BALL JOINTS & BUSHINGS: Worn Components Take Their Toll on Advanced Suspension Technologies
Too often, shop owners and technicians alike assume that suspension systems haven’t changed much in the past 20 years. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth because today’s import vehicle may incorporate a number of technologies that can be affected by worn steering and suspension components. To illustrate, we’re beginning to see electronic
Back to School – With the Car: NAPA Recommends Sending an ”Auto Care Package” off to College
As summer winds down and young adults prepare to head back to college, NAPA AUTO PARTS recommends that parents assemble an "Auto Care Package" to send with their students. Planning ahead will help keep the car operational and may prevent breakdowns that could leave students stranded along the roadside.
Automotive Training Managers Council Fall Conference Scheduled for October 2-4
A tour of the Chevrolet Corvette plant in Bowling Green, KY, in celebration of 50 years of the small block engine; hybrid technology service issues and a presentation on advanced technology training for independent repair shops are just some of the industry-related highlights for the Automotive Training Managers Council (ATMC) Fall Conference to be held Oct. 2-4 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville, TN. The theme for the Music City, USA location is: "Working in Harmony through ATMC: OEM, Fleet and Aftermarket." For registration details, forms and other conference information, visit www.atmc.org.
Advanced Brake Diagnostic Tools
Brake technicians are only as good as the tools they use. I have lived by this statement for a long time and it only makes sense, right? Well, what if I say the most important tool a brake technician has is his mind. The mind is a powerful tool when equipped with the right information,
Brake Lubricants: High Temperatures Require High Performance Products
When it comes to brake lubricants, grease is a dirty word. Brake lubricants are specially-formulated products that are NOT the same as ordinary chassis grease or even multi-purpose grease. The kind of grease that’s used to lube tie rod ends, ball joints and U-joints is not the same as the lubricants that are required for
Not All Brake Lubricants are Created Equal
When it comes to brake lubricants, grease is a dirty word. Brake lubricants are specially formulated products that are not the same as ordinary chassis grease or even multi-purpose grease. The kind of grease that’s used to lube tie rod ends, ball joints and U-joints is not the same as the lubricants that are required
Talking Shop: Weighing In on In-Shop Cataloging
Paper catalogs have their place, but in-shop electronic catalogs are changing the repair shop/store dynamic. For the past 35 years, Harry, the archetypal, second-generation shop owner, has been telephoning Joe, the archetypal counterman, to order parts. And for 35 years before that, it was Harry’s father Clyde who owned the shop and was placing the
Under Pressure: Power Tools
Those two words say a lot when speaking about air tools. The first and most obvious is that air tools need pressure to operate properly. Everyone knows that with enough air pressure you can make any air tool do the job you want it to do, right? Another way of looking at these two words
Performing Hyundai Maintenance and Profiting From It
Like so many other late-model vehicles, the Hyundai vehicle lineup won’t necessarily keep your bays busy with “repair” work, but can present you with profitable maintenance opportunities. We can no longer afford to let any opportunity for service go unnoticed, and hope that the customer will come back for the next job. It’s an important
Diagnosis of Faulty ABS Systems
ABS diagnosis typically starts with accessing the associated DTCs and then applying the appropriate flowchart. There will be times when this type of approach will not be possible, or the occasions when it doesn’t yield positive results. When this is the case, it is always helpful to have an understanding of how the systems and