Lookin’ Good
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth article in a series on customer service. The first article, Creating Customer Loyalty: Are Your Customers Really Happy With Your Service, as well as the second, Bridging The Reliability Gap, and the third, Treating Customers with Empathy, can be found online at https://www.counterman.com. In the brick and mortar world
Import Insights: Paper Catalogs vs. The Computer
Although computer-based cataloging has become the norm in sourcing parts, there are still great benefits to using good ol’ paper.
Let Me Count the Ways
In a profession where your accomplishments can be overshadowed by your shortcomings, the overwhelming majority of this industry still appreciates your hard work.
Tech Forum: Alternators
QUESTION: Why do alternators have such a high return rate? ANSWER: Alternators have such a high return rate because they are often misdiagnosed as the cause of a charging problem or low battery. The alternator is the heart of the charging system. It generates the amps needed to keep the battery fully charged and to
Tech Forum: Engine Management
QUESTION: Why does the “Check Engine” Light Come On? ANSWER: That’s a question that many people ask. Most people think the Check Engine Light comes on if an engine has any kind of problem whatsoever. But guess what? They’re wrong! The Check Engine Light only comes on if a fault is emissions-related. The fault does
Tech Forum: Air & Cabin Air Filters
QUESTION: Which vehicles have cabin air filters? ANSWER: Cabin filters have been used on some on Audis and other European makes since the mid-1980s, and on a growing list of domestic makes since the mid-1990s. Today, close to 80 percent of all new vehicles have one of these filters — or a place where one
Tech Forum: Fuel Injection
QUESTION: What happens when fuel injectors get dirty? ANSWER: What will happen is that the engine may experience a variety of driveability and performance problems such as hesitation or stumble when accelerating, loss of power, rough idle, reduced fuel economy and increased emissions. With electronic fuel injection systems, the air/fuel ratio is controlled by the
Tech Forum: Wipers
QUESTION: How often should wiper blades be replaced? ANSWER: A standard recommendation is to replace wiper blades yearly (front and rear), or more often as needed depending on driving conditions and weather. The life of the wiper blades depends on the materials from which they are made, how much exposure they get from the sun
We Are Counterpros, Not Numbers!
Read this month’s letters to the editor.
Mechanic Connection: Keeping Up with Technology
Automotive technology has advanced steadily in the last 50 years, but keeping up with it involves the tech’s mind and experience as much as it does scan tools and the Internet.