Coon Rapids Auto Repair

Tires for Winter – make sure you have the best shoes for your vehicle. Want to know what works in winter for your vehicles's tires – read on.....   Choosing the right winter tires is crucial for ensuring safety and optimal performance in cold and snowy conditions. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting winter tires for your car: Winter Tire Types:Studded Tires: These tires have metal studs embedded in the tread for improved traction on icy roads. However, they may be restricted or prohibited in some areas due to road damage concerns. ( not legal in Minnesota )  Stud-less Tires: These tires use special rubber compounds and tread designs to provide traction on snow and ice without the need for studs. They are a popular and effective choice in many winter conditions. Tire Size: Use the correct tire size recommended by your vehicle's manufacturer. Check your veh ... read more

Next used vehicle purchase, what should it be ?   Aaron Strand, Owner of Minnesota Automotive, has 30 years in the auto repair business gives his do’s and don't s … There are so many choices out there, how do we know which vehicle to pick ? Number 1 for most customers is budget and cost of ownership. There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to cost of ownership. In general the Auto Industry want’s you to believe there vehicle has lower cost of ownership by pushing the recommend maintenance to be longer and longer, pushing 10,000 mile oil changes and lifetime transmissions. Well that might work for customer at first when they’re the first owner and trade the vehicle in before it’s at 100k miles. This is bad for the second owner of the vehicle may have many major repair bill’s as the vehicle has not been maintenance-ted well or enough. With the complex engines in the new vehicles oil changes and general maintenance is more ... read more

Ev’s The band wagon Lets face facts the EV’s are coming and are already here. The band wagon say’s lets buy an all Electric vehicle to save the environment. I say let’s take a closer look? Pro’s: To buying the all electric vehicle. No gas, charging cost is about 1/3 of the cost of gasoline, if you charge from home. No tail pipe emissions and way less maintenance. This is a really a good idea if your in the smog capital of Los Angles, CA. Where the smog is bad; because the mountains hold the environmental air in. There is definitely a need to reduce exhaust from all industry's, In that part of California, that is were the feel good environment stuff ends. Con’s: Where do we start ? There is so much, lets start with the cost, of the vehicle. Full electric vehicles are out of the price range of most new vehicle buyer’s, about 1/3 higher then the price of a gas engine vehic ... read more

Who makes the best battery for your money?  At Minnesota Automotive we replace hundreds of vehicle batteries per year. Why is imported to have a good battery in your vehicle? New vehicles now day’s have between 50 to 100 computers modules in the vehicle with the need for a higher reserve capacity. We see many customers having erroneous codes and battery codes when the battery is at the end of it’s life or just not big enough for the vehicle. Now many new vehicles also have to be programmed for the new battery, or the new battery just installed will most likely shorten the life of the new battery with old charging strategy put into the battery from the engine computer. It’s better left to the experts like at Minnesota Automotive to make sure the right battery is installed and the engine computer is programmed for the new battery. According to Consumer Reports April 2023 report. The NAPA Legend battery blue label group 24 is the bes ... read more

As we try to make our vehicles last longer then ever in the midwest, we find the drive train holds as the body's fall aport all around us. Why should we rust proof a vehicle ? I come with a Public Works back ground here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota where we love to use salt and calcium chlorde to melt the snow and ice on the roads in the winter. Which works good for that but is horrable for the body and  frame of your vehicle. The road cemicals get into the vehicle metal and causes oxidation ( red or brown flaking ). Over time time this damages the vehicle structure and other componits like fuel and brake lines.  To stop the oxidation from happing we need to keep the road cemicals off the metal. We do this with paint and other tretments, yet the vehicles still get rust over time and starts falling apart till they are not safe to drive anymore. Most of us want to keep the vehicle nice to get the most for them at trade in or sale, or drive them for 15 to ... read more