Trending Articles

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Consumer Trends: Is It Worth Buying a Hybrid Car in Canada?

Automotive Training Centre

If youve been asking yourself, Is it worth buying a hybrid car in Canada? , youre not alone. With gas prices fluctuating, government incentives on electric and hybrid vehicles, and the growing push toward sustainability, many Canadian drivers are considering their options. While hybrids offer a balance between fuel efficiency and lower emissions, they also come with unique costs and considerations.

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Limited-Slip Differentials And Diagnostics

Brake & Front End

If you have ever driven a car or truck with a fully locked differential around a tight corner or tried to get a car with an open differential out of a snowbank, you know about the benefits of a limited-slip differential. A differential allows the two connected wheels to spin at different rates. The two wheels are connected using spider gears. If the spider gears do not spin on their axis, the two axle shafts spin at the same rate.

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How much bad customer service is costing businesses

Auto Service World

With global sales losses from bad customer experiences now soaring to $3.8 trillion a $119 billion jump from last year businesses face higher stakes than ever in meeting consumer expectations. New research from Qualtrics, an experience management company, highlighted the critical connection between customer experience, loyalty and spending. Consumers are ready to spend but they wont hesitate to cut ties with brands that fail to deliver.

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Why FIVE Volts?

Tomorrow's Technician

If you look at sensors on a vehicle, the majority use a 5-volt reference. It doesnt matter if the sensor detects pressure, temperature or movement. The basics of the circuit are that the sensor is typically supplied with 5 volts from a module. The ground used by the circuit might be a signal ground that goes through the module, but some use the chassis as a ground.

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Stop Losing Service Revenue: How Pick-Up & Delivery Keeps Customers Coming Back

Solera

Why the Right Service Experience Keeps Customers Coming Back The automotive service industry has evolved dramatically. Customers now have countless options at their fingertips, and they choose convenience over loyalty every time. While mobile mechanics and independent shops are pulling up to customers driveways, dealerships need a serious edge to remain competitive.

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3 Dos and Don’ts of Leather Conditioning for Students in Auto Detailing Training

Automotive Training Centre

If youre enrolled in auto detailing training , you know that leather interiors require specialized care. Proper conditioning enhances a vehicles appearance and prevents cracking, fading, and premature wear. However, using the wrong techniques or products can do more harm than good. To help you master the art of leather care, here are three essential dos and donts of leather conditioning that every auto detailing student should know. 1.

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Strut Sales

Brake & Front End

There are no secrets to selling shocks and struts. You do not have to inflict fear or panic on the customer to make the sale. Also, you should not have to use mind tricks or tell a story. It comes down to educating the customer about the benefits and asking for the sale. Replacing worn or damaged ride control components on a vehicle can have the most significant impact on the performance of the safety systems.

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The Different Types of Head Gaskets

Tomorrow's Technician

Situated between the engine block and the cylinder head is the head gasket. The primary function of this thin layer of material is to create a perfect seal between these two major components. The head gasket keeps engine oil and coolant separate, ensuring they don’t mix and contaminate each other. It also prevents the high-pressure gases generated during combustion from escaping the cylinders, and it helps maintain proper compression ratios for optimal engine performance.

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Will BOI Reporting Be Shut Down?

AutoShopOwner

One change that has been causing waves is the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and itsBeneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting requirements. On March 25, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments in a case challenging the CTA. This legal battle has the potential to change the future of BOI reporting. Im sharing this blog post because its essential for you, an auto repair shop owner, to understand what this case means for your business.

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FLACA Accelerate Conference 2025 | Finding & Creating Social Media Content to Help Your Customers Know, Like, and Trust You

Shop Marketing Pros

Finding & Creating Social Media Content to Help Your Customers Know, Like, and Trust You FLACA Accelerate Conference 05/16 & 05/17/2025 Register Now There is no shortage of content to share from an auto repair shop when it comes to helping your customers know you better. Every repair order is an opportunity to teach not only the car owner but your entire customer base about their vehicles and why you are the top-tier shop that should handle them.

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Nominations Now Open for 2025 Mentorship Award

Brake & Front End

In partnership with NAPA, ShopOwner, the Babcox Media brand serving professional independent automotive shop owners, is seeking to recognize and celebrate the vital role of mentorship in the automotive service industry. The ShopOwner Mentorship Award sponsored by NAPA will honor exceptional automotive shop owners, service advisors and technicians who are actively investing in the future of their profession by mentoring the next generation of automotive professionals.

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Aftermarket reports strong performance in 2024

Auto Service World

The Canadian automotive aftermarket showed resilience in 2024, despite ongoing challenges, according to new survey results. DesRosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), in collaboration with the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO), conducted a survey to understand the sector’s performance and expectations for 2025. The automotive aftermarket has seen strong performances even amidst the turbulence of the past few years, said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC. 2024 was no excep

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Hydraulic Control Module Diagnostics

Tomorrow's Technician

The anti-lock braking system (ABS) computer, or HCU, is a node on a high-speed vehicle bus. This means that the information can typically be accessed through the OBD-II DLC. The ABS controller/modulator is the heart of any ABS or ESC system. The modulator gets the brake pressure from the master cylinder. Located inside are the valves and solenoids that control the pressures to the wheel.

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$16K Chinese Robot Goes Full Kung Fu on a Human, Does a 720-Degree Spinning Kick

autoevolution

Even if at some level they are pretty scary, it's always nice to see robots getting enhanced capabilities. After all, we've made them to help us, so that's what they should do, evolve to be able to help us better. But what use could one have for a robot that knows kung fu and could easily kick you in the face with its feet? You've probably heard a thing or two by now about a Chinese robotics company called ( continue reading.

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NAFA Announces 2025 Board of Directors

Automotive Fleet

The 2025-2026 Board of Directors brings diverse fleet leaders together to drive innovation, advocacy, and member engagement.

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NAPA Celebrates International Women’s Day with Children’s Book Giveaway

Brake & Front End

In celebration of International Womens Day this Saturday, March 8, NAPA will be giving away 1,000 free copies of “The Car That She Built”, a childrens book that pays tribute to the women who have paved the way for the next generation of innovators and leaders in automotive technology. Our collaboration with TechForce and the She Built Foundation underscores a shared mission to inspire and empower young girls, encouraging them to envision and pursue exciting careers in skilled trades,

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Jobber News Executive Outlook 2025: Shannon Black

Auto Service World

Jobber News reached out to leaders in the supply and distribution segment of the automotive aftermarket and asked them what they see happening in the industry over the next 12 months, what will improve, what one challenge to the industry will be and what opportunities are out there for jobbers and suppliers alike. We will present their answers in alphabetical order over the coming weeks You can view the full feature in our January 2025 issue.

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Diagnosing BMW LED Lighting Systems

Tomorrow's Technician

Some people never make the connection between headlights and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). At night and in low-light conditions, the headlights help the ADAS camera systems to see. However, ADAS also can help improve the effectiveness of headlights. With BMW, you can probably classify the headlights as an ADAS subsystem. If you open a light bulb catalog and look up some late-model BMW applications, you will notice that no bulbs are listed for the high or low beams.

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Robot Dog Spot Can Run With All Four Legs in the Air, Three Times Faster Than It Should

autoevolution

Dog-like robots the likes of the Boston Dynamics Spot have been around for so long now that they don't scare us as much as they used to. Yet, I can't help getting shivers down my spine every time I hear of such things evolving or getting new capabilities. Like running faster that they used to. ( continue reading.

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Volkswagen Recalls Almost 30,000 Vehicles for Potential Rearview Camera Image Failure

Automotive Fleet

Due to a potential error in the camera control unit at vehicle startup, the rearview camera image may not display as intended.

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Frenkit Adds Nearly 1,000 kits, Now Covering 95% of US Sales

Brake & Front End

Frenkit, a European brake hardware supplier, is building on its 25+ years of experience in the industry and expanding coverage for the North American aftermarket. Featuring proprietary rubber components manufactured at its facilities in Spain and India, Frenkit now offers US customers nearly 4,500 different brake hardware kits, covering 95% of US aftermarket sales.

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Why more dealer incentives could be coming to new vehicles

Auto Service World

As new vehicle inventory continues to grow and sales slow, manufacturers and dealers are expected to offer higher incentives to keep cars and trucks moving off lots in 2025. These findings are part of Cloud Theory’s report On the Horizon: 2024 Review and 2025 Outlook that was released recently. New vehicle inventory reached 3.23 million units in November 2024, up from 2.49 million in November 2023.

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Hyundai Genesis Dongle Causing Multiple Issues

Tomorrow's Technician

Often owners will install aftermarket dongles for insurance purposes, fuel monitoring, GPS tracking, or to monitor driving habits. Owners should remove the aftermarket dongle before bringing the vehicle in for service. Aftermarket dongles may interfere with the Control Area Network (CAN) system causing the following issues: Connected Services performance.

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1-in-2 Shelby GT500 Super Cobra Jet From 1970 Is So Mysterious Even the Price Is Unknown

autoevolution

Ford Motor Company built precisely zero Shelby GT500s in 1970, or even for the 1970 model year. All the coveted cobra-badged pony cars marketed for the last year of the classic Shelby Mustang generation were built in 1969. After that production run concluded, Carroll Shelby bid farewell to the Blue Oval and closed one of the greatest chapters in the history of Detroit’s rich carmaking tradition.

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VISION Educator Think Tank® Names Educator of the Year 2025

Ratchet + Wrench

The VISION Educator Think Tank assembles some of the automotive industry's top educators to focus on mastering the technology and art of automotive education.

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Struts and Memory Steer

Brake & Front End

We all know that customers dont always speak the same language as us. They may come into your shop saying that their vehicle doesnt sound right, but they cant give you any more details. In these moments, we need to try to coax out whatever information they might have, even if they dont realize how helpful they can be. This can be challenging for techs, but not impossible.

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Why Canada won’t hit EV targets

Auto Service World

Canada’s goal of having electric vehicles (EVs) make up 60 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030 is increasingly looking unattainable, according to the president of the Global Automakers of Canada, and its keeping his members awake at night. In a presentation at the Talk Auto 2024 conference in the fall, David Abrams warned that the country is not on track to meet this aggressive target set by the federal government’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate.

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Inside the Engine Block

Tomorrow's Technician

The engine block is the foundation of the engine. It is the largest, heaviest component, and everything else in the engine is installed in the engine block, such as the crankshaft, rods and pistons. Cylinder heads are bolted to the block, as well as components like the oil pan, timing covers, water pump, and multiple brackets to support accessories such as steering pumps, alternators, and air conditioning compressors.

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Barred Owl Tiny Home Cleverly Balances Space, Elegance, and Function for Full-Time Living

autoevolution

It has been said countless times before - tiny living doesn't have to be about cramped spaces and compromises. The goal of downsizing is to simplify, declutter, and destress, but when you get too focused on living small, it can become more complicated and stressful. That's why more manufacturers have started to design and build larger tiny homes that don't force the occupants to completely reinvent their lifestyles. ( continue reading.

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Ford Pro Introduces New Tool for Quickly Finding Upfitted Vehicles and Trucks

Automotive Fleet

The new platform eliminates traditional upfitting bottlenecks, allowing companies to acquire work-ready vehicles at the speed of business.

Vehicle 92
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Continental Metric Belt for Import Applications

Brake & Front End

Continental Multi-V belts are designed for OE-quality performance in both domestic and import applications. Learn about the different belt technologies, including Elast stretch belts, Extra belts for hybrid vehicles, and dual-sided belts for specialized accessory drives. This video is sponsored by Continental Belts and Hose. The post Continental Metric Belt for Import Applications appeared first on Brake & Front End.

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PAID: Battery Charger Technology

Auto Service World

As vehicle technology evolves, so does the need for smarter battery charging solutions. For decades, battery chargers have played a critical role in vehicle maintenance, ensuring both standard and maintenance-free batteries remain reliable and ready for use. With the rise of AGM, Enhanced Flooded, Start-Stop, and Lithium Starting batteries, modern chargers must be more intelligent and adaptable than ever.

Vehicle 130
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NAPA Celebrates International Women’s Day with Children’s Book Giveaway

Tomorrow's Technician

In celebration of International Womens Day this Saturday, March 8, NAPA will be giving away 1,000 free copies of “The Car That She Built”, a childrens book that pays tribute to the women who have paved the way for the next generation of innovators and leaders in automotive technology. Our collaboration with TechForce and the She Built Foundation underscores a shared mission to inspire and empower young girls, encouraging them to envision and pursue exciting careers in skilled trades,

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This Cozy Camper Van Is a Premium Home on Wheels Designed To Accommodate Man's Best Friend

autoevolution

Traveling by yourself in a camper van certainly has its appeal, but many people like to have a companion. If you don't know a fellow human adventurer who would like to do van life with you, you'll most likely find a non-human one who would love to accompany you – I'm referring to a dog, although we've seen some ( continue reading.

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Ford Pro’s Commercial Vehicle Connectivity Takes Off

Automotive Fleet

During NTEA Work Truck Week 2025, Ford Pro announced a 40% increase in connected commercial vehicles in the last two years.

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Wheel Bearing Hub Damage Repair

Brake & Front End

Signs of a worn wheel hub bearing may be difficult to detect yet failure to identify and correct the problem can cause damage before a driver even knows there is a problem. When damage occurs can be attributed to driving conditions and/or installation procedures. Noise is a classic sign of a bad wheel bearing or wheel hub bearing but determining exactly why the damage happened may take some investigation.

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Leaders give their views on 2025 in Jobber News

Auto Service World

The automotive aftermarket industry is poised for a transformative year in 2025, shaped by a confluence of economic, technological and political factors. As we navigate through an era marked by high inflation, fluctuating interest rates and supply chain disruptions, industry leaders from various sectors have shared their insights and strategies to thrive in this dynamic landscape.