St. Peter consumers are demanding. We want a safe, reliable vehicle that handles well and is comfortable to ride in. Oh, and we want good fuel economy, too. We also want vehicle repairs that are cheap, fast and easy. Unfortunately, one usually comes at the cost of the other.

Today’s vehicles have made significant improvements in reliability and performance over the last few decades. They also deliver more power to St. Peter drivers more efficiently than ever before. For example, some of today’s 4-cylinder engines are equal to yesterday’s V-8’s. Our vehicles also offer an amazing range of features that make them more comfortable and convenient than ever before.

But all of that improvement has come at a price for St. Peter vehicle owners. Our vehicles are more complicated and difficult to repair than ever before. They have numerous mechanical and electrical systems. Fuel systems are so complex they have to be run by a computer. Our vehicles are covered with sensors and high-tech electronic equipment. Our dashboards rival the control panel of the first manned space flight.

With all that complicated equipment, it’s no wonder we call mechanics service technicians these days. You can’t learn to repair vehicles in the backyard with your dad anymore. Today’s Autotronics of St. Peter technicians have to go to school. School may come in the form of classroom instruction, online courses or both. Technicians are also trained on-site at the St. Peter service centers where they work (including Autotronics of St. Peter) to keep them abreast of constant improvements in vehicle engineering, diagnostic equipment and repair techniques.

Today’s technicians need to be certified to work on our vehicles. They can earn a variety of certifications in MN, but the highest of these is Master Technician. It’s like a graduate degree in auto repair.

Vehicle repair at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter requires more than just training and certification, though. It also takes information and creative thought. St. Peter area auto service centers subscribe to data services, technical libraries and online repair communities in order to get the information they need to: work on various makes and models of vehicles, get recommended maintenance schedules, learn about non-standard features and locate hard-to-find parts in an unusual engine. They also use this information to help diagnose rare or difficult vehicle problems. Many auto repair problems also require a bit of creative thinking for the team at Autotronics of St. Peter to solve. St. Peter service technicians at Autotronics of St. Peter act much like doctors in these situations. They’re given a set of symptoms, and they have to come up with a diagnosis and treatment that will fix the problem. This process becomes as much of an art as it is a science.

A proper diagnosis, even by a highly qualified technician, can take time. And a technician’s time is going to cost us. It’s just the price of progress.

Of course, the best vehicle care for St. Peter vehicle owners is planned preventive auto maintenance. This is also the least costly way to keep your vehicle in good repair. Regular inspections and replacement of worn parts will prevent most repairs from ever being needed in the first place.

And with the amazing complexity of today’s automobiles, isn’t it good to know there’s someone out there with the knowledge, training and skill to give us good auto advice? Whether we need preventive maintenance or repairs, the team of automotive professionals at Autotronics of St. Peter can help us keep our vehicles on the road. We just can’t do it on our own anymore.

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

If you’ve ever been in a vehicle accident around St. Peter, MN, even a minor one, you know how upsetting it can be. It’s hard to think straight and know what to do.

Let’s review what you should do in case of an accident in St. Peter, MN:

When an accident occurs, you should always stop. Leaving the scene of an accident is considered a crime in MN, even if it’s not your fault. And hit-and-run penalties are fairly severe, possibly resulting in steep fines, loss of your driver’s license or even jail time in our local St. Peter lockup.

Most places, including MN, require that you try to help someone who is injured by calling for help or performing first aid if you are able.

Warn other St. Peter motorists by putting out flares, using your flashers or lifting your hood.

Call 911 as soon as possible. Tell the operator if medical or fire help is needed.

Always file a police report. It’s tempting to skip this if everything seems to be ok. But without a police report, the other guy can say whatever he wants about the accident later, and you won’t have an objective report to help defend yourself.

Discuss the accident only with the police. Emotions are strong after an accident and we naturally want to talk about it – don’t. Never admit fault or guilt to anyone, including the police officer. Sometimes we may feel at fault, but in the eyes of MN law, the other guy may be responsible.

Truthfully give the officer the facts: such as, “I was going 35 miles per hour,” or, “I was going 55 kilometers per hour,” not, “I wasn’t speeding.” Remember, anything you say to the officer or anyone else can be used against you.

Also get the officer’s name and badge number and ask where you can get a copy of the accident report.

Get the facts on the driver and owner of the other vehicle:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Driver’s license number and expiration
• Insurance information

Also take down a description of the other vehicle, license plate and vehicle identification number (VIN). Most insurance companies don’t record license plate numbers, so the VIN is the best way to track the vehicle.

Ask witnesses, including passengers, to wait for the police. If they can’t wait, ask for contact information and request that they write a brief description of what they saw. If someone refuses to leave their name, write down their license plate number so the police can track them down later if necessary.

Always call your insurance agent or your MN auto insurance company’s 800 number.

Call or see your local St. Peter physician if you think you may have been injured.

We here at Autotronics of St. Peter hope that you never have to use this information and wish you happy travels.

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

A lot of people get custom wheels in St. Peter. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just don’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting your Autotronics of St. Peter tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your St. Peter driving needs and what you want in your new wheels. Now, not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don’t want to make any modifications to your vehicle, you would need to focus on the wheels that would fit. With trucks, some people in St. Peter like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most St. Peter drivers don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your vehicle’s anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your vehicle engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in MN. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your friendly and knowledgeable Autotronics of St. Peter tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and how to select the right tire for your vehicle. Your Autotronics of St. Peter service advisor will help you find the best tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs in St. Peter.

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