No Fountain of Youth (Aging Tires)

Can you think of anyone who enjoys aging? Wrinkles where you don’t want them, gray hair, eyes that won’t focus any more, no stamina.

Believe it or not, your tires age, too, and they don’t get better the older they get. And here’s the important thing to know, even if they can still pass a tread depth test, they may simply be too old to be safe

Here’s the best way to understand this. Have you ever found an old deck of playing cards with a rubber band wrapped around them? Try stretching the rubber band. SNAP! It’s all cracked and brittle. And you haven’t stressed that rubber one bit since the time you put them in that drawer.

Now you know what’s happening to your tires. Rubber ages. Just like us, the day we come into the world, we start to go downhill (no pun intended). Oh, engineers are able to make a tire last longer than ever before. But that gas that keeps us alive—oxygen—seems to love to chemically mix with some components in rubber. Oxidation causes rubber to become hard and brittle. The rubber band test.

Is there an age test that can tell you when a tire is tool old to roll? Well, not really. They don’t all age the same. Hot climates can make tires wear out more quickly. Some experts say a tire can last up to 10 years but should be inspected every year after the age of five. Others say tires should have an expiration date at six years old.

Since no one would ever ask a tire its age, how do you know how old one is? Believe it or not, tires made after the year 2000 have a date code stamped on either the inside or the outside of the sidewall. It’s a four-digit numbers; the first two tell you the week, the second two tell you the year. So if it has the number 1916, it was made in the 21^st week of 2016.

Another way to find out if your tires still have enough life in them is to have your vehicle service facility inspect them. They look for signs of age, such as developing cracks in the rubber, the condition of the sidewalls and, of course, that old standby: tread. If it’s time to “retire” them, discuss options with your service advisor.

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

Sounds Exhausting! (Exhaust Service)

Most of us know a bad muffler when we hear it. That loud, rumbling sound is unmistakable. Did you also know you can get a ticket for driving around with a loud exhaust system?

If your exhaust system has a leak in it, it may be allowing poisonous gases inside your vehicle and could make you seriously ill (or even kill you!) if you breathe too much in.

Unfortunately, your exhaust system faces a lot of destructive forces out on the road. Rust is the worst, and not just in colder climates where they use salt and brine as de-icers. Exhaust systems can rust from the inside out when moisture condenses inside the pipes. Vibrations and jolts from rough roads (and the occasional run in with a rock or a curb) can wreak havoc with exhaust systems. Even a bad oxygen sensor can send too much fuel into the catalytic converter, and the resulting heat can wind up destroying this very expensive component.

Your exhaust system is made up of several parts, and all need to be in good shape in order for you to be sure that the gases created by your engine’s combustion get properly moved out and away from the vehicle. The good news is that many newer exhaust systems are made out of more durable materials like stainless steel. But all exhaust systems are subjected to some of the roughest elements streets can dish out. So it’s a good idea to have your exhaust system periodically inspected and serviced.

There are a lot of parts to keep track of in an exhaust system, including the muffler, manifold, catalytic convertor, oxygen sensors and the muffler (or maybe your vehicle has more than one). We strongly recommend having your exhaust system periodically checked so we can catch a problem before it turns into something major… and maybe dangerous. We can recommend repair or replacement that suits your driving habits and budget.

Oh, and remember one final benefit to a tip-top-shape exhaust system. Your vehicle will dump far less pollution into the atmosphere if it’s working the way engineers designed it. We’ll all breathe a little easier when our exhaust systems are doing their job right.

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

Steering You Right (Power Steering Signs of Problems)

Nearly every modern vehicle on the road today has power steering, a wonderful invention that makes steering take far less effort than it did in the “good old days.” Today, we take our steering for granted: until something goes wrong, that is.

Most power steering these days is rack-and-pinion, the rack being a metal bar between the front wheels with notches in it and the pinion being a gear whose teeth fits into those notches. Adding power assist makes it easy to turn. That assist comes in the form of hydraulic fluid that is pressurized by a pump powered by the engine, an electric motor that adds a power assist or a system that uses both an electric motor and hydraulic fluid.

Your vehicle usually gives you a heads up that something is going wrong with its steering. Here are a few signs to look for:

A humming, whirring, rubbing or grinding sound coming from you engine compartment when you turn.
Signs of hydraulic fluid leaking, such as wet spots under your vehicle.
The smell of burning oil while you’re driving.
Steering wheel hard to turn or vibrating.

If you notice any of these signs, it’s a good idea to have a trained technician check them out. They may be signs of:

Power steering pump going bad
Steering rack or gear seals wearing out, causing them to lose hydraulic fluid
Broken fluid hose
Defective power steering cooler
Loss of pressure in the power steering gearbox
Worn out steering pump belt
Failing electric power steering motor

It’s important to have these checked out sooner rather than later. You need to be able to steer properly in order to drive safely. Plus, some of these problems can cause more serious—and expensive—damage if they’re not fixed. Power steering is a wonderful feature of your vehicle. Keep it well maintained and it will steer you right.

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