A customer states the brake pedal falls slightly when the brakes are applied while starting the engine. Which technician response is correct?
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Thread repair for mechanics: an incomplete guide to essential products and procedures
Proper tooling and techniques are critical to repairing threads—and if you’re a mechanic, neither are marketed well to you.
The one part of the car you’ll never install for a customer
DIFM customers just won’t purchase this common underhood part.
TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 3 (VIDEO)
Think you know your dash lights? Shop Press contributors Keith, Miriam, Chris, and Greaser try their best to identify all kinds of lights, symbols, and indicators.
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Fuel pump designs are changing. Do you know what kind of fuel pump you’re troubleshooting?
Many vehicles today have made the switch to DC brushless fuel pumps. They don’t work like the older brush-type pumps do.
The aggressive question you can ask that instantly calms a customer down
This seemingly-impolite question can defuse tense situations in the shop or auto parts store.
The most entertaining social media accounts to follow for car enthusiasts in 2023
23 of the most informative, interesting, and funny car-related accounts on the socials
Catalytic converters are the coolest car parts that get no respect
Despite being fascinating, breakthrough innovations, they were hated when first introduced, and are now routinely stolen for scrap.
Car designer Brooks Stevens: the man behind the first Jeep Wagoneer, planned obsolescence, an iconic Harley-Davidson, and more
His lofty intentions were misconstrued into a shopworn excuse for building crummy cars
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.
Using a spaghetti trick to keep zip ties organized (VIDEO)
Chefs know a helpful hack to keep spaghetti from falling out of an opened bag, and the same idea happens to work perfectly for zip ties. Give it a try next time you have a pack of zip ties that doesn’t have a resealable closure.
Is perseverance in the service bay a feature or a bug?
The flat-rate system doesn’t reward tenacity.
May Automotive Horoscopes
We read the astrological signs and predicted your automotive future.
Right to Repair gains momentum in Maine
75,000 state residents agree that independent repair shops should have ready access to real-time vehicle data.
Tool review: ICON 3/8” ratchet
I hate buying ratchets. Here’s what I think of my newest one, an ICON 56193.
VIDEOS
Preventative maintenance is great, but are you performing preventative repairs?
Repairing future failure points before they fail is a lucrative way to save your customers money, just like maintenance does.
A/C bypass pulleys: a history lesson on a part you can’t get from a dealer
Accessory belt drive evolution can provide some clues for the most efficient way to get a customer back on the road.
The pros (and more than a few cons) of chrome
Although I love the look of chrome on cars, there are very good reasons why it’s not used much anymore.