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.

From the creative minds at:

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...

Check Out This Hacky Diag Tool

Why build what you can buy inexpensively?

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Creative repurposing: Shims have all sorts of uses in an automotive shop

Creative repurposing: Shims have all sorts of uses in an automotive shop

There are applications for shims besides fixing camber and panel gaps.

Don’t let your scanner go unprotected

Don’t let your scanner go unprotected

Faults in the car pay you. Faults in the scanner cost you.

One lesson is harder for more experienced techs to learn than their rookie counterparts (VIDEO)

One lesson is harder for more experienced techs to learn than their rookie counterparts (VIDEO)

If you’re an experienced technician, you may feel as though you’ve seen everything, but don’t let your knowledge prevent you from learning more.

SHOP STUFF

Auto care news and advice you can use.

Choosing the right brake fluid

Choosing the right brake fluid

Just because it says “DOT 4” on the bottle doesn’t mean it’s the correct DOT 4 for the vehicle.

Dash warning lights: feature or bug?

Dash warning lights: feature or bug?

At what point does an icon completely fail to provide critical information to a motorist?

PSA: Check that cabin air filter

PSA: Check that cabin air filter

The cabin air filter is arguably the most overlooked filter on the car.

Why sidewall styling is both worthless and wonderful for drivers and tire shops

Why sidewall styling is both worthless and wonderful for drivers and tire shops

The appearance of off-road prowess while maintaining on-road comfort is what motorists want. Tire salesmen, take advantage.

Surprise: having snacks and phone chargers in your repair shop’s waiting room makes customers happier

Surprise: having snacks and phone chargers in your repair shop’s waiting room makes customers happier

A recent J.D. Power study found that a few simple amenities in your service center’s lobby go a long way toward making your customers want to come back, but few businesses have them.

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.

If you have a soldering iron, you need a solder sucker (VIDEO)

If you have a soldering iron, you need a solder sucker (VIDEO)

Removing old solder is a crucial part of preparing a component for a new soldered connection, and a desolder pump (often called a solder sucker) is the ideal tool for the job.

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.

How to install a brake cable slack eliminator (VIDEO)

How to install a brake cable slack eliminator (VIDEO)

If your parking brake is weak or not working at all, a stretched cable is usually the issue.

VIDEOS

Are automakers starting to rethink OTA microtransactions?

Are automakers starting to rethink OTA microtransactions?

Microtransactions spark unexpected microaggressions.

Top 5 mechanical oddities on RHD vehicles, and how to deal with them if one rolls into your shop

Top 5 mechanical oddities on RHD vehicles, and how to deal with them if one rolls into your shop

Working on a right-hand drive vehicle requires deviating slightly from a mechanic’s routine.

The only two mistakes you can make on your first timing belt job (and why you shouldn’t worry about them)

The only two mistakes you can make on your first timing belt job (and why you shouldn’t worry about them)

T-belts aren’t scary at all.