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Wise Auto Tools: Along with other makes, I've worked on BMW's at Carmax, when I worked first as a reconditioning tech and then later as a retail tech. To beat the book time, I used an air chisel sometimes to help remove old control arm and trailing arm bushings without removing the arms completely from the car. You have to be really careful not to damage the new bushings when installing them. There's also a risk of marring the surface that the bushings press into, especially when using a crude m …

WiseAutoTools presents Part One of our ASE study guide for Heating and Air Conditioning. I passed my first ASE test back in the early 1980s, ultimately becoming an ASE Master Tech. One thing that always frustrated me about the study guides I used was that they never explained the reasoning for the "wrong" answers. To truly learn, I believe it's helpful to know why a particular answer is wrong as well as the correct answer. The correct answers and explanations start in the bottom half of this …

Wise Auto Tools: While there are many practical uses for induction tools in automotive repair and reconditioning, there are also some more creative ways these tools have been used. One of the strangest uses of an induction tool is for removing dents from musical instruments. In one example, a professional saxophone repairman used an induction tool to remove a dent from a saxophone bell. By heating the metal in the area of the dent, he was able to soften the metal and gently massage the d …

Wise Auto Tools: I've written before about the infamous 3.6 produced by Dodge Jeep and Chrysler. If you haven't seen those posts check them out, I'll link them down below. The engineers were definitely looking out for the auto technicians when they designed this one - JOB SECURITY!Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler 3.6 Pentastar Common Problems and Tools We cover a few common problems and tools needed to work on the Pentastar 3.6 engine used in a wide range of Chrysler products today including the Challenger …

Wise Auto Tools: What are smoke machines used for in relation to the automotive repair industry? Smoke machines are commonly used in the automotive repair industry to locate leaks in a vehicle's evaporative emission control (EVAP) system. The EVAP system is responsible for preventing fuel vapors from escaping into the atmosphere and it typically includes components such as the fuel tank, fuel lines, and charcoal canister. When the EVAP system has a leak, it can cause a variety of issues, incl …