Time for Sale
If you do not charge for diagnostic time to diagnosis undercar problems, you might as well put a sign on the door that says “ROB ME.” With the complexity of brakes, suspension and exhaust systems increasing every year with little chance of standardization, it is difficult to diagnosis these systems with just a visual inspection,
Hansa Motors: Do What You Love, Love What You Do
Is More Traffic Headed Your Way?
Directions: Keeping Appearances
How your employees look – whether they please or deceive – usually carries a message I recently visited a local repair shop and watched a scruffy-bearded, pony-tailed tech in dirty, baggy clothes exit the shop and jump in his vehicle and take off for his lunch break. When the shop owner caught me staring at
Talking Shop: Shedding Light on Additional Service
liftgate-mounted applications. LEDs consume very little power, only about 1/10th as much current as a comparable incandescent light for the same amount of light that’s produced. The increased brightness and faster response of the LED lamps will improve safety on the roads, giving following drivers more time to react. In fact, tail lamp systems are
Carley’s Corner: My Advice on Gas-Saving Gadgets
ely, these cars were introduced a few years too soon and were discontinued because of limited range (about 100 miles on a full charge), and the high cost of the batteries (GM’s cost was reportedly $500 for each battery, and each car held 18 batteries!). If GM were to re-introduce the EV1 today, buyers would
Directions
Edward Sunkin has been the editor of Underhood Service since April of 1999. He has been a member of the Babcox family of automotive aftermarket publications beginning in December 1994, when he joined the jobber/parts specialist magazine Counterman as an associate editor. Edward also spent three years as managing editor Engine Builder, learning about the
Odds & Ends
Columbus, OH – PPG Automotive Refinish selected two outstanding vehicles to receive “PPG Dream Car” awards at the 8th annual Goodguys PPG Nationals, July 8-10 in Columbus, OH. The two vehicles were a 1937 Ford Pick-up owned by Joseph Dilkes Jr. of Little Falls, NJ, and a 1954 Chevy Sedan owned by Mac and Tina
Friend or Foe? Evaluating China’s Impact on the Global Economy and Your Business
There’s a lot of talk these days about China and how its infrastructure is a growing market for U.S. auto parts. These facts* prove it: U.S. automotive suppliers exported $835 million in parts to the Chinese economic area in 2004; total parts exports to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan last year represent a 16.4% increase
Is Your Shop Safe From Computer Viruses?
If you’re not sure, your PC may need a little TLC, starting with antivirus software updates
Directions: Internet Parts Ordering Is on the Rise
Over the last few years, we’ve seen a resurgence in the business side of the Internet, making it a valuable business tool in the automotive repair shop. Looking back from the late 1990s through 2001, shops were flooded by Internet sites promising to “revolutionize the aftermarket” and the way independent repair shops do business. Help
How’s Business?…Overall, Business Looks Good
The signs that business will be good in 2005 continue to be apparent from the shop owner level. Optimism among repair shop owners remains as high as it’s ever been during the five years we’ve been tracking this data. Typically the busiest months for most shops are June, July and August and the survey results