Following Recommended Intervals for Your vehicle

If you’re reading this article in St. Peter, MN, then you probably care about your vehicle and how it runs. Even though you care, there is still that moment of dread when your professional service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter tells you the manufacturer recommends some additional service. Your heart beats a little faster, your blood pressure rises. You worry about spending more money than you had planned. And you worry that if you say “no,” you might be harming your vehicle or risking your family’s safety.

At the risk of sounding like your dad, you really should have done your homework. Service recommendations are in your owner’s manual. But it is not like you want to keep your vehicle auto maintenance schedule on your nightstand for bedtime reading.

Vehicles are complicated machines and it takes some effort for St. Peter residents to keep them running well. That is why they have maintenance schedules that explain how to keep your vehicle performing efficiently and prevent breakdowns. In a typical owner’s manual you’ll find: oil change, brake fluid and pad change, coolant system service, transmission service, battery electrolyte levels, cables and terminals, tire pressure and wear, CV boots, cabin air filter, air conditioning, heater, fuel filter, air filter, belts and hoses, power steering fluid, differential service, fuel system cleaning and wheel alignment. And then there are mechanical service requirements like timing belt changes, valve adjustment, steering function, engine and exhaust leaks – yeah, it is a really long list!

Fortunately, this isn’t a test: St. Peter residents don’t need to have it memorized. Your friendly advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter has access to your manufacturer’s recommendations. Don’t be surprised when your service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter reminds you something is due. Your manufacturer has taken great care in putting together your maintenance schedule. Let Autotronics of St. Peter help you stay on top of maintenance. You can expect them to suggest recommended services and tell you what problems they find under the hood. We’ll also explain how urgent these services are so you can work them into your budget.

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

Battery Replacement for Your vehicle

Modern vehicles in and around St. Peter run on 12 volt electrical systems. 12 volts is enough to get the job done for St. Peter drivers without having so much power that there is danger of electrocution. But today’s vehicles have more electrical components and do-dads than ever before. This really strains your electrical system, making it hard for the battery to keep up. Think about it: electric seats, seat heaters, power locks windows and sun roofs. And then us MN drivers have all the power outlets for our cell phones, computers and DVD players.

We also have navigation systems and powerful stereos. Plus there are all the engine and transmission computers, traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes, sensors and on and on. Even the security system is running off the battery while the car is turned off.

Fortunately, battery technology has given St. Peter drivers resilient batteries that are able to meet these strenuous requirements. But the fact is, batteries just wear out over time. Eventually, every battery gets to the point where it cannot hold enough of a charge to start your vehicle. Sometimes batteries need to be replaced because they have just worn out. Or, in other cases, they have developed a leak which makes it even more important to get it replaced.

Special safety precautions are taken when working with batteries at Autotronics of St. Peter in St. Peter, MN. These precautions also apply to anyone who is poking around the battery. Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can damage your eyes and burn your skin, so safety glasses and rubber gloves are a must for any St. Peter resident working with their battery. Be careful to not spill acid on your clothes or the vehicle’s paint. Of course, avoid short circuiting the battery as well.

Sometimes there is quite a price range in St. Peter auto part stores for batteries that will work in a particular car. Think of it as “good,” “better” and “best.” More expensive batteries have a longer warranty and are guaranteed to last longer. As with most things, paying a little more up front saves in the long run for St. Peter drivers.

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

Fresh Air Inside Your Car in St. Peter

Air quality has certainly become a hot issue in our modern world. We install air filters on our ventilation systems and in our vacuum cleaners. There’s a filter that cleans the air going into our vehicle’s engine — so why not one for the air in the passenger compartment?

Foreign and domestic vehicle manufacturers haven’t been ignoring the issue. Cabin air filters are becoming a standard feature on newer vehicles. These filters can clean particles out of the air down to three microns, which accounts for pollen, dust and most pollutants. St. Peter residents who suffer from allergies or have a respiratory disorder should be a lot more comfortable. And even if you don’t have a medical need for the filter, the cleaner air in your car just might help you breathe better, figuratively as well as literally.

Cabin air filters are still fairly new in the St. Peter area, so you’ll have to check your vehicle owner’s manual to see if you have one. If you do, your routine car care will have to include changing the filter as part of your preventive maintenance. The owner’s manual will give recommendations on how often the filter has to be changed, but if the air where you live in MN is particularly dirty or if you’re prone to hay fever, you may want to change it more often.

Your friendly service advisor at Autotronics of St. Peter can also offer suggestions on how often to change your cabin air filter in your St. Peter area. They’re the ones who actually see the dirty filters, after all.

There is no standardized location for cabin air filters. St. Peter residents can usually find them in the vehicle engine compartment or under the dashboard, but they might be somewhere else. So the ease of changing the filter will depend on its location. Some are readily accessible, but others make you wonder how they got installed in the first place. Bring your car into Autotronics of St. Peter and we will locate your cabin air filter for you.

However, if you have a newer vehicle, it’s good auto advice to find out if it has a cabin air filter. If it does, you should change the filter regularly. A sure sign that a filter needs to be changed is that the interior of your vehicle will start to smell bad. That smell is exactly how some St. Peter drivers discovered that they had cabin air filters in the first place!

Cabin air filters are just one more way we have to stay safe, stay healthy and stay on the road in MN.

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