Ford SYNC 3 | Prescott Brothers Ford Rochelle IL

FORD SYNC 3 DELIVERS NEW, INNOVATIVE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR LIVES WHILE ON THE MOVE

•  SYNC® 3 – Ford’s new communications and entertainment system – features faster performance, more conversational voice recognition, a more intuitive smartphone-like touch screen and easier-to-understand graphical interface to help Ford customers connect and control their smartphone on the road

• Also new: seamless integration of AppLink™ for a simple way to control smartphone apps, the addition of Siri Eyes-Free capability for iPhone users, over-the-air software updates using Wi-Fi, and enhanced 911 Assist® that provides subscription-free emergency calling in the event of a significant accident

Ford today introduced SYNC® 3, a new communications and entertainment system that is faster, more intuitive and easier to use with enhanced response to driver commands.

SYNC 3’s more conversational voice recognition technology, a more smartphone-like touch screen and easy-to-read graphics will help millions of drivers connect with their lives and control their smartphone while on the road.

The next-generation system builds on the capability of SYNC technology already in more than 10 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road globally. SYNC 3 begins arriving on new vehicles next year.

“Ford is delivering an easier way for customers to stay connected,” said Raj Nair, Ford chief technical officer and group vice president, Global Product Development. “SYNC 3 is another step forward in delivering connectivity features customers most want, and they tell us this kind of technology is an important part of their decision to buy our vehicles.”

Ford took a customer-centric approach in developing SYNC 3, drawing on 22,000 customer comments and suggestions, plus insights gleaned from research clinics, market surveys and tech industry benchmarking.

Intuitive interface

Although SYNC 3 is optimized for hands-free use, an all-new touch screen delivers an experience similar to a smartphone or tablet.

Quicker response to touch as well as voice commands and smartphone-like gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swipe are central to SYNC 3, along with crisp, modern graphics.

A bright background and large buttons with high-contrast fonts for daytime use help reduce screen washout in the sun. At night, the display automatically switches to a dark background to help reduce eye fatigue and minimize reflections on the windows.

“We considered all the modern smartphones and mobile operating systems and created something familiar but unique,” said Parrish Hanna, Ford global director of Human Machine Interface.

SYNC 3 reduces on-screen complexity and prioritizes the control options customers use most.

The home screen features three zone choices – Navigation, Audio and Phone. Tile-like icons dominate the screen, with a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

Phone contacts are searchable via a simple swipe of the finger to scroll through the alphabet. With “One Box Search,” SYNC 3 users can look up points of interest or enter addresses in much the same way they use an Internet search engine.

“Simplicity has value,” said Hanna. “Reducing the number of things on-screen also makes control easier and is designed to limit the number of times a driver has to glance at the screen.”

Easy-to-use voice recognition

Ford SYNC – the industry’s first system to widely and most affordably offer voice-activated technology to control smartphones – becomes more capable with the next-generation system by minimizing the number of steps needed to carry out a command.

With SYNC 3, simply saying “play <song, artist, album or genre>” prompts the system to play the desired song, artist, playlist or album; there is no need to identify the desired category. To switch back to a radio station, the user just says the name of the SiriusXM station or terrestrial radio station number.

Voice search results are enhanced by a better understanding of how consumers refer to businesses and points of interest. Drivers don’t have to know an exact name. They can search for “Detroit Airport” rather than using the official name “Detroit Metropolitan Airport.” With addresses, they can say, “Eleven Twenty-Five Main Street” instead of “One One Two Five Main Street.”

When connected to an Apple iPhone, SYNC 3 offers seamless integration of Siri Eyes-Free control. Drivers can seek Siri’s help by holding down SYNC’s “Push to Talk” steering wheel button – much as they would hold down the button on an iPhone to initiate a Siri session.

Innovative features

Ford was first to bring voice control to in-vehicle apps with AppLink™, and the experience is further improved with SYNC 3.

AppLink allows customers to connect their smartphone to their vehicle and control their compatible apps using voice commands or buttons on the vehicle display screen. AppLink now automatically discovers smartphone apps including Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, NPR One, SiriusXM Radio and iHeartRadio Auto, and displays their unique graphics and branding. Music and news apps are automatically displayed along with other media sources, just like AM/FM or SiriusXM.

“Overall, AppLink is faster, more responsive and easier to find your apps,” said Julius Marchwicki, Ford global product manager, AppLink. “The overall design of SYNC 3 allows for better integration with smartphones – resulting in a more user-friendly experience.”

Developers easily can integrate branded apps into AppLink, providing Ford customers with an experience on the vehicle screen similar to what they see on smartphone screens.

SYNC 3 also features the new ability to update the software via Wi-Fi. Once a vehicle is set up with credentials for a home Wi-Fi network accessible in a customer’s driveway or garage, for example, it can automatically download updates.

SYNC 3, like earlier generations of the technology, provides subscription-free emergency service 911 Assist®.

The customer’s Bluetooth-connected phone is used to dial 911 in the event of a significant accident, alerting first-responders with the vehicle’s location. With SYNC 3, the car relays additional information, including if airbags were deployed, the type of crash (front, side, rear or rollover) and the number of safety belts detected in use, in order to help emergency call takers dispatch the appropriate resources to the scene.

Ford adds 850 jobs to build 2015 F-150 | Prescott Brothers Ford Rochelle IL

By Noah JosephRSS feedGoogle+

Pickup trucks tend not to advance at quite the same pace as the rest of the industry. That's what makes the new Ford F-150 so remarkable, jettisoning its old steel construction in favor of aluminum. It's a game changer that Ford is betting big on, and in anticipation of surging demand, the Blue Oval automaker is adding 850 new jobs to put the thing together.

Those 850 new employees will be centered at Ford's Rouge complex in Michigan – with 300 at Dearborn Stamping, 50 more at Dearborn Diversified and 500 at the Dearborn Truck facility, the latter of which has already kicked off what Ford describes as "the largest manufacturing transformation in decades." Old manufacturing equipment is being replaced with the latest technologies, and even the Ford Rouge Factory Tour is undergoing a complete overhaul.

The new jobs come as part of the commitments Ford made to the UAW in 2011 to create 12,000 hourly jobs in the United States by 2015 – a number which Ford has already exceeded at 14,000. Over 4,000 of those are centered in southeastern Michigan.

Winter Driving Tips | Prescott Brothers Ford Rochelle IL

Severe weather can be both frightening and dangerous for automobile travel. Motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. We want to remind motorists to be cautious while driving in adverse weather. 

We recommend the following winter driving tips:

• Avoid driving while you’re fatigued. Getting the proper amount of rest before taking on winter weather tasks reduces driving risks.
• Never warm up a vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage.
• Make certain your tires are properly inflated.
• Never mix radial tires with other tire types.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full to avoid gas line freeze-up.
• If possible, avoid using your parking brake in cold, rainy and snowy weather.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on any slippery surface (wet, ice, sand).
• Always look and steer where you want to go.
• Use your seat belt every time you get into your vehicle.

Tips for long-distance winter trips:

• Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
• Always make sure your vehicle is in peak operating condition.
• Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your vehicle at all times.
• Pack a cellular telephone plus blankets, gloves, hats, food, water and any needed medication in your vehicle.
• If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
• Don’t over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow.
• Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up window to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you.
• Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running.
• Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps.
• If possible run the engine and heater just long enough to remove the chill and to conserve gasoline.

Tips for driving in the snow:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
• Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
• Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

Original post can be viewed here.

The new 2016 Ford Explorer will go on sale in North America next year | Prescott Brothers Ford Rochelle IL

The 2016 Explorer will go on sale in North America next year with a new look and some of Ford's latest technology.

The current Explorer debuted in the 2011 model year and made the dramatic change from being a body-on-frame truck to a car-based crossover.

The Explorer helped define the SUV segment and sales in the U.S. peaked at 445,000 in 2000. Nearly 7 million have been sold since the SUV debuted in 1990. But gas prices forced Ford to rethink the family vehicle to make if more fuel efficient and nimble to drive. Crossovers of all sizes have surged in popularity because they fill that bill.

Global demand for SUVs is up 88% since 2008, making utility vehicles the fastest-growing segment around the world, according to IHS Automotive. Utilities now comprise 19% of the global vehicle market.

For the Ford brand, utility vehicles accounted for 23% of global sales in 2013, up from 17% a year earlier; and sales are forecast to grow to 29% by 2020.

"As utility vehicle demand rises around the world, our global lineup of vehicles, like EcoSport, Escape/Kuga and Edge, is helping us grow our share," said Jim Farley, head of global marketing, sales and service. "The global desire for new utility vehicles is driving expansion in developing markets like China and helping the Ford brand reach more customers."

Ford is trying to distinguish itself in China by offering four different crossovers for sale — the only region where Ford offers so many utility choices.

The expanded portfolio in Europe now includes the new and tiny EcoSport and the Edge will be added in late 2015. They augment the Kuga (known as Escape here). The utility market in Europe has grown from 9% market share in 2008 to 19% last year.

In the United States, small crossovers are now the largest segment. Ford reported record Escape sales last year.

Winterizing Your Vehicle | Prescott Brother Ford Rochelle IL

Are you ready for the upcoming winter and what it will be offering? Before you rush to the store for the last gallon of milk and loaf of bread, you’ll want to be sure your car is ready to battle the elements. Follow these tips before venturing out into the winter wonderland.

• Get a Tune-Up. Have your mechanic check your hoses, belts 
  and anti-freeze. A weakened hose or belt can break and leave you stranded, or a 
  weak solution of anti-freeze can ice up and damage your cooling system. 
• Check Your Battery. Make sure your car’s battery connection 
  is clean, tight and corrosion-free. The battery should be securely mounted. If 
  the battery is three years old or more, have it tested and replace it if 
  necessary.  
• Check Your Heater and Defroster. If your heater isn’t 
  working, you’ll probably know. But what about front and rear defrosters? Before 
  you’re faced with a frosty windshield, turn your front and rear defrosters on 
  and off to make sure they’re working. 
• Give Yourself a Brake. If you have the slightest concern 
  that something’s amiss with your brakes, get them inspected immediately. If you 
  have anti-lock brakes, you should avoid pumping the brakes if you begin to 
  slide.  
• Have Your Exhaust System Checked. Ask your mechanic to 
  double check the exhaust system for leaks, which can emit dangerous carbon 
  monoxide into your car. If you become stuck in the snow and want to run the 
  engine and heater, make sure your tail pipe is clear of the snow and crack open 
  a window to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal. 
• Fill up with Washer Fluid. Slush and mud splashed on a 
  windshield can spell danger for a winter driver. Make sure your washer fluid 
  reservoir is sufficiently full, and keep a spare jug in the trunk. 
• Consider New Wiper Blades. Even if your windshield wiper blades 
  are in good condition, you might want to upgrade to a rubber coated snow blade 
  that can handle the extra weight of wet snow. They’re not expensive, and could 
  make your winter driving a lot safer in the long run. 
• Take a Look at Your Tires. Your tires need to have adequate 
  tread with “grip” to propel you through the snow. 
• Fill Her Up! One of the best driving tips for winter is to 
  keep your tank more than half full at all times. It will help you avoid 
  freezing in your fuel lines, and will keep you safer in winter weather 
  situations.

If for any reason you are in need of assistance with any one of these safety precautions please give us a call and we will be happy to help you in any way we can. Please visit Prescott Brothers Ford or schedule an appointment today!