Remember, for positive charging system component identification, the term to use in place of “Alternator” is now “Generator.” Yes, it will take time to mend our ways but we try, don’t we?

Head work can throw off an engine’s compression ratio and valve timing enough that the car won’t run properly or can’t pass the sniff tests!

The key to diagnosing a cooling system problem is a good understanding of the basics.

You would be hard-pressed to find an automotive technician who has not used an oscilloscope to diagnose a particular problem.

Sometimes circumstances just erase all doubts: the engine drips oil from the stump of a connecting rod hanging out are covered with recently-molten aluminum: a sample of oil from the crankcase twinkles with tiny shards of journal and bearing metal, grit rubbing sharply between your fingers.

What a difference a year makes. In ’97 the big fear was availability of R-12 at a reasonable price, and being ready to do a retrofit to R-13a if it wasn’t.

While working for the past three years on the tech line at Automotive Information Systems, I found that a great number of the automotive technicians I assisted were using computers in their shops as well as at home.

The Bounce Test; Slosh Slosh; Alternator Diagnostic Shortcut; Nuke It; Clarification; Balancing Act; Gaining Clearance; Master Cylinder Removal; Color Code