Ride Control Repairs: Keeping Your Customers’ Tires Glued to the Road
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 currently being installed on late-model imports. When early automobile manufacturers
Alignment Update: Alignment Bay Neglect
Four Steps to Help You Get More Alignment Sales
Maintenance Essentials…, OBD II & Chassis Checks
All cars need maintenance. The fact is mechanical devices wear and fail in normal use, and deteriorate over time, so being able to diagnose a future failure has become a part of the automotive repair and service industry. Customers always ask how long it will be before a component will fail, and are usually not
Perspectives: Lessons from the Dentist
Do you ever envy the business of your dentist? In many ways, dentistry is similar to your auto service business. Nearly every mouth needs some dental care just like every car on the road needs service. The dental hygienist is doing the cleaning and the flossing like the tech who’s in the oil change bay
GMC/Chevy Light Truck: Central Port Fuel Injection Diagnosis
Back in 1992, General Motors introduced a new type of fuel injection system known as “Central Port Injection” (CPI), which GM also refers to as “Central Multi-point Fuel Injection” (CMFI). The system was used on 4.3L V6 Vortec engines through 1995, and was redesigned in 1996 and renamed “Central Sequential Fuel Injection” (CSFI). The system
Tech Info for Servicing Parts: Central Port Fuel Injection Diagnosis
The acronym PATS stands for Passive Anti-Theft System. It is called “passive” because it requires no action on the part of the driver. With this system, Ford likes to play annoying little games of PATS hide-and-go-seek. That is to say, they can’t seem to decide where they want to put the PATS system. Not only
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.
Tech Feature: Getting Up to Speed on Hybrid Vehicles
Hybrids are hot. As the price of gasoline goes up, so does the demand for new vehicles that can squeeze more miles per gallon from every drop of gasoline. Hybrids do that by combining the best of both worlds: electric power for low-speed, stop-and-go driving, and gasoline power for highway cruising and long-range driving.
Snap-on Announces Support for MT-Series Scanner into 2009
Snap-on Diagnostics announces it will continue its support for the MT-Series Scanner with new software releases into 2009 with Software Bundle 9.2, which will feature the latest Snap-on vehicle coverage. Software Bundle 9.2 is scheduled for release in spring 2009.
Mac Tools Introduces a New Family of Wheel Balancers
Mac Tools is proud to introduce a new line of wheel balancers. From cars to light trucks, ATVs, motorcycles and even semi-trucks, Mac Tools has the right wheel balancer for the job.