Ingersoll Rand, a global leader in vehicle service tools and equipment, congratulates the four weekly winners of the Teach the Tech social media contest. Christopher Heufelder of Beaumont, Texas; Sergio Yanez of Santa Ana, Calif.; Matt Sieler of Eureka, Mont. and Nicholas Newton from Cincinnati, Ohio, will take home the new W5130 3/8" Mid-Torque Cordless ImpactoolTM Kit.
The Teach the Tech contest ran from October 24 through Nov. 20, 2012. Experienced technicians were asked to share their knowledge with the next generation of automotive professionals — to prevent them from learning tough lessons the hard way.
The winning responses include:
“Do not grab a radiator hose or heater hose with a pair of pliers to break it loose. Not only does this usually destroy the hoses and create leaks, but it usually distorts the part and/or breaks the plastic seat area in older vehicles. Use a hose cutter or a cotter pin remover to slide in and break the hoses free.” — Christopher Heufelder, Beaumont, Texas
“I wish I would have known that after you transfer the oil from the oil drain tank to the oil recycle bin, you have to release the pressure out of the oil drain tank before you open the valve at the top of the drain tank. Or else you turn your drain tank into a pressurized oil geyser.” — Sergio Yanez, Santa Ana, Calif.
“Most problems are pretty obvious if you just take a minute assess the situation. Before you drag out every piece of diagnostic equipment you own, postulate as to the effect of magnetic fields from nearby power lines, print out a Webster’s-size stack of wiring diagrams and feverishly search the entire World Wide Web looking for clues, open the hood and take a careful look around. It might just be a loose battery cable!” — Matt Sieler, Eureka, Mont.
“Use a light on every job. Shedding light on all situations saves time. I worked at a dealer and drew a routine fuel filter change. While installing a new filter, the top line wouldn’t start. I thought the threads had been damaged. I inspected the line and cleaned the threads. It was deep in the engine, so I did not see the black cap in the fuel port blocking me until a seasoned tech shined a light on my mistake. Even on routines, a light helps you notice other services needs and problems nearby!” — Nicholas Newton, Cincinnati, Ohio
In exchange for their words of wisdom, the winning techs will receive the newest addition to the IQV20 Series cordless line. The W5130 is not just a tool; it is a powerful piece of equipment. Born of the same DNA as the revolutionary W7150 1/2" Cordless Impact Wrench, it is designed for professional maintenance and automotive service technicians valuing performance and ergonomics. It runs off the patent-pending Ingersoll Rand IQV20 Series lithium-ion battery platform, and the battery pack is compatible with the other tools in the series, including the W7150 and L5110 Cordless LED Task Light.
Real-world advice from all the Teach the Tech contest finalists will appear in the December 2012 edition of the Ingersoll Rand Maximum Impact e-newsletter. Sign-up now to receive more service and repair tips, or visit ingersollrandproducts.com/maximumimpact.