You have probably seen many more businesses and retailers asking for tips during checkout. It is the screen typically seen before you approve the charge. I started to think about what would happen if shops would try asking for tips when customers picked up their vehicle.  Asking for tips would probably not have gone over too well with customers in the past or in today’s constantly shifting tipping culture. I think it is a question of how people think technicians are compensated. If you are paying 20% gratuity on a meal, it is understandable. But, technicians and shops provide more than a ..read more

Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd. (Sona Comstar) announced the inauguration of its new manufacturing plant in the Fipasi Industrial Park, Silao, Mexico. The new facility will specialize in producing differential assemblies and reduction gears meticulously designed for BEVs. Over time, it will further diversify its product range to accommodate the evolving technological advancements in electric vehicles. Sona Comstar said it recognizes the significance of North America as the largest end-market, contributing 40% to its revenue. The strategic location of the new ..read more

The interactive and easy-to-use digital edition of ShopOwner’s April issue, featuring articles from ImportCar, is available now. Click Here to Read the April Issue In addition to management topics and opinion pieces from a wide variety of sources on an even wider variety of subjects, this issue includes technical articles on AC Compressor replacement questions; deciphering BMW N-Series timing issues; and more. Every issue of ShopOwner also includes technical content from Underhood Service, Brake & Front End, TechShop and Tire Review, all ShopOwner channels. The post Don’t Mi ..read more

HVAC systems are designed to absorb and transfer heat. The evaporator is designed to pull heat out of the cabin or air entering the cabin. The condenser is designed to transfer heat to the outside air. It does this by utilizing the surface area of the condenser and evaporator. Also, the phase transition of the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid cools the components.  When a compressor fails, the question for most technicians is whether to flush the condenser or replace it. The answer depends on the type of condenser it is. For tube and fin condensers or serpentine types, the choice is not ..read more

In today’s professional shop environment, you’re often the bridge between the shop owner, the technician and the customer. You need to field questions about what’s right for a wide range of applications – today, I’ll help answer some questions about what to look for in a quality wheel hub assembly. What wheel bearings do hasn’t really changed over the history of the automobile. Wheel bearings allow for the friction-free movement and rotation of the wheel. One side of the bearing is attached to the vehicle’s suspension, while the other side rotates with the wheel. What HAS changed is how they d ..read more

CC: According to a recent survey of shop owners, less than a third of shops work on EVs, due to concerns about battery packs, inverters or other daunting technology. The good news is, though, tomorrow’s electric and hybrid vehicles still offer substantial service opportunities under the car. Just as with conventional internal combustion engine or ICE vehicles, EVs are subject to the same traffic conditions, potholes, curbs and corrosive environments that can accelerate wear and tear on steering and suspension components. But there are also several other factors with EVs that can make life hard ..read more

CC: Hey, I got a great shortcut for you. If you’re working on wheel hubs, if you have one where you’re dealing with a harness for the wheel speed sensor that may be behind a fender liner, has all these horrible Christmas trees on it to get in and out from behind areas that you’ve never seen, well, you can just simply take the old out and then put it in the new and get rid of the new harness. Do not ever use the shortcut. It is a bad thing to do because you are destroying the calibrated air gap that was done at the factory, and this is very precise, done with computers. By removing the wheel sp ..read more

Green Li-ion, a lithium-ion battery recycling technology company, announced the launch of its first commercial-scale installation to produce sustainable, battery-grade materials, the first of its kind in North America, it said. The plant, located within an existing recycling facility, will produce valuable battery-grade cathode and anode materials from concentrated components of spent batteries using Green Li-ion’s patented multi-cathode-producing Green-hydrorejuvenation technology, the company said. The current recycling process for spent lithium-ion batteries in North America includes sortin ..read more

Joe Keene, automotive content video producer at Babcox Media, speaks with Hunter Engineering service rep Rick Marzen on the ease with which Hunter’s premium center-clamp Maverick tire changer can handle large custom wheels. This video is sponsored by Hunter Engineering Co. The post Maverick Tire Changer: Handling Large Custom Wheels appeared first on Import Car ..read more

FCS Automotive has announced the release of 16 new numbers including: 4 Air Spring to Coil Spring Conversion Kits (1,523,241 vehicle in operation) 1 Shock Absorber (1,225,184 vehicles in operation) 1 Suspension Strut (1,225,184 vehicles in operation) 10 Complete Strut Assemblies (3,368,969 vehicles in operation)4 Shock Absorbers (3,553,593 vehicles in operation) All these units are in stock and ready to ship. The new numbers cover some of the most popular applications on the road today, including the Jeep Compass, Lexus GX470, Mazda 3, Nissan Armada, Ram 1500 and more. As a global supplier i ..read more