Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Diagnosing a Prius Coolant Leak (VIDEO)

Description When a Toyota Prius develops an exhaust leak or a coolant leak, the problems can be interrelated… and hard to diagnose. Dorman Training Center instructor Vince Manship explains the functions and failures of the Prius heat exchanger system.Related Videos

A Crash Course on Modern Impact Sensors

We’ve come a long way since the automotive impact detector was developed decades ago. One clever design used a metal ball in a tube that would move to complete a circuit during a collision. This rudimentary accelerometer proved that the idea of detecting a collision...

Alignment and Inner Tie Rod Play – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description A vehicle equipped with a MacPherson strut suspension is in the shop for new tires and an alignment. The technician notes play in the left-side inner tie rod end. What should the technician tell the customer?A) The play will not affect the vehicle's...

Put the Second Floor to Work

Paying the mortgage (or the rent) on the bricks—the actual shop itself—is an expense. (A fixed cost, if you want to be particular.) But that building does more than keep your tools and techs dry. It provides room to work and house equipment. And if you’re like most...

How Does Regenerative Braking Affect Brake Wear?

We’ve come a long way since the days of rubbing wooden blocks against a wagon wheel to slow down a carriage. Modern braking systems are amazingly effective at halting several thousand pounds in a safe, controlled manner. The most common automotive braking technique is...

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 1)

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 1)

Car designers have a lot of brain synapses firing. Some designers are driven by the pursuit of beauty, while others are motivated by the pursuit of speed. Giorgetto Giugiaro, Marcello Gandini, and Battista Pininfarina, though responsible for cars that raced, were...
The Story of Dagmar Bumpers

The Story of Dagmar Bumpers

If you’ve read my work here on Shop Press, you know I’m a sucker for chrome and mid-century automotive design. This week, I’d like to take a look at one of my favorite examples of that era: “Dagmar bumpers,” the colorfully common slang used to...
An Ode to “Car Talk”

An Ode to “Car Talk”

Back in the early aughts, I lived in the Washington, D.C. area for about nine years. Since my parents live in Pennsylvania, this necessitated many three-and-a-half-hour drives (as little as three, if I was lucky) back home for holidays or just a regular visit. At the...
Diesel Engines and Racing

Diesel Engines and Racing

Nearly every conceivable version of the internal combustion engine has made its way to the Indy 500. But it was a 1931 entry of a rather unusual type that made it into the record books as the first to complete the entire 500-mile race without a pit stop. That entry...