The ‘Other’ Gaskets
Gaskets and seals can be found anywhere two components are joined together and there’s a fluid (or gas) to be contained. As a rule, a “gasket” is used to create a leakproof seal between non-moving...
View ArticleAre You Down with CVT?
When it comes to the continuously variable transmission, or CVT, it seems drivers either love it or hate it. I belong to the former camp. My last two vehicles have had a CVT, and I can’t imagine going...
View ArticleBleeding the Brakes
Bleeding the brakes is a procedure that’s performed to remove air from the system when a component is replaced, and one that’s performed strictly from a maintenance standpoint of flushing or changing...
View ArticleUnderstanding the Emission-Control System
Once hated and touted as “power robbers,” we’ve learned over the years how emission-control systems not only protect our environment, but also how they contribute to the overall performance, economy...
View ArticleA Closer Look at Stabilizer Bars
Stabilizer bars. You may know them as sway bars or anti-sway bars. You may know them as roll bars or anti-roll bars. They’re all the same thing, and it’s generally understood they improve handling …...
View ArticleLitens Campaign Emphasizes Proper Belt-Drive Maintenance
Litens Aftermarket introduced its new “System Reset” campaign, aiming to bring awareness to the importance of proper drive-belt system maintenance. In an effort to educate professional vehicle service...
View ArticleUnderstanding Fuel Injection
Fuel injection is as old as the internal combustion engine itself. However, many of the early systems proved to be somewhat troublesome and quirky. The carburetor, by comparison, was simple and...
View ArticleSelling Underhood Parts for Hybrids
I was young the first time I heard of a hybrid. But it wasn’t a car. It was a tomato my parents were planting in their garden. I couldn’t seem to grasp it. It was a strange word and an idea I didn’t...
View ArticleAP Emissions Is Investing for the Future
Since the 1920s, AP Emissions Technologies has focused on products and people. It started when John Goerlich acquired the patent rights to a muffler company and founded Associated Parts in Toledo,...
View ArticleAI in the Automotive Aftermarket
In the almost 100 years of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC), parent company NAPA and Motion, it has had five CEOs. You can literally count them on one hand. With that brings “an incredibly consistent,...
View ArticleDeer-Collision Season: It’s Bucks vs. Bumpers
As the days grow shorter, the leaves begin to change, and there’s a nip in the air. Deer season has opened in many states, and that means an increase in antlered traffic for those of us on the roads...
View ArticleWinter Vehicle Prep
As we brace for the worst this coming season has to offer, it’s time to get ahead of winter maintenance. Snow tires are one of the more obvious seasonal upgrades, adding a little more stability and...
View ArticleActive vs. Passive Wheel-Speed Sensors
Wheel-speed sensors aren’t new to any of us. They’ve been around for years, and their initial purpose was to provide wheel-speed data to the control unit for the antilock braking system (ABS). Because...
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Stopping Power: Brake Master Cylinders
Brake master cylinders convert the force exerted on the brake pedal into hydraulic force that is transmitted to the individual brake hydraulic cylinders located at each wheel. Their basic operation is...
View ArticleInterpreting Dashboard Warning Lights
Automotive lore calls them idiot lights. For years, critical engine functions were monitored by gauges. Oil pressure, engine-coolant temperature and generator/alternator operation were displayed for...
View ArticleArtificial Intelligence in the Automotive Aftermarket
In the almost 100 years of the Genuine Parts Company (GPC), parent company NAPA and Motion, it has had five CEOs. You can literally count them on one hand. With that brings “an incredibly consistent,...
View ArticleSerpentine Belts Have a Strong Supporting Cast
You might not be able to see it, but an accessory-drive belt is always both speeding up and slowing down. When a piston accelerates downward after the ignition of the fuel and air, the crankshaft...
View ArticleDriveshaft Dynamics
Prior to the mainstream production of front-wheel-drive vehicles and independent rear suspension, the drivetrain on practically every vehicle consisted of a transmission, driveshaft and solid rear...
View ArticleNavigating the Lubricant Labyrinth
Engine oil has become an integral part of automakers’ fuel-economy and emissions strategy, with each company specifying its own unique blend of base stocks and additives to achieve specific goals. The...
View ArticleElectronic Parking Brakes
The success of any new technology is often weighed and determined by the associated pros and cons. In the case of electronic parking brakes (EPB), technology wins, and we’re going to look at why. Of...
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