The Changing Face of Automatic Transmissions
By Dennis Madden, CEO of ATRA Did you ever wonder how automatic transmissions became a specialty, separate from general auto repair? For the first 40 years or so since automatic transmissions began rolling off the assembly line, the transmission was a completely separate entity from the rest of the vehicle. Back then, if the transmission
Avoid Common A/C Mistakes to Prevent Customer Comebacks
As vehicle owners in many parts of the country begin using their air conditioning systems for the first time this year, some will be surprised to find their A/C system is not functioning properly or isn’t blowing out cold air like the summer past. Here is a recap of common A/C system problems.Additional Parts ReplacementWhen
Knowing Starter Basics is Vital to Providing Right Service
It’s no secret that the first automobiles were started by hand cranking. It’s also pretty obvious that, somewhere along the way, someone replaced the hand crank with an electric motor. In 1911, a friend of Henry Leland, founder of Cadillac, died from injuries sustained while restarting a car for a lady. The need for a
Muffler Replacements Are a Fast, Easy Way to Boost Profits
Have muffler inspections become a low-priority undercar service in your shop? With the introduction of stainless-steel exhaust systems into the import market, it’s easy to forget that muffler and related exhaust parts sales are still a lucrative service that can enhance any profit and loss statement. On systems using a mass air flow sensor (MAF)
Necessary Fluid Maintanance Services vs. Wallet Flushing
Good service shop managers stay on top of their annual workflow by placing jobs like timing belt and brake replacements into categories that can be tracked on a historic basis. If a tire dealer has faithfully tracked the kinds of work flowing through his service bays during the past 10 years, it might become apparent
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
State of the Union: Industry Strong, Future Challenges Can Be Overcome
Mr. Chairman and ladies and gentlemen…The state of our industry is and remains strong. Despite heavy cost and economic pressures, unresolved regulation, self-inflicted over-saturation and our inability, in many cases, to act in concert for the greater good, the tire industry from top to bottom remains one of the most vital and robust in the
All-Wheel Drive Synergies for Brakes, Transmission and Transfer Case
There are very few all-mechanical controls left on late-model vehicles. Almost all powertrain controls are electromechanical, using a computer as the controller. These include powertrain control of the accelerator pedal with the latest being all-wheel drive (AWD). The brakes and damping also are electromechanical under electronic control. There are peripheral systems that are all computer-controlled,
‘Breakfast Cruises’ Bring Added Customers to Tire Dealerships
Most red-blooded Americans will agree with me – many rather enthusiastically – that doughnuts are great, in almost any form. Even vegans enjoy a Boston Cream doughnut. And although most of the officers in blue I know cringe at the old jokes about cops and doughnuts, park a cruller near their cruiser and soon they’ll
New Automatic Transmission Fluid Conversion, Refill Chart
Lubegard by International Lubricants Inc. has released the eighth edition of its automatic transmission fluid application chart. New changes for 2010 include engine and transaxle/transmission codes on newer models, up-to-date fluid specs, including U.S. part numbers where applicable or known, and CVT and dual clutch applications. For a free copy of the 48-page Conversion Chart,