May 2017 Archives - UnderhoodService
Getting Involved To Nurture The Next Generation of Techs

Rather than looking for a senior technician, how about bringing in one of these recently graduated techs? The good ones will demonstrate that they are eager to learn. You may find that one of their previous employers put a broom in their hand rather than a repair order, so you could be their lifeline to a long and thriving career.

VIDEO: Three Tips For Your Next Oil Filter Job

Andrew Markel shares three tips to make sure your next oil filter installation job goes smoothly and prevents a comeback. Sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper.

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Diagnosing Pulse-Width Modulated PWM Fuel Pumps

Just this summer, I experienced a situation in which the fuel pump had been replaced four different times on a single vehicle with no result because the various repair shops attempting to repair the vehicle didn’t understand how to diagnose a pulse-modulated fuel delivery system. Here are five things you should know about diagnosing them.

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Nurturing The Next Generation Of Technicians

As shop owners, we wear a lot of hats. Unfortunately, it just so happens that talent development/trainer is not a role with which most of us are accustomed. We expect that Vo-tech schools will bring us service-ready technicians. For now, we need to adjust this expectation as these schools transition to a new model.

training techs
2010 Jeep Wrangler: Transmission Stuck In Second Gear

The 2010 Wrangler’s transmission solenoids are powered through its totally integrated power module (TIPM), which is a fuse and relay box with a logic board that controls most body electrical functions.

jeep wrangler transmission stuck
Chevy S-10 Truck: Slow Acceleration When Cold

This problem was referred to me by my local transmission shop. The elderly owner’s complaint was that the S-10 “accelerated kind of slow when cold.” Further questioning revealed that, after the transmission warmed up and the ignition was cycled off/on, the S-10 would accelerate normally.

vcm check s10 transmission
Autonomous Vehicles: Changes Are Coming

With every passing year, there are fewer cars and trucks needing throttle cables, distributor caps and spark plug wires. Even if we have lost these service opportunities, we have gained twice as many in the past two decades.

Ford Diesel CK-4 And FA-4 Statement

On Dec. 1, 2016 the American Petroleum Institute (API) began licensing two new diesel motor categories: CK-4 and FA-4. API CK-4 was released to replace CJ-4. FA-4 is a low-viscosity diesel oil released for diesel engines designed for such oils.

VW VR6 Head Gasket Replacement

The oddest things about the VR6 are that the narrow angle between cylinders allows the use of just one cylinder head for the six cylinders, and the timing chain is located between the block and transmission.

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Common TIPM Customer Complaints

You name the electrical system, and chances are, it runs through the TIPM. But, the TIPM isn’t without its own faults, which is why I renamed it, “Trouble In Power Management.”

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