Category: Uncategorized

The Puzzling Puddle (Leaks Under Vehicle)

Ever notice a little spot of liquid under your vehicle after you’ve parked in your driveway or garage? It may have been something as simple as water left from air conditioning condensation. But then again, it could be a sign that there’s trouble brewing in one of your vehicle’s systems.

You can help your service facility diagnose the problem by getting a little sample of the drip. At the same time, you may save yourself a tougher clean up task by preventing the leaky fluid from really messing up the driveway or garage floor. The first thing is to put something under the vehicle. A flattened out cardboard box will do fine. You may also want to slip a little disposable aluminum tray or pan under it to catch a bit of the fluid. Chroma and consistency can help a technician quickly figure out what kind of fluid you’re dealing with. You can take your sample with you when you go to your service facility.

Also note how much of the substance is there over what period of time, when you started to notice it and its location relative to the vehicle. Is it on the passenger’s or driver’s side? Front, middle or back? Vehicle’s have different designs, so where their equipment is located will depend on make and model.

The leaky fluid will have a certain look to it and consistency. If it’s blue, it may be windshield washer fluid and a sign that your washer fluid tank has a leak. If it’s green, it could be antifreeze. Orange may mean rusty water or transmission fluid. Brown? Might be oil.

There should be no leaks in your powertrain if things are maintained properly. A small leak may not seem like a big deal, but sometimes they can get much bigger quickly. A coolant leak, for example, may suddenly go from pinhole to flood, draining your cooling system and putting your engine in danger of overheating.

It is a really good idea to have a professional check out your leaks as soon as you notice them. And the more clues you can provide, the happier the technician will be as the search for the problem gets underway.

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

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT STEERING (Loose Steering)

Perhaps you’ve heard someone use the term “loose steering.” And it’s pretty much what it sounds like. You turn the steering wheel and the vehicle’s wheels don’t seem to go exactly where you thought you were pointing them. You have to constantly make steering adjustments.

Loose steering is sloppy steering, and it can be a safety hazard. You need to be able to control your vehicle with pretty much the same precision as the way it was when it came off the assembly line.

If the steering in your vehicle is starting to feel loose and sloppy, there may be some significant suspension issues that need examining by a trained technician.

How do you know if your vehicle needs to be looked at? Try turning the steering wheel and see how much play is in it. One rule of thumb: if you can turn it the distance of a quarter and a dime placed side by side without seeing the outside wheels move, it’s time to have it inspected by one of our technicians.

Our Autotronics of St. Peter technician will examine those components that are supposed to work together to make sure your steering is tight and precise. They are linked together by things called (of course) linkages.

When these linkage components were new, they all fit together tightly and moved together to make sure your wheels responded quickly and precisely to your movements of the steering wheel.

But hit a few potholes, travel over a couple of rough railroad tracks and those metal components can be damaged or bent. Given enough time, they will simply wear out. Our trained Autotronics of St. Peter technician can inspect all of those parts and determine what needs to be repaired and/or replaced.

Keep your steering tight. Loose or sloppy steering can be dangerous. Thank goodness it usually warns you in plenty of time before it fails completely. Just straight talk… about steering.

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

A Hot Mess (AC System-Compresser)

Air conditioning used to be a real luxury in a vehicle, but now it’s standard in most. Your vehicle’s air conditioning system is built to last a pretty long time, but like anything mechanical, sometimes it fails.

It helps to know a little about how the A/C works. There’s a compressor that pressurizes the refrigerant (you probably recognize the term Freon). That makes it hotter, so it then goes through a condenser that cools it off. Then another component takes out impurities and humidity before the Freon goes to a device that makes it lose pressure before it goes to the evaporator. That’s where it gets colder and takes the humidity out of the air. Then your vehicle’s ventilation system blows air over the evaporator, cooling the cabin air that gives you such relief on a hot day.

Of all these parts, one that does a lot of work is the compressor. It has to compress that refrigerant and circulate it through the system. It turns on and off several times when it’s working. The good news is that if it’s going to fail, it sometimes lets you know.

One of the signs that your air conditioning compressor is going bad is a noise under the hood when the engine is on, sometimes a squealing or grinding sound. It usually is pretty noticeable. Compressors have a bearing that can seize up after time, causing the belt that drives it to squeal when it’s trying to turn something that won’t turn. It will sometimes cause that belt to break.

Your service advisor can tell you if your compressor is repairable or must be replaced. In the case of a broken belt (often a serpentine belt that drives several components) the belt will have to be replaced as well.

The compressor also has a clutch that turns the compressor on and off so it doesn’t have to run all the time. Sometimes that clutch can fail, too, and your service advisor will often recommend you replace the compressor and the clutch at the same time. Our technicians can help make sure your air conditioning system keeps its cool, and you along with it.

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