This seemingly-impolite question can defuse tense situations in the shop or auto parts store.
The aggressive question you can ask that instantly calms a customer down
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Modern GDI systems have brought back decades-old maintenance issues
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)
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
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...
The easiest way to remove a cotter pin (VIDEO)
The easiest way to remove a cotter pin (VIDEO) Description For the longest time I used to remove cotter pins with either a hooked mechanic’s pick or a pair of needle-nose pliers. And when I say a long time, I mean, probably 15 years. Then my friend Zito showed me a...
How to fix a Ford cupholder for almost free
The in-dash cup holder on certain late ’90s to early 2000s F-150s, Expeditions and Navigators – which also holds an ash tray in some vehicles – has a tendency to break in service, leading to a cupholder that has to be pried into the open position in...