DOG FOOD IN YOUR ENGINE (Keeping Rodents out of your Engine)

A technician was telling us the other day that he was servicing an engine and spotted something he’d never seen before: A collection of dry dog food siting on a horizontal metal ledge near the base of the engine. It was neatly stashed and was in a spot where the food pellets couldn’t have simply fallen down in there.

Even though it’s the first time he’d seen dog food in an engine, he immediately knew what was going on. Critters like mice or chipmunks had found the dog food somewhere nearby and had used the engine as a nice storage unit.

Mice, squirrels, chipmunks—you name it—like the heat of the engine. And they’ll use that to store up supplies of food for use in cold weather when outside food supplies are scarce. The problem is they’ll also chew on engine components while they’re there. And they can do a lot of damage if they start gnawing on the wires. Depending on how much of your electrical system needs to be replaced, repairs can mount up to the thousands of dollars.

Those electrical problems can be tricky to track down, too, because the rodents can get to spots technicians don’t have easy access to. Oh, the signs are there; they’ll find mouse droppings, acorns… even full mouse nests in your engine. Yikes.

OK, but even if you get your vehicle fixed, how do you keep the critters from simply setting up their personal pantry again? Here are some things to try:

Don’t leave any food in your vehicle
Get rid of that sweet-smelling air freshener. The rodents can mistake the scent for food and head right for your vehicle.
If you have a garage, block all access points for rodents. This can be very hard since they can squeeze through the tiniest spaces you can imagine.
Some people keep mothballs under the hood; rodents don’t love ’em.
Pop the hood every couple of weeks and look for signs of mice: nests, droppings or stored nuts, acorn shells and pet food.

The next time you bring your vehicle into Autotronics of St. Peter for maintenance or service, your technician will be on the lookout, too. Hey, the dog food belongs in the dog’s dish, not supplying fast food for little critters with razor-sharp teeth that can create electrical system mayhem.

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

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