Hello, welcome to Autotronics of St. Peter. Today’s focus is batteries. It seems like everything in St. Peter runs on batteries. Of course, the batteries we’re most concerned with here at Autotronics of St. Peter are those in our customer’s vehicles. Just like the batteries in our smoke detectors or TV remote, they wear out and need to be replaced . This can be thought of as the power output used to start a cold vehicle engine. The number of cold cranking amps you need depends on your vehicle and where you live in MN, specifically how cold it is. (Many St. Peter drivers have first-hand experience trying to start their car on a cold winter morning.) The two factors are that the colder your vehicle’s engine is, the more power it takes to turn the engine over to get it started. It has all that cold, sluggish oil to contend with.

The other factor is that the chemical reaction in the battery that creates electrical energy is less efficient when the temperature dips. Let’s say it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees C) in St. Peter. At that temperature, 100% of the battery’s power is available. At freezing, only 65% of battery power is available, but it requires 155% as much power to start the engine as it did at 80 degrees F (27 degrees C).

As you can see, the colder it gets, more power is needed, but the available power drops.

So if you live where it’s cold in MN, you need a battery with more cold cranking amps than you do where it’s moderate or hot. The battery that originally came with your vehicle was based on averages. At Autotronics of St. Peter, we like to remind St. Peter drivers that they should always get at least as many cold cranking amps as their vehicle manufacturer recommends but may want to upgrade if they live where it gets real cold.

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

There’s not much we can do about the price of gas in St. Peter, MN, but we do quite a bit about how much we use as we’re driving on our St. Peter streets.

Our driving habits can dramatically affect our fuel economy.

The first thing we can do is watch the ‘go-pedal.’ Hard acceleration just sucks the gas. Gently leave stop lights and plan lane changes so you don’t need to floor it. That can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Go a little slower on the freeway. Once you’re going more than 65 miles an hour (105 kilometers per hour), your fuel economy starts to drop dramatically. Leave early so you don’t need to rush to be on time. And cruise control is your friend – steady speed uses less gas.

Plan errands ahead. Make fewer trips by combining errands.

Hey at current gas prices, a lead-foot might as well be a gold foot.

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

When winter approaches in MN, St. Peter residents break out the sweaters, coats, boots and mittens. We want to be ready for MN winter conditions. Your vehicle needs to be ready for winter as well. The last thing St. Peter residents want is to get stranded out in the cold. You need your vehicle to be safe and reliable. It’s a good idea to get caught up on any neglected maintenance items anytime – but the stakes are higher in cold MN winters.

There are some specific things St. Peter drivers need to do to have their vehicle ready for winter. The most obvious is having the antifreeze checked. If the antifreeze level is too low, it can’t properly protect your engine, radiator and hoses from freezing. If your car does not seem to be making enough heat to keep you warm, your antifreeze level may be low or you could have a thermostat problem. Get it checked out at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter. If you are due for a cooling system service, now is a perfect time to have it done.

In the cold months around St. Peter we always worry about being able to stop in time when it’s slick out. The first thing to remember is to slow down and allow yourself plenty of room to stop. Of course, you want your brakes to be working properly. A thorough brake inspection will reveal if the pads or any other parts need replacing. Check with your friendly and knowledgeable Autotronics of St. Peter service advisor to see if it is time to replace your brake fluid. It accumulates water over time which really messes with your stopping power.

It is also a really good idea for St. Peter residents to have their battery tested. A battery’s cranking power really drops with the temperature. If your battery is weak in the fall, it may not be up to a MN winter. There is nothing like a dead battery in a snow storm.

Which leads us to an emergency kit. You should always have a blanket or something to keep you and your passengers warm if you get stranded on a remote MN road. If you will be venturing away from civilization, pack more items such as food and water to help you survive. Keeping at least half a tank of gas is a good idea in case you get stuck and need to run the car to keep warm, which will also help keep your gas lines from freezing up.

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