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PSA: Hood, Trunk, and Rear Hatch Lift Supports Need Inspection, Too

The story goes that ol’ Isaac Newton took a knock to the head from a falling apple, leading to some bright ideas about gravity. While working on a vehicle, I recently bumped my dome and got a good idea, too, but this one’s for techs instead of physicists. So what...

The smarter way to check electrical connection contacts (VIDEO)

Description When it's time to check electrical connections, don't risk damaged components and unreliable test results with improvised equipment. Learn how properly sized test tools can take frustration out of the equation during electrical diagnostics. Related...

Real Vampire Bites? Technicians, Watch Out!

While investigating an intermittent headlight this week, I caught a glimpse of something that raised my hackles and had me reaching for my flashlight in a hurry. Lurking in the dark, behind the headlight housing, was that … a vampire tap? With a skinny black wire...

Electrical Trouble? Always Start with the Battery (VIDEO)

Description Dorman Training Center instructor Pete Meier explains why any electrical diagnostic job should begin with a battery check. Don’t make a rookie mistake!Related Videos

Protecting the Right to Race: What North Carolina’s HB 926 Means for Motorsports and the Automotive Industry

Legislation in North Carolina could become a blueprint for protecting motorsports from legal challenges tied to nearby development, or it could remain a unique solution to a problem faced by racetracks across the country. As tracks and other motorsports venues...

The Smarter Way to Apply Heat Shrink to an Electrical Connection (VIDEO)

Description Need to make a secure electrical connection or repair with heat shrink tubing on the outside? A dab of dielectric grease in the right place can improve your connection’s protection.Related Videos

Six Forgotten Electric and Hybrid Vehicles from the Not-So-Distant Past

Not so long ago, EVs and hybrids were a fringe portion of the automotive world driven by people willing to try something new. Manufacturers had to experiment with state-of-the-art technologies and designs to find out what worked for consumers. Some early hybrid and...

Electrical Connectors Can Be Confusing, But There’s an Easy Fix (VIDEO)

Description Don’t waste time with jumbled electrical connectors under the hood. Dorman Training Center instructor Pete Meier explains two tricks for keeping track of all those connections instead of getting your wires crossed.Related Videos

Should You Lubricate Spark Plugs Before Installing Them? (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Aug 19, 2025

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Do you lubricate the threads on spark plugs before installing them? Should you? Pete Meier explains the finer points of spark plug lube application for best results and OE service procedure compliance.