Tech Tips

Aaron Stokes: OEM repair info as ‘stop-loss’ insurance

By Richard Diegle Aaron Stokes is the founder of Shop Fix Academy, owner and operator of five auto repair shops, and the radio show host of “Fixin’ Cars with...

Redesigned and out of warranty? Use service bulletins

By Richard Diegle Automobiles, like heavy metal butterflies, go through a metamorphosis each year. Some models return with just a few minor cosmetic changes, while others undergo a total...

Interview: The ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of ASE testing

By Richard Diegel The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, better known as ASE, is an independent, non-profit organization created in 1972 to improve the quality of vehicle repair...

Safety tips when working on Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt EVs

By Rich Diegle Can hybrid and electric vehicles be dangerous to work on? Absolutely. However, if you get proper training and follow OEM repair procedures, you can safely and...

Using voltage drop testing to diagnose a problem circuit

By ALLDATA Tech-Assist Team Voltage drop testing is a simple but effective method of diagnosis to quickly locate high-resistance problems in a circuit. The DC voltage scale on a...

Summaries for solutions to vexing mechanical issues

By ALL-DATA Tech Assist Team Here’s a compilation of some of the “Tech Tips” ALLDATA compiles as its Tech-Assist Team helps technicians tackle vehicle issues. More detail on these...

Using wiring diagrams to find a common cause of trouble codes

By David Bry Sometimes the automotive business rewards excellence by giving a great technician the tough jobs while the gravy goes to the run-of-the-mill mechanic. Such was the case...

Manufacturer-specific hybrid vehicle safety tips

By Richard Diegle Can hybrid and electric vehicles be dangerous to work on? Absolutely. However, if you get proper training and follow OEM repair procedures, you can service and...

Training, communication key to retaining your techs

By Richard Diegle There are roughly 750,000 automotive technicians and diesel mechanics nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Let’s say that you had...

Customer intake procedures can start the job off right

By David Bry In a lot of ways, your business is like the cars we work on: There are many complex systems that work together in concert, but if...