Mitch Schneider: Too Good to be True
I know you should never start a piece with a lead sentence like this, but it was a "dark and stormy night" in the nightmare that abbreviated a restless evening’s sleep just a few hours ago. It was really dark, and it was really stormy, and I was at the rudder of a small, leaky boat adrift in a sea of consumers, customers and clients. The ocean was rough and water was coming over the sides faster than I could ….
Mitch’s World: Too Good to be True
It was a dark and stormy night…” I know you should never start a piece with a lead sentence like this, but it was a “dark and stormy night” in the nightmare that abbreviated a restless evening’s sleep just a few hours ago. It was really dark, and it was really stormy, and I was
Tech Tip: Shocks and Struts are Important Pieces of the Suspension Puzzle
Shock absorbers are an important suspension component because they dampen suspension motions to provide ride control. This provides a smoother ride, better handling and cornering, and improved stability (especially on rough roads). The shocks also extend the life of the tires by preventing unnecessary bouncing as the tires roll along, and they help improve braking and traction by keeping the tires in firm contact with the ….
Tech Tip: Regular Belt Inspections are Important to Thwart Breakdowns
Serpentine belts are much longer-lived than V-belts, but they don’t last forever. After 50,000 or 60,000 miles, they often become glazed, noisy or cracked. A belt failure is bad news because all of the engine’s accessories that are driven by the belt stop turning. The vehicle looses cooling, power steering and charging output, and the engine quickly ….
Tech Tip: 15 Ride Control Tips that Will Help You Sell the Job and Do it Right
The customer will not be happy if he brought the car in for a knocking noise, was sold a couple hundred dollars worth of struts and or ball joints, etc., and the noise is still there. He takes the car elsewhere and the knocking noise is fixed with a couple of $20 sway bar bushings. Despite how bad the parts are, that guy is going to think he got beat. It’s important to address the ….
Tech Tip: Pontiac GTO Font End Noise
Some 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO customers may comment on a knock noise from the front suspension when driving at low speeds over bumps or uneven road surfaces. This condition may be caused by the lower coil of the spring touching on the side lip of the spring seat. The illustration shows the rub mark on the spring coil. The spring coils contacting the body sheet metal within the wheelhouse area may also cause this condition ….
Tech Tip: Fixing GM Brake Noise
Some owners of the models listed in this Tech Tip may comment on a creaking noise occurring when applying the brakes. It is usually heard only during slow-speed brake maneuvers. If this condition exists, you should be able to duplicate the noise when the vehicle is not moving by depressing the brake pedal and listening for the noise from the wheel-well/caliper area ….
Tech Tip: Servicing GM’s 3800 V6 Engines
The Buick 231 cu. in. 3.8L V6 engine has had a production run lasting more than 30 years. Like the small block Chevy V8, this engine has undergone many changes over the years to keep it abreast of changing consumer expectations and emissions regulations. The first Buick 3.8L was offered in the 1975 model year Skyhawk, Apollo, Century and Regal. The engine was based on an earlier 198 cu. in. V6 that Buick introduced back in ….
2008 LuK RepSet Catalog Provides Technicians with the Information and Parts they Need
Schaeffler Group USA Inc.’s 2008 LuK RepSet Catalog features clutch coverage for 95% of the vehicle population through 760 SKUs – including 58 new clutch sets. The 2008 edition is a resource for clutch professionals to find the information and parts they need for a complete repair and ….
BTE Offers Line of Racing Transmissions and Components
BTE not only builds fine transmissions and converters, but also the parts that make them work. BTE offers a variety of Powerglide planetaries designed for the weekend bracket racer or the full sportsman racer. The planetaries come in short or full length versions. BTE offers two series of ….