Shifting Gears Archives

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Technicians vs. DIYers: How well can you gauge tire pressure? (VIDEO)

Description After seating the bead on a new tire, the valve core needs to be installed and the tire inflated to the correct pressure. Some techs can air up a tire, install the core and land right on the target final pressure… but it’s not as easy as it looks. In this...

EVs go through tires quicker: here’s what that means for your shop.

Recently, my Shop Press colleague Andy wrote a piece about vehicle weights increasing and whether your lifts can handle it. Much of that increase in weight is due to hybrid and electric vehicles, which can be especially heavy with their batteries and motors. That...

Separate gasket – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Which of the following is LEAST LIKELY to require a separate gasket for installation?A) EGR valve B) Exhaust manifold C) Oxygen sensor D) TurbochargerMore ASE Practice Questions

Smarter, not harder: relative compression testing

Pete Meier, one of our Dorman Training Center instructors, is a pretty smart cat. Since the day I’ve met him, he’s made it clear that the lab scope is one of his favorite tools and that not using one is a mistake. Now I’ve put a lot of miles on my DVOM over the years,...

Can’t break that crank bolt loose? You need a crank socket (VIDEO)

How to test for blown fuses in a car or truck | Fast and easy method Description Crank fasteners are often a real pain to remove. And sometimes, even expensive impact wrenches and large breaker bars struggle to remove them. A crank socket is just the ticket for these...

So you want to restore a classic or build a kit car? Think twice.

For reasons that have more to do with personality than pragmatism, I recently considered anew the possibility of restoring a classic car, or perhaps building a kit car. It’s an itch I’ve thought about scratching since the days when Popular Mechanics regularly featured...

EGR system – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)

Description Under what conditions would the EGR system be expected to be operational?A) Cold engine, full throttle B) Hot engine, idle C) Hot engine, full throttle D) Hot engine, part throttleMore ASE Practice Questions

A low-tech favor you can perform for every customer (and yourself)

In the modern age, it’s plenty easy to pull a vehicle’s service history; even the smallest shops have implemented shop management software. Paper tracking has become less and less important as time has marched on. Similarly, customers are less and less likely to keep...

Are daytime running lights really a bad idea?

by Lemmy | Feb 3, 2022

I’ve kind of had it with headlights. I mean, headlights are grand. Heck, I need them more than ever; I’m no spring chicken. Driving at night has become harder for me as my vision has deteriorated. However, other drivers operating their headlights incorrectly or...

150+ of the truly best songs about cars, trucks and driving

by Lee Procida | Jan 13, 2022

You can read our methodology below, or click here to skip right to the playlist. Wrenching on cars and listening to music go hand in hand. Any work with your hands sure goes a lot faster and easier when you’ve got good tunes in the background. It gives you a little...

The Toyota Tacoma just doesn’t make sense any more

by Lemmy | Dec 3, 2021

Allow me to deliver you a Very Spicy Take: the Toyota Tacoma is not a great truck. Oh, it was a great truck. At one point, it was awesome. The Hilux (and later the Tacoma) was small, light, capable far beyond its advertised abilities, rugged, and cheap to own and...