All together American Honda Motor Company has 13 manufacturing facilites in North America with nine of them being located in the continental United States.  Those factories make everything from cars to power equipment.  In 2009, American Honda (Honda and Acura divisions) built a record 84% of the cars it sold in the US market in its North American manufacturing facilities.  That was over 960,000 cars in 2009 alone.  Moreover, North American workers built over 27,000 cars for export in calendar year 2009.  All together, American Honda is employing approximately 27,000 people at its plants in North America.

Hyundai Motor America is experiencing similar manufacturing growth in the North American market.  In 2006, the first American built Hyundai Santa Fe rolled off the assembly line at the company’s brand new, $1.1 Billion, state-of-the-art assembly plant in Alabama.  Since then, the Alabama plant is now responsible for the production of the hottest car in America, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.  Recently, production lines were added to build the all new 2011 Hyundai Elantra at the Alabama plant.  Hyundai is so fond of building cars in America with American workers that they relocated the production of the Hyundai Santa Fe to the Kia plant just over the border in Georgia.  Between the Hyundai and Kia plants in Alabama and Georgia, Hyundai Motor America is now employing over 7500 people in the United States.

Take the time and compare these numbers to those of the domestic “Big 3″ automakers and you will see divergent trends with respect to manufacturing in America.  Transplant automakers like Honda and Hyundai continue to add manufacturing capacity and jobs to the American economy while the domestic manufacturers continue to move production to other countries.  We are all for buying American.  We are all for supporting our communities.  So the next time you visit Lehigh Valley Acura, Lehigh Valley Honda or Lehigh Valley Hyundai, you can take comfort in knowing that you’ll probably be looking at a car, truck, van or SUV that was built in America by American workers.

How can you avoid common repair scams? One thing you can do is to ask to look at the work that was performed. Ask the Honda repair shop to show you what part of the car was worked on, and where the new part is located, if there is one.

Another good practice is to request to see the parts that have been replaced. In many states, repair shops are required to save any parts that were replaced and either give them to you or show them to you at your request.

You should also make sure to get a receipt that details the work that was done to your Honda. That way, if the same part breaks down in a couple of weeks, you have a strong case that shows that the part was supposed to have been replaced.

The best way to avoid auto repair scams is to have your repairs done at your local Lehigh Valley, PA Honda dealer, where certified mechanics stand behind their quality work.

Some of them include:

• Keeping a Clean Air Filter. Your air filter catches all of the dirt and dust that tries to get into your engine. Eventually, that stuff builds up and blocks the filter. Replace your air filter when it gets too dirty.
• Regular Battery Maintenance. From time to time, take a peek at your battery to make sure the casing is clean. Make sure the connectors aren’t eroded, and that there aren’t cracks or bulges. If you find corrosion, clean it with water, baking soda and a brush.
• Change Your Oil. You’ve heard it a million times: oil is your car’s life-blood. Over time, it breaks down. Follow your manual to know for sure how often to change your oil. Usually, that will be around every 3,000 miles.
• Maintain your tires. Make sure your tires have the right amount of air. Not only will it prolong the life of your car, it’ll help save money on gas.

If you require Honda maintenance in Lehigh Valley, PA, visit our dealer today.

There are four basic processes that are involved in air conditioning: evaporation, condensation, compression and expansion. Along with each one of these processes goes a specific component of your air conditioner.

The first component is the compressor. The compressor serves to pump your refrigerant, which is in a vapor state, into the condenser. The condenser then converts this refrigerant vapor, which is under extreme pressure, into a liquid. When this happens, heat is generated and flows out of the condenser. From there, the liquid refrigerant goes to the receiver. The receiver removes excess moisture. From there, the refrigerant goes to the expansion valve, where it’s again converted to vapor. From there, it goes into the evaporator where it cools warm air from outside your Honda, and blows through your vents to keep you cool.

If you’re experiencing problems with the air conditioning in your Honda vehicle, stop by your Allentown Honda dealer today for repair or maintenance.

Without a doubt, oil plays a major part when it comes to an engine’s performance and health. 0W-20
engine oil is fast becoming the recommended service fill for many new Honda models (and those from
other automakers), replacing the ever-popular 5W-20. Why? Because in engines designed for its use,
it provides superior starting performance and fuel economy without the risk of premature engine wear.

Engine wear typically happens when you start the engine cold and it’s warming up, so it’s really important
for the engine oil to get to work right away. 0W-20 is a very low-viscosity oil that’s specially formulated to
quickly reach critical engine components when the engine is started. It also helps the engine use less fuel.
The zero in 0W-20 doesn’t mean zero viscosity; it means superior low-temperature performance.

Honda has been developing and testing engines for a number of years now with the expectation that
someday 0W-20 would become the oil of choice. It’s been used in many Honda models sold in Europe and
Japan since 2001 with no reported problems, and it’s been the factory fill for all Insights and Civic Hybrids
sold in the U.S.

For Immediate Release

July 8, 2009

Lehigh Valley Honda to Host Free Hybrid Car Safety Clinic for Area Firefighters and First Responders

Emmaus, PA – July 8, 2009 – Lehigh Valley Honda, in partnership with the Eastern PA EMS Council and Lehigh County Community College, will be hosting firefighters, EMS Technicians and other first responders at a Hybrid Car Safety Clinic at their facility located on the Lehigh Street Auto Mile in Emmaus.  Due to the success and overwhelming demand from previous Hybrid Car Safety Clinics, Lehigh Valley Honda will be hosting two separate clinics this year.  The first clinic is scheduled for Thursday July 23^rd and the second will be held on Thursday August 6^th.  Both will be from 6:30-9:00pm.  Topics discussed during the five breakout sessions at each event will cover how to disable a hybrid car battery, fire hazards posed by hybrid cars, the effects of water on hybrid cars, and air bag sensor locations and causes of deployment.

Lehigh Valley Honda began conducting these clinics a few years ago in response to stories in the national news media about firefighters and EMS technicians being killed when they responded to accidents involving hybrid cars where the complex hybrid battery systems ended up electrifying the bodies of the cars as a result of the accident.  “First responders were approaching the cars not knowing that they were hybrids and they ended up getting electrocuted when they attempted to rescue the victims.  Hearing this, we felt compelled to reach out to first responder in the Lehigh Valley and beyond and offer to educate them on ways to spot a hybrid” said Paul Goodwin, General Manager of Lehigh Valley Honda.  “The response has been overwhelming.”

Firefighters, EMS technicians and other first responders interested in participating are being asked to register with John Ott of Lehigh County Community College.  Registration and participation are free for interested parties.  Registration inquiries can be sent to Mr. Ott via email to johnott@lehighcounty.org.

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Founded in 1983 on the Lehigh Street Auto Mile in Emmaus, PA, Lehigh Valley Honda is largest Honda automobile dealership in the Lehigh Valley with over 25,000 customers in Eastern Pennsylvania and Western New Jersey.  Lehigh Valley Honda is part of the Vinart Family of Dealerships.

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For more information on Lehigh Valley Honda: www.lehighvalleyhonda.com

From Consumer Reports: “For the third consecutive year, Honda has earned class leader status for building the best all-around vehicles for American drivers, according to the Automaker Report Cards published in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue.”

For the full press release, click here