Power Steering Service in St. Peter

Most St. Peter drivers are too young to remember life before power steering – cranking those great big steering wheels! It was a pretty good workout. Now power steering is standard. Let’s look at how it works. The heart of any power steering system is its pump. The pump pressurizes the power steering fluid that provides assist for steering. Most pumps are driven by a belt that is run by the engine; a few are electrically powered. A high-pressure hose passes fluid from the pump to the steering gear. A low pressure hose returns the fluid back to the pump.

These hoses can develop leaks, so it is a good idea for St. Peter drivers to have them inspected at every oil change. Low fluid can damage the power steering pump. That is why power steering fluid level is on the checklist for a full-service oil change. The fluid needs to be compatible with the hoses and seals, so check your owner’s manual for the right type – or just ask your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter.

The fluid cleans, cools and lubricates the power steering system. It breaks down as the years go by and collects unwanted moisture, so St. Peter drivers need to replace it from time to time. Many vehicle manufacturers specify power steering service intervals. Unfortunately, this important service is sometimes left off the car maintenance schedule for many of us. So, when in doubt, every 25,000 miles/40,000 km or two years is a good fallback. Your technician at Autotronics of St. Peter will use a detergent to clean the system, flush out the old fluid and replace it with the good stuff.

Here are some  warning signs of trouble with your power steering: It’s harder to turn the wheel, there’s erratic power assist, you hear loud whining coming from the pump (which may be difficult to hear over the loud whining coming from the backseat), you have to top-off the fluid frequently, or you hear squealing belts. Remember to never hold the steering wheel to the far right or left for more than a few seconds at a time. That will wear out your power steering pump quickly.

Other steering components can be bent or damaged from wear or hard knocks: ball-joint, idler-arm, steering-gear, steering-knuckle and tie rod to name a few. Warning signs here are steering play, wandering, uneven tire wear and an off-center steering wheel. An annual alignment check at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter will reveal bent or damaged steering components.

Most SUV’s, pick-ups and rear-wheel-drive cars need regular front-wheel-bearing service.

The bearings should be cleaned and inspected. If they are excessively worn, they need to be replaced. The bearings are then repacked in clean grease. The team at Autotronics of St. Peter also recommends the wheel-seal be replaced when the bearings are serviced. Like everything else, check your owners’ manual maintenance schedule. It’s usually required around every two years or 40,000 miles/64,000 km. If you drive through water in the St. Peter area, the bearings will need service more often.

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

 

Suspension Service at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter

During an inspection at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter, your friendly and knowledgeable automotive service technician will check for worn, broken or missing parts.

Here’s a quick rundown of suspension system components:

There are the springs which hold the weight of your vehicle. There are several varieties of springs. Springs are heavy duty parts that rarely break or wear out. Shock absorbers work in conjunction with springs to smooth out the ride and help keep the tires on the road. Good shocks are essential for handling performance and ride comfort.

You’ve probably heard of struts. They combine a shock absorber and a coil spring in one unit. Shocks and struts will wear out over time. If your tires develop a cupped wear pattern, your shocks or struts may be wearing out. This is from the shocks bouncing unevenly. You may notice a floaty or drifting sensation when cornering. If the front of your vehicle dives excessively when stopping, or rocks back and forth after you’ve stopped, your shocks may be worn out. And if they are leaking fluid, it’s definitely time to replace them at Autotronics of St. Peter.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, visit Autotronics of St. Peter for a suspension inspection. Same applies if you’ve been in an accident that involved one of your wheels. If your vehicle suspension actually fails, it could lead to a serious accident, so don’t put it off.

When you replace your shocks, it’s usually a good idea to replace all four at the same time. That’ll give you more even handling. Talk with your friendly and knowledgeable pros at Autotronics of St. Peter because you don’t want a big difference between the performance of your shocks from wheel to wheel, and replacing all may be the safest bet.

There are different grades of shocks and struts. You always want to use a replacement shock or strut that equals the one that came as original equipment when your vehicle was new. But remember, they were designed to meet the expected needs of the broad range of St. Peter people who buy that particular vehicle. Your needs may be more specialized.

For example, if you want increased handling performance, your Autotronics of St. Peter service advisor can recommend an upgraded shock or strut specially designed for improved handling. If you haul heavy loads or trailers in St. Peter, we can recommend some heavy duty shock absorbers.

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

 

Technician Training at Autotronics of St. Peter

Your vehicle is important to you, and keeping it running properly is important to your lifestyle. That’s why you’re smart enough to have it serviced regularly at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter. And even though it may just be routine maintenance, you want it done right by automotive professionals.

It’s also very important to your St. Peter service center to keep you happy and on the road. You might be surprised at the amount of money our St. Peter auto service center spends annually to make sure our friendly and knowledgeable technicians are properly trained.

Autotronics of St. Peter offers a variety of automotive services for many kinds of vehicles. We need to be current on the latest techniques and parts so that we can give you quality service. Our St. Peter service centers subscribe to data services that list the high quality parts and fluids recommended by your manufacturer.

And each service has a checklist of standard procedures. Autotronics of St. Peter technicians follow these procedures so they can safely deliver a consistent level of high-quality service.

Some services at Autotronics of St. Peter require the use of specialized equipment. Autotronics of St. Peter technicians are trained extensively on this equipment so that they can service your car quickly and efficiently.

Classroom, video and hands-on training is provided by the company and outside trainers. It’s not only important that friendly and knowledgeable technicians be able to perform a given task, they also need to be thoroughly trained in inspection and diagnostic techniques. One of the great services they perform is to detect potential problems before they become serious.

The automotive service industry has standards for classifying and communicating problems. For example, it’s one thing to learn that your manufacturer recommends that you change your serpentine belt every 30,000 miles/48,000 km and another to learn that the belt is on the verge of failure. These standards help you understand the urgency of recommendations, letting you make better automotive service decisions.

MN folks may be interested to know that service technicians (including those at Autotronics of St. Peter) are trained in compliance with federal and local St. Peter laws and regulations, including environmental regulations regarding the disposal of used parts and fluids.

It’s the goal of Autotronics of St. Peter to provide fast, courteous service. You should feel free to ask your friendly and knowledgeable technician or one of the managers about your service or for more information about their recommendations.

At Autotronics of St. Peter, well-trained service providers, established procedures, industry standards and, of course, great people, combine to give you the best auto service in St. Peter.

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