Our vehicles are not massage chairs. While we may enjoy a good vibration in an overstuffed recliner, we generally want as smooth a ride as possible in our vehicles. One way to achieve this is to keep a vehicle’s wheels in balance.

When a tire is mounted onto a wheel, it is usually out of balance. This means that as the wheel spins, there is a slight wobble to the path of the tire. For best handling performance and safety on the road, St. Peter drivers want to minimize this wobble as much as possible. So we balance our tires. To balance a tire, your technician at Autotronics of St. Peter spins it on a machine or drum to determine where it is off-balance. He then attaches weights that counter-balance the uneven weight. Most people in St. Peter are surprised at how much balancing improves the smoothness of their ride.

High-quality tires generally hold their balance well. But over time, wear and tear take their toll and tires can become unbalanced. St. Peter drivers can tell when a front tire is unbalanced if they feel a vibration in the steering wheel. If a back tire is unbalanced, you’ll feel a vibration in your seat. You may not notice these vibrations until they get fairly serious — or until someone else drives your vehicle — because they usually develop slowly. If a vibration starts abruptly, it usually means you’ve lost a balancing weight.

The average tire rotates at about 850 revolutions per minute at 60 mph/97 kmh. When a tire is out of balance, it actually hops down the road, rather than rolling. So at 60 mph/97 kph, it is slamming into the pavement 14 times a second. That’s what creates the vibration. When tires are out of balance, they wear out more quickly. The lack of balance also causes extra wear on shocks, struts, steering components and suspension parts.

Getting a balance job at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter can prevent repair bills and even an accident. It will improve the safety of your vehicle as well as its handling performance. When you change your rims or get a flat repaired at Autotronics of St. Peter, you’ll need to get your tires balanced as well. When you rotate your tires, you may want to have them balanced, too.

Some St. Peter vehicle owners, however, only balance their wheels every other rotation. You can check your owner’s manual to see what is recommended for your vehicle. Balancing your tires is part of preventive maintenance. It keeps your vehicle in good repair and prevents damage to many of its components. So practice good vehicle care and make it a point to keep your tires balanced. It’s quality auto advice from Autotronics of St. Peter. Massage chairs may vibrate away our worries, but unbalanced tires will just rattle St. Peter drivers’ nerves.

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

Ever notice that your tire is covered with writing? It’s like some hieroglyphic art form. Of course, St. Peter drivers know that it’s not just graffiti, but to most of us, it might as well be. Would you like to know what all those codes on your tire mean? It won’t lead you to buried treasure, but it could help you make a better tire purchase at your local St. Peter tire store.

Prominently featured on your tire is a set of numbers and letters that looks something like this: 225 50 R 16 92 H. The first number is the width of the tire in millimeters, or the width between the sidewalls of the tire when it is fully inflated and not carrying a load. When St. Peter drivers replace tires, they need to match this width number, or the tires won’t fit properly in the wheel wells.

The 50 is the aspect ratio of the tire, which is measured by taking the height of the sidewalls and dividing it by the tread width. If you drive off-road around the St. Peter area, it should have a high aspect ratio. For high performance on the road, you want a lower aspect ratio.

The R simply means this is a radial tire.

The 92 is the load rating index, or in other words, a rating of how much load a tire can safely carry. If you frequently haul heavy loads around St. Peter, you will want a tire with a high load rating.

The last letter in our “code” sequence is the speed rating on the tire. Not all tires have this rating. In general, the closer the letter is to the end of the alphabet, the higher the speed rating. In other words, Z is the highest rating and A is the lowest. One exception: H comes between U and V. Why? Your guess is as good as mine.

If you’d just as soon ignore all of the markings on your tire, that’s okay. When you need to replace your tires just ask your friendly and knowledgeable Autotronics of St. Peter tire professional for his auto advice on the best tires for you and your vehicle. Replacing tires is a standard part of preventive maintenance for St. Peter drivers vehicles. We all have to do it sooner or later. And the better we understand what we’re buying, the better our vehicle will perform and the safer we will be on MN roads. Good vehicle care is informed vehicle care.

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

Hello St. Peter . Have you ever had your Check Engine light come on? Did you panic? Or just scowl and ignore it? What should you do? Pull to the side of the road and call a tow truck? Or just keep driving? What does that little light really mean for St. Peter drivers?

First of all, the Check Engine or Service Engine light does indicate that something is wrong. That’s why it is called a warning light. But the something that is wrong might be a loose gas cap, or it might be serious vehicle engine trouble. That’s why St. Peter residents often don’t know how to respond to it.

The Check Engine light has two modes: it flashes or it stays on. A flashing light is serious. You need to get your vehicle to Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter ASAP. No, you don’t need to call a tow truck, but, yes, you can’t wait to get your car serviced. If your Check Engine light is on and flashing, you should not tow trailers, haul heavy loads or drive at MN freeway speeds. Any of these could lead to serious damage that could result in repair bills for St. Peter drivers who ignore it.

A steady Check Engine light is less serious, but that doesn’t mean it can be ignored. You should plan to get your vehicle inspected at your local St. Peter automotive service center at the first realistic opportunity. Not the first convenient opportunity, but the first realistic one.

Modern automobiles have a computer in the engine that monitors and controls many of the engine functions. When the computer senses something wrong, it first tries to fix the problem itself by adjusting the vehicle engine. If the problem persists, the computer signals the Check Engine light to come on.

This process stores a trouble code inside the vehicle engine’s computer. Your service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter scans the computer and reads the code. This does not tell the technician exactly what is wrong with the car, but it gives him a good idea as to where to start looking.

Of course, the best thing to do is to keep that pesky Check Engine light from coming on in the first place. Good vehicle care and routine preventive maintenance go a long way to keeping your vehicle out of your St. Peter auto repair shop. But, if that light does come on, be smart. Take care of the problem early, and take care of it professionally.

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