Does the shop retain right of first refusal, or is moonlighting A-OK?
Is side work OK for service techs?
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HOT OFF THE PRESS
Clean the #&@$ing snow off the roof of your car or truck
Driving around with a bunch of snow on top of your vehicle is not only unsafe, but also illegal in many places
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.
SHOP STUFF
Auto care news and advice you can use.
Engine knock – ASE practice questions (VIDEO)
An engine exhibits a knocking noise. During a cylinder power balance test, the noise abates. Which technician has the correct diagnosis?
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.
Stainless doesn’t mean stain-proof; just ask Tesla Cybertruck owners
Spoiler alert: be careful running it through the car wash.
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
An open letter to automotive customers about Christmas gifts (and tipping)
You don’t need to do anything—but if you do, there are only a few things worth doing.
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.