Monthly Archives: July 2014

The Importance of St. Peter Drivers Following Service Intervals

Today in our Autotronics of St. Peter blog, we’re going to talk about following recommended service intervals. Your vehicle isn’t the only aspect of your life in St. Peter with recommended intervals: Let’s start with twice yearly dental check-ups and regular physical exams. How about laundry, watering the lawn and paying the bills?

Now, what would happen if you didn’t follow these intervals? Well, you’d get more cavities. You may not discover health conditions that could be more effectively treated with early detection. And you’d have to wear dirty clothes, be embarrassed by your brown lawn and have your utilities shut off.

Clearly, there are some things in life that we have to take care of regularly. If we don’t, there are negative consequences. Our quality of life in St. Peter takes a hit and it inevitably costs more money.

So why is it so hard to remember to follow regular preventive maintenance on our vehicles? Probably a couple of reasons. One is that automotive maintenance items just don’t seem that urgent. All our St. Peter neighbors can see our dead lawn, but no one knows how dirty our transmission fluid is. It’s easy to put off. The other reason is that we’re just not as familiar with automotive maintenance, so it’s a bit intimidating.

From a practical standpoint, people in St. Peter don’t need to memorize their vehicle owner’s manuals. You can let your Autotronics of St. Peter advisor remind you of the guidelines established by the vehicle manufacturer; he has checklists of what the manufacturer recommends and can find potential problems when he inspects your vehicle. You really can rely on Autotronics of St. Peter professionals to help you make good automotive decisions.

For St. Peter drivers who want to be more proactive with their vehicle care, here are some simple ways for you to remember what has a maintenance interval.

First: Fluids. If it’s liquid, it’s got a replacement schedule. Oil, transmission fluid, coolant, power steering fluid, brake fluid, differential fluid, etc.

Then think tires. They need air, rotation, balancing and alignment. And while you’re thinking tires, don’t forget brakes and shock absorbers.

And what makes your vehicle go? Air and fuel. Air filter replacement, fuel filters and fuel system cleaning. Of course there are more items, but if St. Peter car owners remember to take their vehicle in to Autotronics of St. Peter for these things, their service advisor will help them with the rest.

And if you don’t follow recommended service intervals? You get lousy fuel economy, your vehicle doesn’t run as well, your safety is compromised and you’ll spend more money in the long run. So it’s the same as everything else: The quality of your motoring life takes a hit and it ends up costing you more.

Reason enough for me to follow recommended service intervals.

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com

 

Air Conditioning Maintenance At Autotronics of ST Peter In St. Peter

Warm weather or cold, St. Peter drivers still need to think about their minivan’s air conditioning. Most St. Peter people don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Autotronics of ST Peter, we can advise you on your ‘s preventive maintenance schedules for air conditiong service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on.

air conditioningMaintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the minivan’s air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter.

The refrigerant also contains a critical oil that lubricates air conditioning components, and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all St. Peter car owners know that air conditioning repairs can be costly. At Autotronics of ST Peter, we recommended that the air conditioner be run regularly, even during winter months, to keep the parts and seals lubricated.

Corrosion is what leads to many air conditioning system failures for St. Peter motorists. The small leaks mentioned earlier also mean that air and water can leak into the air conditioning system. This can lead to rust and dirt in the internal workings of the air conditioning components. This greatly accelerates wear and, ultimately, failure.

Air conditioning service at Autotronics of ST Peter starts with a visual inspection of the components for signs of damage or leaks. The compressor is driven by a belt from the engine, most often the serpentine belt, so it’s inspected for cracks or wear. The air conditioning compressor and other components are checked for proper operation. Then comes the leak test. If a leak is detected, often in a hose or connection, it’s repaired and the system is retested.

Then the old refrigerant is evacuated and the system is recharged with clean, fresh refrigerant. A final test insures that the minivan’s air conditioner is working, and you’re on your way.

How often this should be done varies from vehicle to vehicle. Your minivan owner’s manual will have the manufacturer’s recommendation and, of course, your Autotronics of ST Peter service advisor can tell you. It’s typically every two years.

If you’re not getting enough cool air out of your AC you know something’s wrong. Also, if you hear strange sounds when you turn the air on, there might be a problem with the compressor and you should get it checked out at Autotronics of ST Peter. Replacing a bad A/C clutch in a minivan is cheaper than waiting for it to ruin the compressor.

St. Peter drivers need to be aware that there’s one more thing that isn’t directly related to air conditioning service, but does impact the quality of the air in your minivan. And that’s your cabin air filter. This filter cleans dust, pollen, pollution and other impurities in the air that comes from the heater and air conditioner. The cabin air filter needs to be replaced when it’s dirty. If you don’t it’ll start to smell. Not all vehicles have one, so ask your Autotronics of ST Peter service advisor to check your cabin air filter at the same time they’re doing your air conditioning service.

Air Conditioning Maintenance at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter

Warm weather or cold, St. Peter drivers still need to think about their vehicle’s air conditioning. Most St. Peter people don’t service their air conditioning until after it fails. At Autotronics of St. Peter, we can advise you on your vehicle manufacturers preventive maintenance schedules for air conditioning service, just as we do for transmission service, oil changes and so on.

Maintaining your air conditioning system means that you always have enough refrigerant to properly do the job. Small leaks in the vehicle’s air conditioning system allow the refrigerant to escape and the system can’t cool the air as well. We see that a lot at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter.

The refrigerant also contains oil that lubricates air conditioning components and keeps the seals resilient. Low refrigerant and lubricating oil means that the air conditioning parts will wear out prematurely, and all St. Peter vehicle owners know that air conditioning repairs can be costly. At Autotronics of St. Peter, we recommended that the air conditioner be run regularly, even during winter months, to keep the parts and seals lubricated.

St. Peter drivers need to be aware that there’s one more thing that isn’t directly related to air conditioning service but does impact the quality of the air in your vehicle. And that’s your cabin air filter. This filter cleans dust, pollen, pollution and other impurities in the air that come from the heater and air conditioner. The cabin air filter needs to be replaced when it’s dirty. If you don’t, it’ll start to smell. Not all vehicles have one, so ask your Autotronics of St. Peter service advisor to check your cabin air filter at the same time they’re doing your air conditioning service.

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com