Posted on 1/30/2023
This blog is especially timely, especially this year with all the snow. Your friends at AutoPro auto service in Brooklyn Park want you to be prepared! We are your local source for expert car repair in Brooklyn Park, Champlin and Fridley. Next time you need car service, truck repair or SUV repair call AutoPro Auto Service in Brooklyn Park and get the job done right! Today we are going to start a series on Winter driving that includes “what to do if you get stuck in the ditch” in a Metropolitan area like the Twin Cities followed with what to do if you are traveling “in the sticks” and you get stuck. This will include Winter driving preparedness tips including some survival know how! So you are thinking about driving in the Twin Cities Metro during a stormy winter morning. The weather guys on the TV said stay home. That’s the first thing to consider. Planning ahead, if you can wait to drive then by all means do so ... read more
Posted on 12/13/2022
Our last blog contained some great trips about getting your car ready for a Winter storm! Today we are going to discuss Winter travel tips to keep you and your family safe! If you are from Minnesota, you have probably noticed it's much more treacherous to drive when the temperature is at or near freezing. Why? On roadways, water forms when temps rise above 32 and can create new ice conditions when the temp drops below 32! Do you know what tends to freeze first? Bridges and overpasses. This is because they freeze from both the top and the bottom! So be aware! Also, low-lying areas and shadowed areas can attract ice because the temps may be cooler! If you accumulated a lot of snow on your vehicle from being parked outside during a snow-storm, be sure to remove all the extra snow so that you can be seen and see everyone else clearly! We’ve all seen the big truck driving down the highway with a cloud of blowing snow bl ... read more
Posted on 11/16/2022
Winter Storm Coming? Here’s some tips to get your car and yourself ready!!! 1) Check your fuel gauge! you don't want to start the day with a fresh blanket of snow and an empty tank! fill your tank up in advance that does a couple of things first you know you've got enough gas to keep warm in case you have and they counter with a ditch and secondly each tank of of gas $20 worth 20 gallons worth will add about 120 pounds of gasoline to the rear axle for more traction! 2) Be ready for drive combat! Get ready for snowy driving by having your car facing forward into the street so you can push through any drifts or snow plow residue rather than having to back into it! facing forward gives you the momentum that you might need just to get out of the driveway! 3) Most folks don't think about checking their windshield wiper reservoir before a big storm! Make sure that your reservoir is full. Windshield fluid is ... read more
Posted on 4/30/2021

Photo by Lucas Ludwig on Unsplash Welcome to the new blog for May! It’s been a slow process coming back from the pandemic, and some places are still struggling. That’s eaten into people’s spring break time and our sense of adventure. We hope you’ve had some safe experiences out this spring. If you haven’t (due to being busy), we’d like to offer you a chance at your own badly-needed break. Here are five great suggestions that we’ve pulled from Minnesota Monthly’s Guide to Spring Getaways. Consider making one of these trips as a weekend excursion! H ... read more
Posted on 10/31/2020

When’s the last time you said “thank you” to your car? Thanksgiving is approaching and soon, most of us will be sitting around a table to a glorious feast, talking about the many things that we’re grateful for. In most cases, we’ll talk about the essential workers, like paramedics, police officers, the fire department, nurses, doctors, delivery drivers, and of course, mechanics. We’ll talk about the family and friends to survive the COVID-19 pandemic and in some cases, we’ll sadly remember the ones who didn’t. At AutoPro, we’re grateful for our customers. We were able to help each other through what has turned out to be a very bleak year. Many shops have closed down, unable to sustain themselves through the pandemic, but thanks to our regulars and their caring, we managed to make it through. But how often did you notice in the past summer how good it was to have a working automobile? How great it felt to take off your mask the mo ... read more
Posted on 10/1/2020

Photo by Josh Hild on Unsplash Fall and winter can be particularly difficult on your vehicles, especially with the weather we get here in Minnesota! That being said, it’s important to know when to get your car ready for the coming winter months, and that time is here. Keep reading to learn how to get your vehicle prepped and primed for the coming cold weather this year by going over these five important areas! Tires: Regardless of whether it snows or not in your location, you should make sure your tires have proper tread, tire pressure, and aren’t damaged or unevenly worn. Use the penny test to check your tire tread depth, and inspect around your tires for cracks, or if there are chunks and gouges in the wa ... read more
Posted on 5/31/2020

While you may not know what ABS (antilock braking system) is, it’s vital to your car’s performance. Whether you drive a car, motorcycle, or truck, knowing how your ABS works and what it does for your vehicle will help you appreciate all that it does! First introduced as an anti-skid system for aircraft in the 1950s, car manufacturers soon put it to work. By the 1970s, Ford and Chrysler had proved it could be utilized in the automotive industry, and to this day, ABS is present in all modern cars. While ABS is part of the electronic stability control system, put simply, your ABS is a safety anti-skid braking system. It was designed to help while braking and works by preventing the wheels from locking up while you brake. By doing so, your car’s ABS helps to maintain traction and contact with the road surface. The ABS does this due to a system of sensors attached to each wheel. The sensors detect when a wheel is about to lock up and stop moving, which ... read more
Posted on 1/4/2020

What makes John Klarkowski and his team of highly skilled auto mechanics at AutoPro Auto Service unique? So many reasons! From hiring the right people to offering loaner cars, from one of the best warranties in the business to our high level of transparency, everything we do is to create the very best customer service experience for you. We aren’t interested in earning a fast dollar. It’s all about building relationships and making sure you know that YOU matter. Staff: AutoPro Auto Service hires off of character first and foremost. John works hard to motivate and guide his team. They stay with him for years because he makes an effort to create and maintain a great connection. He treats them well and with respect. The employees come first in order to make our customers come first. John doesn’t have peace of mind unless each employee is doing well. He meets with them daily in order to check-in and makes sure they are all okay. The goal is to have a positiv ... read more
Posted on 11/30/2019

Tis the season. It is that time of year to pack a thermos of hot cocoa and pile some of your friends and family in the car. Go for a nice cruise through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Park to see some dazzling lights displays. We’re on the final countdown to Christmas, and everyone is feeling the holiday spirit, especially at Minnesota’s various light shows! We are blessed with a lot of amazing ways to celebrate the season, but nothing ever beats seeing some epic holiday lights synchronized to our favorite Christmas tunes! If you’re looking for some extra cheer, crank up those holiday tunes and head to the fantastic light displays around Brooklyn Park. Most of them run through the New Year so you can fit them all in. There is something magical in seeing those glittering festive winter wonderland displays, lights following the lines of roofs, windowsills that highlight the design of these decorated homes. It is wonderful to see the hard work and celebratio ... read more
Posted on 7/1/2019

Bizarre, remarkable, and unusual are all synonyms that describe what “strange” is. These odd cars that you have probably never seen or heard of have made the list of the strangest cars in the world. Time to buckle up and take a trip into the past and check out these one-of-a-kind cars. Starting off with the egg like shaped 1942 Oeuf Electrique since it only had 3 wheels. It was a tricycle that got an engine that ran on batteries instead of gas. The infamous train designer, Paul Arzen, gave a shot at designing this strange car. The Oeuf Electrique was hand-formed out of aluminum and plexiglass. General Motors tapped into their creative side and make this turbo engine with 370 horsepower and created the 1953 General Motors Firebird 1 XP-21. This beast was considered an actual jet fighter on 4-wheels with its bubble cockpit and tail fin. The third abstract car is the 1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo that was specially made for the Geneva Motor show in 1970. This ... read more