Shifting Gears Archives

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Virgil Exner: The creator of Chrysler’s “forward look”

I’m a sucker for the sleek, smooth, and aggressive look of late 1950’s automobiles. As such, I owe a debt of gratitude to one man: Virgil Exner. In the 50’s, Exner was the head of styling at Chrysler, and he spearheaded the “Forward Look” of their cars, a look that...

Noisy disc brakes – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy methodDescription All of the following could cause noisy disc brake operation EXCEPT: A) Glazed pads B) Grease contamination on the pads C) Broken anti-rattle clipsD) Foreign matter embedded into the pad...

Fuel pump designs are changing. Do you know what kind of fuel pump you’re troubleshooting?

Whether you used a fuel pressure gauge or relied on the Fuel Rail Pressure PID on your scan tool, a reading of zero when testing fuel pressure is a bad thing. What are your next steps? Do you jump the relay to see if the pressure builds? Do you use an amp probe and a...

Mechanic trivia: Which vehicle has a longer passenger side wiper blade? (VIDEO)

Description Almost every vehicle on the road has a longer wiper blade on the driver side. On older vehicles, you’ll also see two of the same size wipers working together. But can you think of any models that have the longer wiper blade on the passenger side?Related...

The Shop Press Automotive Paragon series: a recap

If you read Shop Press regularly you've noticed we’ve been running a series for the past couple of years. It’s called “Automotive Paragons,” and it’s a series where we look at automotive entrepreneurs, designers, and engineers who were exceptional, ahead of their...

Minimum rotor thickness – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Technician A says the minimum rotor thickness specification etched into a disc is the minimum thickness beyond which a brake rotor should not be used. Technician B says the number indicates the minimum thickness to which the rotor can be machined. Who is...

Battery date codes are painfully unstandardized and you’re better off without them

While diagnosing an electrical issue last week, I suspected that the battery was tired. The terminals were banged up, the case was covered in grime, and the manufacturer’s decal was peeling and faded. It barely passed a quick health check, so I started looking for a...

Using a spaghetti trick to keep zip ties organized (VIDEO)

Description Chefs know a helpful hack to keep spaghetti from falling out of an opened bag, and the same idea happens to work perfectly for zip ties. Give it a try next time you have a pack of zip ties that doesn’t have a resealable closure.Related Videos

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 3 (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Nov 2, 2023

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 3 (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,...

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Oct 19, 2023

Automotive professionals vs. popular auto myths! (VIDEO) Description Spend any amount of time in the auto repair industry, and you’ll hear customers sharing strange ideas about the “right” way to drive and care for their vehicles. We assembled a list of common and...

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 2 (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Oct 5, 2023

TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 2 (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,...

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

by Jonathan Roth | Sep 19, 2023

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...

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

by Shop Press Staff | Sep 7, 2023

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...

Dash warning lights: feature or bug?

by Lemmy | Aug 31, 2023

Warning lights are something we’re all familiar with—all too often, they’re the reason a customer steps into your shop. Mechanics of a certain age will remember a time when the phrase “idiot light” was used to describe a dash light. The derisive term referred to the...