Shock Replacement Option Require a Proper Assessment of Customers’ “Ride” Expectations
Shock absorber replacements are unique because they represent a big ticket, high profit margin, low liability sales opportunity that happens at least once or perhaps twice during the normal service life of a typical vehicle. Modern shock absorber design is also becoming much more sophisticated than it was just one short decade ago. In conventional
Directions: Keeping Appearances
How your employees look – whether they please or deceive – usually carries a message I recently visited a local repair shop and watched a scruffy-bearded, pony-tailed tech in dirty, baggy clothes exit the shop and jump in his vehicle and take off for his lunch break. When the shop owner caught me staring at
Talking Shop: Shedding Light on Additional Service
liftgate-mounted applications. LEDs consume very little power, only about 1/10th as much current as a comparable incandescent light for the same amount of light that’s produced. The increased brightness and faster response of the LED lamps will improve safety on the roads, giving following drivers more time to react. In fact, tail lamp systems are
Carley’s Corner: My Advice on Gas-Saving Gadgets
ely, these cars were introduced a few years too soon and were discontinued because of limited range (about 100 miles on a full charge), and the high cost of the batteries (GM’s cost was reportedly $500 for each battery, and each car held 18 batteries!). If GM were to re-introduce the EV1 today, buyers would
Victor Reinz Seals the Deal with New Gasket Catalog
Clevite Engine Parts recently released its new 2005 Master Gasket Supplement (MG-300-05) representing engine part numbers for 1990 and newer applications. The supplement covers many popular domestic and import engines and includes more than 450 new part numbers.
TRW/Goodyear Create Enhanced Electronic Stability Control System
TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have announced the joint development of a new system that will automatically adjust the performance parameters of a vehicle’s electronic stability control (ESC) system based on the dimensions and other characteristics of the vehicle’s tires.
Rotor Debate: Replace, Discard or Machine?
More often than not, many rotors today are being replaced when the brakes are relined – and some motorists are complaining that new rotors aren’t really necessary. Unless a rotor is worn down too far to be safely resurfaced or has cracks, deep grooves, severe rusting, hard spots or other structural defects, resurfacing can usually
BALL JOINTS & BUSHINGS: Worn Components Take Their Toll on Advanced Suspension Technologies
Too often, shop owners and technicians alike assume that suspension systems haven’t changed much in the past 20 years. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth because today’s import vehicle may incorporate a number of technologies that can be affected by worn steering and suspension components. To illustrate, we’re beginning to see electronic
Directions
Edward Sunkin has been the editor of Underhood Service since April of 1999. He has been a member of the Babcox family of automotive aftermarket publications beginning in December 1994, when he joined the jobber/parts specialist magazine Counterman as an associate editor. Edward also spent three years as managing editor Engine Builder, learning about the
Clearing Up the Cooling System Confusion
Would you believe cooling system failures are the No. 1 cause of mechanical breakdowns on the highway? That’s what statistics published by the U.S. Department of Transportation tell us. It’s not surprising considering how badly most cooling systems are neglected these days. In April, the Car Care Council offered motorists free vehicle inspections at more