Tuning into Specialty Niche Markets
If you are thinking of expanding your shop to include restoration, performance modifications or even customizing ‹ now may be the time. There are plenty of niche market opportunities for your shop to go along with your regular business, provided there is an interest by you and your team. If you, the shop’s decision maker,
A Tutorial in Hyundai Driveability
Diagnosing a driveability problem starts with the customer interview. When you are able to obtain the proper details about the vehicle’s symptoms, you will be able to diagnose the source of the problem more efficiently. Clues provided by the customer, such as “vehicle starts but runs rough until warm; worse when wet,” is invaluable information
News: Underhood Service
CARQUEST Selects 2004 TECH-NET Professional/ASE Technician of the Year Raleigh, NC – Richard Robb of Elkhorn, WI, has been named the 2004 TECH-NET Professional/ASE Technician of the Year. Owner of Hi-Tech Automotive, Robb is an ASE-certified master automobile technician with L-1 certification. He was selected for the award after meeting the criteria set by CARQUEST
Smooth Sailing: Steering, Suspension & Ride Control Repair Opportunities
Original equipment chassis parts on late-model cars and trucks are supposedly engineered to go 150,000 miles or more. But is that 150,000 miles of highway driving on nice smooth roads or 150,000 miles of bumps, potholes and rough roads? The OEMs say it’s some of both. Nobody can predict exactly how long a chassis part
Carburetor Repairs & Recalibrations
As a follow-up to “Dusting Off Fuel System Fossils” in April’s edition of Underhood Service, I will share many driveability concerns and emissions failures that I’ve repaired by rebuilding, and sometimes modifying, certain carb circuits. But before diving into a carburetor rebuild or recalibration, be certain that you understand the system you’re working on, including
Aftermarket Update: Underhood Serivce, July 2004
ASA Offers Right to Repair Course Beford, TX – In an effort to educate the automotive service and repair industry about the availability of service information, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) now offers a three-hour seminar, “You Have the Right to Repair.” The course will be offered at several ASA affiliate events this year and
MACS Show: Technical Session Coverage
Once a year, the Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) hosts a trade show for A/C shop owners and technicians. This year’s event in Orlando, FL, provided a wealth of service information to those who attended the technical sessions. For those who couldn’t be there, we pass along some of the highlights from the technical sessions.
Filtering in New Opportunities
Your sniffling, sneezing customers could be just the sales opportunity your shop was itching for. That’s because consumers with severe allergies could benefit the most from a replacement of their vehicle’s cabin air filter (CAF). Allergy-affected customers may be the only ones you have who even know that their vehicle contains a cabin air filter.
Muscling in on Restoration & Performance Work: Part 1
As automotive technology continues to become more complex with each new model year, you may be longing for the “good ol’ days” when engines had carburetors and distributors but no sensors, fuel injectors or computers. Most driveability problems were fairly simple to diagnose and only required a trained ear and a few basic tools. Alas,
Component Connection: Wiper Motors
If there is one system that vehicle owners believe is inhabited by Gremlins, it’s the windshield wipers. Unfortunately, car owners don’t normally realize there is a problem with the wiper system until they need them most – when it’s raining. No matter what type of car you service, when it comes to wiper-related problems, the