Minneapolis Auto Repair

    Electric vehicles are now becoming the future of the automotive industry.  From their easy to use interfaces to their sleek designs, these cars have solidified their place in history & have shown that they are here to stay.  But along with the advantages of being more energy efficient and better for the climate, there are some problems that can come with owning an electric car, which is why in this article we will show you how to identify some common electrical car problems you may run into when driving your electric vehicle. Battery Degradation & Why It HappensBattery Degradation refers to the common occurrence of electrical car batteries diminishing over time affecting performance, range, and the longevity of the vehicle. This is a common electric car problem many Tesla, BMW iX, and Mercedes-Benz EQS owners eventually face driving an electr ... read more

Car exhaust smells can be caused by many different things. The exhaust port is an essential part of your car, as it neutralizes the harmful fumes that are produced by the engine. The smells coming from the back end can vary; including odors such as rotten eggs, sickly sweet scents, or smell of un-burnt fuel. These are all signs that something may be wrong, it is essential to bring your car into a shop such as ours. DJ Foreign Auto Care can diagnose these car smells and help fix significant problems in the exhaust or engine. Rotten Eggs A rotten egg smell is due to a chemical compound called hydrogen sulfide. It comes from the small amount of sulfur that is present in the fuel. Usually, the sulfur in the fuel converts to sulfur dioxide, which has no odor. When a catalytic conve ... read more

WHAT IS A BLOWN HEAD GASKET? “Blown head gasket" can be one of the scariest phrases in car culture. At DJ Foreign Auto Care, we know this is true. Even non-car people know the term and know it can be an expensive fix. Let's talk about your conventional head gasket, how to tell if you blew a head gasket, and steps you can take to prevent a blown head gasket. A CLOSER LOOK AT HEAD GASKETS A head gasket is a seal placed between the surfaces of an engine block and the cylinder head(s). It has two purposes:  A head gasket, being part of the combustion chamber, helps to contain the combustion process for you to have a functioning engine.  The head gasket provides a physical extension of the fluid passages from head to block. The fluids ... read more

A "check engine" or "service engine soon" light can mean many various things, from a misfiring engine to a loose gas cap. Below are the five most common reasons a check engine light will be displayed: 1. Replace the Oxygen Sensor An oxygen sensor monitors the un-burned oxygen from the exhaust. The oxygen sensor monitors combusted fuel. A faulty sensor means it is not providing the right data to your car's computer and causes a decrease in gas mileage. What causes a faulty sensor?  The sensor gets covered in oil ash over time and reduces the sensors ability to alter the oxygen and fuel mixture. A faulty sensor not only reduces gas mileage, but it also increases emissions. What you should do Not replacing a broken oxygen sensor can eventually lead to a broken catalytic converter. 2. Loose or Faulty Gas Cap A cracked or loose gas cap will cause the fuel vapors leak out, and can throw the entire fuel system off.  A l ... read more

Winter car starting can be challenging on cold winter mornings. There are four reasons we believe why the cold weather makes it harder to start cars: 1. Batteries hate the cold Cold weather and car batteries do not mix, making winter car starting more difficult. Chemical batteries produce less current when it is cold — sometimes a lot less. At DJ Foreign Auto Care, we recommend changing it every three years, though you could get away with five years, depending on how much you drive and how you drive. Make sure the battery cables aren't disconnected. With your engine off, check if the cables can slip free from the nodes.  Tightening the nut is an easy job and can save you from a mid-drive battery loss that would require you to get out of your car and take off your gloves. Check for corrosion. If there is a white powder around the nodes and/or clamps, it could be a sign of corrosion. If you can't get a new battery, we recommend cleaning the nodes and ... read more