The Driverless Future: Where does auto repair fit into the future?
For those of you who are used to talking to cars, the future will be status quo for you. Imagine that you arrive at work and are greeted by a barrage of eager customers who have made appointments to have their fluids checked, their tires rotated and their vision checked. Wait, vision? That’s right —
ADAS System Diagnosis And Service
A surprising number of Automated (or Advanced) Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are currently available on vehicles. These systems require special service techniques or additional service operations to perform some common maintenance services.
Autonomous Vehicles And Safety Technology
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems were all over the place, in part because it is an easy technology to demonstrate in a parking lot. Many manufacturers like Continental, ZF/TRW and Bosch were taking the automatic braking up to a NHTSA Level 2 by adding the additional driver assist of controlled steering to dodge unexpected lane changes and even dummies who ran out from between cars.
Reflash Confusion And Car Software Updates
According to J.D. Power, 189 recalls and more than 800 TSBs have been issued concerning reflashing or reprogramming over the past five years. These numbers do not include the random updates that seem to appear out of thin air on the OE service information websites. Some of us may see this as a problem. But, we should see this as an opportunity.
Toyota Prius: Check Hybrid System Light On
It may be difficult to diagnose a vehicle that has components you aren’t familiar with. This Tech Tip will show you the ropes by guiding you through a diagnosis on the Prius. Hopefully your repair is as simple as this Real Fix and the loose DC/DC connector is the only issue.
Remote Diagnostics On Cars: The Future, Or Future Headache?
When I talk to technicians and shop owners about “remote diagnostics,” I find that there are many different levels of understanding as to what that term means. It’s clear that for many, the perception is that remote diagnostics means the ability to read codes. Well, if that is all we are talking about, it is true that a number of cars can generate a health report that includes things like DTCs, mileage and oil life.
Vehicles And Cyber-Security: The Secret Handshake
It seems as if when the prefix “cyber” sits in front of a word right now it instantly gets attention. No combination of “cyber” is getting more attention in the automotive world right now than cyber-security. That is probably fitting. This topic has the potential be put the cyber-brakes on connected cars and the efforts of the aftermarket to maintain the kind of access to vehicle networks we “think” we are going to need going forward.
Turbo Trouble: How Turbochargers Work
Turbochargers are great for adding power to any gas or diesel-powered engine, but are especially useful in small displacement engines. The boost to airflow that a turbocharger provides increases the breathing efficiency of the engine for more horsepower and torque.
Automotive Technology: LiDAR And Car Vision
Innovation is happening on multiple fronts in the ADAS vehicle development world. This has caused many who, only last year, were predicting mainstream use of this technology to occur around 2025 to lower their predictions to “much sooner.”
Welcome To The Future: Are Your Networks Protected?
In my work on telematics and connected cars, I get a lot of great opportunities to talk with engineers. What engineers hate when they are designing a system – particularly systems that have ramifications on how vehicle networks interact – is unknown wild cards. Unfortunately, those of us who run repair shops are the wild cards that keep many of these engineers up at night.
Buick Turbo 3.8 V6 History
Buick started playing with turbochargers in 1976 when it paced the Indianapolis 500 with a Century equipped with a special turbocharged 3.8L V6. The actual pace car needed the boost cranked up to 22 psi to keep pace with the field. It produced 300 hp while the commemorative edition only had a V8 with 165
Connecting With Hybrids: Hybrid 12-Volt Battery Systems
Why do hybrids even have a 12-volt battery when the car is already equipped with a high-voltage battery? I get asked this question often in the classroom or when I am under the hood with a tech. Those of you with hybrid experience know the answer, but many techs have stayed away from hybrids and
