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How Does Regenerative Braking Affect Brake Wear?

We’ve come a long way since the days of rubbing wooden blocks against a wagon wheel to slow down a carriage. Modern braking systems are amazingly effective at halting several thousand pounds in a safe, controlled manner. The most common automotive braking technique is...

Air Conditioning Service Fundamentals – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description A/C system designs are changing, and new refrigerants are being introduced. Technician A and Technician B are discussing the importance of proper diagnosis and repair of today’s climate control systems. Which of the following statements related to A/C...

Don’t Overlook the Elementary

Today’s article is one borne from experiences. Exasperating experiences, no less. All novice mechaniclets are taught engines need fuel, air, spark, and compression to run. This is true, but we often take those for granted, and diagnosing even one vehicle with a basic...

ADAS Alignment and Calibration – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A says that the thrust angle must be maintained at zero degrees when performing an alignment on many vehicles equipped with certain ADAS systems (like lane departure warning). Technician B says that the steering angle sensor must be properly...

What are Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and Why are They Important?

It may sound crazy, but there was a time when automobile manufacturers were not required to make vehicles safe. Many manufacturers touted the safety of their vehicles, but some of those features were just as much marketing as they were practical. In the 1960s,...

Writers, Print Vehicle Service Histories for Every Vehicle

The fellas who taught me to write service were arguably some of the best I’ve seen do the job. They had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, like the boomerang business cards you’ve read about before. Today, I’d like to share another tip my friend Sam gave me. It...

The JDM Class of 2001 Comes of Age

Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) cars during their heyday in the 1990s were the unattainable treasure, not for North American consumption, only accessible in video games. They were tantalizingly close but not truly attainable. Turns out all it takes is patience: 25...

It’s That Time of Year to Change Your Clocks. And Your Gasoline Blend.

For those of us wrenching here in Uncle Sam’s country, we prepare for the arrival of spring by “springing forward” an hour with our clocks. (And maybe even helping a few customers fix the time on their dashboards.) But there’s another seasonal change going on behind...

In The Bay

Don’t let your scanner go unprotected

by Lemmy | Feb 1, 2024

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This article is a quick reminder to buy (and use!) a surge protector on your (or your shop’s) scan tool(s).

The modern vehicle scanner has WiFi, a screen, and touch input. It is, for all intents and purposes, a computer, and it doesn’t like “dirty” power. Protect it as you would a legitimate computer. The modern shop has all sorts of power draws and supplies. Customer vehicles are already a questionable source of power—reduce your exposure when charging your tools at night and throw a surge protector between the power source and your tool.

Single-input surge protection devices exist and are compact and cost-effective—grab one! Photo: Lemmy

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