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Mastering the Numbers

Running an auto repair shop is about more than just fixing cars. While providing top-notch service is essential, managing a truly successful business also depends on understanding and acting on the financial barometers of the operation. One of the most important of...

Don’t Overlook This Step When Servicing Brakes (VIDEO)

Description A brake service job isn’t complete unless the reservoir cap’s diaphragm has been pushed back into place. This simple step is easy to forget, but it helps to reduce brake fluid contamination and ensure proper system function.Related Videos

Watch This Video On Dry Sump Oil Systems

Recently, I was talking with Shop Press head honcho (Chief Bottle Washer—Ed.) Lemmy about something I wasn’t familiar with: dry sump oil systems. If you’re a newer tech who hasn’t worked on any high-end sports cars, you also might not be familiar with these systems....

Tariff Talk: A Look Backwards at The Chicken Tax

Well, the mood’s been a little heavy with all the talk about tariffs as of late. There’s an automotive tax that’s been around for a long time that is a perfect thing to mention if a conversation is getting uncomfortable. And if you’re a car nut, you should at least...

Watch This Video on the Inventor Who Put Lead in Gasoline

Recently, I went down an internet rabbit hole about why gasoline once had lead in it and how it got removed. In my searches, I found this video on inventor Thomas Midgley Jr., who not only invented leaded gasoline to combat engine knocking but also synthesized...

Bitten by a misfire

Bitten by a misfire

There are hundreds of great automotive technical schools around the country and they teach all the book lessons you need to know to start in this business. But nothing teaches better than real world experience. I consider myself a pretty good tech today and I got that...
Pulse width modulation and automotive lighting

Pulse width modulation and automotive lighting

I recently was talking to someone about how complex modern systems have gotten, and realized my unwilling conversational victim wasn’t sure why things had gotten so complex and if that was a good thing or not. “Even the lights are difficult!” the exasperated fella...
Another specialty punch

Another specialty punch

Disclaimer: I purchased these tools at full retail price at my own expense, with no compensation to write about the items. If you read Shop Press regularly, you may be thinking, man, those guys really love punches. You wouldn’t be wrong. We’ve written about big huge...
Rules of the torque wrench, explained

Rules of the torque wrench, explained

I would bet that you and most other Shop Press readers have a pretty good handle on how to use a torque wrench. You aren’t going to get far in this industry without a proficient understanding of how to employ and care for these precision instruments. And if you’re...
Are you servicing your car’s oil correctly?

Are you servicing your car’s oil correctly?

What are the top two causes of premature engine wear and engine component failure? The first is lack of maintenance, specifically going too long between oil changes. Whether you’re taking care of the family grocery hauler or you do this kind of work for a living, it...