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

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.
Spark plugs have a tough enough job to do—don’t make it any harder by servicing them improperly!
A scathing new analysis from the Mozilla Foundation says every single car brand failed its standards for security and respecting user privacy.
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.
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Do you have a toolbox ready to go for repairs on the road? What do you keep in it?
Elon Musk says Tesla Insurance is pushing automaker to simplify designs and increase parts availability.
Driving around with a bunch of snow on top of your vehicle is not only unsafe, but also illegal in many places
Learn to ID Miatas generation by generation like a pro (and from a pro!)
Autocare Haven uses donations and volunteers to subsidize service for vets, seniors, single parents and others.
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.
Auto care news and advice you can use.
The essential unit of automotive power has an unexpected history.
Ford’s so-called fix for servicing corroded front springs was something neither drivers nor dealer techs were happy about.
There’s still a place for arcade racing games, even in today’s world of hyper-realistic simulation racing games
We read the astrological signs and predicted your automotive future.
Stop telling your customers otherwise—modern fuel systems don’t care.
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.
Exhaust work is straightforward and (I think) easy to understand. Here are some pointers for service techs to avoid comebacks when hanging pipe.
Lubricant? More like lubri-can. A very cheap staple of most shops, I’ve learned to use it in a few unconventional ways.