Read Automotive online: December 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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