Driving Tips: Snow

I travel in from Milton Keynes every day to Whetstone Audi and as you can imagine it has been a challenge with the recent weather. Here are some of the things I have been doing.

• I put a warm coat and boots into the car. I have also made a cup of tea in one of these cups that keep it warm on your journey.
• I check that there is enough washer fluid that does not freeze in the bottle. You will be amazed how often I use the washers with all the salt on the roads (sorry not much salt in the sides roads I know) .
• I also make sure that all the lights are working as I am very keen to see and be seen. Put a blanket in the car in case you are held up on the major routes. I am often told take a shovel with you , but if I am stuck it is usually because everyone is stuck. Then all I want is a snow plough. Read more…

Great news.. our Finchley Road Aftersales Team romped to victory in the Audi Twin Cup National Final last night at the prestigious Luton Hoo Hotel. Achieving the highest combined score for both a practical and theoretical examination, our team of six clearly showed the necessary skill set to beat seven other UK Audi Centres.

Besides winning the coveted Audi Twin Cup trophy, we will now represent England in the International final next year, rumoured to be held in China! The team were delighted with their performance and result yesterday evening, and their elation continued this morning despite being snowed in at the venue. Im proud to have such skilled and knowledgable staff at my Finchley Road Audi centre.

Justin Howard

Head of Business
Finchley Road Audi

Winter Driving Tips

Winter is a difficult time for the driver. The frost in the early morning and late evening, snow showers and shorter daylight hours all combine to make the driving experience harder. Regardless of how prepared your car may be, it is equally as important to modify your driving style.

Here’s some advice on safe winter driving..

Stopping distances in winter

• When roads are slippery it will take longer to stop. Up to 10 times longer.
• So, drop your speed, and give yourself more time to slow down and stop.
• Drive with care even if roads have been treated.
  

If your vehicle starts to skid:

• Depress the clutch. Do not brake!
• Turn the steering wheel into the direction of the skid.
• When the vehicle straightens, steer along the road. Read more…

Finchley Road Audi Team

As Head of Business at Finchley Road, I’m delighted to announce that my Aftersales team won the area final in the Audi Twin Cup last night for the 2nd year running!

In this competition, their technical knowledge and competence is tested to the max, but again their superior experience and training came to the fore.

We now represent one of six teams in the whole of the UK, fighting for the one place to China for the International final… my fingers are crossed!

Justin Howard
Head of Business

Driving in Wind and Rain

Here at Audi, we are in the lucky position to have access to some powerful cars but as the winter draws closer it’s no good driving a powerful car if you can’t use the power on a slippery road.

So, as the weather worsens and the roads become more slippery, here are a few tips to help you cope with changing road conditions.

Driving Tips: Wind and Rain

Driving in the rain

• When the road’s wet, it can take up to twice as long to stop so it makes sense to slow down when it’s raining.
• If your vehicle loses its grip, or “aquaplanes”, on surface water take your foot off the accelerator to slow down.
• Don’t brake or steer suddenly because you have no control of the steering or Read more…

Paul Lacy - Aftersales Mgr

Hi, my name is Paul Lacy and I am the new Aftersales Manager for Whetstone Audi. I have been here for ten weeks now and enjoyed meeting some of you already. Our technicians loved running the ladies night recently and my front line team enjoyed the relaxed conversations that allowed us to get to know you better.

Following on from the huge response we got from running the ladies evening I have dared to write some top tips to keep you and your car safe this winter.

We’ve given you five practical steps to take. See below.

1. Ensure washer fluid is topped up with fluid able to withstand freezing temperatures. With autumn roads throwing up rain dirt you want to see clearly at all times. We have all experienced that lorry or bus that covers our windscreen with spray from wheels.
2. Wipe your headlights and tails lights with a wet wipe. You’ll be surprised how much better your lights are when they are kept clean. See and be seen! Read more…

Safety checks in our workshop

We held our first ever all Ladies evening at Whetstone Audi on 17th September which proved to be a roaring success. With the help and support of local business’s from the area we staged an evening exclusively for Audi Lady drivers. We invited Whetstone Audi customers to bring a friend to the evening event to see their own vehicles being safety checked in our workshops with the Audi trained technician team led by Paul lacy, our new aftersales manager. In the main showroom ladies learned about areas to keep an eye on during the time in between servicing with some of our Master technicians.

The Whetstone showroom new car area was turned into a posh car boot sale area where the boots displayed various goods from the beauticians from Pearsons store, Televisions from B&O and the customers enjoyed Read more…