Power Steering Service In St. Peter

Most St. Peter auto owners 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 fir St. Peter auto owners to have them inspected at every oil change. Low fluid can damage the power steering pump. That is why 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 owners’ manual for the right type – or just ask your knowledgeable service advisor 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 auto owners need to replace it from time to time. Many auto manufacturers specify power steering service intervals. Unfortunately, this important service is sometimes left off the car maintenance schedule for many of us in Cleveland. So, when in doubt, every 25,000 miles/40,000 km or two years is a good fallback. Your knowledgeable Autotronics of ST Peter tech will use a detergent to clean the system, flush out the old fluid and replace it with the good stuff.

Here are some important 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 real fast.

Other essential 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 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 Cleveland area, the bearings will need service more often.

Autotronics of ST Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290

Which Item Is Most Stolen from Vehicles in St. Peter?

Which item is most often stolen from vehicles in St. Peter?

Is it:

Stereo
Wheels
Air Bag
DVD System

Well, if you said stereo – you used to be right. But airbags have now surpassed stereos as the biggest target for theft in MN – approximately 50,000 a year are stolen across the country. New airbags cost about $1,000, but go for $50 to $200 on the black market in MN.

Stolen airbags are making their way back into cars that have been in an accident. Of course, the danger to the consumer of having a stolen airbag installed is that you can never be sure what may have previously affected them and if they will work right when you need them.

Contact us at Autotronics of St. Peter for more information about where to get your airbags checked or replaced.
Find us at 111 Jefferson Avenue, St. Peter, MN 56082
You can reach us by phone at: 507.934.9290

There are reports that 1 in 25 airbag replacements are stolen or salvaged airbags – or no airbag is installed at all.

That is definitely one car part you don’t want to take a chance with, so Autotronics of St. Peter recommends following these guidelines:

Use a reputable collision repair center that employs ASE certified mechanics (we can offer recommendations at Autotronics of St. Peter).

Inspect the invoice to ensure that the repair shop purchased the airbag from a manufacturer, dealer or recycler. If you can inspect the airbag prior to installation, it should be packaged in a sealed container from the manufacturer.

You will see the SRS light (Supplemental Restraint System) when you first start your vehicle up. This tells you that the airbag system is activated. If you do not see the SRS light, there is likely a problem with the airbag system.

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

Keeping Your St. Peter Air Fresh When Driving With a Clean Cabin Air Filter

Pop quiz: What is a cabin air filter?

A. A filter for your St. Peter house?
B. A fresh, piney scent?
C. A filter for the passenger compartment of your car?

Clever you, it’s C.

A cabin air filter cleans the outside air before it comes into the passenger compartment of your vehicle. It filters out common MN air particles like dust, pollen, spores, bacteria, pollutants, exhaust gas, odors and even sparrows.

These high tech filters can block particles larger than 3 microns. By contrast, a grain of sand is about 200 microns.

Not all St. Peter vehicles have cabin air filters. They are fairly new on the scene in MN. Last check, about 40 percent of new vehicles sold in St. Peter come with cabin air filters, but the number is growing every year.

Cabin air filters make driving a lot more pleasant for people in St. Peter. Your vehicle can be a haven during our MN allergy season with very little dust and pollen getting into the cabin. Of course, like all filters, the cabin air filter eventually gets clogged. When this happens, your heating and air conditioning flow can become restricted. The filter can even get kind of smelly.

Check your owner’s manual for replacement guidelines. If your vehicle owner’s manual doesn’t mention your cabin air filter, ask your friendly and knowledgeable service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter for a recommendation. It’s usually every year or 12,000 miles /19,000 kilometers. Change it sooner if you drive in dusty conditions around the St. Peter area, or if you start to notice a funky smell coming from your vents.

The team at Autotronics of St. Peter urges St. Peter drivers to keep their cabin air filter cleans. It may not help with your brother-in-law in the backseat, but it will make your driving experience around St. Peter more enjoyable.

Come by and we’ll take a look at your cabin air filter for you.

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