Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

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Betcha Haven’t Serviced the Tool You Use on Every Job

The most dangerous thing we do all day long is one most of us don’t think about: we raise a vehicle weighing a ton or three high in the air and work beneath it. And yet, lifts aren’t maintained well in most shops. I’ve seen lifts out of plumb, bent legs, lifts with...

Commercials That Make Technicians and Dealers the Stars of the Show

Recently, I stumbled across some old TV commercials for a car repair and maintenance shop that took me back. You see, in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, some commercials ran for a local shop called ABE Car Care Center. These commercials featured two gentlemen with thick...

Inside Global (Generic) OBD-II

The engine control module (ECM) could just as correctly be referred to as the emissions control module. Its primary function is to ensure that tailpipe emissions remain at or below the emissions standards to which the vehicle was originally certified. The ECM turns on...

Time-Saving Tip for Bleeding Stubborn Brakes (VIDEO)

Description Some brake jobs can turn into headaches when small air bubbles get trapped within the caliper itself. To resolve the problem, you could pump the brakes over and over, or you could try this handy suggestion to free the air bubble and move on with the brake...

Shop Profile: Hansville Repair

It’s a small village, but Hansville, Washington makes a grand first impression. As Hansville Road crests a hill and descends into town, a breathtaking panorama unfolds—Puget Sound, Whidbey Island, and distant Mount Baker stretched across the windshield like a...

January Automotive Horoscopes

January Automotive Horoscopes

Aries: You may not think of some of your repairs as innovative, but a creative fix is a creative fix. Your outlook is out there, and that’s OK. Expect to see someone else cribbing your notes but remember to take it as flattery. Not everyone has the same gift of...
January Automotive Horoscopes

December Automotive Horoscopes

Aries: The shop has a somber attitude, so tone down the practical jokes on a friend. Stick close to home and get your chores done. Now is the time to to start thinking about spring tasks. Have you started seedlings for the garden yet? Restraint pays dividends this...
The bumpy story of vinyl record players in cars

The bumpy story of vinyl record players in cars

As a lover of vinyl records, I’ve often thought over the years of how to install a record player in my car, so I could enjoy the superior sound quality of vinyl while I’m driving. Of course, there are naturally a few ways that this idea is not practical. First, a form...
Chasing down Volkswagen’s best-selling sausage

Chasing down Volkswagen’s best-selling sausage

I recently settled into my easy chair and found this little tidbit in a recent copy of Car and Driver that made me want to shoot right on over to the dealer to see if this part was in-stock: I immediately asked a friend who is knowledgeable about all things German if...
January Automotive Horoscopes

November Automotive Horoscopes

Aries: You’ve been stubborn lately, but that’s not always profitable, especially with diag work. You’ve been footloose and fancy-free, doing whatever you want. That has to stop due to financial constraints. Deal with your unresolved monetary issues; the shop’s success...