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Engine Management and Fuel Trim – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A says that the ECM's primary role in engine management is to ensure that emissions remain within the limits for which the vehicle was originally certified. Technician B says that the fuel trim data PIDs (Parameter Identifiers) represent...

Ford Door Latch Cable Repair Tips and Tricks: 926-111

“Customer states rear door inop.” If you see that line on a ticket and the make and model is a Blue Oval truck or van, what you have is likely related to the door latch. Specifically, the cable end that operates that latch has cracked and crumbled. Ford will tell you...

Does Fuel Octane Rating Really Matter?

Life is full of small decisions. Pulling up to the gas pump, you are immediately faced with a choice: which octane fuel to use? The owner's manual for any vehicle should provide a minimum octane requirement, but is it worth filling up with a more expensive fuel with...

How to Make Your Own Molded Hose in a Pinch

When a vehicle’s vacuum or heater hose is in need of replacement, we tell the service writer, they sell the job and a little while later, a custom-formed piece with eleventy-four bends shows up, just like magic. But it wasn’t always this way. In Ye Olden Days, we’d...

Diesel and DEF – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A says that an empty DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) tank can result in a “no start” complaint. Technician B says that the quality of the DEF fluid in the tank should be checked when SCR system faults are noted. Who is correct?A) Technician AB)...

EDC: Mechanic Edition

EDC, or “everyday carry” has become a popular topic of conversation. At first I thought people’s interest in this was a zeitgeist, but I think it’s got more staying power than I originally surmised. I used to (and still) roll my eyes when someone posts a beautiful...

The Most Neglected Part of the Cooling System

Cooling system jobs are, by and large, gravy repairs. Sure, we get the occasional hard-to-bleed system or the heater core that’s buried. But for the most part, the work is straightforward plumbing. And selling the stuff is easy! Even the most price-conscious customer...

When Selling a Job, Get It In Writing (Not an Emoji)

This one’s for anyone who interacts with customers directly: service writers, small shop owners, and even techs who do some moonlighting or side work. Be careful when using text abbreviations, slang, or emojis with your customer, and that goes double when a customer...

How to install a brake cable slack eliminator (VIDEO)

How to install a brake cable slack eliminator (VIDEO)

How to install a brake cable slack eliminator (VIDEO) Description If your parking brake is weak or not working at all, a stretched cable is usually the issue. The Dorman 03006 parking brake slack eliminator is a quick and easy way to restore brake function. Related...
Test fuses without removal! (VIDEO)

Test fuses without removal! (VIDEO)

Test fuses without removal! (VIDEO) How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy method Description Checking fuses is one of the most basic (and important!) tests you’ll use when diagnosing a vehicle’s electrical system. Most cars and trucks on the...
The surreal appeal of steel wheels

The surreal appeal of steel wheels

By some estimations, steel wheels should have faded into obscurity about two decades ago. That’s based solely on my highly unscientific and not-at-all-researched memory of when the used hub cap shop in Downers Grove, Illinois, closed its doors for good. Nothing left...
There really are a ton of automotive door styles

There really are a ton of automotive door styles

The Shop Press team was sitting around jawing the other day about the history of the term “suicide doors.” I read a number of explanations, but none were very satisfactory. During my cursory research, however, I did start noting the rather large number of door styles...