Recalls are pretty serious for St. Peter residents and don’t happen all that often. But sometimes cars have less serious problems that St. Peter residents still might want to know about. For these less serious cases, the vehicle manufacturer issues what is known as a Technical Service Bulletin – or TSB. These bulletins tell St. Peter service centers (including Autotronics of St. Peter) how to repair a problem that occurs frequently or is especially difficult.

Your St. Peter service center receives updated information through subscription plans, which are sometimes available in consumer versions too.

Whatever your source, pay attention to St. Peter vehicle recalls to keep you and your passengers safe.

No matter how well they’re made, vehicles are bound to have problems with their design or manufacturing. Think of all the moving parts. When the government thinks a problem is really serious, they require the vehicle manufacturer to issue recall notices to St. Peter residents and to fix the affected vehicles free of charge. The they try to contact all St. Peter residents who own that type of car so they can have it taken care of at their St. Peter service center.

To find out if your car has any recall issues, give us a call:

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

In the sloppy cold weather months, you might be tempted to pick up an all-weather mat and throw it on top of the mats you already have in your vehicle. After all, double protection is better, right? In this case, wrong. Here’s why.

It’s important to keep the accelerator and brake pedals clear so they can function the way they are supposed to. Stacking mats in the driver’s side footwell can make them sit up too high on the floor. That can, in turn, jam your accelerator pedal forward, causing your vehicle to unintentionally speed up; it may get stuck in that position. Same thing applies to the brake pedal. The mats can get caught underneath it and prevent you from stopping.

Here are some other good practices when it comes to mats. It’s best to get those designed for your vehicle. They are shaped to fit your specific car, truck, van or SUV. Ill-fitting mats can have the same untended consequences as stacked mats.

Good mats will have either a Velcro-type fastener on the back of them or a hook that fits into a hole in the mat. That way, the mat stays affixed to the floor so it doesn’t slip and cause problems.

One more thing to keep in mind. If you have objects rolling around your vehicle, let’s say under the driver’s seat, just think about what happens when you jam on the brake. That object is thrown forward and can get caught in a pedal. You might find the accelerator stuck or the brake pedal inoperative.

Your service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter can recommend the right mat for your vehicle. The right mat may save your carpeting, the wrong one may cost you an accident.

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

Your alternator makes electricity to start and run your engine and all of the vital electrical systems in your vehicle. That’s everything from the on-board computers to the turn signals. And of course there is the entertainment system, seat heaters, power windows and everything you plug into the power outlets. After your alternator makes enough electricity to do all that, it recharges your battery with what’s left over.

When St. Peter drivers constantly have a low or dead battery, the alternator is usually a prime suspect. However, the alternator is just one vital component of the starting/charging system, and a problem with any of the other components could be the actual cause.

In addition to the alternator, the charging/starting system includes the battery, starter, serpentine belt system and all of the electrical cables that connect them. Your Autotronics of St. Peter service advisor has a systematic process of testing components and connections to get to the source of your trouble. The initial symptoms determine where to begin the diagnostic process, and he follows the procedure until he tracks down the culprit.

For example, diagnostic tests at Autotronics of St. Peter could reveal that the alternator is not generating enough electricity to keep the battery charged. Is the alternator bad? Not necessarily. A worn serpentine belt tensioner could be allowing the belt that spins the alternator to slip. So the perfectly good alternator is not spinning at the proper speed. The solution for St. Peter drivers is to replace the serpentine belt system – not the alternator.

The good news for St. Peter drivers is that our highly-trained technicians at Autotronics of St. Peter can properly diagnose all your vehicle troubles and make the necessary repairs to get you back on the road in St. Peter.

Give us a call.

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