The timing belt rotates the cam shafts which open and close the valves that allow air, fuel, and exhaust to flow through the engine as it powers your car when you drive around St. Peter.

An old timing belt can lose a “tooth” in the belt allowing it to slip. The engine could stop or misfire. Timing belt slips – or a broken timing belt – can be disastrous on some engines. In “interference” engines, open valves can get in the way of the piston when the timing belt breaks or slips. When that happens one or more valves can be bent requiring expensive engine repairs.

It is important for St. Peter drivers to replace their timing belts as recommended in their owner’s manual to avoid unnecessary breakdowns. Ask the team of professionals at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter if it’s time for your timing belt to be replaced.

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

The biggest issue for St. Peter area drivers is always safety. When your vehicle wheels are out of alignment, the vehicle will pull to one side, which could lead to an accident. When you’re vehicle is out of alignment, you should have it taken care of right away at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter.

When undergoing an alignment service at Autotronics of St. Peter, your vehicle is put on an alignment rack where the tires, steering and suspension parts are checked for damage. Then the alignment is charted and checked against the factory settings.

Precision adjustments are made to bring the wheels back into alignment. This gets all four wheels going in exactly the same direction.

St. Peter drivers should be aware of the signs of alignment problems. These include the car pulling to one side. Also, the steering wheel may not be centered when you’re going straight. If you see the edges of one or more tires rapidly wearing down, you should have your St. Peter service center look it over. If you’ve been in an auto accident in MN, you should get your alignment checked.

Obviously, a big jolt can seriously knock things out of alignment, but St. Peter area drivers also need to understand that a series of smaller ones can add up.

That’s why we recommend periodic alignment checks. If your vehicle owner’s manual doesn’t specify the interval, once a year might be appropriate. Or check with a service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter.

One thing’s for sure: the cost of the alignment at Autotronics of St. Peter is cheaper for St. Peter drivers than having to buy a couple of new tires because of neglect.

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

St. Peter drivers know that underinflated tires wear out more quickly. Underinflation is also a major cause of tire failure for MN auto owners. More flats, blow outs, skids and longer stopping distances are all results of underinflated tires.

It’s hard for many St. Peter drivers to tell when a radial tire is underinflated. If your owner’s manual recommends 35 pounds of pressure, your tire is considered significantly under-inflated at 26 pounds. The tire may not look low until it gets below 20 pounds.

Uncle Sam to the rescue! A recent U.S. federal law required vehicle manufacturer’s to include a Tire Pressure Monitoring System – or TPMS system – in all vehicles. Many Canadian vehicles have them as well.  The system is a dashboard mounted warning light that goes off if one or more of the tires falls 25% below its pressure recommendations.

Obviously, all of this doesn’t come free for St. Peter car owners. Government studies have estimated the net costs. Of course, the TPMS system itself will cost something. Maintaining the system will have a cost, replacement of worn or broken parts and tire repair cost increases. The net cost is estimated to be between $27 and $100.

MN service centers have purchased new scanning equipment to work with the TPMS sensors and updated expensive tire change equipment to better service wheels equipped with the new monitoring systems.

Autotronics of St. Peter service advisors have been trained on many systems and new tire-changing techniques. All of this adds up to significantly increased cost to the service center to perform what was once a very inexpensive service. So if you’ve noticed the cost of flat repairs, tire changes, and rotations going up, please keep in mind that it’s because of government mandated safety equipment. Your St. Peter service center just wants to keep you safely on the road – and it’s committed to do so at a fair price. Remember, this change will help you avoid the most common vehicle failure, and possibly a catastrophic accident.

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