The ?Man-Made? Engine Oil (Synthetic Oil Change)

If you own a newer vehicle, your vehicle’s manufacturer may require that it use synthetic oil instead of conventional oil. Synthetic oils are more stable, don’t break down as easily, and provide better engine protection than conventional oil. All those things can prolong the life of your engine and help it run better.

Imagine the damage that could happen to your engine as it operates at high speeds and very hot temperatures. Oil reduces the friction between the metal parts. That’s why it’s important that it maintains its lubricating properties for a long time, which synthetic oil does better than conventional oil.

Clean oil is better than dirty oil because it has fewer impurities. Synthetic oil is purer because of how it’s formulated and manufactured. Plus, as the outside temperatures change, the ability of oil to operate in those conditions is important.
For example, the colder it gets, it’s important for oil to flow easily to retain its lubricating properties. How thick a fluid is changes in different temperatures, and that thickness is known as viscosity, Synthetic oils are better at maintaining their viscosity throughout temperature changes.

It’s not only newer vehicles that can benefit from synthetic oil. If you have an older vehicle, synthetic oil may offer superior lubricating than conventional. Our technicians can advise you what’s the best oil for your vehicle and how often you need to change it, which may vary from the owner’s manual recommendations. You might find you’re able to change your oil less frequently than you used to with conventional oil.

Yes, synthetic oil is more expensive than conventional, so let us help you decide whether its advantages are worth the difference in price.

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

Braking Good (Brake Drum Replacement)

Maybe your vehicle feels like Breaking Bad. In other words, when you brake, things are bad. You may find it takes you a longer distance to stop, you feel a vibration, or it’s pulsating when you depress the brake pedal, or perhaps your vehicle pulls to one side.

Those can be symptoms of failing brake drums. While a lot more vehicles these days have disc brakes, many vehicles still have brake drums, almost always in the rear wheels. The drum is a cast iron shallow cylinder that surrounds the other parts, including curved brake shoes that press pads against the drum to slow you down or stop the vehicle.

Any time you have things going wrong with your brakes, you should get them fixed soon. Safely operating any vehicle depends on having the brakes be able to slow and stop you dependably. It can make the difference between avoiding a collision and having one.

When you bring your vehicle in, a technician will inspect your braking system. Depending on the wear, drum brakes can be resurfaced or replaced. Sometimes it’s cheaper to replace the drum than to resurface it. It’s important for all the other brake system components to be inspected first and all worn parts replaced.

Most of the time, when you have your drums resurfaced or replaced, the brake shoes should be replaced at the same time. You have brakes at each end of your axles, and the same brake service should be done at both ends so that both sides can have consistent, even stopping power.

Your brakes can save your life. If their braking power is bad, you owe it to yourself and others on the road to let us help make them good again. Good and safe.

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

More than Pads and Rotors (Brake Caliper Replacement)

You might be familiar with brake pads and rotors, two components of your vehicle’s brakes that have to be regularly serviced. Here’s another important component of your brakes: the calipers.

Calipers are used in disc brakes, the type of brakes now found in most recently manufactured vehicles. A caliper is the part of the brakes that squeezes the brake pads against the discs, or rotors, which turn with your wheels.

There are different kinds of calipers, but the basic principle is the same. You press down the pedal, brake fluid activates a piston or pistons that squeeze the brake pads against the disc and the friction slows down your vehicle.

While modern vehicles have a warning system to let you know it’s time to get your brakes checked, your brake light usually goes on when your fluid level is low or your fluid pressure is low. But you may have to look out for signals your calipers are the problem.

If your vehicle pulls to one side when you brake, that could be a sign that one caliper isn’t working right. If you smell a burning odor coming from a wheel after a trip, there might be too much pressure from a caliper. Grinding or squealing when you brake is another signal that it may be time to bring in your vehicle so we can check your brakes.

One way to minimize brake issues is regular inspection. Have them periodically looked at when you bring in your vehicle for an oil change. The good news is brake issues are more likely to be caused by pads or rotors wearing out. Calipers last a lot longer, but even they will need replacing every so often.

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