May 16, 2012

Brake Service At Sipe Bros. Inc. In Osseo

Filed under: Power Brakes — sipebro322 @ 5:31 pm

Brake Service At Sipe Bros. Inc. In Osseo

Most Osseo drivers know that braking means slowing or stopping a vehicle. The mechanical aspects of the brakes themselves are just one issue. There’s also the power brake system and brake fluid. And then there are the tires, which are critical to the effectiveness of the brakes.

Let’s step back. A car or truck rolls brand new off the showroom floor at a local Osseo dealer. It has brand new brakes with brand new brake pads. The brake lines and the power assist are filled with fresh fluid and are completely clean inside. And the cars tires are brand new, with full tread. Naturally, braking power is at its peak performance.
 
Now, as your drive from Osseo to Maple Grove and back, the miles start to add up. Most Osseo car owners tend to focus on the brake pads. In the Osseo automotive service community, the pads, and shoes on drum brakes, are called the friction material. That’s because they provide the friction used to stop the cars. The pads are designed to be effective throughout their useful life – it’s not until they are worn so thin as to be out of spec that they lose stopping effectiveness.

The mechanical parts of the brakes have pistons and springs that get quite a workout while stopping the cars. Over many miles, these wear and get gummed up. They start to lose effectiveness gradually and could even fail. That’s why a regular brake inspection is important. At Sipe Bros. Inc., we can test the operation of the brakes and see if any parts need cleaning or replacing.

That leads us to brake fluid service at Sipe Bros. Inc.. Some of the critical additives in the fluid that lubricate and clean the cars fluid system are depleted over time. That and moisture building up in the system deteriorate the performance of the brake fluid. Brake fluid replacement at Sipe Bros. Inc. includes flushing the brake system to clean out deposits, water and dirt. Then the system is filled up with fresh fluid.

The tires are what connect the cars to the road. The stopping force is ultimately dependent on the traction provided by the tires. The better they grip the road, the quicker you’ll stop as you drive around Osseo.

For questions about brakes, brake pads, cabin air filter, strut replacement, or tires, talk to Sipe Bros. Inc.  manager Pete Sipe.

Give us a call

Sipe Bros. Inc.
763.425.2524
408 3rd St. S.E.
Osseo, MN 55369

At Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo MN (55369) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.425.2524. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 8, 2012

Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car In Osseo

Filed under: Cabin Air Filter — sipebro322 @ 4:45 pm

Get Fresh Air Inside Your Car In Osseo

Air quality affects us wherever we are in Osseo. Many decades ago, Osseo residents began to become aware of how air pollution negatively affects health. But what about the air inside your vehicle?

Cabin air filters are now coming on most new carss since the 2000 model year. These filters clean the air in the passenger compartment. They can filter particles down to three microns, so that’s good enough to clean out dust, pollen and most pollutants. If you suffer from allergies in Osseo, this is very good news.

You can look in your cars owner’s manual to see if you have a cabin air filter. If you do, there’ll be a recommendation for replacing it when it gets dirty. If you live where there’s a lot of dust, pollen or pollution, you may need to change it more often. You can also ask your knowledgeable service advisor at Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo.

How hard it is to change a cabin air filter depends on your vehicle. Some are quite accessible; others take some doing to get to them. They’re usually in the cars engine compartment or under the dashboard.

Because cabin air filters are so new on the scene, some Osseo motorists haven’t heard of them – even people who have cabin air filters. Sipe Bros. Inc. service advisors report customers complaining of an unpleasant odor in their vehicle and it turned out to be a dirty cabin air filter.

An important note for Osseo hybrid owners: there is a special air filter that cleans the air that cools the hybrid battery pack. This filter should be inspected every time the cabin air filter is inspected and replaced if it is dirty so that the battery pack doesn’t overheat.

Give us a call

Sipe Bros. Inc.
763.425.2524
408 3rd St. S.E.
Osseo, MN 55369

At Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo MN (55369) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.425.2524. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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May 3, 2012

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Sipe Bros. Inc.

Filed under: Tires — sipebro322 @ 9:56 pm

Get The Right Tires And Wheels At Sipe Bros. Inc.

A lot of Brooklyn Park drivers get custom wheels. When you do this yourself (over the internet . . .) you could run into trouble if you’re not careful. Sometimes, once they’re mounted, they just didn’t fit right. The tires rub in turns or on bumps. You don’t want that.

Consulting a tire professional at Sipe Bros. Inc. can ensure you get the right fit. First he’ll ask you a series of questions about your driving needs in Brooklyn Park and what you want in your new wheels.

At Sipe Bros. Inc., we advise Brooklyn Park tire buyers that not every wheel can go on every car. Care must be taken so that tires and wheels are not too large or that the wheel is centered too far towards the outside or the inside so the tires rub.

If you don’t want to make any modifications to your cars, you need to focus on the wheels that fit. With trucks, some Brooklyn Park people like much bigger tires so they need a suspension lift.

Also, most Brooklyn Park people don’t realize that you need to keep the rolling diameter of your new tires – that’s, like the overall height of the tire – very close to what came from the factory in order for your anti-lock brakes and stability control systems to work properly.

The cars’s computers that control these systems are calibrated to a certain size tire. When you go bigger or smaller, the computer doesn’t know what changes you made so it can’t tell how fast you’re going. This, of course, means it sends commands to the brakes and traction control that are based on the wrong speed. If you go with a different rolling diameter, your cars’s engine control computer can be reprogrammed for the new tire size. For information on reprogramming the engine computer, call us at 763.425.2524.

Either way, there are hundreds of wheel and tire choices to choose from in Brooklyn Park. You can pick the style of wheel you want and then talk with your Sipe Bros. Inc. tire professional about how big the wheel should be – and select the right tire to meet your style, performance, ride and handling needs.

At Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo MN (55369) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.425.2524. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 26, 2012

Why Is My Check Engine Light On? Sipe Bros. Inc. Has Answers

Filed under: Check Engine Light — sipebro322 @ 7:30 pm

Why Is My Check Engine Light On Sipe Bros. Inc. Has Answers

The Check Engine Light strikes fear into the hearts of some Osseo drivers and is totally ignored by just as many. Just what it means is a mystery to most of us in MN.

First, if your cars check engine light is flashing, that means that something is wrong that could cause severe damage to the catalytic converter or other components. Get that taken care of right away. If your check engine light is flashing, you shouldn’t drive at Osseo highway speeds, tow or haul heavy loads. Take it easy all the way to Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo.

If the light is glowing steadily, you should keep an eye on it for a day or two. If the light doesn’t go off, schedule an appointment with your Osseo service advisor to get it checked out.

Some more information from Sipe Bros. Inc. on how the Check Engine Light works may be informative. Most of your cars engine functions are controlled by a computer, not surprisingly, called an engine control computer. The computer is able to adjust many engine parameters for environmental conditions, engine condition and even the way you drive in Osseo.

In order to make these adjustments, the cars computer relies on a network of sensors to provide data. The computer knows the proper operating range for each sensor. When a sensor reading is out of range the computer runs some tests and may turn on the Check Engine Light.

The cars computer will also try to make adjustments to compensate for some readings. If it can do so, it’ll then turn off the Check Engine Light.

If the problem can’t be resolved then the light will remain on and you should get your cars looked at at Sipe Bros. Inc.. Your knowledgeable service technician will plug a scanner into the on-board diagnostic port and read the trouble code stored in the computer. The trouble code will give your Sipe Bros. Inc. technician a starting place as he diagnoses the cause of the problem.

At Sipe Bros. Inc., we also offer cabin air filter and strut replacement.

Give us a call

Sipe Bros. Inc.
763.425.2524
408 3rd St. S.E.
Osseo, MN 55369

At Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo MN (55369) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.425.2524. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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April 19, 2012

Viva la Differential At Sipe Bros. Inc.

Filed under: Differential Service — sipebro322 @ 8:51 pm

Viva la Differential At Sipe Bros. Inc.

With front-wheel drive being so common in Osseo these days, the differential is just taken care of during a transmission service, so most Osseo folks don’t even have to think about it. And most rear-wheel drive cars differentials don’t need to be serviced for many miles, so it’s understandable that it’s not something on the top of mind. So it’s not uncommon for MN people to not know they have a differential let alone know that it needs service.

To better understand what a differential does, think about a high school track. There are lanes marked off on the track. For the longer distance races, the starting lines are staggered. The starting lines for the outside lanes are ahead of the starting lines for the inside lanes. That’s to compensate for the longer length of the outside lanes. Staggering the starting lines means that each runner has the same distance to run.

The differential compensates for the difference in speeds on drive wheels between the inside wheel and the outside wheel in a turn, because they have to travel together through slightly different distances.

Many cars differentials do a lot of work and require very heavy duty parts. And those parts need protection. The differential fluid lubricates the gears in the differential and keeps them cool. The fluid eventually gets dirty and worn down. Some kinds of differentials require special additives that break down over time. So manufacturers and Sipe Bros. Inc. technicians recommend intervals for replacing your differential fluid.

Your Sipe Bros. Inc. service technician will drain the used fluid and check it out for metal bits, which could be a sign of excessive wear on the gears. He’ll then replace the fluid and install the additives if necessary.

Osseo four wheel drive carss need special attention to their differentials because they have a differential on both the front and rear axles that work at different times and sometimes under heavy loads – so they may need to be serviced at Sipe Bros. Inc. at different intervals.

Your Osseo service advisor can look up the manufacturer’s recommended service interval or you can check your cars owner’s manual.

Give us a call

Sipe Bros. Inc.
763.425.2524
408 3rd St. S.E.
Osseo, MN 55369

At Sipe Bros. Inc. in Osseo MN (55369) we install quality NAPA replacement parts. Give us a call at 763.425.2524. To learn more about NAPA AutoCare, visit www.NAPAAutoCare.com.

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