It’s been asked of every new mechanic for more than a century. Does it matter in 2025?
“Can you drive a stick?”
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Noisy disc brakes – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
What causes brake noise?
Mechanic trivia: Which vehicle has a longer passenger side wiper blade? (VIDEO)
Almost every vehicle on the road has a longer wiper blade on the driver side. On older vehicles, you’ll also see two of the same size wipers working together. But can you think of any models that have the longer wiper blade on the passenger side?
Minimum rotor thickness – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
What does “MIN THK.” really mean?
Using a spaghetti trick to keep zip ties organized (VIDEO)
Chefs know a helpful hack to keep spaghetti from falling out of an opened bag, and the same idea happens to work perfectly for zip ties. Give it a try next time you have a pack of zip ties that doesn’t have a resealable closure.
Piston rings – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
Study for your ASE exams with this quick practice question.
Rust belt vs salt belt: Do you know the difference? (VIDEO)
The Rust Belt and the Salt Belt may sound similar, and you might even hear them used interchangeably, but they are distinct names that any automotive professional or enthusiast should know. Take a few seconds to get the real story on these terms.
Buy once, cry once: Don’t cheap out on these auto repair tools (VIDEO)
Auto repair pros probably know the expression “buy once, cry once,” and for some tools, techs should buy the best they can afford.
Engine knock – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
An engine exhibits a knocking noise. During a cylinder power balance test, the noise abates. Which technician has the correct diagnosis?
A visit to Elite JDM (VIDEO)
A playlist of videos from a recent trip to a Dorman contributor’s personal shop.
Why you shouldn’t throw out zip tie tails after a project (VIDEO)
Before you toss those zip tie scraps in the trash, consider saving them for plastic repair jobs. In many cases, the plastic used in zip ties will bond with common automotive plastics with the help of a soldering iron.
Oil leak – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY to cause an oil leak? Our technicians have the answer.
Low-mileage JDM automatics: Worthwhile or worthless? (VIDEO)
Nick and Lemmy check out a flex plate from an imported Japanese automatic transmission with very few miles under its belt.