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TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: The Mystery Box, Part 2

Description The Proving Grounds crew takes on another round The Mystery Box Challenge with new parts and a few new faces. Could you guess these auto parts simply by the way they feel? It’s more difficult than it looks.

Why auto mechanics should check cabin air filters in every vehicle (VIDEO)

Description Air filters are an easy service item to overlook, but most manufacturers recommend a new filter every year or 15,000 miles. Protect your customers from dirty air entering the cabin (and the stink of a filthy filter element) by checking cabin air filters on...

Creative repurposing: Shims have all sorts of uses in an automotive shop

When you saw the image at the top of this article, you probably knew what you were looking at. If you hang panels all day, you said, “A body shim!” If your life is spent undercar, you said, “An alignment shim!” You might also think they're for antiques. But shims have...

Don’t let your scanner go unprotected

This article is a quick reminder to buy (and use!) a surge protector on your (or your shop’s) scan tool(s). The modern vehicle scanner has WiFi, a screen, and touch input. It is, for all intents and purposes, a computer, and it doesn’t like “dirty” power. Protect it...

One lesson is harder for more experienced techs to learn than their rookie counterparts (VIDEO)

Description If you're an experienced technician, you may feel as though you've seen, heard, and repaired just about everything. But don't let your wealth of knowledge and experience prevent you from learning more to stay up to date with today's complex...

Give your customers extra grease

I’ve mentioned the easy business you can score by offering to perform trailer service for customers that pull. When doing a job not long ago, someone asked me why I was adding lubricant to the dust caps. It’s a fair question. When getting into bearings, I know I’m...

This tungsten scraper is my new favorite tool.

Disclaimer: I purchased this tool at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the item. I was watching a video the other day of Eric O. at South Main Auto replacing a manifold on a Pentastar. We have a little experience with that here...

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Description Yellowed, hazy headlights aren’t just ugly; they can reduce a headlight’s effectiveness for your customers. Would you rather polish the old lenses, or simply install a Dorman replacement?Related Videos

I’ll gladly pay an independent shop more for a rush repair, and I’m not alone

by Mike Principato | Sep 5, 2023

On a Sunday morning last May, the day before the planned start of a long-awaited vacation highlighted by a 1,200 mile road trip, I awoke to find a very slow but very obvious leak on one of the very expensive performance tires on my fancy SUV. My first and only call...

Why sidewall styling is both worthless and wonderful for drivers and tire shops

by Lemmy | Aug 24, 2023

I know the title is a little spicy, so I’ll get right into the meat of this piece: Over the past few years, I have seen more and more tires, usually all-terrains, that have been redesigned with very, very aggressive sidewall styling, and I think it’s fantastic....

Flip spare tires to make life easier for owners and techs (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Jul 27, 2023

Flip spare tires to make life easier for owners and techs (VIDEO) Description A flat spare tire is just dead weight. Many trucks and SUVs come from the factory with the spare’s valve stem pointing up, but you can flip it over and reinstall for easy checks and refills....

The right way to apply PTFE tape (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Jul 18, 2023

The right way to apply PTFE tape (VIDEO) Description PTFE tape is essential for threaded connections that need a good seal. Learn the right way to apply PTFE tape to avoid leaks and...

Tired of dead 9V batteries? Convert to rechargeables! (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Jul 11, 2023

Tired of dead 9V batteries? Convert to rechargeables! (VIDEO) How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy method Description If you have tools that use 9 volt batteries, it’s cheap and easy to convert them to rechargeable batteries. Watch to learn...

A 3-minute video kept me from going ballistic over a $3,000 repair

by Mike Principato | Jun 27, 2023

If you’ve read my stuff before, you know I have a checkered history of repairing my own vehicles. It’s the inevitable outcome of going out of my way to deliberately (read: dimwittedly) buy a series of notoriously crappy cars and trucks that nonetheless looked very...