Honeywell’s Friction Materials Business Named Preferred Supplier by Automotive Distribution Network
Friction Materials LLC, maker of Bendix and Jurid brake products, was awarded “preferred premium friction supplier” status by Germantown, TN-based Automotive Distribution Network (ADN) during the group’s annual membership meeting last month.
Tech Tip: Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe Brake Job
The 2004-2008 Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix were produced in Fremont, CA, on the same production line. The vehicles are based on the Toyota Corolla platform and share the same braking system.
The front brakes for all models are for the most part the same (including all-wheel drive models). The only changes came in the configuration of the brake pad shims. The rear brakes can be either drum or disc and even some all-wheel-drive versions have drums.
Tech Tip: Cool Fix for a Ford Diesel
A Ford truck, SUV or van owner may complain of a crank/no-start condition, lack of power and coolant leak. Some vehicles equipped with a 6.0L diesel engine may exhibit those symptoms, along with oil in the coolant. The coolant leak creates a low coolant condition, which may cause the engine to overheat or result in no cabin heat.
Beck/Arnley Adds 426 New Foreign Nameplate Part Numbers in First Quarter 2009
Beck/Arnley announces it added 426 new part numbers to its line of premium quality, genuine foreign nameplate products in the first quarter of 2009. Beck/Arnley is continuously expanding its catalog to provide aftermarket automotive parts needed by today’s service dealers.
Affinia Training Courses Offer Technicians a Chance to ‘Fine-Tune’
Affinia Global Brake and Chassis, manufacturer of Raybestos brand brake products, is again offering training classes and programs for technicians interested in fine-tuning their craft. More than 8,000 technicians enroll every year in the Affinia Tech Training courses – a program long regarded as one of the most comprehensive training programs in the aftermarket.
Tech Tip: Diagnosing Ford F-250 Engine Miss
A 1999 Ford F-250 5.4L has an engine miss and the Check Engine light is on with code P0304 in its memory. Check for coolant dripping onto the #4 coil (passenger side rear cylinder) from the hose fitting directly above it. If coolant has dripped onto the coil, tighten the clamp and replace the coil, as it is almost always damaged by the coolant leak.
NAPA AUTO PARTS Spotlights Key Brake-Related Warning Signs, Encourages Preventive Maintenance
Pressing down on the brakes and not knowing how well they’ll perform can be an unnerving situation. Given that Americans spend 4.2 billion hours a year constantly using their brakes in traffic, it’s obvious proactive brake maintenance is important. However, since brake replacement time frames vary anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 miles, recognizing brake warning signs is imperative to avoid a complete brake failure.
Second Generation Repairs: Servicing the GM 3800 Series II Engine
The GM 3800 Series II engine, introduced in 1995, is quite a different engine from its predecessor, the Series I engine. While the stroke for the 3.8L engine remained at 3.4″ (86 mm), and the bore remained at 3.8″ (97 mm), the engine architecture changed dramatically.
Tech Feature: Cooling System and Water Pump Service for the Nissan 3.5L V6
The cooling system on late-model Nissan Altimas and Maximas with the 3.5L V6 engine is similar to many other late-model vehicles in that the water pump is buried and typically takes two to three hours to replace depending on the model, year and your manual dexterity.
Jurid Brakes Added to E-Catalogs for Easier Part Number Look Up
Newly introduced to North American customers, Jurid brake pads will now be available in domestic catalogs – including the Bendix iParts e-catalog as well as in popular third party e-catalogs beginning in June.
Continental Launches ATE Brake Points 2009 Sales Promotion for PremiumOne Brake Products
Continental Corporation recently launched a new sales promotion for its OE-engineered ATE PremiumOne Brake Products. The ATE Brake Points 2009 promotion gives professional service technicians the opportunity to earn valuable ‘ATE Brake Points’ for purchasing PremiumOne Disc Brake Rotors and Brake Pad sets that can be accumulated and redeemed for VISA Gift Cards.
Performance Brake Upgrades: Boosting Brake System Performance and Appearance
What type of customer is a likely prospect for brake upgrades? Those who tend to go through brakes rather quickly because of their driving habits, those who own sporty or performance import makes, and especially those who have already replaced their stock wheels with larger diameter aftermarket alloy wheels and low-profile tires.