Shop Press - Auto Repair News & Ideas

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FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

EVs go through tires quicker: here’s what that means for your shop.

Recently, my Shop Press colleague Andy wrote a piece about vehicle weights increasing and whether your lifts can handle it. Much of that increase in weight is due to hybrid and electric vehicles, which can be especially heavy with their batteries and motors. That...

Separate gasket – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY to require a separate gasket for installation?A) EGR valve B) Exhaust manifold C) Oxygen sensor D) TurbochargerMore ASE Practice Questions

Smarter, not harder: relative compression testing

Pete Meier, one of our Dorman Training Center instructors, is a pretty smart cat. Since the day I’ve met him, he’s made it clear that the lab scope is one of his favorite tools and that not using one is a mistake. Now I’ve put a lot of miles on my DVOM over the years,...

Can’t break that crank bolt loose? You need a crank socket (VIDEO)

How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy method Description Crank fasteners are often a real pain to remove. And sometimes, even expensive impact wrenches and large breaker bars struggle to remove them. A crank socket is just the ticket for these...

So you want to restore a classic or build a kit car? Think twice.

For reasons that have more to do with personality than pragmatism, I recently considered anew the possibility of restoring a classic car, or perhaps building a kit car. It’s an itch I’ve thought about scratching since the days when Popular Mechanics regularly featured...

EGR system – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Under what conditions would the EGR system be expected to be operational?A) Cold engine, full throttle B) Hot engine, idle C) Hot engine, full throttle D) Hot engine, part throttleMore ASE Practice Questions

A low-tech favor you can perform for every customer (and yourself)

In the modern age, it’s plenty easy to pull a vehicle’s service history; even the smallest shops have implemented shop management software. Paper tracking has become less and less important as time has marched on. Similarly, customers are less and less likely to keep...

ASE test prep requires more than sample questions (VIDEO)

Description Do you have a study guide to prepare for your ASE exams? Which parts of that study guide do you use the most? Dorman Training Center instructor Pete Meier explains why you need to look at more than the sample question section in the back of the...

Back Away from the Wrenches

“Drive it ‘til the wheels fall off” isn’t the safest decision. So when does it end?

HOT OFF THE PRESS

The Other Way to Use a File that Many Mechanics Don’t Know (VIDEO)

The Other Way to Use a File that Many Mechanics Don’t Know (VIDEO)

Need a smooth finish on a part you’re cleaning up with a file? Lemmy shows how draw filing can achieve a clean result with a totally different method of holding a traditional file.

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.

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.

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 1)

Colin Chapman: The Philosopher of Motion (Part 1)

This British engineer changed racing forever by making cars lighter, not more powerful.

Transfer cases: how to talk to your customers

Transfer cases: how to talk to your customers

You can’t sell what you don’t understand.

Easy trick to transfer gear oil with a simple length of hose (VIDEO)

Easy trick to transfer gear oil with a simple length of hose (VIDEO)

A fluid transfer pump is the cleanest and easiest way to fill a differential, transmission or transfer case with its necessary fluid.

Bitten by a misfire

Bitten by a misfire

Formal education teaches you theory and the real world teaches you the rest.

Beyond the basics: best tools for auto repair DIYers and technicians (VIDEO)

Beyond the basics: best tools for auto repair DIYers and technicians (VIDEO)

The right tools will expand your capabilities and help you to tackle more advanced jobs, but it’s not always easy to know where to start.

Want to contribute an article to Shop Press?

Are you a wrench and a writer? A counterperson and a communicator? A service writer and a scribe? Get paid to share your experience and expertise with thousands of Shop Press readers.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Testing Battery State of Charge – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Testing Battery State of Charge – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Technicians discuss battery testing, one says open circuit voltage of less than 10.5 volts indicates a bad battery, while the other says that a reading of 12.5 volts indicates an 80% state of charge. Who is correct?

Five best car and truck tips from mechanics to non-mechanics (VIDEO)

Five best car and truck tips from mechanics to non-mechanics (VIDEO)

Want to make your vehicle last? Not sure how to talk to a shop about car repairs? Nick and Lemmy offer their five top recommendations.

Pulse width modulation and automotive lighting

Pulse width modulation and automotive lighting

Once the most basic of circuits, the humble lamp has also progressed.

Top tips for car and truck fleet maintenance: what repair shops need to know (VIDEO)

Top tips for car and truck fleet maintenance: what repair shops need to know (VIDEO)

Ready to grow your shop’s business with fleet maintenance, service and repairs?

Another specialty punch

Another specialty punch

There are many types of punches. There’s a reason for that.

VIDEOS

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

Why We Take the Negative Battery Cable off First and Put It on Last (VIDEO)

Why We Take the Negative Battery Cable off First and Put It on Last (VIDEO)

Lemmy explains why this basic task always comes before removing the positive cable to help you understand the theory behind the practice.

Stress Test Vehicle Grounds

Stress Test Vehicle Grounds

Resistance is futile.