I Hate When That Happens

Sometimes the unthinkable happens here in Saint Francis… A terrible accident and those involved aren’t able to provide our local Bethel rescuers with emergency contact information. There are people who must be contacted to arrange help, give consent to treatment, inform paramedics of medical conditions, allergies or medications.

Too often, Bethel police and rescue workers must sift through pockets, glove compartments, wallets, purses and cell phone directories for clues – often wasting precious time.

A brilliantly simple solution is now spreading around the globe: ICE. ICE – standing for ‘In Case of Emergency’, is a way of identifying emergency contacts in your cell phone directory.

Simply put ‘ICE’ before a contact name, like ‘ICE – Dad’, ‘ICE – Nancy’, or ‘ICE – Doctor Roberts’. Rescuers will be able to quickly identify your emergency contacts, saving valuable time.

It’s easy and just takes a few minutes to designate some ICE contacts in your cell phone. Remember to keep the listings current.

From your friends at Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis MN, we’d like you to be as safe as possible while out on the road. Give us a call any time for great automotive advice:

Gerdin Auto & Tire
3128 Northwest Bridge Street
Saint Francis, MN 55070
(763) 753-4993

At Gerdin Auto & Tire we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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The MN push for fuel economy has the benefit of using less gas as well as fewer emissions in our local Saint Francis environment. Cars and trucks run cleaner than ever.

Many people in the Saint Francis area may not realize that the first federally mandated pollution control device was in 1960: the PCV valve.

‘PCV’ stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation. The crankcase is the lower part of the engine where the crankshaft is housed and where the engine oil lives. When fuel is burned in the engine some of the explosive gases from combustion squeeze past the pistons and down into the crankcase.

Now this gas is about 70 percent unburned fuel. If it were allowed to remain in the crankcase, it would contaminate the oil and quickly turn it to sludge. Sludge is like Vaseline and clogs passages in the engine leading to damage.

Also, the pressure build up would blow out seals and gaskets. In the old days, there was just a hose that vented the crankcase out into the air. Obviously, not good for the environment.

Enter the PCV valve. It’s a small, one-way valve that lets out the gases from the crankcase, and routes them back into the air intake system where can be re-burned in the engine.

As you might imagine, the valve gets gummed up over time. If you skip oil changes now and then, the PCV valve gets gummed up even faster. If the PCV valve is sticking you could have oil leaks. Fortunately, the PCV valve is very inexpensive to replace. Some can even be checked for function by your technician.

Manufacturer’s usually recommend they be changed somewhere between twenty and fifty thousand miles. Unfortunately, PCV valve replacement is left out of some owner’s manuals, so you may need to ask your service advisor.

Come down to Gerdin Auto & Tire and have us take a look at the condition of your PCV valve to ensure you are running at top efficiency. Just come by our service station in Saint Francis, MN 55070, or give us a call at (763) 753-4993:

At Gerdin Auto & Tire we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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Some of our customers at Gerdin Auto & Tire are surprised to learn that there are actually two service schedules for their vehicles. One is the regular schedule and the other is the severe service schedule.

Let’s look at what the manufacturers say constitutes severe driving conditions, and let you draw your own conclusions:

• Most of your trips are less than four miles
• Most of your trips are less than ten miles and outside temperatures are below freezing
• The engine is at low speed most of the time – not on the highway
• You operate your vehicle in dusty areas
• You regularly tow a trailer, carry heavy loads or a car-top carrier
• Stop and go driving
• Driving in very hot or very cold weather

So you can see that a lot has to do with how you drive, but some has to do with where you drive. Some areas of the country will be more or less severe than it is here in Saint Francis, MN.

For many, normal driving includes elements of severe service driving. So how do you know? Picture a line with ‘regular’ on one end and ‘severe’ on the other, and make a judgment on where you fall.

If your regular oil change recommendation is 5,000 miles and the severe service recommendation is 3,000 – when should you change your oil? For some, it’s closer to 3,000 miles. For others, it’s closer to 5,000 miles. Your service advisor will be happy to have this discussion with you and help you sort it out.

If you drive where the air is dusty or polluted, fluids will become contaminated and filters will get dirtier more quickly.

So make an honest evaluation of your driving conditions in and around Saint Francis. You’ve made the commitment to take care of your vehicles, so it only makes sense to follow the right schedule.

Give us a call for advice for your car based on our local Saint Francis driving conditions:

Gerdin Auto & Tire
3128 Northwest Bridge Street
Saint Francis, MN 55070
763.753.4993

At Gerdin Auto & Tire we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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Some transfer cases are lubricated with gear oil and others use automatic transmission fluid. Of course, it’s important to use the right fluid for your vehicle and we can help you do it right. When you need four-wheel drive you really need it. With proper transfer case care we can make sure it’s available. At Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.753.4993 and let us help keep you safely and economically on the road.

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A recent study showed that 9 out of 10 vehicles have dirty or yellowed headlights. This can decrease nighttime visibility by as much as 90 percent. When you gas up, wipe down your headlights to keep them clean. A headlamp restoration can economically clear up cloudy or yellowed headlight lenses. At Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.753.4993 and let us help keep you safely and economically on the road.

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