Sant Automotive

             Renewing License Plates in Missouri can be confusing. The general rule is that, after initial registration, even year plates are renewed in even years, and odd year plates are renewed in odd years. For most vehicles, Missouri Safety Inspections must be performed on vehicles that are more than 10 years old or that have exceeded 149,999. For example, a 2020 Ford Escape would not require a Missouri Safety Inspection until 2032 unless its odometer reads 150,000 miles or more.          Additionally, vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 lbs or less that are registered in St. Louis City or County, St. Charles County, Franklin County, or Jefferson County, with a few exceptions, must pass a Missouri Emissions Inspection every two years.          Missouri Safety and Missouri Emissions Inspections are valid for sixty days, and Missouri License Plates can be...

       The best way to maintain your car or light truck is to come up with a maintenance schedule and to stick to it. A maintenance schedule will ensure that your vehicle is in top running condition. Maintenance schedules also help with budgeting for your car’s maintenance and repair needs.               The problem with maintenance schedules is that it is tough to figure out which schedule to follow. Should you follow the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual? If so, which maintenance schedule should you follow? Most manufacturer’s list schedules for both normal and severe driving conditions. If you read the descriptions of “normal” and “severe” driving conditions, you will likely find that you drive under a variety of conditions.               If you return to your dealer for service, you will likely learn that the service re...

 Radiator Hoses, or Coolant Hoses, are the rubber hoses that send your coolant to and from your car's engine and radiator. When your car's engine is cold, both the engine and the Radiator contain coolant. As the engine wars, coolant in the engine expands and forces your car's thermostat to open. The Water Pump then sends the hot coolant/antifreeze from the engine to the radiator and the colder coolant from the radiator to the engine. Once in the Radiator, air flow causes the heat to dissipate, and the process continues. Over time, Radiator Hoses become brittle, and they may break. This can lead Engine Overheating and very expensive Engine Repair. Heater Hoses are like Radiator Hoses, but they move Coolant between the engine and the Heater Core. Air flow over the Heater Core moves the heat into the passenger compartment to provide heat. Heater Hoses are similar to Radiator/Coolant Hoses, and they deteriorate over time. When a Heater Hose leaks, your Heater and Defroster will...

  Spark Plugs are the small electrical parts that provide the power to ignite the fuel in gasoline powered devices. As electricity passes between the Spark Plug's electrodes, gasoline ignites causing an explosion that powers your vehicle. Spark Plugs fire once every two engine rotations. This means that if your engine is running at 800 RPMs, your Spark Plugs will fire 400 times per minute. The heat produced by these explosions causes the Electrodes to wear which increases the gap between the Electrodes. The increased gap causes your vehicle to use more fuel to produce the same amount of power.  Worn Spark Plugs reduce Gas Mileage, and unburnt fuel will damage your car's Oxygen Sensors and its Catalytic Converter. Also, the longer that plugs stay in a vehicle, the more likely they are to become stuck in the engine's cylinder head. If a spark plug breaks, it can be very expensive and time consuming to extract it. For these reasons, Sant Automotive recommends that you change y...

A Serpentine Belt is the rubber Drive Belt that causes the pullies on your car's Alternator, Air Conditioning Compressor, Water Pump, and Power Steering Pump to rotate and to create electrical and mechanical power. Rotation of the alternator creates your car's electrical power. Gas powered vehicles have one or more Drive Belts, at least one Belt Tensioner, and they may have one or more Idler Pulleys. Belt Tensioners insure that the Alternator, A/C Compressor, Water Pump, and Power Steering Pump continue to spin with the rotation of the engine. Idler Pulleys are simply pulleys that do not drive other components. Idler Pulleys are used to route the Serpentine Belt.  With use, a Serpentine Belt will stretch and wear.  Belt Tensioners and Idler Pulleys also wear, and this will cause additional belt wear. When a Serpentine Belt breaks, the components that it drives will not longer function. Because of this, Sant Automotive recommends that you replace your Serpentine Belt(s), Idler ...

 Tires need to be balanced to achieve peak performance. Balancing Tires is important both to prolong the life of your tires and to assure a smooth ride. Even new tires have manufacturing imperfections that cause some areas of the tire to be heavier than others. When driving, the heavy spots exert greater force which causes a rough ride and uneven wear. This is why car manufacturers Balance Tires before installation.  Normal tire wear causes tires to become unbalanced. When this happens, vibration results. Vibration from unbalanced tires is usually most noticeable at highway driving speeds of between 50 and 70 miles per hour.   To extend the life of your tires, Sant Automotive recommends that you Rotate Tires every 6,000 miles and that you Balance Tires every 12,000 miles.  Proper tire inflation is just as important as balancing your tires. To find the proper inflation level, check the placard located on the driver door panel. To schedule your priority reservation wi...

  Rotate Tires every 6,000 miles to get the most out of your tires. Tire Rotation is important for two reasons, the front and rear tires of your vehicle usually bear different amounts of weight, and the tires that carry the most will typically wear more quickly. This is especially true in front wheel drive vehicles where the weight and the pull of your tires will cause them to wear more quickly. When you turn your car, more force is exerted on the edges of your front tires which also causes Tires to wear more quickly. One of the advantages of rotating your tires every 6,000 miles is that 6,000 miles is also that Sant Automotive recommends for changing your car's Synthetic Motor Oil . But wait, there is more. Sant Automotive provides Free Tire Rotations with every Synthetic Oil Change . This allows our technicians to maintain proper Tire Rotation intervals and to keep track of brake pad wear. For your priority reservation, click here .

  How often should I change my oil is probably the question that our customers most ask. Oil Changes help to reduce dirt and sludge that can build up in your engine and cause it to fail prematurely. Sludge, as you might guess is the dirt and debris that build up in an engine. Sludge is thicker than oil and will not give your car the lubrication that clean oil will. Also, dirty oil will decrease your gas mileage. To keep your car running in peak condition, Sant Automotive recommends that you change your car's synthetic oil at 6,000 miles or your car's conventional motor oil at 3,000 miles. For your priority reservation, click here.

    According to Midronics, a leading manufacturer of Battery Test equipment, Car Batteries in the St. Louis area last an average of 38 months.   Different conditions determine how long your car battery will last. The two most important and driving an weather conditions. Extreme heat and extreme cold will shorten the life of your battery. Short trips or infrequent use of your car will also shorten battery life.   Most batteries are easy to test. Sant Automotive, and many other shops, will test most car batteries at every service. If a Battery fails a Load Test or tests "weak," if engine sounds like it is slow cranking, or if your vehicle is more than four years old,  it's time to replace your car's battery. To make your priority reservation, click here .

  When Should I Change Transmission Fluid is a question that we hear often. Like motor oil, Transmission Fluid is a lubricant that deteriorates over time. Depending on driving conditions, most manufacturers recommend changing Transmission Fluid between every 30,000 and 60,000 miles. Determining which service interval can be tricky. Most vehicles are driven under normal conditions part of the time. Other times, vehicles are driven under severe conditions. When Transmission Fluid becomes discolored, it is time to change the fluid. Unfortunately, fewer vehicles provide the ability to check fluid. Because of this, Sant Automotive generally recommends that you change your Transmission Fluid the first time before your car reaches 50,000 miles, and we recommend that you change your transmission fluid every 30,000 miles after that. The advantage to following this schedule is that our transmission fluid supplier, BG Services, will provide up to $2,000 in coverage for automatic trans...

  Allergy season in  St. Louis  can be brutal, and riding in a vehicle can be worse than walking outside. As you drive down the street, pollen and dust can be drawn into your vehicle through its HVAC system concentrating the level of particulates to one greater than that of the outside air.      Cabin Air Filters, also called Pollen F ilters,  remove the particulates from the incoming air. These filters should be checked and changed periodically. Many manufacturers list changing the cabin air filter on their scheduled maintenance list, but the amount of pollen that experience has a greater impact on the effective life of your filter than the number of miles drive. I change my cabin air filters annually, at the beginning of May right before the peak oak levels. Happy motoring. 

     Brake Pads are the parts of your car’s brake system that press against the metal Brake Rotors of your vehicle to stop it move moving. The basic description of a car’s brake system is really pretty simple. When the driver wants to apply the Brakes, he or she presses the Brake Pedal to apply the Brakes. Movement of the brake pedal causes a steel rod to move into the car’s master cylinder. This displaces Brake Fluid with enough force to open the pistons in the car’s Brake Calipers .       This, in turn, forces the Brake Pads to press against the metal Brake Discs, or Rotors, and causes your vehicle to stop. Brake pads are made of a friction material that gets very hot during the process. The heat and friction that results from this force causes Brake Pads to wear. If brake pads become too thin, the will fail and prevent your car from stopping. Luckily, Brake Pad replacement is very affordable, and trained Mechanics can replace Brake Pads quickly. ...

  What is a Brake Caliper? A Brake Caliper is the part of your car’s brake system that holds your car’s Brake Pads in place and causes the Brake Pads to press against your car’s Brake Rotors when you apply the brake by putting your foot on the brake pedal. The friction created by forcing the Brake Pads into the Brake Calipers is what causes your car to slow down. Most newer cars and light trucks have Four Wheel Disc Brake Systems. This means that each wheel has its own caliper. Several conditions lead to the need to replace Brake Calipers.   If Brake Calipers leak, if the air bleeders will not open, or if the caliper slides free, it is necessary to replace brake calipers. Also, if the pistons in the Brake Calipers extend beyond their limits, Brake Calipers must be replaced. The best way to avoid Brake Caliper replacement is to never use your brakes. The next best way to avoid Brake Caliper replacement is to ask your mechanic to inspect your brakes on a regular basis. Bra...

  Do tires expire is a question that our customers often ask. For years many motorists have relied only on tread depth to know when it is time to replace them. Unfortunately, the age of your tires is also a factor. Over time, tires can dry out and crack. Excessive heat and sunlight contribute to this and can cause tire to unexpectedly fail, even when there is plenty of tread remaining on the tire . Tire manufacturers offer different opinions regarding how long tires will last, but the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NTHSA) recommends that you replace tires after six years . How do you know how old your tires are ? The best way to know the age of your tires is to check the Department of Transportation (DOT) code. The manufacturer stamped it in the sidewall of your tire. DOT numbers identify the manufacturer and the make of tires, but they also tell you when the tires were made . The last four digits of your tires’ DOT code tell the month and year of manufa...