A Shop Press ode to the unsung heroes taking calls, keys, and credit cards.
A day in the life of a service writer (VIDEO)
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HOT OFF THE PRESS
Miata Spotter’s Guide (VIDEO)
Learn to ID Miatas generation by generation like a pro (and from a pro!)
Texas nonprofit helps low-income vehicle owners afford auto repairs
Autocare Haven uses donations and volunteers to subsidize service for vets, seniors, single parents and others.
A day in the life of a service writer (VIDEO)
A Shop Press ode to the unsung heroes taking calls, keys, and credit cards.
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Easy tests for diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) contamination (VIDEO)
DEF is easy to contaminate, and fortunately, it’s also easy to test. Check to be sure that your customers’ DEF is up to spec with these simple tests.
Are stainless cars (finally) having their moment?
Rust-resisting stainless steel cars are back. Will they have better success than their predecessors?
Don’t do dangerous stuff: a reminder to be safe in the shop
I was raised in times and places where it was considered a mark of pride to get the job done, no matter the risk to your own body. That, friends, is bunk.
The fastest way to remove valves from a cylinder head (VIDEO)
In my salvage yard days, I learned a trick I still use today that’s the fastest method in the world, hands down.
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.
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.
Can’t break that crank bolt loose? You need a crank socket (VIDEO)
Crank fasteners are often a real pain to remove. Mechanics with expensive impact wrenches and large breaker bars struggle to remove them—but there’s a better way.
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.
Should a repair shop be liable for fixing a vehicle involved in a hit and run?
A new bill in Pennsylvania would create an alert system that service centers would need to regularly check.
Serviceability Hall Of Shame: CDJR batteries
Who puts a battery in a fender? Quite a few mechanics, that’s who.
VIDEOS
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in a vehicle?
Every tech has a story. What’s yours?
The bumpy story of vinyl record players in cars
Despite being obviously ill-suited for use in vehicles, I still want to find a workable solution for installing a record player in my car.
U.S. parents becoming slightly more likely to recommend their kids pursue trades, although prefer electrician and plumber over mechanic
New report from IMR Inc. measures household perception of trade professions to help the automotive industry attract more skilled workers.