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
read more
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.
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.
Basic Brake Fluid Testers Are Far More Sophisticated Than You’d Expect
Peering inside the inner workings of a deceptively complex tool
Clean the #&@$ing snow off the roof of your car or truck
Driving around with a bunch of snow on top of your vehicle is not only unsafe, but also illegal in many places
Miata Spotter’s Guide (VIDEO)
Learn to ID Miatas generation by generation like a pro (and from a pro!)
Texas nonprofit helps low-income vehicle owners afford auto repairs
Autocare Haven uses donations and volunteers to subsidize service for vets, seniors, single parents and others.
A day in the life of a service writer (VIDEO)
A Shop Press ode to the unsung heroes taking calls, keys, and credit cards.
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.
Why you should empty the master cylinder before bleeding brakes (VIDEO)
Removing old fluid from a vehicle’s braking system can be a time-consuming chore, but it doesn’t need to be.
“Horizon Chase Turbo” is probably my favorite racing game of the last 30 years (VIDEO)
There’s still a place for arcade racing games, even in today’s world of hyper-realistic simulation racing games
January Automotive Horoscopes
We read the astrological signs and predicted your automotive future.
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.
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.