Shop Press - Auto Repair News & Ideas

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Hot Off the Press

Brake drum – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description When checking a brake drum during service, all the following should be checked EXCEPT: A) Diameter B) Out-of-roundness C) Minimum thickness D) Taper wearMore ASE Practice Questions

How to choose a memory saver tool for cars and trucks

As vehicle electronics become increasingly complex, the humble memory saver tool has gone from a convenience to an absolute necessity for maintaining power to vehicle systems while the battery is disconnected. Memory saver tools have changed over the years, too, and...

Welding tips for automotive repair: What you need to know (VIDEO)

Description Any auto repair shop worth its salt has at least one welding rig to handle all kinds of jobs. Whether you’re a competent welder or totally new to the game, check out these tips to improve the welding workflow and output in your shop.

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...

It’s All About the Process

To reach a successful diagnostic conclusion, you have to follow the right diagnostic path.

HOT OFF THE PRESS

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

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

Pete Meier explains how a dial indicator is necessary for a true wear check.

Efficiency is the Name of the Game

Efficiency is the Name of the Game

Four proven ways to run a tighter ship at your shop.

Misfire Cause–ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

Misfire Cause–ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

Technician A is diagnosing a misfire. He states that a misfire is caused by a fault in the ignition system and that new plugs and coils will repair the problem. Technician B says that a misfire is detected when the ECM detects a variation in crankshaft speed.

ABOUT 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. With interesting stories from around the world, features on creative people and solutions, and all kinds of other stuff that’ll make you use your mind and your hands.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Mastering the Numbers – Part 2

Mastering the Numbers – Part 2

Using your shop’s Cost of Doing Business (CODB) as a baseline for labor rates.

Tariff Talk: A Look Backwards at The Chicken Tax

Tariff Talk: A Look Backwards at The Chicken Tax

Lighten the mood at the next cocktail party you attend.

Watch This Video on the Inventor Who Put Lead in Gasoline

Watch This Video on the Inventor Who Put Lead in Gasoline

He also synthesized chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Why Some Vehicles Have More Than One Spin-on Filter (VIDEO)

Why Some Vehicles Have More Than One Spin-on Filter (VIDEO)

Ever spot what appears to be a second oil filter under a vehicle? Lemmy and Nick discuss the advantages of spin-on transmission filters for fluid protection and service.

Basic Brake Fluid Testers Are Far More Sophisticated Than You’d Expect

Basic Brake Fluid Testers Are Far More Sophisticated Than You’d Expect

Peering inside the inner workings of a deceptively complex tool

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SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

How Often Should You Really Flush Coolant? (VIDEO)

How Often Should You Really Flush Coolant? (VIDEO)

How do you know when it’s time to flush coolant? Technicians may have different views on the subject, but Dorman Training Center instructor Pete Meier explains how using a test strip at every service is a surefire way to get an accurate picture of the coolant’s health.

Stress Test Vehicle Grounds

Stress Test Vehicle Grounds

Resistance is futile.

The Tightwad’s Way To Install Any Wheel Bearing Race

The Tightwad’s Way To Install Any Wheel Bearing Race

Stop beating your sockets to death.

Shop Profile: Locked N Loaded 4×4

Learn about a shop that’s making Jeeps all they can be.

Why you should empty the master cylinder before bleeding brakes (VIDEO)

Why you should empty the master cylinder before bleeding brakes (VIDEO)

Removing old fluid from a vehicle’s braking system can be a time-consuming chore, but it doesn’t need to be.

VIDEOS

Commercials That Make Technicians and Dealers the Stars of the Show

Commercials That Make Technicians and Dealers the Stars of the Show

Here are some outlandish—and not so outlandish—examples of mechanic and dealership TV commercials.

Store stuff in your glove box? Thank automobile pioneer Dorothy Levitt (VIDEO)

Store stuff in your glove box? Thank automobile pioneer Dorothy Levitt (VIDEO)

Ever wonder why virtually all cars and trucks have glove boxes? A visionary woman and her little book about driving changed in-vehicle storage over a hundred years ago.

Inside Global (Generic) OBD-II

Inside Global (Generic) OBD-II

You don’t need an expensive scan tool to diagnose the cause of an illuminated check engine light.