Mazda Truck TPMS: Service Precautions
Some aftermarket valve stem caps are made of metal or have thread inserts that are made of metal. When metal and aluminum are together in such a condition, galvanic corrosion occurs between the aluminum valve stem of the TPMS sensor unit and the metal threads of the valve stem cap. This corrosion can cause them to fuse together.
Cleaning Bearings: Proper Procedures
While bearings may be out of sight and out of mind, they are subject to wear and damage; so, a proper cleaning can mean the difference between good performance and bearing failure. Always remember to handle any bearing with extreme care, then follow specific cleaning procedures. If a cleaning is done incorrectly, the bearing, shaft or housing may become damaged, creating a more costly repair job.
Lost And Found: When Good Tools Go Missing
There are those occasions when a phone call or a complete search of the shop doesn’t yield any sign of a lost tool. For the most part, you can mark that tool down as “gone for good,” lost to that place where wayward nuts, bolts and tools always end up.
Preventing Wheel Bearing Failure
Most manufacturers recommend lubrication at 24,000 miles for the front-wheel bearings on rear-wheel drive vehicles, but bearings often are not lubricated until the brakes are replaced. That means bearings may go nearly twice as long as recommended before being relubricated, which can lead to problems.
Marketing: Millennials, Women and Seniors
I am sick and tired of seeing articles about marketing to millennials, women and other groups. Every day, a new article crosses my desk talking about how a shop could be missing out on a critical demographic.
How To Repair And Replace Brake Lines, Tubing And Fittings
Now more than ever, people are keeping their cars longer, new road de-icers are eating lines like never before, and brake line pressures are higher due to ABS and stability control systems. In short, today’s automotive landscape is a perfect storm for brake line replacement.
Ford F-250: Raising Rear Ride Height
Some customers with 2011-2016 F-250 Super Duty 4×4 vehicles want to raise the rear of their vehicle to change vehicle attitude appearance. This procedure provides the necessary information for this modification in accordance with engineering specifications.
BRAKELIGHT: January 1952
Even in the 1950s, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and supplemental inflatable devices were on the market. The good news is that 64 years later, Brake & Front End is now free to qualified subscribers.
Loaded Strut Advantages
Recommending and selling loaded strut assemblies not only makes for happier, safer and more profitable technicians, it also provides the customer with the benefit of completely new components. In addition to the strut itself, a loaded strut includes the upper strut mount, strut bumper and boot, spring seat and insulators, and coil spring.
2002-2013 Mini Cooper: Alignment Spec
First- and second-generation Mini Coopers are not a difficult car to align. 2002-2006 models are designated R50 models, and 2007-2013 models are R56 models. The convertible is called a R52, the Clubman is a R55, and the first-generation S-Models are R53s.
Steering System Calibrations
We all know that the evolution of technology in our ever-changing automotive industry translates to many gray areas when it comes to servicing new vehicle systems using updated service procedures and tools. Steering angle sensor calibration is one of those gray areas.
Automotive Technology: LiDAR and Car Vision
Innovation is happening on multiple fronts in the ADAS vehicle development world. This has caused many who, only last year, were predicting mainstream use of this technology to occur around 2025 to lower their predictions to “much sooner.”
