Is There Enough Pressure? Fuel Injection Diagnosis & Service
One of the first questions that should always be asked — and answered — when diagnosing a fuel-related complaint on a fuel injected engine is, “What is the fuel pressure?” All too often, technicians assume fuel pressure is “good” without actually measuring it with a gauge. If the engine runs, they assume the injectors are
News Update: Automotive Distribution Network Announces ‘Repair America’ Sweepstakes Winners
Parts Plus has announced the major prize winners of the “Repair America” sweepstakes promotion for professional service dealers. Throughout June and July, when service dealers were given the opportunity to win prizes in this special promotion, more than 62,000 entries were returned to headquarters, with an additional 7,500 entered online through www.partsplus.com. The winner of
Suspension & Brake Repairs: Ensure Customer Service and Safe Vehicle Operation
This month, we find ourselves in a familiar environment — under a car or in the wheel well. The good news is you’re under a Mazda car or truck that will present few surprises in terms of service procedures, while providing the additional service opportunities we’ve come to expect from undercar repairs. A vehicle can
Training Program Updates
State-of-the-art automotive technology doesn’t do anybody much good if technicians can’t get the training they need to fix and maintain today’s systems. Unfortunately, in recent years there has been an industry-wide trend to axe training programs. Parts suppliers are under tremendous price pressure these days, and most are looking for ways to cut costs where
Tool Storage: Buying a Toolbox is Like Buying a House — For Your Tools
The journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step. Deciding what new tool storage system you want can feel like that kind of journey. As the single largest purchase you are ever likely to make in your career as a technician, it is an important one! In fact, other than your home and
Products: How Cold is Cold Enough?
UView’s Smart-Gauge (580500) conducts an instant performance test on A/C systems by measuring ambient and A/C vent temperatures. Smart-Gauge comes with a troubleshooting guide for easy diagnosis and repair of common problems. This Tech-Tip guide is written for and by professional cooling system repair techs. Smart-Gauge is specially designed for vehicles with variable displacement compressors
Mitch Schneider: Going Up?
Not long ago, someone bounced an e-mail my way. It appeared as if by magic in the middle of an otherwise pleasant and uneventful day; a day punctuated by surprisingly few e-mails, which can be a blessing on such a day. Realistically, I could have ignored it as it was not originally meant for me, and hindsight would suggest that might have been a better choice. But, e-mails, like ringing telephones, are particularly difficult to ignore, at least for very long.
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
Mitch’s World: Going Up?
Not long ago, someone bounced an e-mail my way. It appeared as if by magic in the middle of an otherwise pleasant and uneventful day, a day punctuated by surprisingly few e-mails, which can be a blessing on such a day. Realistically, I could have ignored it as if was not originally meant for me,
Audi: General Maintenance… Vital Checks on Key Vehicle Systems
article, I’ll focus on common repairs we see on at least a weekly basis. The series of cars covered in this article will be the A4 and A6 line from 1998 to 2004. These cars are all very similar in design and equipment, and most repairs are consistent between models. Be aware that many Audi