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Compression Testing | ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

Description Technician A has just completed a dry compression test of a four-cylinder engine. All four cylinders are below specification by about the same amount. After performing a wet compression test, values remained unchanged. What could cause this condition? A)...

When a Voltmeter Isn’t Enough (Video)

Description With the variety of electronically controlled systems on a modern automobile, the days when a test light or simple voltmeter was enough to diagnose problems are long gone. Using a digital storage oscilloscope (DSO) can make troubleshooting faster and more...

P0420/P0430—The #1 DTC in the Country

DTCs (Diagnostic Trouble Codes) P0420 and P0430 are generic industry codes and part of the OBD-II standards. The descriptor labels the code(s) “Catalytic Converter Efficiency Below Threshold – Bank 1 (or 2)”. And the number one part sold to repair this problem is a...

Troubleshooting Fuel Trim–ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

Description Technician A and Technician B are discussing ways to use fuel trim as a troubleshooting aid. Technician A says that fuel trims that are correcting for a lean condition at high RPM and load conditions indicates a problem in fuel delivery. Technician B says...

Add or Delete These Simple Parts to Help Customers Save Money

Looking for an easy way to win over your customers that they’ll enjoy every time they drive? Look at their vehicles from a hypermiler’s perspective. In case you haven’t heard the term before, the hypermiling community is obsessed with optimizing their vehicles’ fuel...

Are You Properly Checking Hub Bearings For Wear? (VIDEO)

Description The old “grab the wheel and shake” test you may have used for tapered bearings doesn’t apply for the hub bearings found on most of today’s vehicles. Pete Meier explains how a dial indicator is necessary for a true wear check.Related Videos

Efficiency is the Name of the Game

Someone once told me that successful auto repair is a game of inches. But in our fast-paced, ever-evolving industry, inches are no longer accurate—we need to hit the bullseye every time. Margins are tighter, technology is advancing rapidly, and customer expectations...

Tool review: Klein 3255 bull pin

Tool review: Klein 3255 bull pin

Disclaimer: I purchased this tool at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the item. Most mechanics I know value tools that have either of the following characteristics: Useful, but from another industry (because it might be useful...
Tool Review: FNIRSI DSO152 Oscilloscope

Tool Review: FNIRSI DSO152 Oscilloscope

Disclaimer: I purchased this tool at full retail price. In fact, I actually purchased two so I could try out the version with a high-voltage lead. If you’ve met my fellow Shop Press contrib Pete, seen his videos, taken his classes, or read his articles, you’ll know...