Technical Articles

All new management tips on being prepared, customer service and etiquette.  Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on […]

Current Ramping – Ignition Coil Regardless of design configuration, the role of the ignition coil is to multiply battery voltage into high voltage, which will provide the necessary spark. Following […]

When diagnosing misfires, it’s important to use tools that allow you to go beyond a simple code reader that ­displays a P03XX. Even an OEM-level scan tool can’t tell you […]

TPMS was standard for the 2007 model year. 2007-’09 models have banded sensors, while most 2010-’11 models have sensors mounted behind the valve stem. If the vehicle has been stationary […]

By Scott ‘Gonzo’ Weaver. When I was a kid, I saw a movie called “Juggernaut” with Richard Harris as the main character. It was about a cruise liner that was about to blow up because a terrorist had planted 55-gallon drum bombs all over the ship. The premise of the story line is that Harris was going to save all the people on the ship by defusing the bombs. All through the movie, there were references to the different relays and electrical circuits.

By Dave Hobbs. Para What? It’s amazing how many IATN posts I see with good techs struggling in the area of parasitic battery drains. How much is too much? How to test? I guess I shouldn’t be amazed. I literally grew up in the family auto electric shop and this kind of thing was our bread and butter. For the rest of the shops out there who have to be experts in everything from the turn signals to the transmission, it can be a bit confusing. So what is a parasitic battery drain?

Diesel performance is nothing new. What is new is the level of interest in diesels for all kinds of racing; everything from traditional truck and tractor pulling to drag racing, […]

For some time now, most of the development in diesel technology has been aimed toward making the engines environmentally friendly. But as diesel ­engines have become cleaner, the power levels […]

HVAC systems differ from one hybrid to the next, and some systems, such as those on Honda and Toyota Prius 2001-’03 models, have used a scroll compressor, which can be […]

By Dave Hobbs. Oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and continual conflict in the Middle East always mean the same thing – fuel prices aren’t going down, and will most likely increase in months and years to come. Combine that with increased CAFÉ standards, and you have the ultimate recipe for changing powertrain technology. Alternative fuels, turbocharged small engines, clean diesels, hybrid electric and pure electric are all examples of new technologies to increase efficiency. Whether one of these technologies will win over the others, or there will be a combination of technologies on the road, it is a sure thing that hybrids electric vehicles are gaining popularity. For the service professional, like them or not, they’re here to stay. That means opportunity for the automobile HVAC technician willing to keep up with the changes they present.

By Dave Hobbs. If you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to increase profits at your shop by finding new repair opportunities, look no further than hybrids. It’s predicted that by the end of this decade, over 25 percent of all new vehicles produced will contain some type of hybrid electric technology. In the December 2010 MACS Service Reports, we took a dive into the HVAC system on the Toyota Prius line, along with a quick overview on how hybrid vehicles work in general. We also covered safety tips, electronic controls and the Gen II Prius electric compressor. This month, we’re going to dive in deeper.

The first step in any diagnostic strategy is to figure out whether or not your customer’s vehicle actually has a TPMS problem. Any number of things can cause the TPMS […]

October 12, 2010 By Andrew Markel Editor, Brake & Front End Magazine What is one of the leading causes of sensor failure? Corrosion, sensors or sensor stems can be damaged […]

The attention-grabbing headline in the world of air conditioning is usually the switching of refrigerants as the industry and regulators continue to search for the next level of environmental friendliness. […]

If an A/C system is found to contain sludge or black gunk, it means everything in the system is contaminated and must either be cleaned or replaced. The A/C compressor […]

When I started working here at The Swedish ­Solution 30 years ago, every car I worked on had Continuous Fuel Injection (CIS). Incoming air would lift a plate, allowing the […]

The 2000-2006 Dodge/Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner Sprinter cargo van may seem unique for its small displacement diesel engine and large hauling capacity. But, at the wheels, the brakes are very conventional. There are […]

BorgWarner supplies its leading turbocharging technology for Hyundai’s new 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct injection (T-GDI) engine.

Following a new clutch installation, there is nothing worse than experiencing slipping or release problems. Many times installers even begin to believe that the new clutch kit is defective. This is not correct, in most cases!

If you watch any amount of television, you’ll notice that this is the time of the year that new vehicle dealerships are pushing out their old inventory to get ready for the 2014 models.

Thank you everyone for tuning in to our free, live Brake Technology class. Without your desire to seek education, we would not be broadcasting live training videos. We hope you gained some knowledge on the subject of brake technology and encourage everyone to keep seeking that knowledge.

AVI and Dave Hobbs brings you a new course that will helps you work through tricky diagnostics, Deceptive Diagnostics. There are not many things more frustrating than running a scan […]

How can a 100 Pound person stop a two-ton vehicle? On a mechanical level, it is easy to understand how brakes work. We all understand that brake fluid transfers force […]

Is your shop seeing more ABS, stability control and traction control light complaints coming into your shop? Find out and learn all you can with Bob Pattengale. Hosted by AVI On Demand December 10th, 2013.

In the last issue, we looked at the wiring schematics of sensor circuits (The Semantics of Schematics).  In this article, we’ll take a deeper look into the roll of DTCs […]

Before you read this article I want you to do me a favor. It will only take a minute but it will quickly show you why reading this one article will , more than anything else you do today, help you grow your profits.

In the world of public opinion, if you were asked if your technicians were overcharging your customers, you might interpret that as an issue pertaining to the customer’s repair bill.

Thanks to the increasing reliability of modern vehicles, most diagnostic technicians are seeing fewer pattern-failure driveability complaints.

Thanks to the increasing reliability of modern vehicles, most diagnostic technicians are seeing fewer pattern-failure driveability complaints.

Two states have passed laws, and more are looking:
California was the first state to enact a law regulating copper and other substances in brake pads. Washington was not far behind with an even more detailed law. Hawaii, New York, Rhode Island, Oregon and even countries are considering their own laws.

AVI would like to thank everyone who attended the Toyota EVAP Livestream. If you didn’t get a chance to see it you can follow the links below and catch a replay of the event. AVI looks forward to bringing more of the events to the online viewers in the future hope that you will join us and make the next event just as exciting as this one.

Bob Pattengale from Robert Bosch, LLC will be covering Toyota EVAP Diagnostics: geared towards automotive service technicians
Hosted at AVI OnDemand, FREE to all (Free AVI OnDemand account required) February 13th, 6pm-7pm EST followed by Q & A.

Throughout the evolution of the modern ­vehicle, there have been an increasing number of duties taken over by computers. These computers have not only made the ­engine more fuel efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. Nowadays, these systems are starting to “think” for themselves and make decisions for the driver.

The time to change to and from snow tires is both a regional and personal decision. Whenever it takes place, a changeover brings with it a need for consumers to make some decisions. To purchase or not purchase a second set of wheels needs to be followed with questions about TPMS sensors.

By Gary Groms. I’m no doubt showing my age, but the phrase, “it’s not your father’s Oldsmobile” keeps popping up in my head each time I get a call to solve some type of modern-day Diagnostic Dilemma.