Can You Lift It?
You can only make a few mistakes with a lift before it costs more than the lesson is worth. What you don’t know can hurt you if you are using or even buying a lift. Know what you are Lifting The first thing any tech must do is to know what they lifting. If possible,
‘Court’-ing Disaster
I just returned to the shop after what felt like the longest three hours of my life. I spent the afternoon in Small Claims Court, and while fascinating — the same kind of fascination that won’t allow you to look away when trains collide, planes fall out of the sky or fast-moving brush fires head
Jeff Gauthier Selected as 2009 NAPA/ASE Parts Specialist of the Year
NAPA AUTO PARTS and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) have named Jeff Gauthier the 2009 NAPA/ASE Parts Specialist of the Year. Gauthier, the general manager of the Franklin County Auto Group in Greenfield, MA, owned by Wayne Fazzino, is the 10th individual to receive this special parts professional honor within ….
Tech Feature: Keeping the Tire in Contact with the Road Surface
Confused about modern ride control technology? Sometimes looking back into automotive history can put such technology into a more usable framework. A good illustration is how ride control technology evolved from the simple, early-century friction shock absorber to the electronic variable-rate shocks and MacPherson struts being installed on today’s cars and light trucks. When early automobile manufacturers first mated a gasoline engine to ….
Tech Tip: Front Suspension Noise on Bumpy Roads
Some owners of 2002-’05 Sedona vehicles produced from May 1, 2001, to Aug. 31, 2005, may complain of front suspension noise over rough road surfaces at speeds between 18-31 mph. To reduce the noise, Kia has redesigned the strut mount with a modified rubber composition to improve the overall sound dampening in the affected speed range. However, all other suspension components should be checked for performance prior to installing these replacement strut mounts. Concerns with ….
More than 300 GUNK, LIQUID WRENCH and ENGINE BRITE Automotive Chemicals and Lubricants Updated with Bilingual Packaging
Radiator Specialty Company, makers of GUNK, LIQUID WRENCH, CARB-MEDIC and ENGINE BRITE automotive performance chemicals and home-auto lubricants, recently announced the completion of updated packaging for its line of more than 300 items. These updated packages feature dual English and Spanish language for ….
Tech Tip: 15 Tips on Servicing Ford F-150s
A bold new look and some subtle changes probably best describe the 2004-and-up Ford F-150. To the technician, it is the subtle changes that he or she needs to be aware of. Beginning with the 2004 model year, Ford launched a new body style for the F-150. It is a new vehicle inside and out. However, not all of the 2004 F-150s that you see will be the new body style. The 2004 F-150 was also made ….
Quotes and One Liners
Here are some quotes that resonate just as strong today as they did when they were first uttered. “People like to talk about a job well done and equally like to complain when a job is badly done.” Fred G. Wacker, President, Ammco Tools, May 1973 issue “Have enough faith in yourself to advertise your
Porsche: Maintenance Essentials
Boost System Performance & Customer Satisfaction
Tech Tip: Steering Position and Yaw
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) program uses the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) to maintain vehicle stability in a cornering maneuver. The ESC program requires the communication between the Engine Control Module (ECM) and ABS controller. This communication takes place on the Controlled Area Network (CAN) buss of the vehicle. The program uses input from the following sensors: steering wheel position, throttle pedal position, throttle position, engine speed, brake switch, wheel speed, yaw and ….