A/C System Diagnostics are Important Year-Round
What many motorists don’t know is that their A/C system works year round, not just during the hot summer months. On most late-model vehicles with automatic climate control systems, the A/C system cycles on and off as needed to dehumidify air entering the passenger compartment. This helps clear the windshield and prevents the other windows
Cooper Begins Record-Breaking Year With Four Product Launches
In a year in which Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. will introduce the most new products to the North American market in the company’s history, the tiremaker is starting things off with a bang.
Fire Up Your Sales Approach
Many of you consider yourselves to be retailers, and retailing is an important and proud industry. This is true whether one is selling clothing, appliances or, in this case, tires and automotive services. At the core of retailing is a reactive approach to working with consumers. They come into your dealership – driven by an
Super Wides Could Be a Super Benefit For Your Fleet Customers
As the cost of diesel fuel continues to climb, commercial trucking fleets are looking for ways to save dollars. And because tires make up a large part of the budget, more than ever fleets are turning to tire dealers seeking ways to leverage savings, including adopting super wide tires. When commercial customers come asking questions,
Weighing Summer vs. All-Season UHP Tires
Swapping UHP summer (or, better said, “three-season”) tires for all-season UHP rubber is trading something you want for something you will probably never need. Consumers – and a shockingly high number of tire company sales staff – are under the mistaken belief that all-season tires offer better damp-road grip than summer tires. The truth: All-season
Tread Depth, Tire Safety and the Difference of 24 Cents
A head-to-head challenge in the tire industry currently involves two of the nation’s greatest presidents. The debate is over a mere 2/32nds of an inch, but safety is held as most important on both sides of the coin. Like the fate of the nation they led, it all rests on their heads. For decades, a
Fix Customers’ Cooling System Troubles as Weather Heats Up
t’s in great working condition, hot weather poses no challenge. It’s the cooling systems that are marginal or in need of maintenance or repair that will run into trouble when the dog days of summer arrive.Probably the most troublesome component in any cooling system is the thermostat. The thermostat’s job is to speed engine warm-up
Changing TPMS Sensor Batteries
It’s time to charge up tire dealers’ customer education campaigns for TPMS sensor replacement as the life expectancies of batteries molded into sensors begin to run out. Mandated TPMS systems were phased in from 2006 to 2008, so some of these vehicles’ sensors have been in service for five years. Still older direct sensors can
Michelin Adds New BFGoodrich T/A for Work and Play
More than a year in the making, Michelin North America finally took the wraps off of the BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A, the latest BFG-brand light truck/SUV radial. And this new tire, said MNA, is all work and all play. The tire was originally slated for a 2010 introduction, but production was rescheduled when demand increases
Product Spotlight: Brakes and Friction Materials
Improved technology has made brakes and friction materials more durable and better performing. To avoid customer comebacks, tire dealers must take care to use quality parts matched to the correct application. applicable), which can make the job easier for installers and even help ensure a better fit. Advantage brake shoes include attached parking brake levers
CTA Redefines General Brand With New G-Max UHP Offering
Continental Tire the Americas offered up Infineon Raceway as the center stage upon which to introduce the new General G-Max AS-03 to both tire and automotive journalists and its dealers in back-to-back events. “This is a tire that seems to offer a wide range of our dealers the opportunity to sell a very complete package,
CTA Launches Retread System with Exact Conti Brand Copies
As they battle toe-to-toe in the North American truck tire market, major tiremakers have always stressed the importance of tire lifecycle costs. Backing that point, Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin all have their retreading systems, either home grown or acquired. Continental Tire the Americas is taking the lifecycle concept in a new direction, and is plunging