Tech Feature: Understanding Your Market Can Increase Performance Exhaust Revenue
Depending upon the market your shop is servicing, the term “performance exhaust” can have different meanings. The first market actively seeks out the throaty rumble and chrome-plated look as part of the “vehicle personalization” scene. The second installs an exhaust system that produces the most horsepower for a performance application. Sometimes the two are one and the same, sometimes they’re not.
Dana Unveils Hybrid Transmission for Off-Highway Market
Dana Holding Corp. recently introduced new hybrid drivetrain technology specifically engineered for off-highway vehicles. A concept transmission in the evaluation phase, the Spicer TE-15HX is an electric parallel hybrid that features a dual power path transmission control system. This system continuously monitors operating conditions and selects the proper combination of diesel and electric power to optimize productivity while reducing fuel consumption, emissions, noise and engine idling.
Improved Training Offered for A/C Technicians
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has strengthened technician training and certification requirements for auto air conditioning service. According to the EPA, improper auto A/C servicing can lead to high emissions of potent greenhouse gases, but thanks to industry innovation, the environmental performance of this sector has improved.
Aftermarket Jam: Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Makes Beautiful Music at 2009 Convention
The convention also featured 18 business seminars, all accredited by the University of the Aftermarket.
Tech Feature: Manifold Makeover – Increasing Engine Power
An intake manifold is more than the plumbing that connects the carburetor or throttle body to the ports in the cylinder head. It is an integral part of the induction system that has to match the airflow characteristics of the cylinder head and camshaft, as well as the displacement and rpm range of the engine. A well-designed manifold that is properly matched to the engine’s requirements will make more torque and horsepower than a manifold which is mismatched to the engine.
Tech Feature: What’s New in Spark Plug & Ignition Cable Technology
Ignition systems have changed a great deal in recent years, with coil-on-plug (COP) ignition systems being the most common setup on many late-model engines. Car makers like COP ignition systems for a variety of reasons. The main one is that mounting a small ignition coil over each spark plug gets rid of the troublesome spark plug wires. Plug wires are vulnerable to heat and vibration damage, and can become a source of ignition misfire if they become wet.
Tech Feature: BMW and J2534 Pass-Thru Programming
In the U.S., 8 percent of the cars on the road are European vehicles. OK, that doesn’t sound like much, but think of it this way: an average repair yields more dollars per repair than most domestic and Asian vehicles. In most cases, each repair pays better. Plus, the vehicle owners have more invested into the vehicle, so they want to spend the money to fix their vehicle correctly. That 8 percent of cars on the road can pack a powerful punch when it comes to automotive repair shops making money.
Tech Feature: Rebuilding the Chrysler Hemi
Chrysler made the Hemi engine famous. They didn’t invent the hemispherical chamber, but they were the first to build an engine with a hemi chamber for an American car back in 1951. They originally called it the “Double Rocker Shaft V8,” but it soon became “the Hemi.”
Tech Feature: Racing Oil and Additives
Engine oil has sometimes been compared to a cake mix. The base oil is like the flour and the additives are the spices. How much is used of each varies by the type of cake and its intended use. Birthday cakes don’t really work for weddings. Engine builders have also been compared to gourmet chefs, so naturally, you like your cake a little more than the average cake connoisseur. A good cake is hard to beat, but a bad one will leave you feeling empty, looking for a jug of milk to wash away the taste.
A/C Update: The Future of Cool
Editor Ed Sunkin returns from the Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide trade show and convention in February, 2009, with details on the possible future of the U.S. refrigerant segment of the industry — HFO-1234yf. This refrigerant provides a very low global warming potential and many new service and sales opportunities.