AUTONET TV

The Right Fluids for Your Vehicle

The current vehicles in the market have over a century of engineering behind them. They have evolved into complex and powerful machines. Developments in their engines, however, have coincided with advances in many other vehicle components, including the fluids.

It's up to people in Cold Spring to always use the right type of fluid for their vehicle. Your service advisor and your owner's manual are resources for auto advice on exactly what types of fluid your vehicle needs. Improper fluids can damage your vehicle and void your warranty.

Some of the fluids that have changed significantly in recent years are cooling system fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid and motor oil. Each of these comes in many varieties now, and it's hard to know exactly which one your vehicle needs.

Cooling systems were once made of iron, steel and rubber. One coolant could be used to protect all of these materials. But new cooling systems have components made from a variety of metal alloys and several kinds of plastic, and coolants now contain additives that protect these various materials from corrosion. Since the materials vary among manufacturers, they require different additives, which means there are now several coolants on the market. The type of coolant your vehicle needs depends on the materials used in its cooling system.

Most vehicles used to require DOT 3 brake fluid. But now many vehicles need DOT 4 or DOT 5. Some Cold Spring drivers mistakenly think the higher numbers reflect an increase in grade—that DOT 4 is somehow better than DOT 3. But the truth is, the numbers represent variations in formulation. The different formulas have evolved to meet the demands of newer and better brake systems. For a long time, transmission fluid came in two varieties: regular and friction-modified. But transmissions have come a long way recently and so have the fluids that protect and lubricate them. There are several new types of fluid on the market, but your vehicle is designed for just one of them.

Of all the automotive fluids, motor oils have experienced perhaps the greatest advances in engineering and technology. A number of new weights and formulations have recently been developed to meet the needs of modern engines, which have more parts and tighter tolerances than ever before. Engines have become more sophisticated and complicated, but they have also increased in power and fuel efficiency. Despite these changes, Cold Spring vehicles still need them to be highly durable.

That's the job of motor oil. Motor oil still has to perform its original function—lubricating and protecting the engine. It is formulated to help clean the engine as well. Modern motor oil also has to be thin enough to penetrate small engine passages yet still be resistant to vaporization.

Specialized motor oils have also been developed for high-mileage vehicles. If your vehicle has 75,000 miles/120,000 km or more on it, you might consider switching to one of these motor oils. They contain extra detergents that help clean older engines, additives that condition seals and gaskets that can become brittle with age. High-mileage motor oils come in weights and types just like regular motor oils, and Cold Spring drivers should match the proper weight and type of high-mileage oil to their vehicle in the same way you would regular motor oil.

Over time, vehicles have developed in complexity and variety, and their fluids have developed as well. Each vehicle is matched to a set of fluids that meet its specific requirements. MN vehicle owners should take care to learn their vehicle's fluid requirements before topping off at home. A large part of preventive maintenance for Cold Spring drivers is making sure your vehicle's fluids are clean and adequate, but they must be the proper type as well. As our vehicles become more sophisticated, car care becomes more sophisticated as well.

Learning about proper fluids for your vehicle will help you maintain its performance and prolong its life. Talk to us at Bauer Auto Service in Cold Spring.

 Bauer Auto Service
14455 State Hwy 23
Cold Spring, MN 56320
320-685-8846

The Bauer Auto Service Guide to Caring for Your Transmission

Most vehicles have automatic transmissions, yet a lot of Cold Spring drivers only have a fuzzy understanding about what a transmission does. Think back to the last time you rode a bike in Cold Spring. You started out in a lower gear and shifted to higher gears as you went faster. Down shift for hills, stuff like that. Think of your legs as the engine – there's an ideal speed you can pedal and you change gears to leverage the work you're doing.

Lower gears for power on hills or for starting out. Higher gears for more speed. That's what the automatic transmission does – it automatically starts in lower gears and shifts up to higher gears to go faster on MN roads. And it automatically shifts back down to climb Cold Spring hills, pass or start up again.

Vehicle automatic transmissions have certainly gotten more sophisticated in recent years. They have more speeds than before: the base is four speeds, five is very common.

At Bauer Auto Service, we routinely service transmissions with six speeds and several have seven or even eight speeds. As you can imagine, this means more parts. Any they all have to fit into roughly the same space.

Transmissions are computer controlled these days, with some high end transmissions having two or three computers. Transmissions are engineered to last. But they are also engineered to tighter tolerances. If a portion of the transmission is starved for lubrication, it can lead to failure.

Not enough fluid can starve the transmission, or dirty transmission fluid can clog small passages in the transmission. Then the lubricant is blocked and can't get to all the parts to protect them, so they wear out prematurely. The technicians at Bauer Auto Service see far too many transmissions that needlessly failed due to neglect.

And, as you can imagine, repairing one of these new transmissions at any Cold Spring service center can be quite costly. That's why owner’s manuals have a schedule for how often you should change the fluid and what type of fluid to use.

It's really important for Cold Spring area drivers to carefully follow the manufacturer's transmission service schedule.

At Bauer Auto Service in Cold Spring, we hope you never become shiftless in Cold Spring because you didn't take care of your transmission.

Bauer Auto Service
14455 State Hwy 23
Cold Spring, MN 56320
320-685-8846

Getting the Right Tires and Wheels in Cold Spring

A lot of people get custom wheels in Cold Spring. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you're not careful. Sometimes, once they're mounted, they just don't fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don't want that.

Consulting your Bauer Auto Service tire professional can ensure you get the right fit. First he'll ask you a series of questions about your Cold Spring driving needs and what you want in your new wheels. Now, not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don't want to make any modifications to your vehicle, you would need to focus on the wheels that would fit. With trucks, some people in Cold Spring like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Cold Spring drivers don't realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your vehicle's anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn't know what changes you made so it can't tell how fast you're going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your vehicle engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in MN. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your friendly and knowledgeable Bauer Auto Service tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and how to select the right tire for your vehicle. Your Bauer Auto Service service advisor will help you find the best tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs in Cold Spring.

Bauer Auto Service
14455 State Hwy 23
Cold Spring, MN 56320
320-685-8846

Automotive Detective Work in Cold Spring

There's a reason we use the word “diagnose” when we talk about fixing cars in Cold Spring. Figuring out what's wrong with your vehicle has a lot of similarities to figuring out what's wrong with someone who is ill. Vehicles are a mass of complex systems that can produce a variety of symptoms when something goes wrong. As with human diagnoses, a specific symptom may be indicative of a number of problems, and figuring out the specific cause takes training and experience.

Sometimes the diagnosis of your vehicle's trouble comes down to a matter of trial-and-error. This can be frustrating for Cold Spring drivers because time and money are on the line. You may feel you should only be paying for repair work. Of course, you only want to pay for the right repair – and a proper diagnosis is part of getting it right. Like at the doctor's office — some of what you pay for is the doctor's time and effort to figure out what's wrong with you, not for the actual cure.

The good news is that Cold Spring drivers can do a lot to help out their friendly and knowledgeable service advisors at Bauer Auto Service in figuring out what's wrong with their vehicle. Again, the medical office is a good analogy. The more information you can give your doctor about where it hurts, when it hurts and how it hurts, the more quickly he will be able to help you. In the same way, the more you can tell your Bauer Auto Service service technician about when the problem occurs, what is sounds like, how often it occurs, where it occurs, etc., the more efficiently he will be able to get you back on the road.

Good preventive maintenance goes a long way to keeping your car out of a Cold Spring repair shop, but if you need to get it , good communication will get you back on the road quickly.

Bauer Auto Service
14455 State Hwy 23
Cold Spring, MN 56320
320-685-8846

Bauer Auto Service Helps You Decipher the Menu Board: Part 2

MN service centers have a menu board that lists the services they provide. Some Cold Spring drivers may not be familiar with all of the items on the board so here is a quick description of some of the typical services that might be listed.

Bauer Auto Service fuel system cleaning: Over time, the vehicle fuel system gets gum and varnish built up. A fuel system cleaning gets rid of that and cleans out the fuel injectors. Saves gas, by the way.

Bauer Auto Service headlamp replacement: Halogen and standard headlamps gradually fade. It's usually good to change them every year or so.

Bauer Auto Service inspections: Cold Spring drivers get inspections for many reasons. Maybe they're going on a trip or just want to make sure their vehicle's ready for a MN summer or winter. Maybe they just bought a used vehicle and want to give it the once over. An inspection may reveal some things that are broken or are getting close to having a problem.

Bauer Auto Service oil change: There are several options: Some Cold Spring centers offer just an oil change and new filter as an option. Most will also check and top off all of your other fluids and do a quick visual inspection with a full service oil change. In my way of thinking, the full service option is best because it makes sure you have adequate fluids and may uncover an emerging problem. There may also be options for higher mileage fluids or an upgrade to synthetic oil.

Bauer Auto Service PCV valve replacement in Cold Spring: PCV stands for Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve. It's a little part that releases pressure from the engine. It can get gummed up and that can lead to engine damage. It just needs to be changed now and then.

Bauer Auto Service power steering service: Often overlooked. Your friendly and knowledgeable Bauer Auto Service technician will evacuate the old fluid, clean out the system and replace it with clean fluid. Keeps the vehicle system running well for a long time.

Bauer Auto Service serpentine belt service: That's the belt that powers the vehicle engine's accessories like the alternator, air conditioner, power steering and brakes. You'll want to replace the serpentine belt before it breaks, because that'll shut you down.

Bauer Auto Service shocks and struts: This starts with an inspection of the suspension components. Shocks last a long time and wear out slowly, so many Cold Spring drivers don't notice when it's time to change them. If they're worn or leaking, they need to be replaced.

Bauer Auto Service transmission service: This involves removing the transmission fluid and replacing it with clean fluid. It's like an oil change for your transmission.

Bauer Auto Service tire rotation and wheel balancing: The tires are rotated from front to back using the recommended rotation pattern. This helps tires wear more evenly. Wheels need to be balanced from time to time to keep them turning without any wobble or bounce. Helps the ride and saves tire wear.

Bauer Auto Service
14455 State Hwy 23
Cold Spring, MN 56320
320-685-8846