Gasoline direct injection has been gaining momentum in the industry for some time. BG recently published an article recognizing GDI, and the fact that it will be around for some time. Gasoline direct injection (GDI) was first used in 1925 on the Hesselman engine. Jonas Hesselman designed the engine to start on gasoline and then switch over to run on diesel or kerosene. But in 1952, Bosch developed the first automotive direct injection system that actually ran on gasoline. Mercedes Benz wasn’t far behind in 1955 with the first direct injection sports car, the 300SL.

Airtex offers the following Tech Tip to assist technicians in performing a fuel system voltage drop test. Misdiagnosis is the leading cause of fuel pump problems and returns. Often times a voltage drop test is the only effective way to find excessive resistance in high amperage circuits. It’s a quick and easy test that doesn’t require any dis assembly, and will give you immediate results on whether you’ve got a good connection or a bad one. Check out this tech tip from Airtex offering a step by step procedure to assist technicians in performing this valuable and easy test.

ACDC and Team AVI are catching you up to speed with the latest and future Hybrid technology with Craig Vanbatenburg. Hybrid vehicles have been around for a decade now and with millions of these vehicles on the road if you don’t already service hybrid vehicles in your shop, now is the time to start. This extensive program includes thorough training for hybrid vehicles from GM, Saturn, Ford, Honda, and Toyota providing you with detailed information, servicing tips and hands on demonstrations to keep your shop ahead and up to date with hybrid vehicle technology.

By Mitch Schneider. Intermittent automotive service problems are one of the few things capable of terrifying and paralyzing folks on both sides of the service counter.
Everyone is terrified of something. It’s a fact of life.
Probe deep enough, look hard enough and you will find a phobia that is if not paralyzing, then, at the least, debilitating.
If that fear isn’t enough to inhibit your ability to act, I’ll bet it is significant enough to ensure that at least some of your actions fall out of the realm of what most of us might consider “normal” — whatever normal means.

For the best training on the planet during the automotive aftermarket’s biggest industry event, you will not want to miss this technical training experience. Automotive Video will be hosting a live training event at the end of the 2010 Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week in Las Vegas.

In this clip Jim Wilson teaches us about graphing MAP and RPM in your scan data to test for glitches in the pattern in order to isolate mechanical, fuel or ignition problems.

Join Team AVI during Industry Week on November 4th & 5th for live training sessions conducted by experts in the automotive aftermarket industry. The event will begin on Thursday November […]

We see it happen all the time. A driver complains about poor gas mileage. No codes are set. Is there a problem that can be fixed? Or, is the driver just hoping for a solution we can’t provide? Extensive testing of the engine, fuel system and ignition system may reveal that fuel injector service, a tune-up, or some engine repair is needed. However, it is much faster and easier and more professional to simply probe the tailpipe exhaust gas and know how to proceed without even raising the hood.

In case you haven’t heard, ASE has introduced a new addition to the Automobile Technician certification test series—the Light Vehicle Diesel Engines Test (A9). The new A9 test comes as a response to industry interest in having ASE provide a certification path for technicians working on light diesel engines. Many vehicle manufacturers have plans to incorporate diesel engines in existing production automobiles and light trucks in order to enhance their lineup. The first A9 tests were offered in the May 2009 ASE Test Administration.

It is with much love and respect that we say goodbye to our dear friend, Sales and Operations Manager, Dennis Valone, who passed away suddenly February 17, 2010.

As a once-familiar gas jockey greeting passes into history, now-mandatory TPMSs have made it easier for drivers to monitor tire pressures. Servicing these systems is somewhat more complicated than operating a tire pressure gauge.

The problem most automotive technicians face when trying to select an appropriate labscope is reading and understanding labscope specifications and then matching those specifications to the test requirements. Our objective is to explain bandwidth and sampling specs as they apply to automotive testing. Once you’ve read the labscope spec data and compared that data to your requirements you can make a better decision.

What would you say is the most valuable tool in your auto repair shop? If you did not answer your shop management system, then you could be missing out on many opportunities to streamline your business and maximize success.

In AVI’s Toyota J-2534 Passthough video, you will learn more about passthrough programming with ATG’s Ross Wellwood.

By George Witt. I remember my first job as a Service Advisor in a dealership, before shop management computer systems.  The training was intensive— “Here’s your clip board, there’s your […]

Alternate Uses For Your Evap Smoke Tester: tips and tricks for many different uses of and evap smoke tester with Dave Hobbs

Automotive Video has released a long awaited 5.9 Dodge Cummins diesel training program on DVD. This class with Dave Scaler will help diesel technicians who are interested in learning more […]

Cummins are one of the easiest systems to work on, if you are not doing diesel repairs this is a great way to get yourself involved in the diesel market.

Do’s and Donuts, management tips and tricks with George Witt. Watch now.

Powertrain engineers continue to extract more power from and reduce emissions on conventional internal combustion engines. When both intake and exhaust camshafts get involved, GM’s variable valve timing system meets both goals.

By Peter Meier. Fuel flow and injector faults can result in drivability problems. Some OEM scan tools, as well as some high end aftermarket tools, allow you to perform power […]

By George Witt, AAM. There are some who will argue that there is a Great Division now forming in our Industry between the shops who don’t attend training, don’t buy […]

By Drew Technologies. The days of diagnosing and repairing automobiles without a laptop beside you are quickly fading. Newer vehicles include a large number of onboard computers that are each […]

In this video ATSG instructor Pete Luban gives us the lowdown on several scenarios concerning diagnosing and repairing a Ford 500 with a noisy transmission.

Have you spent hours trying to repair a driveability or emission problem and couldn’t resolve the issue? Many of these problems can only be repaired thru flashing. John Thornton gives you the training you need so you can be prepared when you come across a problem that cannot be fixed without a software update.

The electrical system is the perfect place to begin building a foundation for an automotive education. This program takes a complex system and gives you the fundamentals in terms easily understood by students and technicians of all levels.

By George Witt. Occasionally, all shop owners have to deal with personnel problems of one sort or another. It may be keeping the shop clean, work quality, attendance or any […]

  By Richard McCuistian. Diesel engines all fire their mix using high compression, and they need precisely controlled fuel delivery, both in regard to timing and volume. Diesels typically spin […]

Team AVI will be hosting a networking event during Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW) on Tuesday November 3rd in Las Vegas at the Atomic Testing Museum. Pico Technologies, Smoke Wizard, ASE, Motor Information Systems and Automotive Test Solutions (ATS) have been gracious enough to co-sponsor the “Industry Week Big Bang Event”.

Automotive Video’s complete ASE Test Prep website to help automotive repair technicians prepare for the ASE A2, A6, A8, C1 and L1 certification exams is available 24-7. The website is expected to grow over time as we add more resources, quizzes, and training programs for other ASE certifications.

Volkswagen and Audi Diagnostics with Ross Wellwood

By Doug Fentiman.  When dealing with service failures (screw-ups) and angry customers you really need to think about the long term consequences of how you respond. Social Networking is all […]

Would A Woman Consider You A Good Salesman? If you really want to know what makes a good salesman, ask a woman. Holy mackerel! Ask that question of any woman who has shopped for anything and then had to depend on that company to do the work or repairs. You will learn volumes about making customers happy and the proper way to sell work and end up with the woman raving about how wonderful you are.

By George Witt. These are common consumer complaints and a frequent source of conflicts with customers. If you work on many older cars, fixing oil leaks can get you into […]