BECKER AUTO REPAIR > REPAIR TIPS > COST SAVING TIPS

320-762-8060 | 1811 S Nokomis Street Alexandria, MN 56308

COST SAVING TIPS

10 Minute Pre-Trip Checkup Can Pay Off

A properly maintained vehicle is safer and more dependable and will even save a few dollars at the gas pumps. Motorists should plan ahead to allow time to perform necessary maintenance themselves or at the local service facility.

Car Care Council offers three suggestions for a traveler's 10-minute pre- trip checklist:

Check all fluids - There are several fluids that require attention: Engine Oil, power steering, brake and transmission fluids, and windshield washer solvent and antifreeze/coolant.

Check all hoses and belts - A belt failure can affect the electrical system, air conditioning, power steering, and the cooling system. Cooling system hoses may be deteriorating from within, so old hoses and clamps in marginal condition might need to be replaced.

Check the tires - Check tire inflation and inspect the tread for uneven wear, indicating the need for wheel alignment. Also look for bulges and bald spots.

Follow these tips to maximize fuel efficiency of your vehicle:

Vehicle gas caps - about 17% of the vehicles on the roads have gas caps that are either damaged, loose or missing altogether, causing 147 million gallons of gas to vaporize every year.

Under inflated tires - when tires aren't inflated properly it's like driving with a parking brake on. It can cost a mile or two per gallon.

Worn spark plugs - A vehicle can have either four, six or eight spark plugs, which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in electrical and chemical erosion from heat.

Dirty air filters - A clogged air filter creates a "rich" mixture - the proportion of gas to air is incorrect. This wastes fuel and causes the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.

Don't drive aggresively - Aggressive driving can lower gas mileage by as much as 33% on the highway and 5% on city streets.

Avoid excessive idling - sitting idle gets zero miles per gallon. Letting the vehicle warm up for one to two minutes is sufficient.

Drive the speed limit - Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. Each mile driven over 60 results in an additional 10 cents per gallon. Increase fuel efficiency by using cruise control.

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What Our Customers Are Saying

Great Auto repair shop, very friendly and reliable guys. Quality, reliable work, with low prices.

Will S.

Great friendly guys that get it fixed right the first time.

Bill E.

This is a very honest and great repair shop that clearly puts their customers first by doing the right thing. These guys are very knowledgeable and skilled technicians and I appreciate you guys helping me out of a bind! Best of luck to you and thanks for what you do!

Pauly

Always knowledgeable and helpful. Willing to get us in at the last minute to try to fix our problems.

Nathan B.

Great group of guys and great work, dealt with them all the time and they are always friendly.

Mike E.

We brought our truck here because the check engine light came on and it was not running quite right. These guys did the diagnostics & it turned out to be a misfire due to a worn out ignition component. All they did was replace all of the old and worn out components with new ones and our truck still starts and runs like new even with 254,000 miles. Thanks for all of your help, everything is still working top notch to this day!