In The Bay Archives

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How to service spark plugs the professional way

The spark plug has a tough job to do, and it has to do it under extreme conditions. The terminal (top) end of the spark plug is connected to a high voltage supply source, the ignition coil. As current flows from the coil, a voltage potential builds between the center...

Report: cars are the worst products for protecting user privacy

Data security is one of the most frequently cited arguments automakers make in their fight against right to repair. For instance, in a memo published last October by their advocacy group, they called a new right to repair ballot initiative in Maine a “monetizable data...

Preventative maintenance is great, but are you performing preventative repairs?

In the world of commercial aircraft, parts are almost always replaced before the end of their expected service lives. Rather obviously, a plane that stops flying mid-flight presents some pretty serious hazards to the health and safety of the passengers and people on...

A/C bypass pulleys: a history lesson on a part you can’t get from a dealer

I’m going to share some theory behind bypassing air conditioning in this article. I recognize it may be elementary for some of you (who probably lived through the whole history I’m gonna delve into), but it may be quite the revelation for those who have not. In most...

The pros (and more than a few cons) of chrome

My Shop Press colleague Lemmy and I have had an ongoing debate about chrome. Since I’m a lover of antique cars, particularly Tri-Five Chevys, you can guess that I’m a pretty big fan of chrome. I think it makes any car look luxurious and stylish. Lemmy, on the other...

PSA: Make sure your Loctite isn’t fake!

Loctite’s threadlocking compounds are used by automotive professionals everywhere to secure critical fasteners. Unfortunately, Loctite's popularity has resulted in a wave of counterfeit products that can look remarkably like the real deal. Everything from the bottle,...

What sealed chassis parts can teach us about shifting customer habits and technology’s march forward

When I got to Dorman, I wasn’t bowled over by our chassis parts for one reason: for the most part, they are sealed. We do have a line of severe-service chassis parts (Premium RD™), but the bulk of our passenger-car offerings feature polymer bearings and the grease...

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? (VIDEO)

Description Think you know your dash lights? Shop Press contributors Keith, Miriam, Chris, and Greaser try their best to identify all kinds of lights, symbols, and indicators. Some are easy, others obscure, and a few are even fakes. How many can you identify?

Serviceability Hall Of Shame: CDJR batteries

by Lemmy | Apr 7, 2022

Serviceability Hall of Shame is an occasional rant on vehicles that were simply not made mechanic-friendly. Have your own repair nightmare? Let us know at ShopPress@DormanProducts.com. Sometimes I marvel at the complexity of a task on a vehicle, and I’m sure you do,...

Is it OK to plug a tire? (VIDEO)

by Lemmy | Apr 5, 2022

My career started with tire repairs, and I bet yours did, too. Depending on how many years ago that was, you may have been patching tires, plugging tires, or patch-plugging. I recall being told solemnly by my manager that I was never to plug a tire because it was...

Let’s bring back this tiny piece of archaic automotive technology

by Lemmy | Mar 22, 2022

In the halcyon days of the automobile, metallurgical processes were obviously cruder than they were today. Automotive lubricants were not as well-developed as modern equivalents. Because of the crummy metals and oils of the era, service was required...

Modern GDI systems have brought back decades-old maintenance issues

by Lemmy | Mar 10, 2022

Have you performed a mechanical valve cleaning lately? Did you ever stop to think about how strange it is we need to do that again, when “decoking” stopped being a necessity half a century ago? Have we outfoxed ourselves in the eternal automotive quest for higher...

Two reasons you should have a welder in your shop (and know how to use it)

by Lemmy | Mar 8, 2022

I learned how to weld when I was about 17. I was not a good welder, but I could operate the machine well enough to get by, and like most of us who can weld, I improved with time and practice. As a young mechanic, I distinctly remember tackling a few projects with...

This guide to being a mechanic-saboteur could teach you to be a better tech

by Lee Procida | Mar 3, 2022

Almost 80 years ago, the United States Office of Strategic Services, which eventually became the CIA, created a pamphlet to help people living in Nazi-occupied countries discretely undermine the enemy. This Simple Sabotage Field Manual was published in 1944 and...