Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Favorite Websites

With the school year drawing to a close, I thought I'd share some favorite websites of our Tomorrow's Technician readers:
streetglow.com: It's a garage, it sells products, it lists events, there's lots going on with this website, and it's all about cars!
streetfire.net: My absolute fave, lots and lots of video clips of cars going faster! It also features a lot of just plain funny video of cars involved in funny situations.
pittspeed.com: They say it's Pittsburgh's only car enthusiast website. It's Pittsburgh, what can I say?
summitracing.com: a local parts supplier who supplies parts nationally. Huge. My brother-in-law loves them
autotrader.com: the name says it all
howstuffworks.com: pretty cool site. You can find out all kinds of stuff, from car engines to lockpicking. Our Brake & Front End editor, Andrew Markel, was even published on their site.
allaboutmud.com: again, what else do you need to know besides the name? Photos and videos of dirty, muddy events, also a blog and some other stuff. fun.
lowrider.com: they're low to the ground. This website features pictures, videos, and photo galleries submitted by readers.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention some of our advertisers (whose websites were picked by our readers). These are in random order:
nascar.com
alldata.com
mitchell.com
tooltopia.com
We've listed more in the 2007 planner, look in the month of August.
Enjoy!

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Fuel Savings Secrets

Everyone has a tale of woe to tell these days about the impact the ever-increasing cost of gas has had to the wallet. Yesterday in NE Ohio, gas was $3.29 a gallon, today it is back down to $3.19. There is no rhyme nor reason to the fluctuation.

I've done a little internet research and found there are many ways to improve a vehicle's gas mileage. Many methods do not require a special tool or any special knowledge. You just need to know.

So share this information with your students, and they can be a hero at home before we all enjoy the upcoming long weekend.

I recently saw this undocumented, unverified, unscientific analysis of one car owner's gas mileage improvement plan. His claim was, "I'll tell you secret ways to double your gas mileage that the gas companies don't want you to know". Of course I had to watch the video, with that sort of an introduction. After watching it, I know first-hand that some of his ideas work, and others I verified with other reliable sources.

Three of his recommendations:
1 - Make sure the vehicle tires are inflated to the correct air pressure. This is almost always the number one thief of good gas mileage. Can improve gas mileage by 1 - 5 mpg. (Note to self - check air pressure in scooter.) Consumer Federation of America says up to 25% of cars on American roads do not have properly inflated tires
2 - Check your air filter and replace if necessary. Can improve gas mileage by 1-2 mpg. CFA says this can save as much as $.28/gallon (that really depends on the cost of the gallon).
3 - Turn off your car's engine if you are idling for more than 30 seconds. I generally turn off my car whenever I'm stopped at RR tracks for more than a minute. This action invariably moves the train out of my way in 1.2 minutes. End result, I don't think I save much gas.

Here are some other savings ideas from the Consumer Federation of America :
Alignments: Wheels that are properly aligned can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%.
Tune-up the Engine: A properly tuned engine can improve gas mileage by up to 4% ($.11/gallon).
Gas Cap: 17% of cars on US roads are missing gas caps. This can cost the consumer up to $.02/gallon.
Clean out the trunk: Save 1-2% for every 100 pounds you can clear out.
Drive Slower - It's tough to sell this to a customer, but if a driver reduces their speed from 70 mph to 65 mph, they will save 7%, or as much as $1.17/gallon.

Monday, May 21, 2007

R134a - For Professional Use Only?

On page 32 of the May issue Of Underhood Service, Editor, Ed Sunkin, asked readers the following question regarding a sidebar we ran on CARB Proposing a Ban on Refrigerant to consumers. Feedback: We’d like your opinion. Do you think that DIYers or non-certified technicians should be banned from buying R-134a refrigerant? E-mail us your comments at esunkin@babcox.com. Here is a response......It’s good to see a tech addressing the environmental issues.------

Forwarded MessageFrom: Jim Toddy Date: Fri, 18 May 2007 14:00:44 -0700 (PDT)To: Subject: R134a sales
Hello, Having been a technician for the last 15 years, I believe that the sale of R134a should be restricted to licensed individuals. I am pretty sure Wisconsin has already banned sales to the public, California is considering it, and the whole country should do so. The average car owner who will attempt repairs is likely to vent the gas to the atmosphere, they will likely overcharge or undercharge the system which will cause them to try and add more. The owners, for the majority, do not understand the theory and operation of mobile a/c systems so the car may not even need refrigerant, but they will try anyway. I see it as just bad things happening when people who don't know try to do things, and that goes for untrained techs also. Yes, people think that this is too much government intrusion and going to cost more to get a car fixed, but consumers are going to pay one way or the other, if companies on factories are slapped with more environmental controls, the cost of goods is surely going to rise. R134a, with a GWP of 1300, isn't nearly as bad as R12, but people need to limit the damage to the air, and future generations on earth. Licensed technicians are required to capture R134 when servicing a/c systems, and have the training, and equipment to do the job, and as the old line goes - 'leave it to the experts'. Jim Toddy CMAT-L1 Bay Village Monro---
--- End of Forwarded Message
I thought this was an interesting commentary, and one you might share with your students. The value of an education is lifelong.

Friday, May 18, 2007

Tool Testing Event


I saw this posting recently on toolmonger.com. It's a fun website that covers all kinds of tools from every angle, not always automotive.
"Our friends over at Make are working hard today to get Maker Faire set up and running, and it looks like it’s going to be an incredible event. If you’re in the Bay Area and you miss this, you’re going to kick yourself.
This year’s Faire is at the San Mateo Fairgrounds, and gates open this Saturday at 10 a.m. You’ll find us in the pavillion conducting a drill/driver test — which you can help with! — so be sure to stop by and say hello. And, if you have time, we’ll be at The Page in San Francisco Friday night at 8 p.m. for a meetup to shoot the bull about tools, drink some cheap beer, and distribute a few free Maker Faire tickets.
The picture above, by the way, is of Make’s own fire truck which is already parked at the Faire. After seeing it, Sean and I have concluded that we must own a fire truck at some point. We’re already on the WiFi looking for one. If you have any leads, drop us a line via the contact page. (It doesn’t even have to run. In fact, our favorite deal would be the “haul it off special.”)

Thursday, May 10, 2007

It's a GAAS!

Where does the automotive industry come together to discuss the future? At the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium. Also known as GAAS, this is the group that has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarships to technician students over the past 12 years. This year, the Symposium was held in Chicago. The symposium featured excellent speakers from across the spectrum of our industry: from technicians and shop owners, to CEOs and Presidents. The overall theme was "Survival in a Changing Aftermarket". Topics included a multinational perspective on the global aftermarket, the changing face of the automotive consumer, and the change in culture in automotive training.

Unfortunately, I am leaving town again early tomorrow, so I can't go into much depth today. Be sure to check back next week. I will be updating regularly with my take on the global perspective of our industry's movers and shakers!