There’s lot of advice out there about how to choose a reliable mechanic. We asked mechanics what they would advise.
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Best of Shop Press 2022
Our favorite and most popular articles and videos from the first year of ShopPress.com.
What to check when you’re checking out a car (VIDEO)
How do you suss out problems on a car that’s come to you for service?
Which road maintenance fleet has the best snowplow names?
Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Vermont, even Arizona, and many other state and city government fleets have held naming contests for their winter service vehicles. But who has the best?
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Why a magnetic drain plug is a worthwhile upgrade (VIDEO)
Do your customers know the benefits of magnetic oil drain plugs? Swap out their standard drain plugs to help protect against unnecessary engine damage.
Can the flat rate system work better for a team?
Turning all jobs into team efforts promotes knowledge transfer to the less-experienced techs, who pay tuition in physical labor.
Boomerang business cards: a quick sales tip
Here’s an easy guerilla marketing trick to get your customer counts up by selling on your days off.
What kind of car is that? A primer on esoteric body styles.
Everyone knows about sedans and pickups, but what about shooting brakes and pony cars? Here’s an incomplete guide to the rarer designs on the road.
Take it from a moron like me: giving customers advance notice of preventive maintenance works!
Giving customers like me a heads-up about recommended maintenance will help us, and yourself.
ABOUT 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. With interesting stories from around the world, features on creative people and solutions, and all kinds of other stuff that’ll make you use your mind and your hands.
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Brake rotor thickness variation – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
On a car with disc brakes, what is the most likely symptom of a vehicle with rotors that measured out-of-spec for thickness variation when measured at several places on the rotor surface?
Serviceability Hall Of Shame: CDJR batteries
Who puts a battery in a fender? Quite a few mechanics, that’s who.
Is it OK to plug a tire? (VIDEO)
Some sources say you should never, ever plug a tire … despite the fact that trained professionals have been doing it for decades. We debate.
The real history behind the fake turboencabulator (VIDEO)
Turning absurdly specific jargon into a joke isn’t a new idea, but that didn’t stop us from turning it into an April Fools’ joke.
Whaddya call two hybrid Toyotas?
Latin is a language, as dead as it can be/It killed the ancient Romans, and now it’s killing me.
VIDEOS
November Automotive Horoscopes
We read the astrological signs and predicted your automotive future.
What type of part should you use to repair a car?
There’s a spectrum of parts ranging from fresh and new to tired but cheap. What should you use and when?
Is side work OK for service techs?
Does the shop retain right of first refusal, or is moonlighting A-OK?