Get the most from your car’s air conditioning in summer
August 12, 2022
Cold, hard facts to keep you cool during sunny spells
With driver’s travelling in soaring temperatures during hot weather, it is worth knowing how to ensure your vehicle’s air conditioning is operating at its most efficient. Opening the windows may help a little with fuel consumption, but for maximum comfort, you want to use the air con to lower the humidity. Follow these tips to truly mastering the chill.
1. Open the windows & doors
When you start driving, first open the windows and doors for a few minutes to let the hot air escape and cooler air enter the car. One common mistake is to turn the air con on full blast once you get in the vehicle, but all this will do initially is blast hot air through the cabin.
2. Turn off stop/start
If you have a newer car with auto stop/start, consider switching it off. While this feature helps save fuel, for many vehicles it can prevent the air conditioning condenser from running when it shuts the engine off. In extreme heat, you can notice the lack of cool air very quickly, especially if you’re stuck in slow traffic that’s barely moving or at a slow stoplight.
3. Tilt the vents
Direct the vents upwards, rather than directly at you, as this stops air from getting evenly distributed around the cabin. If your vehicle has climate control, activate the Auto setting which controls the fan speed and whether the air is recirculated in the cabin or drawn from outside for an even distribution of cool air.
4. Recirculate effectively
Most cars have a recirculation switch but many motorists are unsure when to use it. The easy answer is to use it in the summer and switch it off during winter. On hot days, if you don’t recirculate the cooler air in the cabin, then your air con system is pulling hot air from outside and trying to cool it. Not only will it reduce wear and tear on the system but it will also cut down pollutants entering your vehicle while in traffic.
MOT exemption ends 1st August
July 8, 2020
From 1st August 2020, mandatory MOT testing will be reintroduced as COVID-19 restrictions are slowly lifted.
Motorists due their MOT are urged to book their test as soon as possible as testing capacity has already exceeded normal levels and is steadily increasing.
Drivers were granted a 6-month exemption from MOT testing in March, but as restrictions are eased, all motorists due an MOT test from 1st August will be required to get a test certificate to continue driving their vehicle.
Use our online booking tool to pick a date and time for your MOT test, alternatively call our service team on 01392 421333 (Exeter) or 01823 421606 (Taunton).
Suzuki ranked top automotive brand once again by Institute of Customer Service
January 30, 2020
- Institute of Customer Service’s Index for January 2020 sees Suzuki again listed as the number 1 car brand.
- Suzuki ranks 5th position overall of 259 companies and moves up 10 positions year-on-year.
Suzuki GB PLC has again been ranked as the best car brand in the latest Institute of Customer Service’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) published this month. A national measure of sentiment across the country, the research asks 45,000 consumers to rate their experiences of dealing with 259 different companies across 13 sectors, including those in the motor industry.
With an improved overall Index score of 84.1 compared to 83 in the January 2019 index, this enabled Suzuki to climb 10 places year-on-year across all companies measured. Suzuki ranked in 1st place of 24 vehicle manufacturers and 11 places in front of the next listed Automotive brand.
The latest index includes a section measurement of brands between January 2018 and January 2020, the average Automotive CSI score was 78.9 points, placing Suzuki way ahead in the Industry.
As part of the survey, customers were asked questions relating to various aspects of the way they were treated when dealing with brands including Experience, Customer Ethos, Emotional Connection and Ethics and Suzuki scored very strongly in all categories. Also worth noting is that of the 259 companies measured across 13 sectors, Suzuki ranked almost as high as John Lewis and Next and tied with Amazon.
Commenting on the results, Nobuo Suyama, Managing Director of Suzuki GB PLC, said: “We are very proud of our achievement to have again been recognised as the best car brand in the Index. Continuing to evolve the Suzuki customer experience has been a core focus during recent years, and the ongoing efforts have clearly paid off.”
He added: “Without the support of our nationwide dealer network, and the hundreds of people that work tirelessly for the brand to deliver exceptional standards for our customers week in, week out, we could not have delivered such a fantastic result. I would like to congratulate everyone who has played a part in this success, and it marks an even greater achievement than before.”
Exeter team recognised as Suzuki Saints
January 29, 2020
David Upton, Aftersales Manager at Tracks Suzuki in Exeter has been recognised by Suzuki GB PLC with a “Suzuki Saints” award, joining fellow Service Advisor Anita Hill in achieving this prestigious accolade.
To receive a Saints award, Suzuki staff must go above and beyond the call of duty and consistently earn high sastifaction scores, positive feedback and nominations from their customers. David joins Anita and only a handful of Suzuki service personnel nationwide to achieve this award since its launch in 2016.
Stephen Ody, Managing Director of Tracks Suzuki said: “I’m delighted for Dave on this fantastic achievement which is thoroughly deserved. Both he and Anita are a credit to the business and well-liked by our loyal customers.” This year marks 29 years of service for David, who has been committed to Tracks of Exeter Suzuki since it was founded back in 1991.
