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.
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.
The following Cabin Air Filter video is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
The following Cabin Air Filter animation is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
Let’s talk about cabin air filters. There seems to be some confusion about them in Bethel that we should be able to clear up. Much of the confusion starts because cabin air filters are relatively new. Not all vehicles in Bethel have them, so some people confuse their cabin air filter with the engine air filter.
Every vehicle in MN has an engine air filter that cleans the air going into the engine, but not all have a cabin air filter that cleans the air going into the passenger compartment. Easy to get mixed up.
The cabin air filter cleans out dust, pollen, spores and other pollutants. To give a point of comparison, a grain of sand is about 200 microns across. A cabin air filter can stop particles that are just 3 microns in size. It really does make the passenger cabin a much more pleasant environment.
When the cabin air filter gets dirty, you just need to replace it. Your owner’s manual may have a recommended interval for changing it. If not we can inspect it. You know, it’s ironic that many people who don’t realize they even have a cabin air filter first find out they do when it starts to get smelly.
Some cabin air filters are very easy to access when it’s time to replace them. Others, not so much. We may have to get behind the dashboard and it takes some time.
A clean cabin air filter keeps out smog, allergens and other harmful pollutants. If it’s time, get it changed right away.
At Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis MN we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com, or give us a call at our Saint Francis MN location by calling 763.753.4993.
The following Check Engine Light video is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
The following Check Engine Light animation is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
When your check engine light comes on, you may be torn between utter panic and just wanting to ignore it and hope it goes away. That’s perfectly understandable. That same check engine light could come on for anything from a serious engine or transmission problem all the way down to a loose gas cap.
There’s a very common misconception that the trouble codes stored in your engine computer when your check engine light comes on will specifically identify a problem. It’s really more like pointing to the symptoms of a problem.
Call Gerdin Auto & Tire at 763.753.4993 for help with your check engine light.
Think of taking your temperature. Say it’s 101. Your heat sensor – the thermometer – tells you that your temperature is out of the normal range. But it doesn’t tell you why you have a fever. Is it the flu or a sinus infection? You need more information; more tests.
For any given trouble code, there could be a number of causes. So your trained technician takes the trouble code as a starting point and begins a diagnostic process to determine the cause of the problem. And some problems take longer to solve than others.
When your engine management system logs a problem and illuminates the check engine light, your Saint Francis service technician at Gerdin Auto & Tire will plug in a scanner, download the trouble codes and go to work tracing the cause of the problem.
That’s just the first step. That’s when your technician’s training, equipment, databases and skill get put to work diagnosing the problem and fixing it.
If your check engine light is flashing it means that the problem could lead to serious damage. You should get to your local Saint Francis MN service center as soon as possible to get the problem solved. If it’s on but not flashing, you have some time to get in at your convenience.
At Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis MN we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
The following Spark Plugs video is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
The following Spark Plugs animation is presented by Gerdin Auto & Tire:
In Saint Francis MN, the days when you changed your spark plugs every couple of years has ended. Back in the day, spark plugs really did wear out that often. A couple of things are different now…
First, spark plugs are made of better materials that last longer and they’re designed better. The second reason why spark plugs used to have to be changed in sedans and other autos was that they were fouled up with carbon deposits. The deposits built up when fuel wasn’t burned completely. With modern engine management controls that just doesn’t happen as often.
Engine control computers precisely time when fuel is injected into the engine and when spark plugs fire. Unless something’s wrong, spark plugs just don’t foul like they used to.
Electricity from the battery goes into a coil that allows power to build up to anywhere from 12,000 to 45,000 volts, depending on the vehicle. The engine management computer tells the coil when to release the power to the spark plug. The electricity travels through a wire from the coil to the spark plug. At the tip of the plug, a spark jumps between two electrodes and ignites the gas in the combustion chamber.
Some engines have more than one coil. Coils wear out and need to be replaced occasionally. Also, spark plug wires can wear out and need to be replaced.
Modern engines used around Saint Francis are delivering more power and better fuel economy all the time. That’s largely credited to fast engine control computers, advanced sensors, electronic ignition and improvements to the lowly spark plug.
It’ll be interesting to see where future developments take us. One last thought: it’s critically important to have the right kind of spark plug for your vehicle. Because engines are designed to run with different internal temperatures, spark plugs have different designs to work properly within those temperatures. Your Saint Francis MN service advisor at Gerdin Auto & Tire will be able to get the right plugs for your vehicle. And he’ll be able to advise you on when you should replace your spark plugs as well.
At Gerdin Auto & Tire in Saint Francis MN we install quality NAPA replacement parts. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.
You can reach us in Saint Francis MN at: 763.753.4993, or online at http://gerdinauto.com/.
