Albert Lea Auto Repair

Breaker, Breaker Is There Anyone Out There? Since the beginning of motor vehicle travel, people have been looking for good ways to communicate between vehicles while traveling. Driving alongside each other and yelling out the window has its limitations. The US military was one of the first to start using radio communications to speak to troops in moving ships, aircraft, and vehicles. The original equipment was big and bulky, but it worked much better than yelling out the window! Radio communication made its way to civilian use in 1945 when the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) created the Citizen’s Radio Service. The early CB (Citizen Band) radios were UHF around 460 MHz. In 1948 the FCC reallocated the 27 MHz band for citizen use, making it easier and more affordable for individuals to use. The original CBs started out with only 23 channels, and you needed a license operate them. By 1977 the FCC expanded CBs to 40 channels and dropped the need for a license for operation ... read more

What Is a Tune-Up and Why Do I Need One? What do you think of when you are told your vehicle needs a tune-up? Does that mean an oil change? How about spark plugs or a filter? Maybe it means some kind of fuel injector cleaner labeled as “tune-up in a can”, or is it just a good inspection? It’s one of those automotive terms that can mean different things to different people. Let’s look back at what the term historically meant before we look forward to what it means now. Way back at the dawn of the automotive area, the Ford Model T was first unveiled in 1908. It was designed as a cost-effective vehicle that many people could afford. Introduced at $825, and due to the development of the assembly line, the price dropped down to $260 by 1925. These vehicles are simple in design but require significant maintenance to keep them operating at peak performance. With daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance schedules, the vehicle owner got to know their vehicle intimately. I ... read more