Posted on 7/31/2020
No matter your skill level, as a car owner, you should get comfortable making sure you can perform some simple car-care practices. Some things you may want to leave to the pros, but there is a bunch of basic vehicle maintenance that you can do easily on your own too! Firstly, you should always get acquainted with your owner’s manual. Every car has one, and it's usually a thick little booklet that’s stored in your glovebox. If you can’t find it, don’t worry; you can always find an online version! Give it a read, and then turn to your maintenance schedule section. This will tell you what kinds of maintenance is needed and when. Next, you’ll want to regularly check and change your car’s oil and oil filter. Think of your engine as your vehicle’s heart and its oil as its blood. It lubricates the rest of the engine, allowing your engines various parts to work together without grinding and causing damage over time. Old engine o ... read more
Posted on 6/30/2020
Taking care of your car’s fluids is one of the most important things you can do as a car owner. Over time, innovations in the automotive industry have added new types of fluids to maintain, meaning more maintenance overall. If you want to know how to keep up on your car’s fluids, make sure you keep reading to understand how to take care of your vehicle’s fluids. All cars need oil, which is perhaps one of the most common types of fluids you should check. Oil lubricates different areas of your engine to keep them running smoothly and avoid overheating. Make sure your engine is cold, and then check your oil levels. Top it off with your recommended oil type from your car manual, and that’s it! Radiator fluid is also easy to check, and it ensures that your car doesn’t overheat while out and about. Always check your radiator fluid after driving, but not while hot or cold. Don’t forget about your transmission or brake fluids! Transmission fluid allows you ... read more
Posted on 5/31/2020
While you may not know what ABS (antilock braking system) is, it’s vital to your car’s performance. Whether you drive a car, motorcycle, or truck, knowing how your ABS works and what it does for your vehicle will help you appreciate all that it does! First introduced as an anti-skid system for aircraft in the 1950s, car manufacturers soon put it to work. By the 1970s, Ford and Chrysler had proved it could be utilized in the automotive industry, and to this day, ABS is present in all modern cars. While ABS is part of the electronic stability control system, put simply, your ABS is a safety anti-skid braking system. It was designed to help while braking and works by preventing the wheels from locking up while you brake. By doing so, your car’s ABS helps to maintain traction and contact with the road surface. The ABS does this due to a system of sensors attached to each wheel. The sensors detect when a wheel is about to lock up and stop moving, which ... read more
Posted on 2/29/2020
Trust AutoPro Auto Service with your fleet, and you will soon know what outstanding service is all about. We pride ourselves in providing all of our client's scheduled services as well as general periodic fleet vehicle inspections and preventive maintenance, which can catch significant issues before they cause an actual breakdown and loss of use. Proactive Maintenance Proactive maintenance is a crucial component when it comes to keeping your vehicles on the road. Simple upkeep, such as regular tire inspections, rotations, and air pressure checked to needed oil changes, will keep your fleet vehicle on the road for longer extended periods without unplanned delays. Turn-Key Having every vehicle turn-key ready is essential to you and your team. Precious time down with annoying repairs, costs you money. By allowing us to track and maintain your fleet, you will know when inspections are due and what type of future work needs to be scheduled. We pledge to expedite all r ... read more
Posted on 1/31/2020
As we head into the month of love, it’s important to recognize that our cars need love too. While they may not need flowers to feel loved, they do need regular, ongoing attention in the guise of preventive maintenance. Even though you may want to ignore it, preventive maintenance is the one routine that will not only extend the life and performance of your vehicle, it also has the power to keep you safe. You can’t say that about a dozen roses! Reasons why it’s a good idea to stay on top of your preventive maintenance schedule: Helps to keep your car a reliable one. Improves overall engine performance. Increases gas mileage. Decreases the likelihood of getting stranded on the side of the road. Helps you avoid extensive damage to car parts due to neglect. Reduces the overall auto repair bills over the lifespan of your vehicle. Increases resale value. Improves drivability. Safety! Safety! Safety! Basics of regular preventive maintenance include: Oil changes Flu ... read more
Posted on 1/4/2020
What makes John Klarkowski and his team of highly skilled auto mechanics at AutoPro Auto Service unique? So many reasons! From hiring the right people to offering loaner cars, from one of the best warranties in the business to our high level of transparency, everything we do is to create the very best customer service experience for you. We aren’t interested in earning a fast dollar. It’s all about building relationships and making sure you know that YOU matter. Staff: AutoPro Auto Service hires off of character first and foremost. John works hard to motivate and guide his team. They stay with him for years because he makes an effort to create and maintain a great connection. He treats them well and with respect. The employees come first in order to make our customers come first. John doesn’t have peace of mind unless each employee is doing well. He meets with them daily in order to check-in and makes sure they are all okay. The goal is to have a positiv ... read more
Posted on 11/30/2019
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
Posted on 10/31/2019
“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
Posted on 10/1/2019
When you’re thinking about your next car, there are many factors to take into consideration, and when you have a family, there are some extra special concerns you’re going to be contemplating during your process. These factors include safety and value come up as two of the largest points that are involved in determining a family and kid-friendly vehicle. Safety: we all want safe cars, but when it comes to driving our families around, safety has to be one of the number one factors when considering choosing a car. Paying attention to all of the standard and optional safety features is necessary during the shopping experience. Value: the value ranges of family-minded cars can vary widely, as some families are looking for the best they can get on a budget versus luxury SUVs, which can also be extremely kid-friendly. Make sure you know what you’re intending to look for and take that into consideration. 2019 Honda CRV-LX A base 2019 CRV-LX is going to p ... read more
Posted on 9/1/2019
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