tread on your tires as well as their pressure. For North Dakota winters, you may even want to consider investing in snow tires, which are made of cold-resistant rubber and have deeper treads for better traction.

When road salt and moisture combine, it can cause extensive damage to the exterior of your vehicle and begin to eat away at the paint. Wax your vehicle before the winter months and it can help protect it from corrosive materials.

            Cold temperatures often cause oil to thicken, which is bad news for your engine. Using an oil of a lower viscosity will prevent damage to the engine. Your owner's manual will inform you of the correct oil to use.

When it comes to maintaining visibility through your windshield, changing your wiper blades to special winter blades will help prevent snow and ice from clogging up your wipers. Switching to a winter wiper fluid can also prevent ice build-up on your windshield. Many brands carry specific washer fluids that won't freeze in low temperatures and actually help melt the ice on your windshield.

By following these simple precautions, you can be confident that your vehicle is ready to take on the cold temperatures coming our way. For more information on how to prepare for the winter, take a look at this article from Car and Driver.

Ready for Spring?

Friends,

Finally, old man winter is begrudgingly giving way to spring showers and (hopefully) warmer weather. We all know harsh North Dakota winters can wreak havoc with automobiles of every age, so we need to be sure everything's in working order for safe springtime travel. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before you hit the road this month.

Be sure to check your spark plugs are in good condition. Replace the coolant in the radiator to avoid corrosion and damage to the system. Get an oil change or perform one yourself, and see if your oil and oil filters need replacing as well.

The oxygen sensor is another important part of the vehicle that greatly contributes to your fuel economy. It's not a bad idea to proactively replace the oxygen sensor while you're working on the vehicle-if you unknowingly drive around with a broken one, you could cost yourself a lot in gas money. Inspect all belts and hoses, paying special attention for looseness, cracks or general damage. Clean your battery terminals.

Re-align your wheels. Check the tire pressure in all tires.

Brakes are exposed during the wintertime and critical parts may freeze. Check this out, especially if you've noticed any differences in the way your vehicle handles. Replace worn brake pads. Check your owner's manual for further information on brake maintenance intervals.

And finally, be sure to test your windshield sprayer to ensure that it isn't frozen or clogged with particles and replace wiper fluid if necessary.

Be sure to visit driveryan.com for all your automotive needs.

Safe Travels!

57...and counting

Over the weekend, the Minot Bishop Ryan Lions girls basketball team - led by Coach Julie Stewart - won their second consecutive State Class B Basketball Championship.

The 59-54 victory over a strong and spirited Shiloh Christian squad was the Lions' 57th in a row. That's quite an impressive feat, as sports records go. Just ask Joe DiMaggio.

As the winter sports season draws to a close, we at Ryan Family Dealers applaud the effort, commitment and accomplishments of all of our local student athletes.

And equally important, we tip our collective hat to the teachers, administrators, coaches and, most importantly - the parents - for their unwavering support of our children.

So to those students from Minot High School, Minot Bishop Ryan, Our Redeemers, Minot State University and students from all our area schools, Ryan Family Dealers says "well done" and we cannot wait to see what you accomplish this spring.

Ryan Honda of Minot Receives Elite Designation

Ryan Honda of Minot Receives Elite Designation

Ryan Family Dealer Standout Only North Dakota Recipient of 2013 Honda’s President’s Award

Minot – American Honda Motor Co., Inc., is proud to recognize Ryan Honda of Minot with its most prestigious honor – Honda’s President’s Award - for its exceptional performance in 2013. This is the first year that Ryan Honda of Minot has earned the exclusive President’s Award and the only Honda dealer in North Dakota to earn such a distinction.

Achieving the President’s Award requires a yearlong commitment to attaining excellence in the areas of customer satisfaction, sales, training, and facility image. More than 1,000 Honda dealerships participated in the 2013 program, with 173 earning dealership honors.

“At Honda, we have a passion for excellence that serves as the driving force behind everything we do for our valued customers,” says John Mendel, executive vice president of automobile sales for Honda. “The President’s Award was introduced in 1995 as a way to challenge our dealerships to achieve the exacting standards Honda established for the brand. Throughout the years, the criteria have been altered to ensure we remain industry leaders in customer service and satisfaction.

“It is a privilege to honor Ryan Honda with the distinguished President’s Award. I invite you to visit its showroom to experience firsthand the benefits of working with one of our award-winning dealerships.”

“This is a testament to both the hard work of Billy Mills, our General Manager, and the rest of our team as well as the quality product American Honda continues to deliver in the marketplace,” said Michael Gaddie, owner/operator at Ryan Honda of Minot.

Located at 3701 S Broadway, Ryan Honda of Minot has served northwest North Dakota since 2010. Gaddie opened a new, state-of-the-art facility in the spring of 2012.

 

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The Great Unifier

The Great Unifier

The truest test of our collective character, the finest measure of our spirit comes in the face of tragedy. It is in these moments when our better angels reveal themselves. Today, we at Ryan Family Dealers are focusing on eliminating once and for all one such unifying event - Cancer.

Cancer doesn’t care about the color of your skin, the God you pray to (or don’t), or the person you choose to love.

It doesn’t care if you voted Republican, Democrat or None of the Above.

Cancer isn’t concerned about your zip code or what tax bracket you fall under, nor is it interested in whether you own or rent.

And cancer certainly doesn’t care whether you drive Chevys, Hondas, Ca dillacs, Toyotas or Fords.

No, cancer is an equal opportunity offender.

Unless you are among the rare – and fortunate – few, you know someone who has fought cancer. Perhaps your loved one is in remission or cancer free. Too often, our friends, family members or colleagues have succumbed to this terrible disease.

Regardless, on this we can agree – cancer is a scourge that must be stamped out.

So today, on World Cancer Day, we at Ryan Family Dealerships stand shoulder to shoulder with cancer survivors, their family members and those who may be affected in the future.

We encourage you to support this cause, whether you are able to give of your time, your talent or your resources.

To learn more about the latest efforts to eradicate cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.

Who knows? The research we support today may save your life, or a loved one’s.

God bless.

 

Arrive Safely This Winter

Friends,

The heart of winter is no laughing matter here in North Dakota. Because of the vastness of our home, a reliable automobile is as important here as it is anywhere.

That’s why we’re offering this quick checklist of “to dos” for your car to ensure you and your family arrive safely to your destinations all winter long.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to “winterize” your car, including a thorough checkup that includes:

·         Checking the ignition, brakes, wiring, hoses and fan belts.

·         Changing and adjusting the spark plugs.

·         Checking the air, fuel and emission filters, and the PCV valve.

·         Inspecting the distributor.

·         Checking the battery.

·         Checking the tires for air, sidewall wear and tread depth.

·         Checking antifreeze levels and the freeze line.

·         Your car should have a tune-up (check the owner's manual for the recommended interval) to ensure better gas mileage, quicker starts and faster response on pick-up and passing power.

Additionally, as every good boy scout knows, it’s critical to be prepared. In North Dakota winters, that means having the following tools at the ready should the unforeseen happen: a properly inflated spare tire, shovel, jumper cables, tool kit, first aid kit, working flashlight and batteries, matches and non-perishable food and drink.

Following these simple steps will help ensure we all arrive safely this winter.