Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

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FEATURE STORY

Hybrid A/C Compressor Oil-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Hybrid A/C Compressor Oil-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

On a hybrid vehicle’s air conditioning system that utilizes a high voltage electrical compressor, can only the oil specified by the vehicle manufacturer be used in the compressor or is PAG oil acceptable for use in an electric vehicle’s compressor?

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Hot Off the Press

Hybrid A/C Compressor Oil-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is working on a hybrid vehicle’s air conditioning system that utilizes a high voltage electrical compressor. Technician B says that only the oil specified by the vehicle manufacturer should be used in the compressor. Technician A says PAG oil...

Troubleshooting a “No A/C Compressor Engagement” Fault

As the weather warms, more and more of your customers will be switching over their HVAC control settings to “max A/C”. If the system doesn’t respond by blowing that refreshing cool air into their faces, they will show up at your door to find out why. When faced with...

Diesel Engines and Racing

Nearly every conceivable version of the internal combustion engine has made its way to the Indy 500. But it was a 1931 entry of a rather unusual type that made it into the record books as the first to complete the entire 500-mile race without a pit stop. That entry...

Recovering A/C Refrigerant-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is preparing to recover the refrigerant from a customer’s vehicle. All of the below are steps he should take when performing this service EXCEPT: A) Test for the presence of sealant in the vehicle systemB) Identify the type of refrigerant the...

Is It Ever Safe to Reuse Torque-to-Yield (TTY) Fasteners? (VIDEO)

Description Torque-to-yield fasteners are designed to deform during installation to ensure a secure connection. If a TTY fastener looks to be in good shape after removal, can it be reused? Pete Meier explains why these single-use bolts should always be replaced for...

Do You Survey Your Customers, and How?

Recently, I had the opportunity to take my car to a body shop (it’s a long story). Once the work was done and I was checking out, the office manager mentioned to me that they would be sending me a customer satisfaction survey and encouraged me to fill it out. Then she...

Best of Shop Press 2024

by | Dec 31, 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, the Shop Press team assembled some of the most notable articles, videos, and more of the year. Our goal all along has been to provide a unique voice on a mix of topics that speaks to mechanics and the mechanically inclined like no other publication. We hope we’re hitting the mark, and we hope you’ve enjoyed what you read and watched here. Here’s hoping you’re as proud of what you accomplished in 2024 as we are. Here’s some of the standouts as we get ready to tackle 2025!
Should you use anti-seize when installing spark plugs?

Most viewed overall

Our newest addition to the Shop Press team, Pete Meier, made a big impact right off the bat with his video post, “Should you use anti-seize when installing spark plugs?” So big, in fact, that it’s our most viewed post of 2024 overall! It seems Pete’s assertion that today’s plugs generally don’t need any thread prep when installing is somewhat controversial, as there are many comments on Shop Press, social media, and our YouTube video both in favor of and against Pete’s recommendation. Were you able to weigh in on the conversation? If not, it’s never too late!

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

Most viewed article

It seems many of you are interested in electrical work, because Lemmy’s article “Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors” is our most viewed article of the year. In the piece, Lemmy took a close look at these two types of connectors that look the same but serve different roles, and the very specific scenarios where the lesser-known parallel connector shines.

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

(Second) most viewed video post

Since Pete’s anti-seize video was the most viewed post overall, let’s also take a look at the second most viewed video post, which was Greaser’s video, “What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes?” In the video, Greaser talks about the terms “lifetime” or “permanent” antifreeze, the very specific meanings of those confusing terms, and how to make sure your customers know the limitations of antifreezes to protect their vehicles.

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TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: The Mystery Box, Part 2

Rounding out the Top 10

It seems that you dear readers appreciate the “how to” and concrete, real-world wrenching advice pieces, because many of those types of articles and videos appear throughout our Top 10. In that list is:

Of course, you all also enjoy a bit of fun, so Part 2 of our mystery box technician challenge also makes an appearance in the Top 10.

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Fuse box-compatible circuit breakers are the ultimate spares when space is limited

Most-commented post of 2024

Of course, our readers also like to join in the discussion on Shop Press. In that vein, our most-commented post of 2024 was Greaser’s article “Fuse box-compatible circuit breakers are the ultimate spares when space is limited.” We always love getting comments and feedback from our readers, so keep hitting us up in the comments section on Shop Press.

Best of Shop Press

Staff picks

Not only do we love writing for Shop Press, but we also love reading Shop Press. There were definitely a few posts this year that were particularly loved by the Shop Press team but didn’t manage to crack the Top 10. Here were a few of our personal favorites.

If you were one of the many who enjoyed Part 2 of our mystery box technician challenge video, you’ll probably also get a kick out of our “Technicians vs. DIYers: How well can you gauge tire pressure?” video.

Mike Principato’s article, “So you want to restore a classic or build a kit car? Think twice.” was also a bit controversial, with some comments both for and against Mike’s opinion. Give it a read and let us know your take on the subject in the comments!

And because I got to write the roundup article this year, I also get to tell you about a pet project of mine that has really grown into something I’m proud to call my own. If you’re not familiar with it, we have a series called “Automotive Paragons” where we look at automotive entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers who were exceptional, ahead of their time, or otherwise had a major impact on the way cars were later sold, fabricated, or constructed. This year, we posted a recap of the stories that we’ve featured so far, if you want to get caught up. And, if you want to read the latest piece in the series, check out our article on Virgil Exner.

Thanks for reading Shop Press this year and (hopefully) enjoying our articles and videos for mechanics and the mechanically inclined. We’ve got lots planned for 2025, so keep checking in!

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