Management: Simple Ways to Make Sure Your Shop is ‘Top of Mind’ with Your Customers
You’ve just finished your customer’s vehicle, but don’t let a simple, cost-effective advertising opportunity slip away. We’ve used a three-step in-house advertising plan for years, and we’ve always had a favorable response from our customers. Here are the nuts and bolts of the plan.
Diagnostic Dilemmas: The Misfire Code As a Symptom
Without question, the 1996 and newer OBD II systems have greatly simplified the diagnostic process. Veteran mechanics well remember the technical loopholes that riddled the old proprietary OBD I systems. All too often, the complex diagnostic charts supplied by the auto manufacturers were time-consuming, erroneous and often concluded with the infamous “replace with component of
Power Options: Restoring a Vehicle to Like-New Performance
Replacing a worn or broken engine on a customer’s vehicle can be a very sensitive subject for many independent shop owners because it’s a time-intensive and possibly high-liability service. After a replacement is done, a shop’s greatest fear is that a minor ticking noise or oil leak may ruin the profitability of the engine replacement.
Tech Tip: Dodge Hard or No Start During Cool Weather
A hard or no start condition during cool weather, with hard fault code 22 in memory (non-magnum engines), may be caused by defective coolant temperature sensor (CTS) wiring connections.
Diagnostic Solutions: Oxygen Sensor Diagnostics
Once considered leading-edge technology, today’s oxygen sensor has become a commonplace service item on modern vehicles. Popularly introduced in the 1970s, the Lambda or, as it’s more popularly known, the oxygen sensor, rapidly became standard equipment as it’s a vital component of closed-loop or feedback fuel control technology. By using a voltage input from the
Component Connection: The Circle of (Engine) Life
Amazingly, up to a third of the heat energy produced inside an engine’s combustion chambers ends up as waste heat that goes into the block. This heat must be eliminated, otherwise the engine will overheat and self-destruct. The water pump keeps coolant circulating between the engine and radiator to get rid of the heat. The
Carley’s Corner: More New Models, More Repair Opportunities
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, 2007 will see more new model introductions than any year in recent history. The 2007 model year will bring 61 new models to market, which is almost double the number of new models that typically appear each new model year. These new models represent about 24%
Subaru Engine Repairs: Attention to Detail Critical in Head Gasket Replacement
To say the first Subaru brought to our shores in 1969 by Malcolm Bricklin was different would be an understatement. The Subaru 360 was a shrunken version of a VW bug, with a small two-cycle engine in the back. It fit into a market niche that probably didn’t exist at the time in the U.S.;
Under Pressure
According to the U.S Department of Transportation, cooling system failures are the number one cause of vehicle breakdowns on the highway. Many of these breakdowns are attributed to coolant leaks (hoses, radiators, bad radiator caps, etc.), water pump failures, thermostat failures and defective cooling fans. An industry survey conducted in 2003 by 1-800-Radiator reported that
Tech Tip: Diagnosing Ignition Misfires
A flashing Check Engine light and a P0301 to P0312 diagnostic trouble code is a sure-fire indication that one or more cylinders are misfiring. Occasional misfires may pass unnoticed, but a steady misfire is hard to miss. The engine usually feels rough, lacks power and uses more gas than usual.