Top 5 Tools: Mickey Speight, Lebanon Transmissions Inc.
Mickey Speight, Co-owner and President Lebanon Transmissions Inc. Lebanon, TN Along with co-owner/wife Shaun Speight, who Mickey says “is a very important part of our team,” and his crew, Mickey chose the following Top 5 Tools: Snap-on SOLUS Pro Scanner — It is very important in diagnosing before any repairs are done. SuperFlow’s
Tool Tip: MIL Is Illuminated, DTC P1776 Set
This bulletin involves selectively erasing and reprogramming the 2004 or 2005 Powertrain Control Module (PCM) or the 2003 Transmission Control Module (TCM) with new software and performing the TCM Quicklearn procedure with the DRBIII.
21 Tool and Equipment Manufacturers Earn TechShop Magazine’s 2010 Top 5 Tools Award
Each month, TechShop readers tell us the top 5 tools they use in their shop and on the job. Award winners are determined based on the number of times a company or product is mentioned by shop owners and technicians in the previous six issues of TechShop in the Top 5 Favorite Tools section.
Pulling Codes: The Story of Code P0446
This is the first in a series of investigations covering many states’ top emissions-related codes. Our goal in this report is to discuss the characteristics of the P0446 code as it applies to many GM systems.
Editor’s Notes: ‘These Tools Make or Break The Day!’
Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Top 5 Tools awards.
Perspectives: 2011 Could Be and Should Be Big for Shops
There are several data points that are positive signs of good things to come for automotive repair shops in 2011.
Tech Feature: Courage Under Misfire
Generally, when a customer brings a vehicle into a shop that has a misfire concern, they will describe it as bucking, jerking or loss of power. They also may describe it, depending on the cause, as a jerking when they take off from a start, but smoothes out once the vehicle gets moving. They may tell you the check engine light has been flashing.
Tech Tip: Mazda Information Display Freezes in the Cold
Certain Mazda owners may complain of a problem with their vehicle’s information display during sub-zero temperatures. Some vehicles may experience no illumination from the information display when the ignition is turned on. Also, the clock runs too fast and may gain more than 20 minutes per week. To correct this condition, follow the Repair Procedure in this Tech Tip.
Tech Tip: Follow These Steps Prior to Replacing Kia’s Catalytic Converter After Finding DTC P0422
Kia’s OBD II engine management systems use dual oxygen sensors, which among other things allow monitoring of the efficiency of the Manifold Catalytic Converter (MCC), also referred to as the “warmup” cat. Some technicians who retrieve DTC P0422 – Main Catalyst Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1) mistakenly replace the catalytic converter under the floor of the vehicle (possibly because the converter under the car has been referred to as the “main” catalyst). This leads to repeat repairs, unnecessary expense and customer dissatisfaction.
Tech Tip: Nissan Engine Will Not Crank with Outside Temperature Below 10
A no crank condition may call for replacement of the Intelligent Power Distribution Module-IPDM.