Coon Rapids Auto Repair

There are two air filters in your vehicle; an Engine Air Filter, and a Cabin Air Filter. While they may not seem as important as the fluids or electrical maintenance for your vehicle, they are key points of maintenance commonly overlooked. We here at Minnesota Automotive aim to keep you informed, so read on for a quick history & reasoning as to why you should change those car filters as much as your furnace! The Engine Air Filter, while seeming a no-brainer when it comes to the build of a vehicle, has not always been a staple in vehicle manufacturing. Now that's not to say it hasn't been implemented in production for over a century, but for the first few decades, it wasn't much of a thought. This is almost hard to imagine seeing as air flow is essential for your engine to run appropriately; and the cleaner the air, the longer that engine can run right. You see the Engine Air Filter protects from all types of small particles, including but not limited to: dirt and sand ... read more

We are reaching the end of winter, and though it's been fairly reasonable, there have been some very cold days this year. With that, our shop has seen its fair amount of charging system issues and questions. A couple that we get often, with all the new electric and hybrid vehicles, are: What is the difference between a lead battery and a lithium battery? Can I switch the type of battery I'm using now? Are there other types of batteries? What kind of battery does a new car have? Here, we'll take a brief look at each question: What is the difference between lead and lithium batteries? This question ends up being both simple and then slightly complicated to answer. Essentially, lithium-ion batteries charge faster, are lighter, last longer, and store more energy than typical lead-acid batteries. Lithium batteries have a higher cost overall than lead-acid batteries, but, as stated, hold more charge and have a longer life. That being said, lithium batteries have a very strenuo ... read more