Read Automotive online: 2011

Friday, 30 December 2011

Overview of Common Automotive Transmission Problems

Cars today are designed with transmissions that are supposed to last throughout the life of the vehicle. Of course, that assumes you're taking care of the assembly. If the fluid levels decline, or minor issues are left unresolved, your tranny can experience a host of problems. In most cases, those problems can worsen quickly and become soberingly expensive.

Below, we'll take a brief tour through the most common issues you're likely to experience with your car's transmission. If you notice any of the problems below, take your vehicle immediately to a mechanic.

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Shifting Troubles

Your tranny is comprised of many parts that work together seamlessly in order to ensure smooth shifting. Several factors can prevent that from happening. For example, some of the parts may become worn to the point of failing. Or, external components that influence the tranny's performance may fail or lose their calibration. When these things happen, you'll experience shifting problems. You might notice that one or more gears will engage, but fail to "stick." Your transmission might have trouble hitting a gear. You might also feel a harsh lurch when it shifts.

Slippage

Slippage is generally defined as a sluggishness when finding gears. For example, suppose that your car is resting in "Park." You put the selector into "Drive" and press down on the gas pedal. Instead of moving forward, your vehicle stays in place while the rpms rise. Your tranny has a slipping problem.

This can be caused by the same factors that lead to shifting issues: worn parts within the assembly, failing external components, or a loss of calibration. It can also be due to low fluid levels or lack of pressure.

Abnormal Noise

If your transmission's internal parts are working properly, the assembly should not make abnormal noises. As long as your tranny has enough clean fluid lubricating the moving parts, it should be relatively silent. That said, you may hear a whining, buzzing, clicking, or clunking while shifting if any of the parts are failing or severely worn. If you hear these things, you need to have the assembly checked by a mechanic as soon as possible. These problems don't always suggest a large repair bill, but can become expensive if you wait too long.

Fluid Leaks

In the same way your engine needs motor oil to operate effectively and avoid damage, so too, does your transmission need fluid. The fluid helps to keep temperatures below a certain level. If temperatures rise, your tranny may overheat - and that's an expensive problem to fix.

Periodically look at the cement directly underneath the assembly. If you notice a leak (the fluid has a red tint), try to find the source. Then, immediately replenish the fluid and take your car to a repair garage.

Transmission problems are never pleasant because they're often costly to fix. However, the more quickly you can have them repaired, the less damage they'll cause. If you notice slippage or shifting trouble, abnormal noise, or fluid leaks, invest the time to have your mechanic take a look.

Overview of Common Automotive Transmission Problems

Thursday, 29 December 2011

Automotive GPS Systems - How It Works

Most of the vehicles in the US and in other advanced countries today have automotive GPS systems. However, there are still others who don't have the said tracking system. If you don't have one yet, then perhaps you might want to consider getting a one.

The GPS system is often called the equipment or the receiver. A tracking company will be the one to offer you this equipment and this company works with the GNSS or Global Navigation Satellite System. The whole system utilizes 24 satellites orbiting in outer space. Once you've activated the automotive GPS system in your car, you will be able to receive a transmission indicating your exact location or that of someone else.

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Having an automotive GPS system is truly an advantage especially in emergency situations. For instance, your car was stolen. If the system is activated, the satellites can trace the location of your car and you will be able to retrieve it together with the authorities. Suppose you're lost and you meet an accident; with a GPS, you can transmit information so that you can be rescued immediately.

So you see, a these systems are really convenient to have. Activate an automotive GPS system in your car. Find the tracking company that can cater to your needs. You can do business with them but just make sure that the company is legal and reputable. Try to check on the various services they offer as well as the cost. There are many websites online that you can visit to find the best tracking company there is today.

Automotive GPS Systems - How It Works

Thursday, 22 December 2011

How to Go About Buying Used Fire Trucks

Used fire trucks are sold in the same way as used cars. There are many honest and hardworking dealers that deal with this type of sale, but some few unethical dealers damage the reputation of every dealer in the industry. Therefore it is up to the buyer to identify the honest dealers and do business with them.

When fire departments want to update a fleet of fire trucks, they are normally faced with the dilemma of choosing between buying from a dealer or a broker. This is because both sellers are capable of providing similar services at different levels. Therefore it is important for one to know the pros and cons of each seller so as to decide on which one to work with.

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The first thing you should know is that these sellers share a common goal, which is to provide a unit for their buyer. So, sometimes brokers might advertise themselves as having hundreds of units in their inventory. However, this is not always the case. Most of the times they do not even have a single truck with them. They list apparatus that other truck dealers have and charge a commission for every sale they make.

Therefore, brokers are less concerned about what unit you buy, all they are interested in is the number of units they sell. So, it is advisable that you shop for your truck directly from a dealer and avoid working with brokers.

One advantage of working with dealers is that you are assured of getting quality for your money. This is because the dealers acquire their units straight from the fire department. They also sell their units at a fair price since there is no middleman involved. Dealers are also concerned with the condition of their units more than the number of units they have, thus stock on the latest and best models for their customers.

It is important to ask the dealer what they check and repair when they do a full inspection of your truck. Some of the common parts they should go over include the filters and fluids, lighting systems and warning devices, the pump, aerial certification, brakes, tires, steering and other vehicle safety systems.

You might notice that listing services have a wider variety of vehicles as compared to the dealers, but that is not true. All listing services do is pass your order to the dealer that has the specific brand you want. They then earn some money for making that sale. This fee is included in the cost of the trucks which makes it more expensive. So that is another reason why you should avoid working with them.

There are several ways of knowing if the person or company you are dealing with is a certified dealer. First thing you should do is check whether the company buys their own inventory. You should also see if they offer warranties on their apparatus and engine.

Next check where the lettering is done. If the lettering has to be done somewhere else, know that that is not a genuine dealer. Also it is good to note that certified dealers normally deliver the trucks to the customer personally and do not charge any extra fees for that service. Finally, it is important to check if the seller insures the used fire trucks until delivery. You can then go on to buy the units you want, after ascertaining that you are dealing with a certified dealer.

How to Go About Buying Used Fire Trucks

Tuesday, 20 December 2011

Ford Motor Company - Case Study

Background (General Facts)

Ford Motors is one of three leading automotive manufacturing companies in the United States. Based in Michigan in 1903 by Henry ford and grew to reach revenue of 0 billion and more than 370,000 employees by 1996 [1]. In the 1970's, the automobile market for the major auto makers - General Motors (GM), Ford, and Chrysler- was crunched by competition from foreign manufactures such as Toyota and Honda. In 1999, Ford acquired the Swedish Volvo model in an attempt to compete in the foreign market and expand to other regions. Furthermore, Ford launched a full organization re-engineering business process plan called "Ford 2000" aiming at reestablishing the company's infrastructure. The process meant reduction in their Vehicle Centers (VCs) to only five covering the operations that spanned 200 countries. It also meant cutting redundancies and requiring Information Technology (IT) to be the driving force and the link between Ford centers worldwide.

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In building Ford's IT infrastructure, the company focused on implementing a setup that supported the TCP/IP communication protocol based on the U.S. department of Defense requirements. At those days, Ford internal network was meant to serve files transfer unlike most companies that used the network mainly for email communications. Throughout the 1990's, Ford developed a cost effective Global Enterprise Network Integration (GENI) process to link all its locations compromising on the type of the connection and the cabling in favor of full coverage. During the same time, Ford started building its Web Farm, which was basically a set of hardware and software managed by a team for building Ford's public website. The work started by publishing documents for technical references and moved to more advanced images from a live auto show. As a result, the website received 1 million visits a day in less than 2 years after its official launch. Throughout the end of the 90's, Ford established its web services by increasing the amount of information published, building more intelligent and standard web application in 12 weeks period, purchasing more Netscape browsers for setup on its users' machines, and creating a B2B server to allow the suppliers secured access to Ford's Intranet.

In the path towards service cost reduction and bringing more business through the web, Ford worked closely with its competitors in the U.S. market GM and Chrysler to establish what came to be known as "Automotive Network Exchange" (ANX) certificate. The protocols aimed at providing a unified communications standard through the Internet to enable suppliers to provide common technology for all manufacturers. Moreover, Ford focused on making information on its web site more accessible and useful by deploying a team to manage the process of adding and updating information based on an analysis of how humans deal with information. One final aspect of Fords endeavor was to try to build a model through its infrastructure that benefited from the model implemented by Dell computers to improve their supply chain and delivery process. The direct model would not work well for automotives as it would with computers, as a result Ford worked on its retailing network remodeling and identifying what would eventually give it the extra edge in delivery time.

Enterprise Architecture Issues

Ford's regional expansion to address the competition for market shares demanded cost management for the infrastructure upgrades IT infrastructure places limitations on the type of application development based on the platforms Easy access to information and prompt delivery of vital data to key individuals requires proper knowledge managementOrganizations reengineering and process remodeling is necessary when adapting new technologies to maintain the cost and increase efficiency Supply chain errors and delays can severely affect the progress of the business and the market value of the corporation
Analysis

Infrastructure Upgrade

Since the inception of the Internet in the 1960's, much effort has been made in standardizing how computers connect to it. In 1982, the International Organization for Standards (ISO) realized that during that period many ad hoc networking systems were already using the TCP/IP protocol for communications and thus adapted it as a standard in its model for the Internet network [2]. The main driver for IP convergence, at that period, was the growth in data traffic through wide area networks (WANs) established by local companies. Furthermore, in 1991, the Internet was open for commercial use, and that demanded a reduction in the total cost of operating the network to cope with 1 million Internet hosts that materialized in only 1-year time. Telecommunications companies like AT&T understood the potential and worked on standardizing the network offering voice services over IP networks that managed the separation between voice and data transmission [3].

At the same time, Ford had launched its plan to update its infrastructure, and seized the opportunity brought by the global movement of integrating the voice, fax transmission network with data transmission and expanded its WAN to include its offices in Europe and elsewhere. The financial benefits also came from the fact that Ford adapted the TCP/IP protocol from the beginning and made sure that all its technical infrastructure upgrades adhere to the standards. This made the transition of its system to the Internet as cost effective as it could be.

Web Technologies

Intranets employ the hypertext and multimedia technology used on the Internet. Prior to 1989, when Tim burners-Lee invented the Web [4], most applications used standard development languages such as C and C++ to create desktop applications that were proprietary and dependent on the platform. For example, applications running on a command-based operating system such as UNIX would not run under Windows, and those working for PCs might not work on Apple computers and vice versa [5]. The invention of HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) introduced a new model for applications that conform to the standards provided by a single program, the "Web Browser". Unlike standard applications, the browser brought a unified interface that had a very fast learning curve. Users seem to require no additional training to work with web browsers. Furthermore, system administrators did not have to spend time installing upgrades on users' machines, since the Intranet client/server architecture facilitated all the updates through the connection with the web server [6].

Since Ford established its Intranet, it was aiming at building web applications through the initial analysis of "Mosaic", the early form of web browsers. The technical department at Ford used web languages to create the first web site in 1995. In 1996, the team started building applications making use of the unified "Netscape" browser that was deployed on all machines at the company, and working on a standard template to cut on the development life cycle. There was a substantial cut in training cost due to the user-friendly interface of web applications. Furthermore, the speed of development made vital applications available to different individuals across the company. For example, the B2B site allowed suppliers remote and secured access to various sections of Ford's Intranet. In addition, the development team created an application as a virtual teardown on Ford's website where Ford's engineers could examine parts of competitors' cars and evaluate any new technologies. The alternative would have been an actual trip to a physical location where Ford tears down cars to examine the parts.

Knowledge Management

While there are many definitions for knowledge, each company might adapt its own based on how it analysis data and information to acquire knowledge. The University of Kentucky, for example, defines knowledge as "a vital organization resource. It is the raw material, work-in process, and finished good of decision-making. Distinct types of knowledge used by decision makers include information, procedures, and heuristics, among others... " [7].

Organizations go through different activities to manage the amount of information they collect to form the knowledge base of the company. Activities include creating databases of best practices and market intelligence analysis, gathering filtering and classifying data, incorporating knowledge into business applications used by employees, and developing focal points for facilitating knowledge flow and building skills [8].

Ford was excited about the traffic it was receiving on the Web site and everyone was publishing all the material they have on desk on the Intranet. Nevertheless, there was a growing concern about the usability and usefulness of the material people were adding. As a result, Ford created a "Knowledge Domain Team" to build complete information in nine areas that were identified as vital to the business. The process Ford took was based on surveys and specialists input in how people perceive information, and what is considered vital and what is distracting in the structure of Ford's website. The aim behind the initiative was to reduce the time individuals spent in searching for information through proper indexing of the website content, and making sure that what was important could be accessed in due time, and what is trivial did not overwhelm the researcher with thousands of results.

Business Re-engineering

In the area of organization's re-engineering process innovation is the set of activities that achieve substantial business improvements. Companies seeking to benefit from process innovation go through the regime of identifying the processes, the factors for change, developing the vision, understanding the current process, and building a prototype for the new organization. History shows that organizations who define their processes properly will not have problems managing the issues and developing the change factors [9]. When introducing technology, business redesign is necessary. The industrial fields have been using Information Technology to remodel processes, control production, and manage material for generations. However, it is only recently that companies recognized that the fusion of IT and business would go beyond automation to fundamentally reshaping how business processes are undertaken [10].

When foreign companies were allowed to compete in the U.S. market, Ford understood that to succeed in business in a competitive arena it needed to implement strategies that competitors find difficult to imitate [11]. As a result, Ford bought Sweden Volvo to enter the European market, and partially owned Mazda to have a competitive edge with Japanese cars1 [12]. To achieve that it re-engineered its production development activities and global corporate organization and processes for dramatic cost reduction. Furthermore, it understood that expansion requires collaboration and alignment, and thus planned to establish the IT infrastructure through a WAN that connected all the offices. In the process of innovation and re-engineering, Ford has set policies to manage the cost of establishing the network, built models for continuous implementation, and organized global meetings to align all parties with the process. Adding to that, when it came to managing the website, Ford facilitated an awareness campaign for all the branches to understand that Ford is using the web to collaborate and research and adapting information technology as a way to maximize its business value. The goal for Ford was to maintain its leadership in the market and to do that in the most efficient and cost effective method that is there.

Supply chain management

Supply chain management (SCM) is about coordinating between suppliers, manufactures, distributors, retailers, and customers [13]. The basic idea that SCM applications revolve around is providing information to all those who are involved in making decisions about the product or goods to manage delivery from the supplier to the consumer [14]. Studies show that reducing errors in supply chain distribution, increases revenue, enhances productivity, and reduces the order-to-fulfillment period [15].

Ford often compared its supply chain process to that of Dell's, in an attempt to close the gaps in its own process and reach the level of success Dell has reached. The difference in the distribution model between Dell and Ford lies in the middle link of using retail shops. Since Ford cannot skip retail as a focal distribution point, it worked on establishing a network of retail shops that it owned. Ford made sure shops are not affecting each other in terms of sales, and gave them all a standard look and feel to establish itself in the consumer's market as a prestigious cars sales retail company. Furthermore, extensive re-engineering initiatives were undertaken to enhance Ford external network by eliminating the correlation with smaller suppliers. In that way, Ford made sure that key suppliers have access to forecasting data from customers' purchasing trends and production information to enable a faster order-to-delivery cycle. Ford vision was to create a model that allowed flexibility, predicable processes and delivered the product at the right time to the right consumer.

Conclusions

Ford is an example of how traditional organizations can mature to adapt what is current and maximizes the business value. The process that Ford went through necessitated the continuous support from management. In addition, it depended on alignment between those involved as a key for success. The correlation was not restricted to internal staff; it extended to cover competitors to reach mutual benefits, to work with suppliers to maintain similar grounds and adequate infrastructure, and to create training programs to educate all on the vision and organization's objectives.

Ford technical progress came at a time where the Internet was yet to reach its full potential. The introduction of Fiber-optic cables in the late 90's and the substantial increase in bandwidth would have helped Ford and cut on the cost in endured connecting its own offices. Furthermore, the ISP services that provided hosting servers were limited to only few players, which explained why Ford preferred to manage its own web server and maintain the overhead of the 24 hours uptime and backup.

From this case study, I understood the level of commitment large firms have to maintaining their position in the market. These companies know the revolving nature of business in the sense of how easy it is to fall back if they did not keep up with the change. The Ford process also shows the need for quick and resourceful thinking when faced with situations that might seem to be unfavorable. The way Ford ventured into the foreign market by acquiring local manufacturers was a strategic decision that did not only enabled Ford to merge with different technologies, but it also saved it the additional cost of establishing production centers in Japan and Europe.

Recommendations

Maintaining leadership in the market requires innovative organizations willing to reengineer to succeed. IT fusion with the business means restructuring and remodeling to understand the role IT would play to meet the business objectives Planning and modeling is vital when coordinating work with large teams. Constructing websites is not about content; it is about understanding what adds value and how humans interact with information. Knowledge management is a plan that companies need to develop as part of their initial business process modeling It is not wrong for large firms to try to adapt to successful processes implemented by other firms.
References

Robert D. Austin and Mark Cotteleer,"Ford Motor Co.: Maximizing the Business Value of Web Technologies." Harvard Business Publishing. July 10, 1997. harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail.jhtml;jsessionid=WDARNHINBSYKSAKRGWCB5VQBKE0YOISW?id=198006 (accessed July 30, 2008). Computer History Museum, Internet History 80's. 2006. computerhistory.org/internet_history/internet_history_80s.shtml (accessed July 30, 2008). Darren Wilksch and Peter Shoubridge, "IP Convergence in Global Telecommunications." Defense Science & Technology Organization. March 2001. http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2400/DSTO-TR-1046.pdf (accessed July 30, 2008). Computer History Museum, Internet History 80's. H. Joseph Wen, "From client/server to intranet." Information Management & Computer Security (MCB UP Ltd) 6, no. 1 (1998): 15-20. R. Boutaba, K. El Guemioui, and P. Dini, "An outlook on intranet management." Communications Magazine (IEEE), October 1997: 92-99. Joseph M. Firestone, Enterprise Information Portals and Knowledge Management (OXFORD: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2002), 169. David J. Skyrme, "Knowledge management solutions - the IT contribution." ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin (ACM) 19, no. 1 (April 1998): 34 - 39, 34. Thomas H. Davenport, Process Innovation: Reengineering Work Through Information Technology (Watertown,MA: Harvard Business Press, 1993), 28. Thomas H. Davenport "The New Industrial Engineering: Information Technology and Business Process Redesign." Sloan Management Review 31, no. 4 (Summer 1990): 11-28, 12 Gary M. Erickson, Robert Jacobson, and Johny K. Johansson, "Competition for market share in the presence of strategic invisible assets: The US automobile market, 1971-1981." International Journal of Research in Marketing (Elsevier Science) 9, no. 1 (March 1992): 23-37, 23. Austin and Cotteleer, "Ford Motor " , 2. Henk A. Akkermans, et al. "The impact of ERP on supply chain management: Exploratory findings from a European Delphi study." European Journal of Operational Research 146 (2003): 284-301, 286 Thomas H. Davenport and Jeffrey D. Brooks, "Enterprise systems and the supply chain." Journal of Enterprise Information Management 17, no. 1 (2004): 8-19, 9. Kevin B. Hendricks, Vinod R. Singhal, and Jeff K. Stratman. "The impact of enterprise systems on corporate performance:A study of ERP, SCM, and CRM system implementations." Journal of Operations Management 25, no. 1 (January 2007): 65-82.

Ford Motor Company - Case Study

Sunday, 18 December 2011

The Automotive Industry Crisis is a Customer Service Crisis

"If we are not customer driven, nor will our cars be." Henry Ford

As you read this article, I believe you will discover the real key to true greatness. The key is to be of service to others. No matter who you are, if you are breathing you are in customer service in one way or another. The concept of service has not been understood by most people. Whether you are Madonna, or Billy Graham, you are in customer service. We are all rewarded materially based on the pleasure or service we bring to others.What do all the great ones have in common? They have an attitude of being of service instead of being self-serving. They all serve their audiences or customers with impeccable excellence which resulted in them becoming great.

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THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY CRISIS
We have a crisis in this country underlying the financial crisis. I believe that it is at the root of the present financial crisis. It is called the CUSTOMER SERVICE CRISIS! The word crisis in Chinese means danger yet opportunity. We definitely have lots of opportunity to improve in our nation in the area of customer service. I think it is the real financial problem we face today. I am not an economic genius, but I am a customer service expert. I am tired of watching people put band-aids on economic cancer. So I am writing a series of articles which will get to the root of the economic problem and if heeded could help turn this crisis around.

AMERICA WAS BUILT ON SERVICE, BUT TODAY WE HAVE BECOME "SELF-SERVING!"

We have a service crisis that has caused a financial crisis in everything from banking to housing, and of course, automotive.With GM, Chrysler and others bleeding, and people losing their livelihoods and retirements you don't have to be a rocket scientist to see it. Have you had any poor customer service lately? Cold food or dirty restrooms, Late deliveries, Defective parts, Unfulfilled orders, Lazy, rude staff (this is epidemic!!!)

I started out in the auto industry in the mid 70s or what we now call the good old days. I was working for the largest GM dealership in Alaska and one of the largest in the country. This was when GM was GM! I started out washing cars (or busting suds as we use to say). I eventually moved up and became a corporate trainer for the SOUTHEAST Automotive group. One thing I noticed over the years was the deterioration of customer service in the automotive industry. My first boss was a thirty year company man that was customer driven and he constantly reminded us that without a customer we would all be unemployed!

I drank the kool-aid, I believed him. But as the years passed, I noticed that the customer started to become more of a statistic on a graph in a conference room where strategies for up-selling and getting more out of each transaction at the point of sale was the goal. At the same time we were cutting back on quality and service! "Higher profits" - less service became the mantra. Don't misunderstand me, I believe in profit. But I believe what my good friend and mentor Dr. Ken Blanchard has said about it; "Profit is the applause we get for taking care of our customers...

"If We Are Not Customer Driven, Then Our Cars Won't Be Either!" Henry Ford

The Automotive Industry Crisis is a Customer Service Crisis

Friday, 16 December 2011

The Best GPS For the Money

The best GPS for the money (automotive GPS) will usually be found in a clearance model once the model has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Recently, the chip sets that makes GPS units function have not been significantly updated and the discontinued units still perform very well. If you don't need the latest and greatest, you can find a really good buy.

When you are looking for the best GPS for the money, always look for a unit that speaks street names. The prices on these discontinued units will be low enough that you do not want to buy a unit that does not speak street names. Taking your eyes off the road to read the street name on the GPS display is extremely dangerous. Do not compromise on this feature!

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Other features to look for in the best GPS for the money are screen size, MP3 player, Bluetooth, and free shipping.

For many months, the Garmin Nuvi 350 was the best GPS for the money. Its price dipped down to 0.00 in January 2009. It was loaded with features for the 0 price with standard screen size, MP3 player, picture viewer, (no Bluetooth). However, at the time of the writing of this article its price has risen to over 5 USD so forget it.

In April 2009, the best GPS for the money was the Garmin Nuvi 360. This unit has been discontinued by Garmin, but it was selling for the incredibly low price of under 0 on Amazon. It has a standard screen (2.8 x 2.1 inches), MP3 player, picture viewer, and Bluetooth.

The key point to take away from this article is there is always a best GPS for the money. You just have to know how to find it. This best GPS for the money will change periodically as manufactures compete and as GPS units are discontinued and the stores clear the discontinued inventory.

You can find the best GPS for the money on the-best-GPS.com. It contains instructions with pictures that show how to use Amazon.com as your research tool to find the best GPS for the money.

Be a smart shopper, save a bundle, and learn how to buy the best GPS for the money.

The Best GPS For the Money

Friday, 9 December 2011

Automotive Super Sales

Each year, automotive dealers invest large amounts of money on "mailer/super sales" - sometimes as much as -20,000 to mail up to 30,000 direct mail pieces.

Whether these sales events meet/don't meet expectations is generally based on a number of factors including coordinating Point of Purchase ("POP") materials.

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At the end of these sales, the outside sales team sent in to manage these sales leaves your dealership - but their reputation stays. Accordingly, if you're hiring an outside sales team to work these events, please check out their reputation as it will become YOUR reputation.

Here are a couple of ideas to make your "Mailer/Super Sale" successful:

1) If you must adjust pricing on a vehicle, do it at least 2 days BEFORE the sale starts, and ensure that price is reflected on ALL web sites and print ads and where your inventory is listed. Many customers spend time researching your vehicle inventory before they actually arrive at your dealership.

2) Match you POP supplies to your mailer colors -if it's a red, white, blue sale and those colors are on the actual mailer, use red, white and blue balloons, flags, dancing men, hot air balloon shaped Inflatables, hangtag's, etc. Customers need to recognize it's YOUR STORE having the event.

3) If you are giving out gift cards to induce customers to visit your store, you may want to consider giving a .00 VISA gift card with your dealership logo on the card. Why give free advertising to another retailer?

4) Have an official greeter - not the salesperson - to help manage the traffic flow, as these events often promote sales people "cherry-picking" customers.

5) When greeting customers, make sure to request the customer's email address so you can give them your Facebook or Twitter page. Customers are more likely to contract with someone they know, and this is a perfect way for them to get to know you. You'll want these customers to remember you tomorrow, long after the outside sales team has departed your dealership.

Automotive Super Sales

Monday, 5 December 2011

Voltage Drop Testing - An Effective Method For Solving Automotive Electrical Faults

For any electrical component to work properly, it must receive the correct current flow. Low current to a light bulb, for example, makes the light dim. Low current to a compressor clutch coil reduces the magnetic field and may allow the clutch to slip or not engage at all. For proper current flow to exist, the circuit must have the correct source voltage applied, and be free of any "unwanted" resistance in the circuit. And the best way to test this is to measure voltage drop with the circuit "working".

Here are the steps to take to perform a voltage drop test:

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1. Connect your DVOM negative lead to the battery's negative post.
2. Connect your DVOM positive lead to the battery's positive post and measure its voltage. Record this reading.
3. Connect your DVOM positive lead to the positive side of the load being tested, as close to the load as possible.
4. Operate the circuit, and record your measurement.
5. Connect your DVOM positive lead to the negative side of the load being tested, as close to the load as possible.
6. Operate the circuit and record your measurement.

Let's take a closer look at these steps. First, we want to test the integrity of the ENTIRE circuit so placing your test leads at the battery is a must. You can make an extension lead for your DVOM so you can always connect to the battery ground terminal with your negative meter lead. Second, it is important to know the source voltage available. If the battery is weak to start with, your circuit is already working with a handicap. Even better is to measure source voltage with the engine running, and use that as your baseline.

In the third step, you are making sure all that source voltage is arriving at its ultimate destination...the load. Getting as close to the load as possible insures you are testing the entire path. On the positive side of the load, you should read within 0.50 volts of your source voltage, i.e. if you started with 14.56 volts you should read no less than 14.06 volts. This applies to most basic circuits. If you are diagnosing a control module related circuit, you may want to look for even less than that.

In step #5, you are looking for unwanted guests robbing your load downstream. Remember, all the voltage potential should have been used by the load. If you get a voltage reading of 0.50v or more here, there is someone else at home stealing potential from the primary component. This unwanted source may be ultimately found way "downstream" of the load, maybe even at the battery connection itself. Even so, it will still cause the voltage reading at the load to be over 0.50v. This is due to the available voltage being split proportionally between the two, and tends to throw techs new to voltage drop testing off. Remember, current flow is instantaneous throughout the circuit. Again, in the case of module related circuits, a little less is better. Stay as close to the load as you can to make sure you check the entire ground path.
Remember, current flow is only going to happen with the circuit turned on and working. Don't forget to operate the circuit when taking your measurements.

My Reading Is Out Of Range. Now What?

Experience is a guide here, as in all things. Typically, unwanted resistances are the result of poor grounds or poor connections, either in a harness connector or switch contact, and will result in an obvious, out of range measurement. To find the little unwanted guest, all you have to do is "backtrack" from your load back to the battery. Here, you will need to spend some time with a schematic for the circuit you are working on and use a little common sense. For example, if there are parallel branches on the circuit, are all branches affected? If so, focus on that section of wiring common to all. If not, focus on that section that is unique to the component you are diagnosing. Move back towards the battery at logical points (harness connections, switch contacts, splice points, etc.) until your DVOM reading is back to normal. That means you passed the unwanted guest and all you have left to do is narrow the search between your last two test points.

Some voltage measurement on the ground side of a working load is normal. If no ground exists at all, you will measure source voltage on both sides of the load. If the ground side measures 0.0 volts on the money, and the component is receiving correct source voltage, then the load likely has an internal open.

What if both sides of the load test just fine, but it still doesn't work right? If you tested right at the load, there is only one area left untested...the load itself. In this case, you most likely have a failed component. A good example of this is a solenoid that is failed mechanically, not electrically.

Remember, too, to not take shortcuts in your initial tests. It is vitally important that you test the entire path the current is taking from and back to the battery. A common mistake is to use a chassis ground under the dash when testing inside the car. But don't forget, that chassis ground point still has to make it back to the battery, typically through a few more connections, before the ground path is complete. That inoperative HVAC module could be simply a bad connection at the bulkhead connector or firewall ground eyelet, and you'll miss it if you cut corners. Done properly, a voltage drop test will quickly isolate which side of the circuit has the problem, and save you diagnostic time in the process.

Voltage Drop Testing - An Effective Method For Solving Automotive Electrical Faults

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Saturday, 3 December 2011

Top Brand Professional Automotive Tools Reviewed - Know Your Budget

The tool market is well serviced in terms of brands, design, quality and price. The key consideration is to evaluate your needs. For example, it is pointless buying a laptop capable driving sophisticated 3G games when really all that is required from the unit is basic desktop and internet work. This kind of example also applies to buying tools. For instance, why waste one's budget on buying the most expensive tools when their application is for occasional hobby type tasks.

Lets start with an overview comparison. It is widely agreed that the best quality and designed tools are manufactured by the Snap-on company. This brand of tools is designed for the professional market. No tool brand is perfect and infallible to failure. However, the Snap-on lifetime warranty means that when a tool breaks, it is replaced or repaired by the service representatives. Snap-on tools can be bought from their distribution trucks and vans that visit automotive workshops. Alternatively, their online catalog allows purchasing via the internet. Second-hand and recycled Snap-on tools are also eagerly traded through websites like eBay and eBay Partner sites.

Automotive

As noted above, Snap-on automotive tools are at the upper price range. However, there is no shortage of professional grade tool brands at price points below that of the Snap-on brand. For example the brands: Matco, MAC and Cornwell are equally respected in the professional automotive sector. Matco, MAC and Cornwell off a range of professional tools that deliver quality and reliability while carrying sound lifetime warranties and professional after sales service. And are less expensive than the Snap-on brand for the budget minded professional automotive technician. The availability of these brands for sale is similar to Snap-on tools. Trucks visit and distribute tools at automotive workshops. Also, online catalogs and auction type websites offer buy opportunities.

For those budget sensitive buyers, the next set of tool brands is SK and Craftsman. The manufacturing quality of these brands meet USA standards and carry similar lifetime warranties like those brands mentioned above. So, for the semi-professional or hobbyist application these tool brands are an ideal choice. Some may argue that the SK brand, although not as popular, is a little superior to the Craftsman brand. But this opinion is subjective. Craftsmanship and SK brand tools are a more accessible to the buying market. For example, Craftsmanship brand tools are stocked at Sears stores, while the SK brand is found in automotive parts stores and outlets.

In summary, if price is no restraint, then tools from the Snap-on range are considered to be the best quality. Where quality and service is still a priority, then brands such as: matco, MAC and Cornwell offer offer quality profession lines of tools as less expensive price points. Finally, the brands SK and Craftsmanship serve the semi-professional market with tools that are not subject to the high demands of daily professional usage. The advice for any buyer is assess the task application of the tool, and allocate your budget to buy the right tool for the right job.

Top Brand Professional Automotive Tools Reviewed - Know Your Budget

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Friday, 2 December 2011

Benefits Of Automotive Maintenance

I'm sure most of us have realized how much longer cars seem to be running these days. 30 or 40 years ago when a vehicle hit the 100k mile mark, it was essentially worthless. So why is it that cars are running for so much longer these days? Some may say it is due to technological advancements in the manufacturing sector, or maybe the quality of parts used in building the vehicles. There is some truth to both of those sentiments, but I believe what is much more responsible for vehicle longevity is the evolution of factory recommended maintenance.

What is Factory Recommended Maintenance?

Automotive

Factory recommended maintenance is a collection of vehicle services recommended to be performed on your vehicle at specific mileage intervals. Vehicle repair facilities have been recommending some form of these services for years. Only recently though, have manufacturers been publishing detailed maintenance schedules, commonly found in a vehicles' owners manual. These schedules usually consist of common fluid changes and other general maintenance, but your manufacturers recommendations will include more specific preventative services.

Why Should I Perform These Services?

The most common maintenance services will involve the changing of the various fluids running throughout your vehicle. This may include coolant fluid flushes, transmission fluid flushes, etc. The reason for this is pretty straight forward. Take the most common service: An oil change. Engine oil is a fluid that breaks down over time due to heat and contamination which is why it is changed every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. What you may not know is that most of the other fluids in your car are basically the same, a type of oil. These fluids get hot and cold and break down over time just like the oil in your engine. The only difference is the time it takes for these other fluids to break down. Your engine oil get's extremely hot and in some cases extremely cold, which is why it's changed so often. The other fluids in your vehicle aren't exposed to the same extreme temperature changes, thus break down slower and require different time frames for changing.

Consult your vehicles owners manual for Scheduled Maintenance services, or visit our website for a general maintenance schedule that applies to all makes and models.

Remember, keeping up on your vehicles maintenance is crucial to the longevity of your particular car. A couple hundred dollars spent here and there is much better than having to come up with thousands of dollars later on down the road.

Benefits Of Automotive Maintenance

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Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Automotive Service Facility Secrets That Will Save You Money

I want to talk a little about automotive diagnostic costs and how they get passed on to the average consumer along with the reasons behind this. The inner workings of Automotive service centers are very similar in some aspects and very different in others. Some service centers really try to give the best customer service available while others will charge you for every bit of time that they can scrape up and not even look back.
Not all Automotive diagnostic strategies are equal.

The truth about diagnostics is that technicians will not always treat them the same way. There are always different points of view and unfortunately just because you retrieve a certain fault code, the part it points to may not in fact be the failed part. The technician will use his own experiences to diagnose the problem and not necessarily the "text- book" method depending upon the skill set of the tech.
Technicians need to feed their families.

Automotive

The technician, like anyone else, needs to feed his family and in the automotive service profession the techs are paid by the book hour. This means that they receive a small amount of time to diagnose the problem and the standard "book" time to replace the part. This is where things tend to go wrong as the technician is forced to "beat the clock" to diagnose and repair your vehicle.
Parts Swapping

When the technician is faced with a fault that is unusual and has to spend a fair amount of time on it, this is where you start to pay. It is not that the technician is untrained or inexperienced, but rather that he or she may have to ask for extra time or start swapping parts which you may end up paying for.
Paying for more than you needed

Nobody usually minds paying a little extra if the technician has run into a problem and needs more time, but it is when the fifth part that was replaced has fixed the problem and you are faced paying for the other 4 possibly unnecessary parts. This happens because the technician must fix the vehicle as promptly as possible to get paid and move on to the next job.
Be smart about your repairs

When you bring your vehicle in for diagnostic work such as a check engine light, air conditioning, abs light, air bag light, etc. always and I repeat "ALWAYS" tell the service center to call you after they have put an hours worth of time in and convey to you where they are at with the vehicle at that time. At that point you can make a determination where the technician is at in diagnosing your vehicle and you can then decide how much more time you are willing to let him spend on it. Don't be afraid to push the service adviser into telling you whether he is close or not.
Paying for parts you did NOT need

There are many instances where the technician will put 2, 3, or 4 parts on the vehicle and say that they were all contributors of the problem and it seemed to get a little better as each one was replaced. From my experience this is possible only when the vehicle is just so old and neglected or there was consequential damage as something took out a multitude of parts and it usually wasn't any of the parts but some other underlying problem. Again you should instruct the service adviser to call you as soon as they suspect a part and want to replace it and if it is not the problem will you be charged for that part.
Generally dealerships will treat you better

Automotive service dealerships normally will be more expensive, but are large enough to usually work with you on possibly splitting the time of the diagnosis. If it was an extensive diagnosis they may consider "eating" some of the time and NOT charge you for any parts that did not fix the vehicle. There are many independent service shops that will grant this negotiation to you, but in my experience there were not as many.

Everyone needs to get their vehicle serviced at some point or another and being aware of the situation will greatly help you in the long run. If you experience a situation that you are not so sure of and need a little advice, be sure to drop us a line at the company website.

Automotive Service Facility Secrets That Will Save You Money

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Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Automotive Engine Repair Process

As vehicle engines become old, or improperly maintained, internal engine component failure can occur. While some vehicle owners may choose to simply buy a new car, there are many people that want to repair their engines so that they do not have to take on a car payment for a new car. Especially in this economy, it is understandable how people want to stretch their money as far as it can go. In many cases, rebuilding a damaged engine is more cost effective then buying a new car in the long run.

When an engine has failed, a skilled automotive technician will remove it from the vehicle. This is a laborious process and can often cost around seven hundred dollars to remove and reinstall automotive engines. Once the engine is out of the vehicle, it normally is given to a skilled engine builder for further assessment.

Automotive

Once the engine builder has the engine, it will be carefully disassembled. Notes will be taken during this process to document the damage found. Once the engine is completely disassembled, all of the components are chemically cleaned to remove the oil, carbon and any contaminates. At this point, the engine builder can use specialized measuring tools to determine whether or not the internal engine parts are within acceptable tolerances. After a full assessment is made, the engine builder will then quote out the parts and labor necessary to repair the engine.

The labor to repair an engine is the largest component of the overall engine repair bill. In many cases the cylinder block must be bored, new pistons installed on the connecting rods and the cylinder heads reconditioned. Another labor intensive process is repairing the crankshaft.

When you hear people saying that their engine has a "spun bearing," this simply means that one of their crankshaft bearings has failed. Bearing and crankshaft failure, by most accounts, are the leading cause of failed engines being removed from vehicles. When the crankshaft must be reconditioned, the process is completed in a crankshaft grinding machine. The equipment to perform this task can cost well over ,000, which is why repairing crankshafts is not inexpensive.

After all of the engine components have been repaired or replaced, an engine builder will thoroughly clean all of the components before assembly. This is needed to remove any contaminates from the internal engine parts. With clean parts in hand, the engine builder may assemble the engine in a clean environment so that it is ready for the automotive technician to install.

After the automotive technician has installed the rebuilt engine, in most cases they will offer a limited warranty of one to three years. This warranty assures vehicle owners that the investment they made in repairing their engine is protected by a contract. With a typical car payment being 0 or more each month, vehicle owners can often save nearly ,000 when they repair a failed engine instead of buying new. In these tight economic times, those savings can allow consumers the opportunity to save a significant amount of money over just a few years.

Automotive Engine Repair Process

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Monday, 28 November 2011

Automotive Superchargers - Their Care & Maintenance

Turbochargers are superchargers that are driven by the force of the automobile engine exhaust. It can be confusing listening to fast car buffs and car guys as often turbochargers are referred to simply as "turbo-superchargers". These fast car, high speed race car auto speed devices literally ram the air into the vehicle's engine by raising the pressure of the air in the motor's intake manifold.

Although turbochargers can spin at great speed, unbelievably up in the ranges of 10,000 revolutions per minute (rpm), surprising they are relatively trouble free over their lifetimes and overall can be counted on the provide great boosts of speed reliably with little complaint and need little routine service or care.. Sure though gaskets must remain in good and sealed order. Fasteners proper torque and the oil supply to the unit open and functioning clean and well. As well auxiliary controls such as boost control must operate correctly.

Automotive

If service has to be done generally the professional mechanic will find that when they remove the unit from the engine, if is essential to clean before removal and as well cover any openings that lead into the engine itself. It is more than essential that extreme care should be practiced and maintained during handling and repair to avoid the slightest nicking or bending of any part of the turbine or compressor blades. Blade damage can and will seriously reduce the unit's lifespan and life time. In some extreme cases it can even cause the unit to spin out of control and high speeds, fragmenting and basically destroying itself in the process.

Thus it cannot be over emphasized that after any inspections or repairs of auto engine turbochargers it is essential that the entire unit of the turbine and its associated compressor be carefully inspected for nicks, bent sections, cracking or clogging. Your automotive turbocharging unit should essentially spin freely and quietly.

Automotive Superchargers - Their Care & Maintenance

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Automotive Error Codes - Generic ODB II Codes to Figure Out Whats Wrong Using an Error Code Reader

Your check engine light can come on for a variety of reasons. If you are a do it your selfer, or someone with some experience in auto repair, you can find out whats wrong by checking the error codes. These error codes are generated by an engine tester or code reader.

If you feel like purchasing an engine code reader, you can do so at your local auto parts store or online retailer but these stores will often check your error codes for you free of charge. Some of these codes may be an easy fix, and some of them not so easy.

Automotive

These codes are general error codes for vehicles built after 1996. Before 1996, each vehicle had its own set of diagnostic tools and codes. Unfortunately, these codes were a pain the butt to understand and costly to determine. Eventually, the government made it mandatory to make each vehicle code the same. This cut down on cost and the amount of instruments you needed to determine these codes. The new regulation for codes is called ODB ll or ODB 2. Before that, there was ODB l.

These ODB scanners come in a variety of types. Most of these scanners are hand held and easy to use. You just connect the pin connector to the socket under the dash on the drivers side. These ports are often near the fuse box. Once you have plugged in, you just start up the car and the error will transfer over to the scanner. The scanner will then display the error code, and in some cases (the more expensive models), the scanner will display the code with a readout to tell you whats wrong. The The newer, nicer models can even hook up to your windows PC for software and firmware updates.

Automotive Error Codes - Generic ODB II Codes to Figure Out Whats Wrong Using an Error Code Reader

Saturday, 26 November 2011

Rev Up Design Innovation and Automotive Product Development

Innovate Faster
Today's economy, more than ever, compels innovation and a rapid succession of new models in order to remain vital and profitable in the market. The ability to reduce development cycles and development costs can be achieved by sharing expensive engineering capabilities, and dynamic, cost-effective collaborations to design quickly and efficiently more and multiple products. Effectively utilizing the latest CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM technology including 3D design to suit your specific needs can help produce more accurate, more complex designs in shorter lead times at an average of 22% and reduce non-conformance issues up to 40% when compared to standard 2D methods.

Collaborate Better
Effective and early collaboration is absolutely critical, with up to 70% of a product's total lifecycle costs being defined during the early phases of product development. Having a supplier that understands the demands and challenges of your product development process and is able to help meet those challenges lends itself to faster innovation capacity and capability. Even if you are already implementing the latest CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM in-house a professional design services firm can provide the ability to increase your capacity by seamlessly integrating with your team to manage the demand with focused expertise.

Automotive

Manage Data Effectively
The development of new automotive products and processes is no easy task. A host of design, product, and process data must be captured and managed. The better managed, and more this data can be condensed into an easy-to-search repository, the higher the quality of development process that can be achieved and the more this data can be leveraged for future designs. Vital to this end, is the creation of fully assoicative 2D production drawings, 3D solid models and 3D visualisations, rapid prototyping models, BOM's, products with multipe configurations and model variants, simulations and analysis reports, and project management documents such as revision lists and drawing lists.

Manage Engineering Changes
Engineering changes typically occur at a rapid rate during the design, assembly, and testing phases. A change to the project can affect many documents. Utilizing the latest CAD/CAM/CAE/PLM technology can help avoid costly mistakes by ensuring that changes made anywhere in the process automatically update all product documentation, including parts, assemblies, and systems drawings.

If you are not currently using industry standard solutions, implementing this capability will require a large upfront investment of not only money but also time. A professional design services firm, having already made the necessary investments to overcome the steep learning curve and infrastructure setup for these tools, will be prepared to augment your capability quickly and cost-effectively. Acting as an extension of your team, they can provide the focused services that you need to more rapidly develop innovative designs, and create professional product and project documentation quickly and easily. You can take advantage of the following benefits:

o Achieve optimized solutions around cost and performance.
o Innovate new high efficiency products with respect to energy and resource conservation while maintaining leading positions in product performance and reliability.
o Develop and evaluate multiple design concepts with the use of engineering analysis, rapid prototyping techniques and general design skills.
o Test and evaluate models to identify best practices in design, manufacturing and performance.
o Perform component and subsystem design.

With more and more electronic and software content, hybrid power trains, drive-by-wire systems, sophisticated infotainment systems, highly optimized aerodynamic and vibration behavior it helps to be able to tightly integrate the domains of Mechanical, Electrical and Software Engineering. You need the ability to work unimpeded with ECAD and MCAD data. Electronic devices can be checked for efficient cooling by simulating convection and conduction within their designs.

Automated, parametric drawings substantially reduce the time and cost of the design, especially when the task is complex, involves intricate details, custom and broken-out sections, cavity pieces for mold generation or requires numerous changes.

With engineering services you can analyze the physical behavior of designs through simulation to improve time to market and reduce errors later in the development cycle, conduct quick stress analyses to make sure that parts can carry anticipated loads, improve designs by reducing weight without sacrificing strength. Collision detection can be invaluable, particularly in the engine area where clearances can be a major issue. These capabilities help reduce developments cost by reducing the number of needed physical prototypes.

Rev Up Design Innovation and Automotive Product Development

Friday, 25 November 2011

Green Degreasers: A Good Choice for Automotive Part Refinishing

Cleaning solvents are used heavily among industries dealing with parts or equipment. Automotive refinishing businesses apply solutions to strip all grime and dirt off of parts before repainting. The environment has been one of the largest concerns when using strong chemicals. They release toxin s into the air or soil if not disposed of properly.

Worker safety is another concern due to the chemicals entering the skin or being inhaled. A worker could experience skin irritation when in direct contact with solvents or develop internal health problems from vapor inhalation. These concerns have led to the development of green or eco-friendly cleaners. Degreasers are a necessity for many industrial processes and make using newer products even safer. Green degreasers have been designed to provide the same results without the extensive risks accompanying common hazardous cleaners.

Automotive

How Does an Industrial Degreaser Fit Into the Motor Cleaning Process?

An industrial degreaser must be used any time an engine or other automotive part is painted. Buildup prevents the paint from adhering to the metal and from being applied evenly. Dried paint will flake off if cleaning is not performed prior to painting. Engine degreasing is not done all at once. It is a multi-step process where degreasing is performed more than once for a complete clean. The first application involves the entire engine so cleaning can be done on the warm parts. Parts are then removed and the engine is cleaned again. After degreasing has been completed, paint can be applied to the engine's metal surface.

Run the engine until it is warm before applying the industrial degreaser to necessary parts. A plastic bag secured by tape should be used to cover the air intake duct and the distributor cap. This prevents water from getting into the intake opening. The intake is a hose with one end entirely open or covered with a screen.

A distributor cap consists of thick rubber wires leading to each spark plug. It will consist of heavy plastic, have a round shape, and be made up of five to nine wires depending on the type of motor. Any part that could suffer from water saturation must be covered. Use a spray degreaser to commence cleaning to make sure it does not touch hoses and wires. The chemical should be left on for around fifteen minutes to allow for grease penetration.

A wire brush may be used to loosen extensive buildup areas. Rinse the solvent using a strong stream of water such as that provided by a power washer. The engine compartment will have to be taken apart for internal cleaning. This involves many additional steps including hose detachment, wire removal, and spot cleaning.

A traditional degreaser can be dangerous if used during this process. It is performed in a more open environment where chemicals can easily flow through the air. Anyone working in the automotive industry can benefit from a green degreaser because compound release is minimal and the products are easy to dispose. They pose no harm to the environment, yet provide the same great cleaning power as chemicals commonly applied to parts cleaning.

Green Degreasers: A Good Choice for Automotive Part Refinishing

Thursday, 24 November 2011

Automotive Trim Development

Automotive Trim Developments is actually a company that specialise in providing customers with interior trim solutions for the marine, automotive and aviation markets, they have capabilities of bespoke design. ATD have the expertise and staff to develop straight form CAD and concept drawings all the way through to the finished product or production ready pattern.

Their main strength and focus lies in the manufacture and development of leather products however their large scale projects and extensive 'hands on' experience give them the understanding for requirements of a variety of different design briefs.

Automotive

Concept Stage

Usually the design concept will come from the customer, they will plan it out as they would like the finished product to be and AVT will develop that concept into its final form, however they also offer in house concept design from their own design studios. The engineers can even work at your own choice of location providing they are under your guidance.

At this stage they will also give you guidance on they best use of materials for you to use and achieve the highest possible standard for your brief.

Development Stage

The CAD information or drawing achieved during the concept stage can now be turned into foam components. These foam representations of your design are then used for pre-production and reviews.

Manufacturing Stage

Here all the hard work pays off and what started out as a concept becomes reality, your product is manufactured using the latest plotting, digitising and cutting equipment.

The 3 stages above are the 3 main steps towards the manufacture of your bespoke interior design.

Automotive Trim Development

Wednesday, 23 November 2011

Automotive Tools

The work of an auto mechanic revolve around repair and maintenance performance of automobiles and other vehicles such as trucks and motorcycles and to do this, they often use hand tools in their line of work.

Here are three of the most commonly and most valuable automotive tools that an auto mechanic must have as part of their repair and maintenance tools:

Automotive

Pliers - this can be described as a two handled hand tool with two movable jaws. Pliers function is grasp small objects and either tighten or loosen parts into place plus they are also used to hold and bend materials such as wires and it will usually also have a small area that is equipped to snip wire at the base of the jaws. Pliers have several types which are all used by a mechanic in their work such as the channel pliers, long nose, diagonal cutting and slip joint pliers.

Screwdrivers - these are tools often used by automobile mechanics to fit into screws and either tighten or loosen them into place. Screwdrivers have a Screwdrivers have a distinct tip which fits into each screw. There are several different types of screwdrivers to fit each type of screw. This automotive tool actually has various types such as the Flat-head, Phillips, Robertson and hex which are all used by auto mechanics.

Wrenches - The function of this automotive tool is to hold slippery or small nuts and bolts and either loosen or tighten it. Wrenches are made in a number of sizes in order to fit the various nuts and bolts used in parts of an automobile. Just like pliers and screwdrivers, wrenches come in various types but they are all used for tightening in some form.

Some types of wrenches are: torque wrenches, impact wrenches and monkey wrenches which are all used by auto mechanics in their everyday work.

Automotive Tools

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Automotive Marketing - The Value of Good Prospecting

The world economy has been very uncooperative for businessmen, especially automotive dealers who are struggling with the crunch as nearly everyone else in business is. People are simply harder to convince they need to get a car or a new one to replace what they might have had for years.

Indeed, buying any sort of vehicle these days is no longer a simple matter. The economic downtrend generally noted in most countries has made people more conscious about their expenses. More than anything, it has taught them to weigh their priorities and cultivate the discipline to stay committed to these priorities. Still, at the end of the day, automotive marketing people still have to continue with their job even if it means finding every possible avenue that leads to increased productivity.

Automotive

Of course, everyone who plans to sell needs people to sell to. Prospecting is, thus, a very important step to for those who want to actually post sales and not just plan them. Whatever type of vehicle one is trying to sell, it is important to come up with an actual list of leads who just may turn into customers. When you market any type of product there is, time is always of the essence. And when you start wasting it with the wrong leads, goals may not be achieved. And what is there to do if not achieve sales goals when in business?

The value of leads is very important and even crucial to the success of any automotive marketer. The leads cannot just be any other list- it has to come with all the information that could provide a lead within a lead - that is, tidbits of information regarding the prospect's automotive history, from his last date of vehicle purchase to the model or models he has bought. A list of prospects must also include hints about the person's credit score or standing so as to give the marketer a good basis for judging whether or not the prospect may turn out to be not just a customer but a responsible one.

Good prospecting does many things for a marketer, but above all, it allows one to plan ahead. And when the market gets as tough as it is right now, being able to plan ahead is going to be every automotive marketer's edge over the others who opt to be more spontaneous in their approach.

Automotive Marketing - The Value of Good Prospecting

Monday, 21 November 2011

The 2012 Olympics Official Automotive Partner

The London 2012 Olympic committee chose BMW as its Official Automotive Partner, the committee believes BMW's sustainability credentials will help make the London 2012 games sustainable. In accordance with the partnership the German car maker will supply the game's participants and organisers with a range of Efficient Dynamic diesel cars, hybrids and electric vehicles, achieving average CO2 emissions below the LOCOG target of 120g/km, as well as bicycles and motorcycles.

BMW has recently announced its initiative designed to provide Team GB and Paralympics GB with support as they prepare for the Games on and off the field, called the BMW London 2012 Performance Team. The first twelve athletes have already joined the team, medal prospects such as Tom Daley, Louis Smith and Ellie Simmonds to 2012 hopefuls Jonathan Brownlee and Giles Scott are a few already signed up.

Automotive

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK said, "Our position as the world's most sustainable automotive company makes us a natural partner for a sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Our Efficient Dynamics programme means our cars are extremely fuel efficient, with low CO2 emissions, while still delivering great performance - just like our athletes who strive for maximum energy efficiency and performance. That's why we're delighted to be launching the BMW London 2012 Performance Team and we look forward to supporting these athletes as they prepare for London 2012."

Tom Daley a Team GB Diver who came so close in the last games to a gold medal said, "It's no secret that I'll be looking to win a gold medal at London 2012 but what I do in the run up to the Games, is as important as what I do on the day itself. Having the support of the BMW London 2012 Performance Team throughout my training will help to drive me towards my dream and hopefully to pass my driving test this year too - I can't wait to get into my MINI!"

The 2012 Olympics Official Automotive Partner

Sunday, 20 November 2011

Closing Strategies For Automotive Sales Training

All seasoned salesmen know that there are not short cuts to closing a deal. You begin closing the deal when you walk out on the lot. Skipping a step in the procedure can cost you the sale and can possibly send your customer to your competitor. There are a few closing strategies that you may want to consider when you are trying to make the sale. These can make the difference between closing the deal and closing the door on your career.

Automobile Sales Training Insists that First Impressions are Key

Automotive

When you stop onto the lot to greet your customer, they first impression they get will determine whether they purchase on your lot. If you rush onto the lot trying to beat other salesmen to the punch, you are going to tell your customer that you are desperate for a sale and will say or do anything to make the sale. Everything you do, the way you look and the language you choose will help the customer make their decision. Try not to lose your customer with technical jargon unless they want to know specifics and always greet them with a smile and a handshake. This tells them you are happy they came.

Automotive Sales Training - Building a Rapport

After you have greeted your customer and given them the best first impression you can possibly give, you must begin building a rapport with them. This means making some small talk before you go in for the kill. Maybe get the main customer to introduce the rest of his party or act as though you have seen them both somewhere before. This opens up the lines of communication and is important in building trust and respect. Ask them about why they are looking for a car. Build from there on other aspects such as type of car they want and maybe even what kind of payments they are expecting to pay. This gives you an idea of the type of car to steer them towards.

Auto Sales Training says take them on a Test Drive

When your customer wants to test drive the car, go with him. While you are gone it gives you the chance to point out more luxury features that are only visible when the car is running. Maybe you can point out how quiet the car is, how well the air conditioning works or maybe even the inflatable driver's seat for comfort. Taking the drive with them allows you to spend more time with them to convince them to make the purchase.

Closing Strategies For Automotive Sales Training

Saturday, 19 November 2011

Retro Leather Jackets - Recreating Automotive Fashion History

Spending the better part of 40+ years with a variety of major fashion retailers, I have learned some certain truths. Along with the inevitability of death and taxes is the truth that , in fashion, what had gone around comes around again. The cycle is usually generational. For some reason, every 40 years the essence of the hot fashion of the time is revived and given the title "Retro". It was only natural, that with the upsurge in Vintage Automobile collecting and racing, some of the hot fashion associated with with the era of the 1960's / 1970's would start showing up about now - and also inevitable that there would be a large appeal to a younger, non automotive related audience.

First comes the fabric. Leather jackets have always been cool, but when worn by Marlon Brando and his motorcycle gang, Jimmy Dean in his Porsche 550, Steve McQueen "The King of Cool" in the Great Escape - "cool" had a new meaning. Leather in jackets relating to automobiles, modern and vintage, is back with a vengence. Next comes the style. When I was buying jackets back in the late 60's / early 70's there was one style designed for "cool " drivers and its generic name was the descriptive name of the company - "Style Auto". Literally thousands of dozens of this style in a variety of fabric were made. It's baaaack.

Automotive

Tony "a2z racer" Adamowicz, working from his original 1970 collection of jackets has produced and is marketing an improved retro Top Grain Leather Jacket that captures the essence of the original. Perfect for both the new and old Porsche, Corvette, BMW, Shelby Mustang GT500, etc. Tony, who just had a podium finish at Infineon Raceway in his 40 year old 1969 F5000 Championship car, said that he will also be designing this Satin Lined, Leather Jacket in other fabrics including Corduroy and Nylon Cire. Tony plans to be styling in his vintage Datsun 240Z. I plan to follow suit in my 65 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce. Niche market to mainstream continues to be the mantra for retro design.

Retro Leather Jackets - Recreating Automotive Fashion History

Friday, 18 November 2011

Automotive Carbon Fiber Use

Carbon Fiber has become a popular tool in the customization of cars in the last decade. Vehicles all over the world have begun to see the benefits of utilizing quality carbon fiber. There is no doubt that as time goes on, more and more vehicles will be seen sporting this lightweight and strong material. And the trend is not just with customized vehicles. Auto manufacturers are using this material in creation of their higher end sports cars and exotics.

There was times when it was tremendously expensive. New technologies, popularity, and better production methods have lowered the cost of production and ultimately the end price for the consumer in recent years. It is now affordable to almost everyone. And if your thinking that the price of a product is too expensive for your needs, consider the amount of gas money you will save in the long run after you add carbon fiber products to your car. They are light in weight. Reducing the overall weight of your vehicle is a great way to conserve gas, saving money after years of driving.

Automotive

One item for autos that makes use of of this great invention is the Carbon Fiber Hood. This product benefits your vehicle for many reasons and should be considered as one of the first mods to be accomplished when hooking up your new vehicle. These Hoods can be found on the internet at great prices. There are several online retailers who offer custom hoods from many different manufacturers. You can get these hoods for virtually any year, make, and model of vehicles.

Automotive Carbon Fiber Use

Thursday, 17 November 2011

How to Choose a Vacuum Pump for your Automotive Shop

A vacuum pump has several uses for the auto air conditioning mechanic and automotive shop. The main purpose of a vacuum pump is to remove air and moisture from your automobile air conditioning system. Moisture is a serious threat to your car's air conditioning system. Moisture will move through the refrigerant line as fine mist and crystallize wherever it expands. Also, when moisture mixes with refrigerants it will become extremely corrosive. You won't notice this damage until it's too late. A vacuum pump removes moisture by creating a vacuum in the air conditioning system. The low pressure will boil off the moisture at very low temperatures. This will vaporize the water and vent it out through the system.

Now the next issue is what is the best type and size of vacuum pump to use. First, there are 2 types you will come across. The cheapest is a venturi type vacuum pump that runs from your shop air compressor. Venturi pumps are popular with the home mechanic crowd since they are cheap and easy to use. However, they are limited by the fact that they it is very hard to boil off much moisture with one of these types of vacuum pumps. They just will not pull a good a vacuum as you need. The best and most common vacuum pumps that are found in a professional auto shop is a good electric vacuum pump. Every professional air conditioner mechanic and auto shop have at least one. You now have to decide what make and model to purchase or rent. Most vacuum pumps have a CFM rating on the box. This indicates how much air volume the pump can remove from the system. The more air the pump can move, the quicker it will achieve the proper vacuum.

Automotive

There is also two stage and single stage pumps. Also, the two stage pumps are quicker and more efficient, but a single stage will get the job done. If you are using a vacuum pump on a passenger car up to 10 tons, a 1.2 cfm pump will work fine. If you are working on a air conditioning system in a large truck or RV, you will probably need to move up to a 4 cfm model. Now that you have chosen the proper vacuum pump for your automotive shop, you will need to properly maintain this piece of equipment. The main thing is to change the vacuum pump oil frequently. You should immediately change the oil if:

1. You have just evacuated an air conditioning system that was contaminated with moisture.

2. The air conditioner had a compressor burnout and evacuated the system.

3. The vacuum pump oil looks "cloudy" or "milky"/.

4. Your vacuum pump will not pull the factory rated micron range.

How to Choose a Vacuum Pump for your Automotive Shop

Wednesday, 16 November 2011

Automotive Engineering Jobs

Knowledge Requirements
Automotive engineering encompasses mechanical and structural engineering and requires those working within the field to apply the principles of several scientific disciplines. These include physics, structural design, and materials analysis. Automotive engineering jobs also require a strong understanding of manufacturing principles and mechanical system design and operation methods.

These engineers may also need to be knowledgeable in several other areas of engineering, including safety, power, electronics, and software. Many engineers working in the automotive field will specialize in a particular area, allowing them to become experts in their realm. This often results in higher pay and better job security.

Automotive

Project Leaders
Some of the most well educated, experiences, and skilled automotive engineers are those who are able to oversee projects in new business or product development. These automotive engineering jobs are responsible to leading a design, engineering and manufacturing team that take new products from conceptualization through production. Such engineering roles are highly compensated in the marketplace and also require candidates to have strong "soft" skills in addition to technical know-how.

Communication and leadership are among the soft skills necessary for engineers to be successful in overseeing team-based automotive engineering development projects. While the job market is jam packed with highly skilled technical engineers, it is a wide open playing field for those with a more well-rounded skill set.

Specialties in the Field
There are a number of specialized automotive engineering jobs to be found in the field. These positions may focus on a particular kind of system, structure or function of vehicles, or it may be a certain subset of vehicles.

For example, an automotive engineer may specialize in the design of vehicle bodies, in which case he or she would be required to possess superior knowledge of structural design principles. Or, the engineer may specialize in the development of guidance or navigation systems, in which case he or she would need to be quite knowledgeable in computer science and software applications.

Those engineering jobs that specialize in vehicle subsets may include the design, development, and manufacture of passenger or commercial, land-based transportation vehicles. The engineer may be an expert on passenger or transportation trains, motorcycles, school or public transit buses, passenger cars, or military transport vehicles.

Regardless of the area in which the engineer specializes, he or she may also be an expert within that particular subsector of the automotive engineering field. This means that there are highly knowledgeable engineers who are able to design and develop new components, structures and systems for a specific kind of vehicle. For example, there are automotive engineering jobs that work only with the guidance systems found in military transport vehicles.

Automotive Engineering Jobs

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Car Lifts, Truck Lifts, Automotive Lifts & Motorcycle Lifts - How to Choose the Best Type For the Jo

Automotive lifts, including car lifts, truck lifts, or motorcycle lifts, are a vital piece of equipment in any garage. In fact, you can get one for your home garage or commercial repair shop to raise almost anything with wheels, in almost any configuration, but you'll need to choose wisely. Each model is designed specifically to hold a certain type of vehicle, and if you ignore this fact, it can be dangerous or even deadly.

Before you choose one, take some time to get familiar with the many different types of hoists and their features. This will make it easy for you to find the one that works the best for the job you have in mind and keep you safe at the same time.

Automotive

Types Of Car Lifts, Automotive Lifts, Truck Lifts & Motorcycle Lifts
The type of auto lift you need will depend on the vehicle you'll be working on, how often you'll use it, where you'll be using it, and how much space you have available. Once you know that, you can match your needs to one of the available types, which include:

o Mechanical Styles -- Also called a manual jack, this style raises and lowers with the use of a pedal, handle, pins, screws, or bolts. They are often found in smaller hoists including motorcycle and utility lifts. o Hydraulic Automotive Lifts -- This method compresses a special liquid and uses a pump to force it through cylinders. This gives it added safety while making them easy to use.

o Electric/Hydraulic Truck & Car Lifts -- This style has added stability and security while ensuring the entire system works quickly and smoothly.

o In Ground or Pit Models -- Best used when space is at a premium and you need convenience, this style sits into the floor allowing you to drive the vehicles on and off. They run on hydraulics or electric/hydraulic systems, so they're easy, fast and can move a decent amount of weight.

o Portable Automotive Lifts -- If you travel frequently and need something you can take with you, these smaller versions are hassle-free regardless of the style you choose. o Air Powered Models -- Generally reserved for motorcycle lifts and small utility/recreational vehicle lifts, you simply have to hook this style up to an air compressor to raise and lower the hoist.

Features Of Each Type Of Car Lift, Automotive Lift, Truck Lift & Motorcycle Lift
Once you know what type of car lifts will work best for you, take a closer look at the details to decide which one would be the best purchase. Automotive lifts for trucks and cars come in several main styles:

o Two Post Car Lifts -- Great for home garages, this style takes up very little space and comes in two different styles: Symmetrical, which has two posts across from each other to center the weight (better for vehicles heavier in the rear), and asymmetrical, which holds the weight toward the front leaving room to access the interior of the vehicle.

o Four Posts Models -- With a sturdier build, the four post style remains stable even under a heavier load and make it easy for you to drive the vehicles directly onto it.

o Scissor Styles -- While unsuitable for permanent storage, they are ideal for a home garage. Both professionals and avid DIYers prefer this style for the increased access to the undercarriage and the ability to hold larger vehicles like buses.

o Low-Rise Models-- These have a dropped crossbar and low profile to prevent body damage and give you the room you need to work.

o Pit Hoists-- Whether you have a pit or want to save space, pit style automotive lifts make quick lube and tire rotation a breeze. With no cross bar, you have plenty of room to work. Portable or permanent mount, you decide.

When you need to store a vehicle, you need a model with stable and secure construction. Two automotive lifts that are ideal for storage include:

o Single Post Car Lifts -- Suitable for cars, trucks, boats, and recreational vehicles, this style's single-armed, wide platform is mounted for long-lasting stability.

o Two Post Car Lifts -- With no anchoring or mounting, you can double your storage wherever there's a concrete floor. The sturdy platform safely holds vehicles and keeps the entire undercarriage protected.

Larger vehicles like tour buses are tough, but they still require maintenance. Therefore, you'll need a heavy-duty mobile column truck lift that can handle the weight and give you enough clearance to work comfortably. These easily lift approximately 64,000 pounds in as little as a minute and have added security, locks, and stabilization.

If you'll be doing a lot of alignments, consider a two post, four post, or scissor alignment lift with an open front and clear center. Lawn maintenance and utility vehicles require a special turf equipment lift that will give you space and be fully adjustable to fit almost anything you can park on it.

Motorcycle lifts are available in several different styles, but use very little space and are very portable. While some use a pedal, others are air powered, or use a combination of electricity and hydraulics to raise the platforms.

Automotive lifts come in all different configurations, and choosing the right one will make a world of difference when it comes to actually doing the repairs. Simply match the right piece of equipment to the right job and you'll discover just how quick and easy repairs can be.

Car Lifts, Truck Lifts, Automotive Lifts & Motorcycle Lifts - How to Choose the Best Type For the Jo