Boosted!
Disc brakes are not “self-energizing” like drum brakes, so they require more pedal effort to apply. It’s the magic of power brakes that allows a 98-lb. little old lady to bring two tons of Lincoln Town Car to a screeching halt with little more than a light caress of her foot against the brake pedal.
Pumping Oil
For me, sourcing automotive chemicals and motor oils goes all the way back to 1957 when I worked at my corner service station. Since we were a small town without a local parts jobber, we bought our oil additives and chemicals from an out-of-town distributor. Our gasoline and motor oil came from our local-branded petroleum
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.
Getting Started
It’s no secret that the first automobiles were started by hand cranking. It’s also pretty obvious that, somewhere along the way, someone replaced the hand crank with an electric motor. In 1911, a friend of Henry Leland, founder of Cadillac, died from injuries sustained while restarting a car for a lady. The need for a
Directions: Recognizing Some of the Industry’s Finest
I’ve always found the automotive aftermarket a great and important industry. And I also always felt that it is the people who make our industry so special. Quite often though, technicians and shops owners don’t receive the credit that they deserve. Which is why I am proud to dedicate my editorial this month to some
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
Top Five Tools
Gary Farber, president Debra Farber, vice president All Brand Auto Service Kensington, MD Snap-on MODIS — A powerful tool for a broad range of diagnostics and applications. Identifix — A world of information on one website. By checking www.identifix.com before starting a technical job, diagnostic time is saved because the answer is usually right there.
CARQUEST Auto Parts Narrows the 2006 Excellence Award to 11 Finalists
The CARQUEST Excellence Award seeks to recognize the independent automobile service business that, through the course of everyday service excellence, exemplifies the professionalism necessary to build public understanding and respect for people working in auto service today.
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.;
Diagnostic Dilemmas: The Pressures of Intake Manifold Vacuum Tests
Several years ago, a retired school teacher brought in a 1994 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer that had developed an intermittent rough idle condition. Although a rebuilt engine had been installed a year before, and all of the wiring and vacuum hoses looked as if they were in factory condition, I took nothing for granted. An ignition