Friday 30 November 2012

Need a Brake Replacement? Stop, Look and Listen to your Brakes!

Are you confident your vehicle will stop exactly where and when you want it to when you step on the brakes? It’s a fact that they work hundreds of times each week, stopping your vehicle in just the right time, often without any thought on your part. Can you depend on them to keep up this grueling pace without stopping for a brake replacement? A wise vehicle owner doesn’t wait for a problem, or an accident, before scheduling a needed brake repair.


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Behind the Scenes:

Stopping your vehicle seems as simple as stepping on the pedal. But it’s really more complex than that behind the scenes. A detailed balancing act is being performed in the brake system to help you stop safely and smoothly every time. If one of the components in this system becomes worn or damaged without realizing, the system will fail and you could possibly find yourself in a dangerous situation.

Warning Signs leading to Brake Replacement:

Fortunately you can usually hear and feel problems coming before they get too far along. Take a minute to stop, look, and listen to your brakes.

    * Stop!How does the level and quality of the fluid affect brakes? If it is dirty, it will create problems when it can no longer flow smoothly to the calipers. Clean, new fluid will not only help maintain and prolong the life of your entire vehicle, but will save you money by preventing a costly brake replacement down the road.

    * Look!If you see a warning light on your dash board, don’t put-off scheduling a brake repair for the entire system. Failing brakes are nothing to mess around with. Your family’s safety is at stake.

    * Listen!Hear that screeching, squealing sound when you come to a stop? This typically means that the pads are worn. This creates excess heat which will lead to serious damage to the rotors, most likely leading to a complete brake replacement. Schedule a brake repair sooner rather than later!

A Brake Repair service includes --
Resurfacing rotors to manufacturer specifications and lubricating properly is typically part of a complete brake repair service. If you see or hear any of the warning signs described above, take your vehicle into an auto service center as soon as possible. It’s the wise thing to do.

Need a premium brake replacement? Contact our ASE-certified technicians at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at http://www.rumriverauto.com/ for expert advice on brake repair. Since 1997, our auto repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.

Friday 23 November 2012

How to Talk “Mechanic Lingo” and Receive Quality Auto Repair!

Now that Old Man Winter is at our door step, many of us are making holiday plans to visit friends or family. With this thought, don’t neglect any necessary maintenance or auto repair that should be taken care before you hit the road! Taking your vehicle to an auto repair shop doesn’t have to be an unpleasant experience. However, making sure that you and your mechanic are “on the same page” in terms of labor, warranty, parts, and repairs can sometimes be a challenge.

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Here are a few suggestions to help you communicate effectively with your mechanic. It will reduce surprises with regard to cost, time, and the repair of your vehicle. When you know the right terminology (or "mechanic lingo"), you will get better answers about the details of your expected auto repair.

   1. First of all, don’t hesitate to have ask for the auto repair to be explained simply, or in layman’s terms. Your mechanic should ask you questions too about what you expect.

   2. Don’t be in a hurry! Take your time when you arrive at the auto repair shop so that you are sure to get a correct diagnosis. This will help prevent many misunderstandings as to knowing exactly what needs to be done. Often, an on-the-spot, off the cuff, diagnosis may be incorrect and waste both yours and the mechanic’s valuable time.

   3. Make sure that your mechanic knows you want to be called and apprised of the problem, course of action, and cost, before any actual work begins.

   4. Finally, make sure you have an understanding of the auto repair shop policies in terms of labor rates, guarantees, warranties, and acceptable methods of payment. The more questions you ask before the auto repair work begins, the more you will understand, and the more satisfied you will be with the service performed on your vehicle.   Don’t forget to leave a contact number and be available so that you can be called if there are any new discoveries or changes in repair plans.

Getting ready for that long awaited for holiday road trip can be exciting, especially knowing that your vehicle is ready to get you to grandma’s house safely!

Need quality auto repair? Contact our ASE-Certified Technicians today at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at http://www.rumriverauto.com/ for expert advice on car problems. Since 1997, our auto repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.

Sunday 18 November 2012

Feeling Low? Consider 3 Tire Repair Tips!

The last thing you want to see when you’re heading out the door to your vehicle are flat tires. Not only do you feel frustrated at the inconvenience of installing the spare, you are going to spend precious time getting the repair taken care of. If it’s a steel belted radial (which most are these days), it should be repaired immediately to minimize potential long term deterioration started by the puncture.

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While almost any sharp object left on the road can cause punctures, most are caused by small nails and screws (typically less than 1/4" in diameter). Guidelines allow a tire repair of punctures in a tread area of up to 1/4" in diameter. A tire repair of larger tread punctures and of punctures to the shoulder and sidewall areas is highly discouraged against.

Consider these three tips when needing a tire repair:

    * Evaluate the damage the object caused as it punctured the tire – Any repair attempted without removing it from the wheel is incorrect. Punctures in the tread area that looked repairable have revealed that the object that punctured had been long enough to cut the sidewall from the inside. Without dismounting the tire, the hidden damage would have been missed.

    * Reestablish an airtight seal of the innerliner -- Clean the puncture with a specially designed cutting drill that removes rust and sizes the injury properly to fit the rubber stem of the patch. Cemented in place, the stem will vulcanize with the tire to help prevent moisture from reaching the reinforcing cords from the outside.

    * Completely fill the path the object took through the tire – This will prevent moisture reaching the steel belts and/or the casing cords causing them to rust or deteriorate.

How do you know which procedures a tire repair technician uses? Ask them! Driving on improperly repaired tires is dangerous because it can cause further damage to the tires and/or allow their strength to deteriorate over time. An improperly repaired tire driven at high speeds may suddenly fail, causing loss of vehicle control. Additionally, the use of an innertube as a substitute for a proper repair generates additional heat and should not even be considered.

Need a quality tire repair? Contact the ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at http://www.rumriverauto.com/ for expert advice on tires. Since 1997, oour auto repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Milaca and Zimmerman, MN.

Friday 2 November 2012

Vehicle Suspension: The ups and downs of it!

When you wonder what car suspension is all about, it’s quite simple. However, it depends upon what kind of suspension you desire for your vehicle; smooth-ride and graceful handling or sports car agility. Let’s take a look at the basics in order to learn what vehicle suspension is all about.

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In the beginning…

In the early days of the automobile, speeds were low and engine power was decidedly limited. Comfort was the main point of the ride, so that the passengers inside the vehicle were oblivious to the wheels bouncing up and down. By allowing the leaf springs that supported the weight of the body to flex freely, the harshness of early roads was softened substantially.

Time passed, and more hours were spent in the automobile…

Since coil springs rebound from bumps with almost the entire force of the original hit, motion sickness became a serious issue. The initial bump, although maybe gentle, went on and on. Through manufacturers’ trial and error, the solution to this bounciness rested in a mechanism to damp the bouncing motion. The design has evolved over the years, until we arrived at today's shock absorber, the major component in vehicle suspension.

The shock absorber is a universal concept, though the details of the design may vary. The shock absorber allows the car suspension to move freely over bumps, but damps excessive suspension motion by using hydraulic resistance, created by fluid friction inside the shock absorber. The heat caused by the friction in the shock absorber dissolves into thin air.

Today’s drivers…

The shock absorber, one of the vital components of good vehicle suspension, makes your ride more bearable and even enjoyable for longer periods of time. The race car driver became more excited too since the shock absorber could be adjusted and modified to create more stability in cornering and more drivability in endurance racing. Today, the casual automobile drivers and passengers, as well as race car drivers, can be seen smiling behind their wheels!

If you have a concern about your vehicle suspension, contact the ASE Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive by calling (763) 389-3811, or go on-line at http://www.rumriverauto.com/ for expert advice. Since 1997, our auto repair shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN, and in the surrounding areas of Milaca MN and Zimmerman MN, Minnesota area.