From Rivets to Hooks: The Changing Brake Attachment Market
Relining and Rivets In the early days of BRAKE & FRONT END, the brake job was known as a reline. The technician would pull the drum and attach fresh friction material to the shoes at the shop. In 1931, a complete reline with adjustment could be had for $10.00! The shops could buy friction material
Power Your Profits with Performance Mods
The sport compact car market is certainly a good place to be these days. One of the advantages of doing import performance modifications and upgrades is that you don’t have to wait for cars to break to get business. The people who drive these cars spend money on performance modifications regardless of the age, mileage
Technicians’ Top 5 Favorite Tools & Equipment
Edith Hernandez, president L&A Muffler and Auto Repair Inc. Gardena, CA As promised, please find below five of our favorite tools and equipment commonly used at L&A Muffler and Auto Repair Inc. Snap-on Scan Tool OBD II, ScanCheck — This is a state-of-the-art OBD II scan tool that diagnoses all domestic, Asian and European vehicles
Tech Feature: The Future of Steering
The Steering System on light vehicles is one of the most critical interfaces between the road, vehicle and driver. The nature of this interface has remained virtually the same for most of the life of the automobile. Somewhere early one it was decided to upgrade the old "tiller" steering system with the traditional wheel. With all the activity in the industry that challenges the assumptions of current vehicle systems what is the future for steering systems?
Tech Tip: Filter Fundamentals
Filters are the first line of defense against contaminants, whether it’s airborne contaminants entering the engine, wear particles, dirt or soot contaminants inside the engine, wear or dirt particles inside the transmission or dirt or rust particles in the fuel. And now that so many vehicles also have cabin air filters, unwanted contaminants also include dirt, soot, odors and even bacteria entering the passenger compartment.
AAMCO Unveils Eco-Green Initiative to Promote Cleaner Running Cars and Centers
AAMCO, the world’s largest chain of transmission service centers, recently introduced Eco-Green Auto Service Certification, a new program designed to protect the environment, reduce vehicle emissions, and promote alternative fuels among the thousands of motorists AAMCO serves annually.
Tech Tip: Diagnosing and Servicing Automatic Transmissions
Automatic transmissions and transaxles fall into two categories: mechanical and electronic. Older vehicles with mechanical automatics use engine speed, throttle cables, governors and valves to shift gears. Newer vehicles with electronic transmissions use engine RPM and sensor inputs to operate solenoids that route internal fluid pressure to shift gears.
The Future of Steering
The Steering System on light vehicles is one of the most critical interfaces between the road, vehicle and driver. The nature of this interface has remained virtually the same for most of the life of the automobile. Somewhere early one it was decided to upgrade the old “tiller” steering system with the traditional wheel. With
There’s No Escaping Hybrid Service
high as 40 mph (64 kph). Plus, when conditions are right, the engine may shut off at stops and not restart until after 25 mph. As a result, the advertised fuel economy of a full hybrid vehicle is typically much higher for the city driving conditions than the highway driving conditions. In theory, assuming the
Waiting until Tire Pressure Warning Light Comes on Can Be Dangerous for Motorists
As 2008 model year vehicles hit the road, motorists will find they are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) that illuminate an on-dash warning light when the pressure in one or more tires is low. However, AAA warns motorists that the TPMS should not replace monthly tire pressure checks.