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

What type of part should you use to repair a car?

Today Greaser joins Nick as they discuss rebuilding, repairing, and replacing parts and which items they select for each job. Nick manages the Dorman Proving grounds and has owned his own performance shop. Andy is bringing a new perspective to the table today as a...

Is side work OK for service techs?

Do you do side work? If you do, is that OK? There are tons of reasons for and against doing work outside the shop. I think my views have changed a little as I’ve been in the game a little longer, but this aspect of the job is contentious. I’ve heard various rationale,...

Ranking the best fictional TV mechanics

TV and automobiles were both major forces in America in the mid- to late-20th century, so it’s perhaps no surprise that mechanics are regular characters throughout the history of television. But which ones are the best? Let’s find out with this completely unscientific...

Jeep Spotter’s Guide (VIDEO)

Description If you can't tell DJs (2WD variant of the CJ) from PJs (the clothes you wear to bed), this is the video for you. Watch as Nick quickly walks you through identifying features of the Jeep. He covers the major iterations of America's 4x4. Become a Wrangler...

Quiz: Can you prove how big of a car nerd you are?

Is your brain filled with automobilia obscurity? Prove it by answering these questions pulled from the minds of the Shop Press editorial team.

Does your shop handle performance work?

If you turn wrenches for a living, odds are good you’ve either hopped up your own ride at some point or had someone ask you to hotrod theirs. (Or maybe you’ve done it virtually.) The work is often fun and rewarding on a Saturday afternoon. But in the shop? There are a...

Ralph Nader inspired a vehicle safety revolution and all he got was a lousy bolt named after him

In 1965, Ralph Nader published his best-selling takedown of car companies, “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.” The book accused automakers of prioritizing profits over personal safety, and caused an uproar from both politicians...

Before asphalt, automotive pioneers used the beach as their racetrack

If your idea of Jersey beach towns comes from “Jersey Shore,” Cape May is not that. As opposed to the ride-filled boardwalks of Ocean City or Wildwood or the casinos of Atlantic City, Cape May is a much more laid back, family-oriented shore destination. I recently...

Try Doing It the Wrong Way

When it comes to threaded items, wrong is right. Or is it left?

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Fixing cracked plastic parts with a hot staple tool (VIDEO)

Fixing cracked plastic parts with a hot staple tool (VIDEO)

When plastic parts break, sometimes replacements can be prohibitively expensive or hard to find. Learn how to use a hot staple tool to salvage broken plastics for auto repairs and other projects.

How stop drilling can help to save cracked parts (VIDEO)

How stop drilling can help to save cracked parts (VIDEO)

Learn how stop drilling can help to prevent cracks from propagating with a little know-how and a drill.

Tool Review: FNIRSI DSO152 Oscilloscope

Tool Review: FNIRSI DSO152 Oscilloscope

Lemmy tries out the cheapest lab scope available on Amazon.

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.

Do You Survey Your Customers, and How?

Do You Survey Your Customers, and How?

Customer satisfaction surveys should be clear, concise, and targeted.

Technicians vs. DIYers: How well can you gauge tire pressure? (VIDEO)

Technicians vs. DIYers: How well can you gauge tire pressure? (VIDEO)

In this challenge, techs and DIYers get as close as possible to a target final pressure to see who’s got the best skills and strategies at the tire machine.

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

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

A few things to bear in mind considering the increased wear on tires.

Separate gasket – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Separate gasket – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY to require a separate gasket for installation?

Smarter, not harder: relative compression testing

Smarter, not harder: relative compression testing

Analyzing a new trick I learned from an old dog.

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.

Compression Testing | ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

Compression Testing | ASE Practice Questions (VIDEO)

All four cylinders are below specification by about the same amount. After performing a wet compression test, values remained unchanged. What could cause this condition?

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

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

Unless you’re a professional mechanic or a hardcore DIYer, I suggest you focus on building memories instead of a car.

EGR system – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

EGR system – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Under what conditions would the EGR system be expected to be operational? We have the correct answer.

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

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

Break out your paint pen—you’re the service writer now!

ASE test prep requires more than sample questions (VIDEO)

ASE test prep requires more than sample questions (VIDEO)

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.

VIDEOS

A different type of timed event: the Bobby Bosch Relay Race

A different type of timed event: the Bobby Bosch Relay Race

Your daily work is also a cruel automotive penalty.

How to use a lockout kit (VIDEO)

How to use a lockout kit (VIDEO)

Powerful tools—if you know how to use ‘em.

Drag racing semi-trucks (VIDEO)

Drag racing semi-trucks (VIDEO)

Smokin’ tires and smokin’ stacks!