Brooklyn Park Auto Repair

Tis the season. It is that time of year to pack a thermos of hot cocoa and pile some of your friends and family in the car. Go for a nice cruise through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Park to see some dazzling lights displays.   We’re on the final countdown to Christmas, and everyone is feeling the holiday spirit, especially at Minnesota’s various light shows! We are blessed with a lot of amazing ways to celebrate the season, but nothing ever beats seeing some epic holiday lights synchronized to our favorite Christmas tunes! If you’re looking for some extra cheer, crank up those holiday tunes and head to the fantastic light displays around Brooklyn Park. Most of them run through the New Year so you can fit them all in.   There is something magical in seeing those glittering festive winter wonderland displays, lights following the lines of roofs, windowsills that highlight the design of these decorated homes. It is wonderful to see the hard work and celebratio ... read more

“Where the rubber meets the road” is a term that we hear now and then, often regarding accountability. In so many ways, this saying also pertains to tire rotation quite literally. Rotating your tires at regular intervals ensures your tires wear evenly. Just think, if your front-wheel-drive car has heavy wear on the front tires, it can increase braking time, especially in wet conditions. Vehicles with front-wheel drive wear do down their front tires much faster than the rear. Regularly rotating them helps reduce replacement costs while extending the life of your tire.   Did you know tires have an expiration date? Many makers recommend retiring tires over six years of age. You can even tell the age of your tires by the last four digits on the DOT code. There is a lot of information listed on your tires if you know where to look. If you are unsure what all to look for, the experts at AutoPro Auto Services are here to help!    Tire rotation on your car is usually ... read more

Hot, sticky, Minnesota summers certainly don’t help to keep the bad smells out of our cars. Food that had dropped into hard-to-get-to crevices or the fast food bag we left in the back can contribute to the bad smells. Our pets who come along for the ride can also add to the stench. Not only does a bad smelling car stink (pun intended!), some of those bad smells can contribute to our allergies and other health challenges. It’s time to clean it up!  Here are some common household items that can help you with that smell: Dryer sheets: Open up a box of dryer sheets and place them underneath your front seat to eliminate any odd odors and keep the cabin smelling fresh. Scented candles: First of all, don’t light them! Also, avoid using candles in jars as those don’t work, but placing some smaller tealight candles under your front seat can help get rid of odors and they come in many different fragrances. Baking soda: Sprinkling some baking soda around the insid ... read more

Gas prices always seem too high and most people find themselves driving around town to find the cheapest price. Everyone loves to save at the pump. There are a few different smartphone apps that help and show you which gas stations have the lowest price. Gas prices jump or drop every day but who sets that price? Have you ever thought to yourself “what determines the price of gas?”  We as consumers like to blame the big oil companies, refineries, or the distributors for the high gas prices. While they absolutely do contribute to the overall price, there are many factors that determine gas stations price.  Location is a factor. If a gas station doesn’t have competition and is closer to the highway or an area where many commutes, they often charge a higher price. If there is a competitor that can drive the price up or down, most likely down. The competition gas stations want the lowest price to draw in the most customers. Owners will go out at least twice a d ... read more

What? Flying cars? What are you talking about?? When pigs fly! Oh, wait a minute. For some of us, this is an idea of the future… a future that will never arrive. In reality, it is a ‘when’ not an ‘if’ idea that is coming closer to fruition every day. It’s just a matter of time before we take to the skies to get to the office or dinner or our kid’s soccer game. Imagine what that will look like… remember George Jetson? Probably a bit like that, but let’s leave our imaginations wide open for what’s truly possible. In the none-too-distant past, it was thought that we would be jetting around all over the skies by the year 2000. While that didn’t quite happen, it will. Consider this, though… just how much we love our cars that hug the curves of the open ROAD. Yes, road. As we move into the future and we have the option to fly to work instead of drive, how easily do you think we will transition over to that exclusive o ... read more

So, you’re in the market for a new or pre-owned vehicle, huh? The siren song of a newer, shinier, and cleaner vehicle can be very tempting; especially if you’re tired of driving your current vehicle. Of course, the AutoPro Auto Service team promotes preventive maintenance on all new or used vehicles. Why? Because you can save a lot of money over the long haul if you take great care of your 4-wheeled investment. After all, doesn’t it feel good to not have a car payment? But IF you are going to buy a new car or a “new” used vehicle, here are some tips to find a new car that suits your needs and lifestyle. List Your Needs. Before you hit the auto malls, your first step should be to list out your needs. Write down what it is you are looking for in a vehicle. Do you need to carry sound equipment for your band? Do you need to carry a certain number of passengers? Will a convertible be practical as your daily driver? Do you need a truck with running boards so y ... read more

  It's always wise to keep an emergency kit in your car in case you end up in a tricky situation on the road. When the weather gets colder is when it's particularly important to have safety supplies nearby. As a responsible car owner, it's smart to prepare for the worst case scenario. Emergencies can happen to all of us. Whether you run out of fuel, slip off on an icy road, or puncture a tire, a well-stocked emergency kit can get you back on the roads quickly and safely. We suggest keeping the following supplies in your emergency kit.  Jumper cables Flashlight, plus extra batteries (or a hand-crank flashlight) A Swiss Army Knife) Bottled water First-aid kit with adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes and-aides, medical wrap gauze pads, and antiseptic cream Road flares or reflective warning triangles Some other essentials that could be helpful in case of an emergency: Small fire extinguisher. Tire gauge to keep an eye on inflation Jack and lug wrench for when ti ... read more

Of the items that you’ll purchase during your lifetime, an automobile is one of the most expensive. Taking care of preventative on your car offers a sense of relief because you can rest easier knowing that you and your family are safe. To make sure that your vehicle has a long lifespan and to protect your investment, it’s important for responsible car owners to have their car inspected from time to time. To ensure your safety and your car’s dependability, manufacturers specify preventative maintenance that needs be addressed and inspected to keep the warranty intact.   The team at AutoPro Auto Service encourages responsible car owners to make sure that their cars get preventative maintenance so you can have some peace of mind. Here are just a few things to be on top of when it comes to preventive maintenance. Keep all fluids clean and at the proper levels Oil cools and lubricates the engine of your car. The engine overheats and puts out pollution when the mo ... read more

The phrase “tune up” evokes images of a mechanic replacing parts and making adjustments under the hood of a vehicle.  The vehicle is then returned, running better than ever, presumably getting better gas mileage, and increased acceleration.  This may have been the case many years ago, but in regards to today’s vehicles, the phrase “tune up” is obsolete.  For example, today’s vehicles have computers that automatically adjust air-fuel mixtures to accommodate ignition timing to compensate for worn down spark plugs rather than requiring manual adjustment.   Instead of “tuning up” your car, AutoPro Auto Service’s technicians will inspect your fuel, ignition and emission systems and check for any diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) in your computer system.  Trouble codes give car mechanics or technicians areas where on board problems potentially exist.  These codes are generalized so manual testing and inspection ... read more

When the TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System light comes on, it means your vehicle’s tire pressure is low or is going flat. The dashboard warning light, turns on when the tire pressure is below 20% of what the vehicle manufacturer recommends. So if your recommendation is for 35 psi (pounds per square inch), the light will come on when your pressure falls to 28 psi. Pro-active auto owners can check their tire pressure at least once a month, instead of waiting for the TPMS system to activate.  20% below recommended pressure is significantly under-inflated. This means that you will be experiencing degraded handling and that your tire will be running hotter than it should. This can not only be a safety hazard, but your tires will wear prematurely and could even suffer a heat related failure. Some vehicle owners mistake the tire pressure printed on the side of the tire as the recommended pressure for the vehicle. This is not the case. The information on the tire is the ... read more