Hey St. Peter auto owners – this is something really amazing: For every gallon of gas your minivan burns, it uses 12,000 gallons of air. All of that air has to be filtered to keep your engine clean.

That’s like a hundred gallons of air every block! The engine air filter is just another example of a very important but inexpensive part that has to do a tremendous amount of work. And when it works, everything goes well. But, when it doesn’t, well, it can lead to costly problems. Of course, your vehicle manufacturer recommends how often to change your air filter. But like most service intervals, where and how you drive your car in MN affects when your filter needs to be changed.

Dusty conditions around Cleveland or polluted city driving means you’ll need to change your filter more often. Your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter service professional can check your filter for you. In fact, it’s often a routine part of an oil change.

When you think about it, a clogged air filter won’t allow as much air through as a clean filter. Your minivan needs this air to efficiently burn its fuel, giving you better fuel economy and performance.

Dirtier filters don’t work as well as clean ones. A filter can only hold so much, after that, it allows dirt to pass right into your engine. Air filters come in all shapes and sizes. They also come in different grades. There are high performance air filters available for most cars. These high performance filters are a little more costly in St. Peter, but they increase horsepower and may improve fuel economy to boot.

So it’s key for St. Peter motorists to have their air filter checked. If it needs replacing, it doesn’t cost very much at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter and it should easily pay for itself in better fuel efficiency before your next oil change.

Stop by Autotronics of ST Peter at 111 Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, MN 56082, and we’ll take a look at your air filter for you. Feel free to give us a call at 507.934.9290 to make an appointment.

Autotronics of ST Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290

A while back, the Cash for Clunkers program was all over the MN news. St. Peter people could trade in their old vehicle for a new one that got better fuel efficiency and receive a government rebate.

A lot of St. Peter motorists had so-called clunkers that they wanted to keep. They’re good commuters, St. Peter grocery getters or toy haulers. They enjoy that fact that they’re paid off, or soon will be. They would gladly like to keep their minivans for 200,000 miles or more – as long as it’s economical to do so.

There are plenty of St. Peter drivers whose vehicles are running after 150,000 or 200,000 miles. We can learn from what they’re doing to keep our own minivans on the road in MN.

The wise St. Peter car owners of high-mileage cars often report a common denominator of never skipping an oil change.

That may sound a bit unsophisticated, but it’s really not. First off, oil is the life blood of your minivan’s engine and it needs to be clean to properly lubricate. Skipping oil changes leads to clogged oil filters and sludge that is detrimental for your engine.

There’s another important reason why the scheduled oil change is so important for St. Peter car owners. It’s simple – a Autotronics of ST Peter professional is going to be looking at your car. All of your fluid levels will be inspected and topped off so they won’t get so low that damage can be done. If there is a significant fluid loss, let’s use brake fluid as an example, your Autotronics of ST Peter technician can look for the cause of the loss and find the problem before it leads to an accident or expensive repair.

Your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter service specialist will also visually inspect your minivan for worn belts and hoses, uneven tire wear, leaking shock absorbers and more. Problems get addressed before they lead to repairs that cost more than the car’s worth.

And your Autotronics of ST Peter advisor will be able to remind you of other key services that the factory recommends you get done. Just think of that oil change the same way as you do about going to your St. Peter dentist for your six month cleaning and checkup. Don’t skip it.

Realistically, things are going to wear out as your minivan gets older. On the way to 200,000 miles you’ll go through several batteries, probably a couple of alternators and water pumps, a set of shocks and likely some brake rotors.

Of course, these things cost some cash, but they are less expensive than new minivan payments in St. Peter. With proper service at Autotronics of ST Peter in St. Peter and regular inspections, you’ll keep surprise repairs to a minimum and more money in your wallet.