Selling Services: Wheel Bearing Hub Unit Q&A
Can I use an impact wrench to remove or install a wheel bearing hub unit?
Diagnosing & Servicing Automatic Transmissions
To prevent having any service from being over sold or under sold, it is important to not only know that a particular service should be performed, but also why it should be performed. That knowledge can also help you spot when to recommend that service, and when not to. When speaking about transmission fluid, the
Predicting Failures
spect that at one time or another, we’ve all had a customer return with a check engine light on with a new fault code that wasn’t there last time they were in. The events probably went something like this: Customer: “You couldn’t see that when you looked at it last time?” Shop: “No ma’am, there’s
Selling Services: Mind Games…The Four Customer Types
I heard “Glen, help!” coming from the phone’s ear piece. It was a customer of mine that I recognized quite well. She was a regular customer, a good customer. It didn’t start off so well though. The first time I remember her bringing her Jeep Cherokee into the shop, the water pump was leaking. She
Cross-Examining: Selling Brake Jobs
Cross-Examining Service Adviser: “May I help you?” Customer: “Yes, I need to get a brake job.” Service Adviser: “OK, sign here and we’ll get right to it.” The technician pulls the vehicle in and finds that the pads are low. The brake job is already authorized over the front counter. The tech does the job,
Shaken, Not Steered
Wouldn’t it be great if various vibrations in the car were something that we could measure, sort through, select one and assign numbers to it that can be used to find its source? Wouldn’t be even better if we could determine by the numbers whether the vibration was a balance issue or excessive runout with
Service Guide: F-Series New Model 2004
A bold new look and some subtle changes probably best describe the 2004-and-up Ford F150. To the technician, it is the subtle changes that he or she needs to be aware of. Starting with the 2004 model year, Ford launched a new body style for the F150. The new body style truck is a new
Safe Shop: Real-World Lift Safety
The repair order read “vehicle pulls to the left.” The owner of a Ford Excursion wanted an alignment. The job started out like any other — a preliminary test drive to confirm the symptoms and then it was run up onto the alignment lift. The front tires were carefully steered onto the turn plates. The
Gear Clash: Courting Trouble
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?” “Yes.” “Be seated.” This was the second time I had been summoned to court to tell the side of our repair shop in a civil case of a customer against my employer; the same employer each time. This was also
Under Pressure:TPMS Diagnostics
Have you ever noticed the sides of at least one tire excessively bulging on the car ahead of you in traffic? Of course you have. You’ve likely also found a high number of improperly inflated tires on vehicles that roll into your shop on a regular basis. Improperly inflated tires are commonplace. The National Highway
Good Good Vibrations
Wouldn’t it be great if various vibrations in the car were something that we could measure, sort through, select one, and assign numbers to it that can be used to find its source? Wouldn’t be even better if we could determine by the numbers whether the vibration was a balance issue or excessive runout with
Diagnostic Oddities
This article is dedicated to some Ford specific issues that, after being brought to light, can save your shop thousands of dollars in wasted time and liability. There may be some other makes out there with some similar designs and quirks, but the only technical references will be for Ford vehicles. By Glen Beanard Giddy