Consumers today want to stay connected and they want the drive to be an experience, especially since the amount of time Americans spend in the car has nearly doubled in the past 10 years.

Quickly open tech articles and tip clip videos from the Diagnostic News website on your smart phone and take them anywhere; the bay, on the road, you name it.

Automotive Video has recently filmed A5 to A9 Test Prep programs, and they will soon be added to AVI’s ASE Test Prep website! AVI Test Prep aims to help automotive repair technicians prepare for the ASE A2, A6, A8, C1, and L1 certification exams. The site has free practice quizzes for each certification test. The quizzes are divided into sections based on the chapters of the Motor Information Systems Study Guides. From the results of each section, the site will recommend AVI training programs to help techs better comprehend the sections they do poorly on

The past few weeks have been extremely busy in the AVI Studio. Both Bill Fulton and Wayne Colonna have just completed production of two new classes! Intermittent Diagnostics, set to release early this spring, and A2 Light Vehicle Transmission Test Prep from ASE.

By Scott ‘Gonzo’ Weaver. At my shop I tend to do more electrical repairs than anything else. It’s what I’m known for, and sometimes I get my share of odd ball electrical problems. Sometimes it’s a factory defect where a harness has rubbed into a bracket behind the dash and shorted things out. But, a lot of the time it’s some add-on that causes the problems. Usually some sort of flashy-testosterone filled bling that the owner is using to show off his macho self to all who pass by.

In this tip clip George Witt gives advice on selling diagnostics to your customers. George talks about selling lists and inspections and how to present the diagnostic process in such a way that you are charging for your time, effort and expertise. He talks about the four ways this helps you in selling diagnostics and how to present the info in a way that leaves the customer happy and provides the info they need to make an informed decision.

In this tech tip clip instructor Bill Fulton presents some need to know info on the Chrysler NGC PCM’s introduced in 2003. He talks about the fact that there are two different manufacturers for these computers and some issues related to interchangeability.

By Tom Ham. Is your dumpster an eyesore at your shop? Are you using email correspondence to its fullest potential? What does your Customer Area look like? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

Bill Fulton talks about Chrysler data bussing. Talking about CCD and SCI data lines and using bus circuit schematics from a 1998 Dodge minivan as an example Bill gives some in depth insights into the operation and relationships of Chrysler data bus circuits.

In this transmission tip clip from the 2010 ATSG Seminar program Wayne Colonna presents some issues about bore plugs on Honda and Acura 5-speed transmissions. He talks about the resulting shift issues that can occur and ways you can fix the problem in such a way that comebacks are less likely.

By Scot ‘Gonzo’ Weaver. Jo was a new customer referred by an old-time regular. Her little KIA had a transmission problem that seemed to be getting the best of the transmission shop. The story goes that the SUV was constantly in limp mode, and would never shift properly… ever. As it always seems to be the case when a simple problem can’t be solved simply, somebody started the diagnostics off in the wrong direction. Little did I know this was a simple problem. But, as I see it, any type of diagnostic work that you do requires a certain step-by-step procedure that you must follow. Missing a step, or completely overlooking a step, usually means you’re going to miss that simple problem all together. This was no exception.

Automotive Video has teamed up with Power Building Videos to bring the most detailed automotive “how-to” DVDs ever produced right into your shop! Master Engine Builder Arron Johnson shows you how to build and tune engines like a pro in this comprehensive video series. No auto shop class around can even come close to showing you the hard core details that Arron shows you in these highly detailed, extremely informative videos! AVI and Power Building give you the knowledge you need to get you on your way to making the horsepower you crave!

Our Time Relationship Table is most useful for technicians getting started with a labscope. Establishing an appropriate time/division can be confusing. To reduce uncertainty it is useful to know the normal time duration of the pulses that are being evaluated. Then, select a time per division setting that will accommodate the number of pulses desired on the display screen. To accomplish a proper scope control setting the relationship of milliseconds to microseconds as well as their fraction of a second is very useful.

Bob Pattengale’s latest training program, MTS 5200 Labscope, is to be released next week from Automotive Video! Watch to learn why a labscope is important and how to get started. The program covers navigation of the MTS 2500 Labscope and such things as ignition system testing, and the graphing multimeter. It also includes some great ‘real world’ case studies.

If you were not able to attend the 2010 ATSG seminar live, this is your chance to bring the seminar to your shop! The 2010 Technical Service Information Seminar Program, presented by top industry transmission specialist Wayne Colonna and Peter Luban, is now available from Automotive Video! This program can save you hundreds of dollars in lost time due to mis-diagnosed problems! The fixes and information in this seminar will help you get the job done right the first time around with over five hours of must have practical information.

Season’s greetings from Automotive Video! The year is winding down, and 2011 is quickly approaching. We have several opportunities to create some great new training programs. AVI wants to take the time to gather your feedback. Please take a moment and take the simple survey to let us know what training programs you would be most interested in seeing next year.

The U140/240 – U150/250 transmissions have their fare share of valve body malfunction making the purchase of a new or a good used one a frequent occurrence. Such was one experience with a U140E valve body in a RAV 4. The tech working on the vehicle purchased a good experienced valve body from a hard part supplier which after it was installed had no reverse unless he played with the shifter.

Fort Myers, FL – December 15, 2010 — The latest Chrysler diagnostic information on the market coming soon from Automotive Video. Top industry trainer Bill Fulton presents his newest training, “Effective Scan Tool Testing Tips for Chrysler.” Stay up to date with the latest technology and testing techniques for the Chrysler vehicles by learning how to fully utilize your scan tool and scan data including functional testing found on Chrysler systems.

A tech came to me with a P0305 code on a Dodge 1500 pickup with a hemi engine. The Question was, is there a quick way to determine which direction to take in the diagnostic procedure?

Instructor John Thornton presents this in depth comprehensive case study of a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.0L vin E with a misfire at idle speed. John details the use of his scope and pressure transducer to perform a cranking compression test and goes on to point out the various indicators you should be watching your scope pattern for and how to identify problems.

Jim Wilson talks about the importance of misfire diagnostics and how a large portion of the problems coming into our shops are misfire related. Jim talks about the types of misfires and the causes of misfires. Most importantly Jim talks about the tools and procedures you will need to effectively find misfires.

By Jim Wilson. Join Jim as he illustrates how to check Mode $06 data.

By Gary Goms. Although air and fuel filter maintenance is usually considered a “no-brainer” by most import repair shops, advancing technology is changing the way we should be performing air and fuel filter maintenance.

The amount of video content available to you on the web has exploded in recent years. Embedding a video into a web page is becoming standard on many sites across the web. Many think it’s difficult, but embedding a video is as simple as copying and pasting. We’ll walk you through how to embed our tip clips on your website, but the concepts can be applied to multiple websites like YouTube and Vimeo.

Embedding as it’s perks, too. When you embed a video from YouTube, they allow you to use their content, but it’s hosted on their server and uses their bandwidth! Can’t beat that! So, let’s get started.

AVI OnDemand is the new online technician training website from Automotive Video with over 100 hours of streaming training videos covering diagnostics, diesel systems, transmissions, shop management, scan tools and more. After much anticipation, AVI OnDemand has officially entered its beta release. This means you can now signup for a membership and enroll in courses, its that easy to get started!

In this tip clip, Bob Pattengale talks about how to get started with your LabScope. He talks about the necessity of familiarizing yourself with your lab scopes manual, the use of demonstration boards to familiarize yourself with the procedures of testing various engine components, hook up to and test known good vehicles and documentation of actions and tests you perform with the tool. Bob wraps up this tip clip with a simple demonstration using the Bosch MTS 5200 Scope to test and 02 sensor showing you just how easy it is to get started using a lab scope.

By Jim Taylor. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA issued a “significant new use rule” (SNUR) at the end of October for the chemical substance identified as 1-Propene, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-. The chemical is also known as HFO-1234yf.

Watch this Tip Clip presented by instructor Mark DeKoster with information you need to know if you perform brake service and repairs. Mark shows us and talks about tips to determine if a rotor is acceptable to be turned and resurfaced, how to best prepare a rotor for being turned and best practices for reinstalling the rotor and other brake parts.

By Scott ‘Gonzo’ Weaver. Ok, you got me … I’m a Flasher … or more to the point a Re-flasher. With today’s cars and components, it’s not uncommon to have to flash some driveability controller or theft system. As an independent shop, most of the re-flashing you can do will be for driveability situations or theft systems. Right now, the federal laws (Clean Air Act) only requires the manufacturer to give access to the “emission” related systems which means, an aftermarket scanner may only be able to provide you with part of a download versus the entire download.

By George Witt. There is sure a lot of talk about this subject. I hope this helps give you a strategy to deal with “the competition”. I am surprised and disappointed that so few of us truly understand the business we are in and who our target market really is. I hope that none of you really believe that those people laying on their backs in the parts store parking lots all across this great country of ours are really any kind of prospect for our repair businesses. Good Heavens.

Fort Myers Florida — Automotive Video has released two *NEW* Bill Fulton classes this week! In Fuel System Testing Strategies and Anatomy of the Waveform, Bill gives you comprehensive tactics to expand your understanding and deliver accurate diagnostic repair.

In this fun video clip Jim Linder presents some ‘teknical’ information you need to know if you work with ‘bubbas’.

In this video Tip Clip Bob Pattengale presents information you need to know if you need to perform relearns after replacement of any vehicle components. He talks about how to do the research to determine if a relearn is needed and shows us how to best prepare for the relearn or reprogramming process.

Bob Pattengale demonstrates how to use the National Automotive Service Task Force’s website as a guide for flashing and reprogramming. He shows us how to use the NASTF website to learn how to navigate the OEM sites and prepare you for the job ahead.