At The Counter Archives

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Airbag direction – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description When placing an airbag on a workbench, which is the safest direction for it to face? A) Up B) Down C) To a wall D) Away from a wallMore ASE Practice Questions

A different type of timed event: the Bobby Bosch Relay Race

I’ll hazard a guess you’re familiar with the 24 Hours of Lemons. If not, it’s endurance racing for Joe Sixpack on a severely tight budget ($500). Ridiculous paint jobs are de rigueur. Costumes are encouraged. Everyone sandbags and cheats and tries to fudge the budget...

How to use a lockout kit (VIDEO)

If you work on cars for a living or you’re a diehard gearhead, odds are excellent that people look to you when some basic automotive snafus need to be handled. I’m sure those who know you have asked you to help with the following items: Reviewing an estimate Jumping a...

Drag racing semi-trucks (VIDEO)

Hi, my name is Lemmy and I enjoy the inappropriate application of power. It’s the lighter side of our mutual profession, I feel. I’ve written before about keeping your mojo flowing if the biz of fixing stuff is wearing you down. Here’s another way to do that: watch...

Bump steer – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description All of the following could cause bump steer EXCEPT: A) Incorrectly mounted steering rack B) Worn idler arm C) Worn center link D) Incorrect camberMore ASE Practice Questions

When NOT selling helps business

When I was a wee sprat in my first automotive job selling service, I was beleaguered by a tech in the shop who wrote thorough, lengthy estimates. He would occasionally blow up at me for not selling enough, going so far once as to accuse me of not even trying to sell...

Why “topping off” a gas tank can be an expensive mistake (VIDEO)

Description When the pump automatically shuts off after filling a vehicle’s tank, many people are tempted to add a little more gas. Unfortunately, this can do more harm than good, and the repair bills could add up quickly.Related Videos

Why don’t you keep gloves in your car’s glove box? (VIDEO)

Description Most people treat their glove boxes like junk drawers. Ever consider keeping a pair of gloves in there? Gloves were essential equipment for early motorists, and it’s a good idea to keep a pair on hand today, too.

A 3-minute video kept me from going ballistic over a $3,000 repair

by Mike Principato | Jun 27, 2023

If you’ve read my stuff before, you know I have a checkered history of repairing my own vehicles. It’s the inevitable outcome of going out of my way to deliberately (read: dimwittedly) buy a series of notoriously crappy cars and trucks that nonetheless looked very...

The aggressive question you can ask that instantly calms a customer down

by Lemmy | Jun 1, 2023

If you write service or sell parts, angry customers on the other side of the counter are an occasional part of the job. Maybe it’s someone picking up a car who is facing a bill that’s vastly different than the estimate. Or maybe in the parts store it’s a customer with...

How to find a good auto repair shop, according to actual repair professionals (VIDEO)

by Shop Press Staff | Apr 20, 2023

How to find a good auto repair shop, according to actual repair professionals (VIDEO) Description Here at Shop Press we’re always looking for interesting news about the auto repair industry, and we see articles pop up pretty routinely offering advice to vehicle owners...

The best auto racing movies to convert non-racing fans

by Mike Principato | Mar 23, 2023

There are two kinds of people in the world: race fans and people who haven’t watched these movies. If you’re not a fan, auto racing may seem like sort of the Earth-borne equivalent of space exploration: an oddly unsatisfying venture hallmarked by astronomical costs...

The $2.5 million man: hire the right manager for your shop if you want to run with the big dogs

by Mike Principato | Mar 16, 2023

Starting a shop and managing it to the big leagues require very different skills. Odds are you don’t have both, and that’s okay. Let’s assume you’ve built a profitable independent repair shop and it’s…well, it’s just not enough. I get it. A convergence of your vision,...

Is your shop ready for the 4-day work week?

by Bryan Joslin | Feb 16, 2023

You’re probably already familiar with a growing movement to shorten the typical work week to just four days. Business journals, TV news, and social media outlets have covered the subject exhaustively in the last year or so, often in the same breath as “COVID-19” and...