Follow these easy tips, and avoid these common mistakes, to help ensure you get exactly what you need the first time.
Three tips from a lifelong parts professional to make sure you never get the wrong part
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HOT OFF THE PRESS
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?
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.
Why “topping off” a gas tank can be an expensive mistake (VIDEO)
When the pump automatically shuts off after filling a vehicle’s tank, many people are tempted to add a little more gas. Unfortunately, this can do more harm than good, and the repair bills could add up quickly.
That viral repair shop who paid an employee in pennies? Yep, it’s getting sued.
An auto repair shop in Georgia went viral for paying a former employee in hundreds of oily pennies. Then the Department of Labor stepped in.
The easiest way to remove a cotter pin (VIDEO)
If you’re using needle-nose pliers like I did for years, there’s a better way.
How to fix a Ford cupholder for almost free
The in-dash cup holder on certain late ’90s to early 2000s F-150s, Expeditions and Navigators tends to break, but it’s easy to repair.
How the electric starter motor helped start the automotive revolution
One man’s tragic death led to a device that transformed the automobile from a luxury fascination to something everyone could own and use regularly.
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.
Virgil Exner: The creator of Chrysler’s “forward look”
Exner was responsible for the look of cool cars of the late 1950’s, not just at Chrysler, but at other automakers as well.
In defense of the beam-style torque wrench
Beam-types have a few advantages that keep them relevant. If your arsenal doesn’t include one, you might want to think about acquiring one.
A simple tip for burping a radiator
I learned a trick from an old racer that works real well to bleed that rarely leaves me repeating my work.
7 low-tech tips to help bleed difficult brakes
Bleeding brakes is one of those jobs most of us know how to do, but when a hard-to-bleed system pops up, experienced techs have a few additional tricks up their sleeves to help get the job done.
Why service writers should always charge a diag fee – and let techs earn it
Vehicle diagnosis is no walk in the park. Proper diagnosis is critical and difficult, and it shouldn’t be done without doing the work.
VIDEOS
Ranking the best fictional TV mechanics
From Colonel Hogan to Mr. T to Fonzie, here’s a completely unscientific list of television wrenches.
Jeep Spotter’s Guide (VIDEO)
ID Jeeps generation by generation with a few easy tricks.
Quiz: Can you prove how big of a car nerd you are?
Is your brain filled with automobilia obscurity? Prove it.