President Obama to Tour Northern Virginia Community College’s Auto Repair Program
President Barack Obama will be touring Northern Virginia Community College’s automotive service program on Wednesday. He will be meeting with students that are part of the school’s “Drive 2 Employment program.” He will also tour the school’s classrooms and laboratories.
Tech Tip: Gaining Performance from Ignition Timing
Entry-level racers and performance enthusiasts who are involved in drag, oval or street performance often have difficulty understanding spark advance. The cool thing about ignition timing is you can usually get a considerable performance increase for little or no money. But, some time and effort will be required.
Shop Owner Sees Major Shift in Industry Over Last five Years
Jay Thatcher, owner of Thatcher’s Auto Center is Superior, WI, says his customers now demand more dependability, performance and fuel efficiency from their vehicles. The shop currently does about 70 percent maintenance and 30 percent repair work. Five to 10 years ago, it was mostly repair work. “Customers have discovered that if they maintain a vehicle today it will go and go. It also costs less over the life of the vehicle to keep it well maintained than to repair it,” Thatcher told a local reporter.
Tech Feature: Updating the Late-Model Hemi
When we started this project, we were anxious to find out how much power a Hemi stroker could produce. The block of choice was a 5.7L, based primarily on the fact that it is hard to find a 6.1L in a salvage yard.
Tech Tip: Additive Packages Play Key Role in Keeping an Engine Clean
As anyone who has even a small amount of experience working on engines knows, regular oil changes are one of the most important things that can be done to extend the life of an engine.
Volts & Voltage: How will Hybrids Change?
This past month, the Chevrolet Volt has grabbed the headlines from not only the business pages, but the the headlines of all the automotive publications. Some say this is a “feel good” story of a company on the mend, but it is actually the next chapter of the “electrification” of the automobile that started with the introduction of the EV1 in 1996 and the Prius in 2002.
SafeShop: Diesel and Gasoline Exhaust
Diesel and gasoline exhaust can be hazardous to employees working in dealerships and automotive services businesses. And not just those working in the shop are at risk; office employees can also be exposed through poor ventilation systems. Zurich provides information on how to help protect your business and your employees.
Timely Timing Chain Service: ‘Advancing’ Your Position in the Market
Timing chains and gears are engine parts that are usually replaced when an engine is rebuilt or when it has reached a high mileage total. Over time, gear teeth wear and chains stretch. This can cause noise, retarded valve timing (and ignition timing if the engine also has a cam-driven distributor), and a noticeable loss of performance and fuel economy.
Tech Feature: Hemisphere Exploration – Journey to the Center of the 5.7L Hemi
The 5.7L HEMI Magnum V8, which made its debut in 2003 in Dodge Ram 2500/3500 series trucks, was quite an improvement over the older 5.9L V8 it replaced. The engine was 56 lbs. lighter, produced 41% more horsepower and 12% more torque than the previous motor. Better yet, it also delivered 8-10% better fuel economy.
Perspectives: California — Where CSI and PSI Meet
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has approved the “Regulation to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Vehicles Operating with Underinflated Tires” — a move that will affect your shop service.