Major Automotive Service Technician Tools Found In Every Garage

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When embarking on an auto career, the first things you learn are the ins-and-outs of using the most popular industry-standard tools. In addition to these, however, there are other major tools not usually found in the garage of the hobbyist, but are absolute necessities for the automotive service technician. These tools are indispensable to building up your business from the ground-up, or becoming a valued member of a pre-existing team.

Tools You Can’t Do Without

Early in your auto career, you’ll come across the full range of electrical issues with the parts of a vehicle. As such, a voltmeter is an essential piece of diagnostic equipment, which drastically cuts down the amount of time you would otherwise spend trying to find shorted wires and faulty connections. Often sold together, a multi-meter for the checking of amperages is just as important.

Because a busy automotive service technician can easily encounter tens-of-thousands of bolts, screws and holes in a short period of time, you’ll find air-powered ratchets, ball drivers and power drills to be merciful instruments of construction and disassembly. They save your joints from inflammation and injury and allow you to easily tighten and loosen disagreeable bolts and screws.

For big jobs that involve razing down the thick metal of a car, cutting and making adjustments are easily handled by this next popular tool of the automotive service technician: the plasma cutter. Reaching temperatures hot enough to ionize the surrounding air, this is essentially the perfect knife and slices through hardware like butter. The plasma cutter is an indispensable welding tool that will serve you well in your auto career.

A work light is an absolute must. Even during the brightest day, there are nooks and crannies in the back of the garage where darkness dominates, and it is crucial that you see what you’re doing. Work lights come in super-bright halogens and low-energy LEDs, where the lack of an extension cord and power adapter proves handy.

Extensions and swivels are mechanical tools that allow you to reach and manipulate hard-to-reach bolts, which are either deeply-embedded in some corner of the car, or surrounding by too many other machine parts at an awkward angle.

Jacks and jack stands are instruments of dual-importance, so much so that they’re sold as the feature of many starter packages for the beginning auto mechanic. The jack is for removing car wheels safely, by allowing you to slide underneath the multiple-ton vehicle to inspect the underbelly.

These represent just slightly more than a handful of the essential tools you’ll encounter in auto careers, and serve as the bare minimum for a serious mechanic. Vehicles develop all kinds of problems through wear-and-tear, and these tools help you effectively apply your knowledge in finding solutions for satisfied customers as an automotive service technician.

Winkler Automotive Wins Prestigious Customer Service Award

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George Winkler’s goal of providing the area with the most complete and trusted independent automotive repair shop when he opened the doors to Winkler Automotive in 1982 was validated once again with the recent awarding of the “Excellence In Customer Service Award” from the Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association (WMDA).

The prestigious honor, from the region’s primary trade association for the industry, was bestowed upon Winkler and his staff at the organization’s recent Annual Convention & Mega Show in Ocean City, Md.

“This is the biggest honor we have received since we opened 30 years ago, and we couldn’t be more thrilled and proud with the recognition,” said Winkler. “We know the type of customer service we provide, and this is our No. 1 mission, but to be recognized for it is very special, and a tribute to our magnificent staff.”

The honor even attracted interest from Maryland state comptroller Peter Franchot, who personally wrote Winkler a note of congratulations, which read in part “you must be pleased that your work and professionalism have been recognized with this prestigious award.”

Franchot went on to add “you are making a significant contribution to our great state of Maryland and I thank you. As Maryland’s chief regulator of motor fuel and tax collector, I understand the countless contributions that your industry provides to our state and its families.”

Winkler Automotive, located in Gaithersburg at 401 East Diamond Avenue, is AAA approved, and all its technicians exceed rigorous standards to be ASE certified. And Winkler Automotive performs maintenance and repair service on all makes and models, including European, American and Japanese cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and minivans, along with extended warranty work on all.

The Washington, Maryland, Delaware Service Station and Automotive Repair Association, (WMDA) was established in 1937 as a trade association serving independent business men and woman of service stations, repair facilities, convenience stores, and other related businesses. WMDA provides automotive and management educational training programs throughout the year for owners, managers and technicians with the primary objective of innovating and educating.

The WMDA award now hangs proudly in the waiting room of Winkler Automotive, and also serves as a reminder to the Winkler staff of its commitment to customer service.

“I always stress to my staff to put themselves in our customer’s shoes,” noted Winkler. “People trust us, and when it comes to having your car serviced, that’s most important.”

About Winkler Automotive
Winkler Automotive of Gaithersburg is an AAA approved and ASE certified auto repair shop now celebrating its 30th year. Since 1982, Winkler Automotive has been committed to providing the best, most honest and most reliable car care service in the area, offering customers complete satisfaction and one-stop shopping, as well as an alternative to expensive dealerships. Winkler Automotive performs maintenance and repair service on all makes and models, including European, American and Japanese cars, trucks, SUVs, vans and minivans, while extended warranty work is also accepted. For more information and web specials, visit www.WinklerAutomotive.com, or call (301) 258-2774 and ask for owner George Winkler.

The Benefits Of Motorcycle Windshields

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When youre out on the road do you have to deal with flying objects hitting you in the chest, bugs hitting your face, or do you have trouble steering because of high wind force? If you do, then you might want to think about purchasing a motorcycle windshield for your bike.

One of the biggest benefits of motorcycle windshields is blocking gusty winds that can often times make a trip more uncomfortable than it should be. Winds can be distracting to riders which can take away from the attention that they should have on their driving skills.

Another huge benefit of motorcycle windshields is the fact that they can block flying dirt and debris and prevent flying items from hitting the rider. Its very common to see pebbles or rocks bouncing around on the road because of gravelly road shoulders, and when rocks get rolling down the road there is the chance that they can bounce up and hit motorcycle riders. Windshields help deflect them so they do not hit riders while driving.

Also, motorcycle windshields can block bone chilling winds that are often experienced in the cooler riding seasons. If you want to experience the most comfortable ride when it comes to temperature, then you can install one that is tall enough so it can block all of the wind that would normally hit you and penetrate your clothing.

When a motorcycle does not have a windshield installed, then the rider will feel the force of the blowing winds directly on him when he is riding down the road. The winds will attempt to push him back on the motorcycle, so the rider will have to use extra strength and energy to hold onto the handlebars and not be blown off. Motorcycle windshields can block the wind and keep the pressure off of the rider, which will make it easier to handle the bike.

How to install throw over saddlebags on your motorcycle

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This article specifically for Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycles it also applies other motorcycles

We sell a great line of quality bargain priced motorcycle saddlebags in various styles that fit a huge number bikes. About once a day I get an email asking about fitting the bags on a specific bike.

Before we start let’s make sure they will fit:

Let’s assume you are interested in some of my great leather throw-overs that measure: 14″ WIDE X 7″ THICK X 11″ TALL

This means that each bag is 14 inches long (measured horizontally), seven inches thick and 11 inches tall (measured vertically)

First Measure from the top of your pipes or chain (if the chain is unguarded), whichever is higher, to the bottom of your seat. You need 12 inches, if the dimension is any less don’t buy the bags they are too tall. Don’t worry about the shocks. Throw overs go over the shocks.

INSTALLING YOUR SADDLEBAGS

1. Remove your seat. Most Sportster motorcycle seats are removed by unscrewing the Philips head screw located at the rear of the seat. Slide the seat forward while lifting up slightly to detach the keyhole bracket from the seat post. Then slide the seat to the rear to detach the seat tongue from the rear tank bracket. The process is the same for solo and two-up seats.

2. The yoke is the part of the bags that fits under the seat. Unlace the yoke, position both bags in the location you want them to stay. Overlap one side of the yoke over the other. Using a marker, mark where the yoke lays over any obstructing hardware and the outline of outer edge of the upper yoke where it overlaps the lower wing of the yoke. Note: The saddlebags typically lay over the shocks. Some saddlebags are supplied with an additional yoke extender to be used with extra -wide bikes. This is typically not needed.

3. Lay the bags out flat, place the yoke over a piece of wood, telephone book or something similar. Line the marks up that you made in step 2. The existing holes work for the vast majority of motorcycles.

If the holes don’t line up, use an awl, ice pick or drill and make about six holes through both pieces of the yoke. Use the piece of leather strip to lace them together.

NOTE: On most motorcycles it is not necessary to make new holes. Some combination of the existing holes should fit.

4. Place the saddlebags on your bike. Reinstall the seat. Use the lower tie downs to secure the bottom of the bags.

5. Give your bike a final safety check. Make sure the seat and saddlebags are secure and the bags cannot come in contact with your wheel, spokes, belt or chain.

As always don’t stab, slice, fold, spindle or mutilate yourself while using sharp instruments!

Achievements In Ford Car Sales

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The auto business handled assorted hardships this preceding year with considerable outstanding car businesses in the USA acquiring economic funds to preserve business. Ford nonetheless, not only triumphed in executing its business free of any outside negotiation, it in fact obtained a great gain in car sales. Lauded for a magnificent assortment of cars, which promote agreeable gas reduction, Ford intends to preserve its goal of unveiling prime caliber, gas efficient cars to nurture this progression.

Different clever proposals have been adapted by Ford to confirm that its car sales can cope proficiently. The main feature is the importance of buyer desires, amenities and boosting consumer affinity. Ford wants to organize this by offering pivotal preferences in its cars that could really magnify the car owners appreciation and so, improve purchaser dependence with regard to Ford cars. Technologically vanguard preferences will make it more difficult for individuals to switch to diverse cars but will in addition attract different buyers for its car sales.

Gas saving and accuracy have continuously been linked with Ford cars and fresh vehicles appear to be becoming imperceptibly more desirable. Ford adeptly attained a portion of the Hybrid industry, a market essentially prevailed over by Prius, a hybrid automobile fabricated by the planets well-established car company Toyota. In spite of being a comparatively modern technology, Ford hybrid car sales improved by just about thirty percent from the prior year.

An essential perspective of the policy relates to the forward-looking entertainment and transmission amenities in the brand new Ford cars. The acclaimed car company comprehends the compulsion to execute different manual activities in the car connected to mobile phones and entertainment and is targeting to come out with stress-free speech identification attributes that will enable you to broadcast directions without removing your hands off the wheel. In spite of fears because of episodes with comparable preceding technology, Ford warrants that their creation will run nicely.

Various protections have moreover been executed to guarantee that the modern specifications will not curb the operator’s security, an added grounds for satisfactory cars sale in the preceding year. For instance, a consumer will be allowed to accept phone dispatches forwarded to them but will by no means be capable of key in a cell phone message when controlling the vehicle. The online gateway is furthermore opened totally when the car is immobile. Protection checks like those indicated are remarkably meaningful to car buyers and in addition markedly raise Fords safety classification.

A myriad of auxiliary preferences are being launched in a phenomenal selection of imminent vehicles. Ford has affirmed that characteristics associated with one car may be communicated to alternative Ford cars by operating flash or SD appliances. Ford appears to be sticking to an expedient procedure to foster car sales in the forthcoming years and with recent, progressive choices not only might it expand its percentage in the trade but certainly grab unusually faithful car buyers.

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