10 Best Car Part Stores in Andover, MN

Have you ever been encouraged to add on an extended warranty when you were buying a new or used vehicle? Many customers have asked me my opinion on extended warranties, so I thought I’d pass those thoughts on to you.Like a lot of things in life, there are good extended warranties, and there are terrible ones.Here are the three things you need to ask yourself when looking at an extended warranty:1. What does the warranty actually cover?Read the fine print. Not all warranties cover the same things. You might think that the it covers something, when actually it doesn’t. Is it a drivetrain warranty or a bumper to bumper warranty? Does it cover everything you expect it to, considering the price you’re paying?2. How much does it cost?Is it worth it? Average out how much you spend in car repairs each year. Then average out how much the warranty will cost you per year. Are the numbers similar or very different? Does it have a deductible? If so, how high is it?3. What are the rules/stipulations I have to follow?Every extended warranty comes with rules. How strict are the rules on yours? For example, does it have a disappearing deductible? (A disappearing deductible means that if you bring your vehicle to the original dealer that sold you the vehicle, you would not have to pay a deductible, but if you brought it to an independent repair shop you have some sort of deductible. This keeps you locked into going to that dealer for the life of the warranty.) Always, always read the fine print.Lastly, if the thought of fine-tooth combing an extended warranty stresses you out, bring it in to your local auto repair shop and ask them to look it over for you and give you their opinion. They see these all the time and should be able to spot a good one from a bad one. I would personally be happy to look one over for you, if you need a second opinion. You can give me a call up at Ham Lake (763-780-1002) or send me an email at jason@victoryautoservice.com.Again, don’t forget to check the coverage, count the cost and consider the rules of an extended warranty before committing to one.Drive smart; drive safe.-Jason

By Victory Auto Service & Glass

Don't Forget to Wash Behind Your Ears!

Has this ever happened to you? Warm water. Check. Shampoo hair. Check. Soap up. Check. Rinse off. Check. Grab a towel and hop out. All done, right? Wait…I feel like I’m forgetting something…Quick armpit sniff check…Oops - yep, that was definitely it. Back in the shower to wash the one thing I forgot about… Sometimes you get distracted in the shower and wash ALMOST everything – except the proverbial “wash behind the ears.” What on earth does missing a spot in the shower have to do with auto repair?!Great question. Unfortunately we see this situation play out all too often with customers in the care of their vehicles. How so, you may ask? It's like this: many people are good about getting their vehicle’s oil changed –keeping a strict schedule of changing it every 3,000 miles, which is great. Many keep a close eye on their air filter and tire pressures, which is also great. Some will even replace their squeaky drive belt. To put it bathing terms, their hair is squeaky clean, they’ve washed all the sweat off their backs – some even scrubbed under their fingernails! But they missed the dirt in between their toes. And if they do that once or twice in a row, their feet will start to smell. The area of the vehicle where many people “forget to wash” is the other vital fluids that also require regular (but less frequent) servicing; these include transmission, coolant and power steering fluids. (All wheel drive vehicles have additional fluids.) Why is it so important to change these fluids? Well, when you drive, the parts inside of pumps, gears and clutches are working hard while under some major stress, friction and extreme temperatures. There is fluid inside these components that keep them from frying out. They not only help calm down the heat that’s generated, but also hold the nasty byproducts and little particles that are created by the friction. And when the fluid gets really gummed up, it stops doing its job properly. When you change your vital fluids, you remove these dirty particles and replace it with new, clean fluid. Fluid that can do what it’s supposed to do. At which point your vehicle lets out a long sigh of thanks for this well-deserved bath. On your next visit to the shop don’t be afraid to ask your automotive professional about your vehicle’s specific maintenance and fluid service needs. They are trained, equipped and ready to share this important information with you. And don't let the thought of having to keep track of when your vehicle needs these fluids changed, because a good shop will keep records of your services, so they can let you know when these fluids need to be changed. You have enough other things to remember, so no worries. You made it into the shower – now don’t forget to wash behind your ears. Change those fluids, and keep your car happy and squeaky clean! Happy Driving! -Jeff Has this ever happened to you?

By Victory Auto Service & Glass

3 Dashboard Lights That Drive You Crazy and What They Mean

You get in your car, start it up, and uggh. That pesky check engine light is on again. What does it really mean anyway? If I just ignore it, will it go away?Most people have been there, done that. It’s tough to know which lights are really important - and which ones are just downright annoying. They all mean something.They’re all a call to action, but some are certainly more critical than others. The last post was about the lights that require immediate (as in, pull-the-car-over-this-very-second) action.Today’s post is about the lights that we tend to see most often – the ones that are extremely important to take care of right away, but in most cases, will allow you to drive yourself to the repair shop, rather than requiring a tow.1. Check Engine Light (Flashing/Blinking) First, find out: Is your Check Engine light flashing or blinking, or is it just steadily illuminated? There’s a huge difference between the two that many people are not aware of. One is critical, and one is not.A flashing or blinking “Service Engine Soon” or “Check Engine” light is most likely accompanied by a rough running engine and/or a vehicle that lacks power significantly.This flashing light likely indicates a severe engine misfire. Driving this vehicle more than just the necessary few miles can very easily cause expensive additional damage. (I’ll address the steadily illuminated version of this light in the next post.)What should you do?If you ever encounter this situation, you should only drive your vehicle directly home or to a repair facility and nothing extra if you can avoid it.2. Battery Warning LightA Battery Warning Light that is illuminated while the engine is running indicates an issue with the vehicle’s charging system or battery. In most cases this means that the vehicle’s battery is quickly discharging. Possible causes for this are a broken alternator drive belt (or serpentine belt), an inoperable alternator or a bad battery or battery connection. The Battery Warning Light rarely comes on in error.What should you do?First, if the light were to come on while driving, it would be best to drive straight to your home or automotive repair shop for proper testing and evaluation. Secondly, turn off as many electrical accessories in your vehicle as possible (ie: radio, blower motor, rear defroster, A/C or cell phone chargers) as this can buy you critical extra minutes of battery life. Your primary objective is to get to either destination (home or repair shop) BEFORE your battery gets significantly discharged and your engine stalls out. Under normal conditions (daytime, no headlights or wipers operating) you should be able to drive 5 to 10 miles without incident.3. TPMS Light TPMS stands for Tire Pressure Monitoring System. This system is pretty much self explanatory; your on-board computer continuously monitors the pressures in each of your tires (and sometimes even the spare tire) and warns you if any of them get too low.A low or flat tire can easily create a very unsafe driving or handling condition, especially in adverse weather or road conditions.What causes your tire to get to low on pressure, thus triggering this light to come on? Usually it is an object like a nail that punctures the tire. This monitoring system is very precise, it can measure even the slightest loss of pressure, turning on this warning light, which then gives you the driver precious lead time to address and correct whatever the issue may be.What should you do?My advice if your TPMS Warning Light comes on? Drive to the nearest repair facility before your tire goes flat and have your issue inspected and resolved. Driving with a flat tire will not only ruin your tire, but if your tire comes off the rim, can also damage your wheel – a costly, avoidable repair.Now the next time you see a flashing Check Engine Light, your Battery Warning Light or your TPMS Light, they won’t be so mysterious and you’ll know just what to do.Happy Driving!-Jeff

By Victory Auto Service & Glass

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