Skillful interrogation is a wonderful way to make your professional life easier. Here are a few suggestions on where to start.
Ten (sort of serious) questions every service writer should ask
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HOT OFF THE PRESS
TECHNICIAN CHALLENGE: Can you identify these dash lights? PART 2 (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.
How to service spark plugs the professional way
Spark plugs have a tough enough job to do—don’t make it any harder by servicing them improperly!
Report: cars are the worst products for protecting user privacy
A scathing new analysis from the Mozilla Foundation says every single car brand failed its standards for security and respecting user privacy.
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.
“Can you drive a stick?”
It’s been asked of every new mechanic for more than a century. Does it matter in 2025?
It’s totally fine to run your fuel tank down to empty
Stop telling your customers otherwise—modern fuel systems don’t care.
LOF PSA: Don’t forget the lube job
Engine oil is a lubricant, but that’s not what the task’s title is referencing.
Best of Shop Press 2022
Our favorite and most popular articles and videos from the first year of ShopPress.com.
What to check when you’re checking out a car (VIDEO)
How do you suss out problems on a car that’s come to you for service?
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.
Rules of the torque wrench, explained
A helpful video investigation of proper (and improper) torque wrench techniques and habits.
December Automotive Horoscopes
We read the astrological signs and predicted your automotive future.
An open letter to automotive customers about Christmas gifts (and tipping)
You don’t need to do anything—but if you do, there are only a few things worth doing.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a vehicle?
Every tech has a story. What’s yours?
The bumpy story of vinyl record players in cars
Despite being obviously ill-suited for use in vehicles, I still want to find a workable solution for installing a record player in my car.
VIDEOS
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.
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
Lubricant? More like lubri-can. A very cheap staple of most shops, I’ve learned to use it in a few unconventional ways.