Shop Press - Auto Repair News & Ideas

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

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FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

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...

Want to get kids interested in trades? Start with their school science fair.

While their interest in learning a skilled trade continues its precipitous decline, American youth and young adults seemingly cannot break eye contact with their phone screens. Coincidence? I think not, and humbly offer all parents a suggestion to help alter the...

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...

7 things in Car Mechanic Simulator that will make a real mechanic’s eyes roll

These days, there’s a simulator video game for everything. There are games that simulate flying a plane, games that simulate working in an office, and yes … even a game that simulates what it’s like to be a goat. Add to that list Car Mechanic Simulator, a game first...

Detroit geology: all about Fordite, an automotive gemstone

Ever heard of Fordite? Fordite, often called Detroit agate or motor agate, isn’t a rock at all. In fact, it has nothing at all to do with geology—but it’s not very different than a sedimentary rock. Unlike sedimentary formations, Fordite is not composed of layers of...

Meet the best auto tech in the United States

When Logan Brown first heard about a national auto technician skills competition, he was slightly skeptical. “Who the hell’s going to pay a technician $40,000 to show off his skills?” he said recently. The answer was the first annual U.S. Auto Tech National...

One guy designed the 20th century’s sexiest cars, logos and kitchen appliances

In one of my graphic design classes, the professor asked everyone who their favorite graphic designers were. I mentioned Raymond Loewy, and was met with a puzzled face and a “I don’t know who that is.” That was a shock to me, since I knew him as the designer of the...

Can ICE vehicles be outlawed?

Since I was small, one of the things I've found marvelous about cars in America is the concept that old cars are always allowed. By this, I mean that once a car rolls off the assembly line in the USA, its owner can use it to traverse the roads of the nation and that...

Bitten by a misfire

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

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Polishing headlights vs. replacing them! (VIDEO)

Two solutions for yellowed, hazy headlights.

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

Parallel connectors vs. butt connectors

They look the same, but serve different roles. Here are the very specific scenarios where the lesser-known parallel connector shines.

What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes? (VIDEO)

What’s the deal with permanent and lifetime antifreezes? (VIDEO)

Shop Press’ Andy Greaser breaks down permanent antifreeze and today’s coolant for your vehicles.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Airbag direction – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Airbag direction – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

When placing an airbag on a workbench, which is the safest direction for it to face? We have the answer.

Exhaust tips: three ways to fine-tune your method

Exhaust tips: three ways to fine-tune your method

Exhaust work is straightforward and (I think) easy to understand. Here are some pointers for service techs to avoid comebacks when hanging pipe.

Four not-so-obvious ways grease can come in handy

Four not-so-obvious ways grease can come in handy

Lubricant? More like lubri-can. A very cheap staple of most shops, I’ve learned to use it in a few unconventional ways.

Two A/C checks you don’t wanna skip

Two A/C checks you don’t wanna skip

Failing to perform these two vital service steps could cost time and money—or worse.

Five tips for servicing cartridge-style oil filters

Five tips for servicing cartridge-style oil filters

Any of these mistakes can lead to an unwanted oil leak or worse—a blown engine.

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.

When NOT selling helps business

When NOT selling helps business

You don’t want to sell every job. Trust me.

The seven words you never want to hear from a customer (and how to avoid them)

The seven words you never want to hear from a customer (and how to avoid them)

It’s your job to tell customers about warning signs and bad repairs.

Flip spare tires to make life easier for owners and techs (VIDEO)

Flip spare tires to make life easier for owners and techs (VIDEO)

From the factory with the spare’s valve stem pointing up, but you can flip it over and reinstall for easy checks and refills.

Three lessons from “Traffic: why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)”

Three lessons from “Traffic: why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)”

A textbook yields a few pearls of wisdom for those in the automotive biz.

The cheapest tool you can buy to turn more hours in a dead bay

The cheapest tool you can buy to turn more hours in a dead bay

Four reasons to buy a ½” breaker bar adapter.

VIDEOS

Several tips to make brake line removal less of a headache

Several tips to make brake line removal less of a headache

Don’t break fittings—break ‘em free.

Quick tip: how to use an old phone to check vehicle lights by yourself

Quick tip: how to use an old phone to check vehicle lights by yourself

That old smartphone can actually help when you don’t have a second set of eyes to help out.

Shop Upkeep Essentials (VIDEO)

Shop Upkeep Essentials (VIDEO)

Shop Press’ Miriam discusses tasks and tips to maintain a well-rounded shop.