Tech Tip: Aftermarket Brake Pads – Are They Really OE Quality?
Quality is something everybody talks about when it comes to selling brake pads, but what does it really mean? Same look and fit as the original pads? No installation problems? No noise complaints? Same or better braking performance, feel and pad life as the OEM pads?
Customer Q&A – 1991 Honda, A/C Flooding and Rat’s Nest
I’ve had my 1991 Honda in five times since they replaced the evaporator/compressor because the water is draining inside the car. Not once after it left their hands has it drained outside the car. And, yet, I’ve had the car for 10 years and it always drained outside — until April.
Management: Selling a Complete Brake Job
Brake parts are often sold on a piecemeal basis because customers only want the minimum number of parts needed to fix their brakes. It might be a set of pads for the front brakes, a single rotor or drum, a caliper or wheel cylinder, a brake hose or a master cylinder. The mentality is to fix what’s broken and nothing more.
MACS Issues Recommended Air Conditioning Inspection and Preventive Maintenance Procedures
The technical committee of the MACS board of directors has produced the MACS Recommended Air Conditioning Inspection and Preventive Maintenance Procedures document to provide information and guidance useful to both consumers and service specialists.
Tech Tip: PCMs – The World of Vehicle Computers
When a vehicle’s powertrain control module (PCM) starts acting up, almost anything can happen. The engine might not start, or if it does, it might not idle properly or run smoothly. PCM failures may involve one of the driver circuits for the fuel injectors or the ignition coils.
Tech Tip: Motor Mounts – Supporting the Engine and Transmission
Motor mounts are not a very glamorous product, but they do have an important function: They support the engine and transmission, and dampen noise and vibration. The mounts isolate the engine and transmission from the chassis so vibrations and noise are not transmitted to the rest of the vehicle.
Unperformed Maintenance Drops in 2005 to $52 Billion, According to AASA Research
Unperformed maintenance dropped to $52 billion in 2005, according to an upcoming report from the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA). While the $52 billion represents a drop of $4 billion from 2004 figures, many American vehicle owners are still neglecting many of the vital maintenance and service procedures that their cars and trucks require to operate safely, reliably and fuel-efficiently, according to AASA.
Steering Stabilizers: Suspension Geometry
Big rims or tires can look good and give a vehicle a unique look. But what is invisible becomes real ugly is the alignment and suspension angles that become altered. Also, that extra weight in stylist alloy rims or thick off-road tires can create a gyroscopic problem. Lifting Why do people lift trucks? The primary
Diagnostics Through CAN Networks
Since model year 2003, a growing number of domestic and import vehicles have been built with a new onboard communications protocol called CAN (Controller Area Network). CAN is essentially an engineering standard for how computers and modules talk to one another via the serial data bus in a vehicle’s wiring system. It’s a high speed
Diagnostic Solutions: Upgrades That Deliver Performance and Pizzazz
Checking the Basics Saves Time When Chasing Check Engine Codes