Bad Gas Update
How bad can it get? When the price of gasoline soared to over $3 a gallon after hurricane Katrina, people were shocked. They actually began to change their driving habits to conserve fuel by eliminating unnecessary trips, sharing rides to work, staying home in the evening instead of going out and doing what little they
Shop Management: Concentrating on Customer Service
Female motorists are making more automotive service and repair decisions these days. Your shop needs to take certain steps to ensure that their repair experience is a positive one. In this article, I’ll highlight a few simple things that you can change or improve at your shop that may make your female customers feel more comfortable.
CARQUEST Technical Institute to Offer Hybrid Courses
CARQUEST Technical Institute (CTI) recently released the first in a series of hybrid courses, HYB-100 Hybrid Generic Service, available through your local CARQUEST Auto Parts store. Hybrid technologies have rapidly become the fastest growing segment of the automotive and light truck market.
Good Old-Fashioned Efforts Earn Customer Loyalty
Another year is winding down. We all have a lot of tasks to complete before the holidays and some of us are even making resolutions for the new year. Whether we keep them or not is another story. One business imperative you can’t afford to overlook is the effort you make in retaining customers. The
Aftermarket Update: CARS 2005 Provides Education, Networking, Entertainment
Bedford, TX — Hundreds gathered at the 2005 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) held at The Mirage in Las Vegas Nov. 3-5. CARS, the premier event of the Automotive Service Association’s (ASA) Mechanical Division, is held annually during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) and focuses on education while also offering entertainment and networking
The Right Tools at the Right Time
The toughest part about changing a timing belt on most engines is just getting to the belt. The timing belt is sealed inside a protective cover on the front of the engine. Replacing it typically requires removing everything on the front of the engine that obstructs the timing cover. This includes the serpentine belt and/or
Weather Report
Today’s forecast is hot — damn hot with sprinkled patches of grease, burns, scrapes and fussy service managers. Does this sound like your shop in the summer? The alternative calls for waaaay cold with reports of numb fingers and aching feet and toes from standing on ice-cold concrete for eight hours at a time. The
Shop Management: Time for Sale
If you do not charge for diagnostic time to diagnosis undercar problems, you might as well put a sign on the door that says "ROB ME."
Moog Brand’s NASCAR Championship Streak Reaches 40 Years with Tony Stewart’s 2005 NEXTEL Cup Title
Moog Chassis Parts helped drive its 40th consecutive NASCAR Cup champion to victory last week as Tony Stewart’s Moog-equipped #20 Chevrolet captured the 2005 NEXTEL Cup title during the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (FL) Speedway. Moog chassis parts are manufactured and marketed by Federal-Mogul Corporation.
Rancho Wins Second Straight SEMA “Best in Show” Award
For the second consecutive year, the engineering team at Rancho has captured honors for the best new off-road suspension for a popular light truck or sport utility vehicle model. Rancho’s first-to-market Hummer H3 suspension system was judged “Best New Off-Road/4-Wheel Drive Product” at the 2005 Specialty Equipment Markets Association (SEMA) Show.