CV Joints & Halfshafts
Rear-wheel drive has made a comeback on many large luxury import nameplates, but more than 80% of all cars on the road today are front-wheel drive. Most small- and mid-size cars are FWD, and all import minivans have FWD. What’s more, most of the full-size and crossover 4WD SUVs have halfshafts with CV joints front
BMW Maintenance: The Right Equipment and Information Make Service Profitable
Well-designed and durable, the cars from Bavaria have had a reputation for handling and performance that many other manufacturers only aspire to. In the last 50 years, BMWs have gone from the three-wheeled Isetta microcar of the 1950s to today’s powerful and comfortable high-performance machines with all of the latest technology. One of my favorite
Top 5 Tools
Frances Lenox, owner/technician Enginooity Import Repair Bryan, TX Power Probe and attachments Tru-Spark Ignition Firing Indicator Snap-on FZ936 Ratchet Head 1/4” Drive Impact Type Universal Sockets Mac Tools 3/8” Drive Air Impact Wrench Gary Lui, owner/technician West Valley Automotive, Inc. Alhambra, CA Snap-on Vantage Snap-on Scanner Mitchell 1 Information System Ingersoll-Rand Air Ratchet
Kia Tech Tip: Start Motor Fails to Engage/Blows Fuse
Some 1998 Sephia models produced before May 7, 1998 (A/T equipped vehicles) or May 2, 1998 (M/T equipped vehicles) may intermittently experience a condition where the starter motor fails to engage and blows the 15-amp start fuse. This condition is usually worse when the outside air temperature is high.
Tech Tip: Going Digital – DMMs and DVOMs
These days, no matter what kind of automotive repair work you specialize in, virtually every system has a certain amount of electronics. Consequently, one diagnostic tool every technician needs is a digital multimeter.
Aftermarket Update
Popular Aftermarket Columnist Mitch Schneider Joins Babcox Publications Akron, OH — Mitch Schneider, nationally recognized automotive service professional, author and lecturer, has joined Babcox Publications as a senior contributing editor. Beginning in July, Schneider’s popular commentary will appear monthly in Babcox’s Tech Group publications, including Brake & Front End, ImportCar and Underhood Service. In addition
Improving Diesel Technology
There is a “shade tree” law from the 1970s that states that computing capacity doubles every few years. In fact, computing capacity for the size of the computer or device has outstripped that by several orders of magnitude in the last five years. As evidence of that, we now see cell phones that were only
Sealing It Up Right: Proper Engine Bolt Use
How important are the various fasteners in an engine? Consider this: the head bolts have to withstand tremendous loads to keep the cylinder head sealed tightly against the head gasket and block. In an engine with 4” cylinder bores and peak combustion pressures of around 1,100 pounds per square inch, each cylinder exerts about 13,827
Alignment Equipment
From the brake pad to the shock absorber, every product that you come in contact with at a shop has a history that goes back at least 75 years. We will look at different product categories and track the innovations that have shaped these products and the future for these segments. Alignment Retrospective In the
So… You’re a ‘Manager’ Now
You’ve done your time in the trenches. You’ve dreamed of it. You’ve worked toward it. You sought out the opportunity. Now it is your turn to be the boss. So now what? Do you really know what to do? Do you know what not to do? If there is one thing that I have learned,