Tech Tip: Expedition/Navigator Unintended Brake Assist
Some 2003-2006 Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator vehicles may exhibit excessive pedal travel and/or low brake pedal effort due to the mechanical or electronic brake assist being activated. Review the brake assist characteristics and follow the service procedure if required.
Tech Tip: Hyundai ABS/TCS Activation
During some driving conditions, an underinflated T125/70D15 compact spare tire, installed on one of the front wheel positions, may result in the following symptoms on a 1999-2004 Sonata: ABS/TCS and brake warning lights may set on the dashboard; and the vehicle may not accelerate over certain driving speeds.
Yokohama Partners with Mopar on TIREWorks Program
Thanks to a new partnership with Mopar and its TIREWorks program, consumers will soon have thousands more outlets to buy Yokohama tires. Yokohama’s full line of consumer tires, including its flagship ultra-high-performance brand, ADVAN, will be available at more than 3,700 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep dealers across the U.S., beginning immediately.
Tech Tip: Ready-to-Install Struts Save Time and Increase Profits
It should come as no shock that preassembled, ready-to-install struts have been a huge hit lately. The pros like them because they are much easier, faster and more profitable to install than ordinary struts. They don’t need a spring compressor to disassemble and reassemble the strut and they can get the customer back on the road much faster because of the time saved by not replacing the entire strut assembly.
Shop Management: What is a Shop Foreman?
A few years ago, it seemed that nearly every shop had a foreman. However, over the years I’ve noticed that the foreman position has been dissolved. Little by little, shops have gotten away from having a foreman and simply have a manager with direct control over the technicians. Why? Is it to “downsize” and save
Selling Services: Marketing Nitrogen to Your Customers
What’s wrong with air? Like a slumbering giant, the passenger and light truck tire industry is slow to evolve and slower to accept new products and ways of thinking. Take the current buzzword going around: nitrogen. That inert gas has the industry and, as I found out, consumers, in an uproar about who and what
Hybrids: Service & Diagnostics
What do you do when a customer with a Toyota Prius hybrid says his Check Engine light is on and wants you to diagnose his problem? Can you do it? Or, would you send your customer back to the Toyota dealer? To help alleviate anxiety over the complexity and reliability of its hybrid systems, Toyota
Mitch Schneider: A Total Eclipse of the Son
Not all that long ago, an entire generation learned about high performance and hot rods from Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys. Their lyrics romanticized surfing, cars and the California lifestyle. I knew kids who quoted those lyrics as they described either the car they were driving, or the one they desperately wanted to drive. And, I guess that was OK.
Tech Tip: Brake Maintenance and Inspection
The brake actuating system, consisting of the master cylinder, calipers, hoses and wheel cylinders, experiences wear each time the driver applies the brakes. Some drivers rarely use their brakes and therefore never wear out a set of brake linings. Nevertheless, no matter how little the brakes are used, moisture contamination and rust will eventually cause the brake actuating system to fail.
Management: Going the Extra Mile
Summer is here and your customers are going to feel the heat. And, it’s not going to be so much from the temperature as it is from gas prices, as $4 per gallon is becoming a not-too-distant reality. So while they will complain to you about how filling their tank is putting a strain on their wallet, they will continue to drive, although less and make shorter trips, when possible.