TechTalk: Grabbing Dodge Diesel Service ‘by the Horns’
With the massive number of diesel trucks that have hit the roads since around 1998, I believe there is an enormous amount of potential work for independent shops. One fact I thought was amazing is DaimlerChrysler claims that 70% of the Dodge Ram 2500 and 3500 truck market since 2003 is equipped with the 5.9L
2006 Underhood Service Repair Market Industry Profile
Welcome to the 2006 Underhood Service Repair Market Industry Profile, our in-depth report of the independent automotive repair market. This profile highlights many of the elements of doing business in today’s repair shops. The information presented is a good indicator to make short-term predictions about these shops. It’s also a fair yardstick to see how
Mitch’s World: High Noon at the Schneider Corral
I pushed the office door open and walked out into the middle of the driveway. I turned to my left and looked out toward the arroyo. That’s when I first saw the dark outline of a man walking up the hill toward me. The sun was in my eyes and I had to squint in
Tech Tip: Profitable Radiator Service
Unlike their soldered-brass predecessors, today’s aluminum-core, plastic-tank radiators are not only environmentally friendly, they are lightweight, easy to service, less costly to produce and very efficient at keeping modern, high-output engines operating at optimum temperature.
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
Odds & Ends:
The Return of the Mustang Pedal Car It wasn’t long after Henry Ford began mass-producing Model Ts at the turn of the century that kids took to sidewalks in miniature pedal cars. The steel-covered toys remained high on children’s wish-lists until the ’70s when the company stopped producing them. Just as the 1965 Mustang was
Tech Tip: Ford Engine Oil Levels – How to Avoid Overfilling
Incorrect oil levels are being found in many 2002-2003 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. In most cases, the level is being misinterpreted because the oil level on the dipstick is not touching the top hash mark at the upper limit (or MAX mark), or it is partway down the crosshatch area.
Diagnosing GM LT1 V8 Engines
The Chevrolet LT1 engine is the second-generation (Gen II) design of Chevy’s famous small block. The LT1 was fitted in Chevy’s Corvette, Camaro and Caprice/Impala SS. This engine also was used by Pontiac for the Firebird, by Buick for the Roadmaster and by Cadillac for the Fleetwood. The LT1 was first available on the Corvette
Timing Belt Replacement: Safeguarding Your Customers’ Vehicles From Major Engine Damage
Although better materials and manufacturing technology have extended the timing belt replacement intervals on many nameplates, timing belt replacements remain one of the most profitable scheduled maintenance services. They continue to be profitable because many other scheduled services like spark plug replacements, filter replacements, coolant changes and transmission fluid changes can be packaged with a
Victor Reinz Seals the Deal with New Gasket Catalog
Clevite Engine Parts recently released its new 2005 Master Gasket Supplement (MG-300-05) representing engine part numbers for 1990 and newer applications. The supplement covers many popular domestic and import engines and includes more than 450 new part numbers.