Summary: Headlight restoration kits reviewed for clearing up yellow hazy headlights. Restore head lights to clear condition for safety and better appearance.

We recently had a customer that owns a car wash purchase 100 of Bright Solutions Headlamp Restoration kits. This of course peaked our interest and we had to ask ourselves the question. “Why would a car wash business purchase so many of these kits?” Obviously they were impressed with the performance of the product. Pictures are worth a thousand words, that’s why in this article we’ve decided to let them do most of the talking. Below we show before and after pictures of our test run with this product .Our test subject is a 1997 Saturn with 139,000 miles on it. The headlights are yellow and hazy.

The first step is to determine how severe the weather damage is to the lenses. If there are no visible scratches, the kit can be used without the use of the sandpaper squares. Regardless of how bad the condition is, wet sanding will speed up the process.

The product claims there is enough product in this kit to restore one car’s headlights. This is true, but if a person was willing to go to a local parts store and purchase some additional fine grit sand paper and towels, the kit could be stretched to work on several cars. There is enough pretreatment, cleaner and restorer to work on more than one vehicle.

Cleaning
1. Remove all the contents of the package. Select one of the towels and fold in quarters. Thoroughly shake the Bright Solutions water based pretreatment before applying to the towel. Saturate the towel with the water based pretreatment and clean the entire lens with a circular motion. Continue cleaning and flipping the towel using all surfaces. This should start to reveal a clearer lens just in the first step.

Sanding
2. Use the plastic bubble packaging to hold water for the wet sanding process. Start with wet 1500 grit sandpaper moving back and forth in a straight motion (not circular). Next use the the 2000 grit sandpaper in the same manner.

Polishing
3. Using a clean towel use the shaken bottle of headlamp cleaner. Polish the entire lens with a circular motion. Once the lens appears highly polished, use a clean towel to remove remaining polish as if buffing a car’s surface.

Shine Restorer/Preserver
4. Out of direct sunlight, apply a liberal amount of shine restorer across the lens avoiding runs. Apply wet and allow to dry. Multiple coats can increase shine and protective properties. For the manufacturers directions see the pdf manual page 1 and page 2.

Conclusion: The Bright Solutions headlamp restoration worked well, it definitely worked as advertised. For headlights that are badly pitted, a more aggressive type restoration system may be required like the 3M Headlight Restoration kit that uses an electric drill. We also have a Professional Headlamp Restoration Kit with Air Tools for automotive repair and car detailing businesses that want to increase revenue by adding this valuable service (this kit pays for itself quickly).

Please reference this auto repair article when quoting, linking to this page is welcomed and appreciated. If you are new to linking a page. 1. Left click the link; http://www.denlorstools.com/autoblog/2009/08/headlight-restoration-review-cleaner-for-yellow-head-lights/ to highlight 2. Right click, select copy 3. Right click and paste to forum, blog web page etc. Thanks! Disclaimer: Auto repair information/tips are designed for informational purposes only, without warranty of any kind, in no event shall the author of this site be liable for any consequential, incidental or direct damages sustained in the course of using the information in this article.

Tags: Headlight, Restoration, Review, Cleaner, for, Yellow, Head, Lights

Image courtesy of TitanTalk.com

The Internet has many oil leak stories from customers that have had bad experiences at Jiffy Lube and other auto repair shops throughout the country. Sometimes the oil leak is due to an inexperienced oil lube tech making a rookie mistake, like double gasketing a filter. Another common mistake is not cleaning the mating surface of the gasket or using the incorrect oil filter to begin with. These can be horror stories no matter which end of the spectrum you are positioned in. It’s horrible public relations for any repair shop to have a previous patron telling everyone who will listen, how awful their experience was. In their mind if the repair shop was the last one to touch their car, they MUST be responsible! Sometimes this is the case, but other times the repair shop is NOT at fault. The following is what happened several years ago when a customer had his car towed to us after all the oil leaked out, following a Jiffy Lube oil change.

The car was brought in on the hook with no oil. After adding oil and briefly starting the engine, oil streamed from the base of the filter. My first thought was that it must have a double gasket. To my surprise the oil filter was tight and there was only one gasket. It was too late for the engine though, it obviously had severe top and bottom end damage. After pricing a used engine replacement for the customer, they were determined to have Jiffy Lube pay the bill. To make a long story short, a hearing was scheduled and I was subpoenaed. I really didn’t know the cause of failure , I could only assume since the filter was the correct one, it was tight and there was no double gasket, there must have been dirt on the mating surface. I reluctantly went to court for the hearing. I must say, Jiffy Lube was very professional and was able to provide a very reasonable explanation for the problem. The lesson that they provided that day is what I want to pass along to other repair shops that may be accused wrongly of faulty work or using an inferior or incorrect oil filter when doing an oil change. 

A little exaggerated, the end of the filter can round with excessive pressure. 

I recommend that all shops that routinely do oil changes bookmark this page in case they are ever faced with this situation. After-all, auto repair shops get a bad rap too often and are usually assumed guilty until proven innocent. The pdf linked here along with a diagram, shows what happens when there is excessive pressure from a stuck oil pressure regulating valve. This document along with a damaged filter (one that shows signs of bulging) can be enough evidence in court to prevent a verdict that would require the shop to replace an engine. Note that canister type oil filters, regardless of which brand, always have a flat portion on the end. If exposed to too much oil pressure, the flat portion will bulge and make the filter more rounded on the end. If an oil filter cannot be placed on the surface of a level table without tipping over, it has been exposed to too much pressure. The technical service bulletin I’m talking about is provided by filtercouncil.org  – TSB 83-1R2.

One final note, I’ve never personally used oil filter wrenches to tighten an oil filter. I’ve always justed tightened them by hand, but here is another interesting TSB regarding using filters that have either been dropped and dinged or that might have creases from someone thats gone a little crazy using a wrench to tighten a filter.

Tags: Oil, Filter, Leaks, After, Oil, Change, TSB, for, Excessive, Pressure

Courtesy of Brainstuck.com

Big three auto makers bubble is soon to burst, the question is should the Government bail them out? What is the best tool to use when it comes to their situation? What would your grandparents suggest? And what guarantee do we have that they won’t come back again later knocking on our door, begging for money like a drug addict in the middle of the night. What remains obviously apparent is that without bankruptcy, the big three will not be able to re-negotiate their obligations with the unions. No doubt, the unions have done their job of getting every dollar that they could for their members. The problem is, they may have just priced themselves out of a job.

Question: Should the US Government bail out the big three or should we let them go bankrupt?

Answer:In my opinion, rather than you and me (the US Government) borrowing money from the Chinese and writing the big three a check, we should let them clean up their own mess. After-all, unless they undergo some major restructuring, they are likely to be back asking for more money later, unless the market makes an unbelievable turnaround.

Question: What about all the jobs that would be lost if we allow GM and the others to go under?

Answer: It wasn’t the end of the world, when AMC (American Motors Corporation) went out of business. My guess is, that the Japanese car companies that have manufacturing plants in the US (and by the way are not struggling like the American companies) will take up the slack. They may take up the slack by simply increasing their market share or by some sort of takeover. Either way American jobs will still be here in one form or another.

Oh yeah, this is an automotive tool blog tailored to the automotive repair industry, this is how this ties in. No matter what the outcome, we are heading into some hard times. The good news for auto technicians is that there will be more people keeping their cars longer, insuring more repairs will be needed. Auto repair shops that are ready to provide dependable service are likely to benefit. Automotive repair shops must also be financially sound, with little debt so that they will be around and have the staying power required. I predict that automotive tool sales will increase on the Internet compared to tool truck sales. This makes the most sense, because of the lower overhead, on-line merchants are able to provide many of the same namebrand automotive tools that the tool trucks provide at a much lower cost. Try this. The next time you step onto the tool truck and see a brand we carry, for example an OTC Genisys Scan Tool or an SK wrench set. Write the product number down and search our site for a comparison price. Many times you’ll find up to a 50% difference in price.

What’s your thoughts on the bailing out the car manufacturers and other industries that may follow suite?

Tags: Big, Three, Bubble, To, Burst, Bailout, Bankruptcy, Best, Tool, industries

Photo coutresy of Nashville City Paper

Dave Ramsey is becoming more and popular these days, especially with the troubling financial times we are finding ourselves in. Dave Ramsey is a financial expert and writer, his most popular book is called The Total Money Makeover. He’s earned the title of financial guru by learning the hard way about finances and the risk of going head over heals in debt. Dave was leveraged in real estate investments to the tune of four million dollars over twenty years ago. As fate would have it, he lost it all when his short term loans were sold and the new banks demanded payment before it was possible for Dave to deliver. This experience has caused Dave to change his thinking on loans and personal finance. He now advises people to pay debt off and cut up the credit cards. I personally like his country boy, down to earth, shoot it to you straight mentality. Dave Ramsey reminds me of a teacher that I had back in high school. Frank Gentry, my old marketing teacher, had a similar laid back teaching style. Dave Ramsey’s lessons encourage you to think and grow. Few teacher’s names are remembered years later in life unless they have truly affected your way of thinking and how you view opportunites. Dave, like my old marketing teacher is definitely a “glass is half full” type of guy. If your sick and tired of living your life “pay check to pay check”, then you’ll definitely want to listen to what Dave has to say.

I’m no Dave Ramsey, but I can tell you that for over twenty years that I turned wrenches I never owed money to Snap On, Matco or any other tool trucks. No doubt, the tool trucks are definitely convenient, but as with many convenient products, like the ones offered at corner stores, a premium price is paid. My advice to anyone in the automotive repair industry, is to shop on-line to find many of the same auto tools that the tool trucks offer, at a huge savings (many times up to 50% off). Start by paying off the tool truck if you owe him money. Once you’re able to pay for the tools you need as you go, you’ll be keeping a lot more of your hard earned paycheck. Dave advises to get rid of all credit cards once they are paid off. I think that if used wisely though, credit cards are OK. In fact, if you own a shop and are able to use a credit card for purchasing parts from your vendors, it could even be profitable. For instance, say you buy $25,000 worth of parts in a month with a credit card that pays you back 1%. That means you will earn $250 for using the bank’s money. The catch would be if you fail to pay the balance off on time. Also, details of how interest is figured has to be studied closely. Some credit cards will charge you fees even if the balance is paid off in full every month. I have a Bank of America credit card that is used for the business, I routinely receive $500-750 back in the form of a check. With the economic climate we are heading into, planning is a must and making the best choices on how we spend our money may make the difference between success and failure. If you’re an auto mechanic or a shop owner it may be time for a Total Tool Budget Makeover.

Tags: Total, Tool, Budget, Makeover, Dave, Ramsey, auto, automotive, money, repair,, shop

OTC 6521 Smoke Machine – Auto Specialty Tool

OK, so this smoke machine is an automotive specialty tool for Evaporative leak testing and not the type of smoke machine your kids will be wanting for Halloween. But, we have a great deal on the OTC 6521 smoke machine and decided to add it to our first annual Halloween, automotive tool sale. It’s on sale with free shipping and no sales tax charged outside the state of Florida (see current listing).

Engine Fault codes like P0440, P0442, P0455, P0456 and P0457 can be caused by EVAP system leaks. And for those pesky Evaporative codes, nothing beats having the right tool for the job. Leaks are the most common cause of EVAP codes and if it’s not just a loose gas cap, the OTC 6521 will provide a quick easy way to find the source of the leak.

Vacuum Leaks can also be traced easily with the OTC 6521 smoke machine. Fault codes for lean conditions like P0172 and P0174 are typically due to a vacuum leak. If the vacuum leak isn’t a huge obvious hissing leak, then a quick smoke check with the OTC6521 smoke machine will make short work of finding the source of the problem. Just remove any engine vacuum line and block off the throttle body and the smoke will reveal the leak.

Smoke Testing directions using the smoke machine can be viewed in much more detail in our exclusive tech article. The adapter cones that come with this smoke machine will allow much versatility when attaching the machine. Exhaust leaks are easy to find by using one of the included cones to attach to the tail pipe (after the car has cooled off). This is a particularly good test when a cracked exhaust manifold is suspected. So, why not consider a smoke machine for year round use? This smoke machine not only makes smoke, it makes money!

Tags: OTC6521, OTC, smoke, machine, OTC, 6521, Halloween, Tool, Sale, automotive, auto, specialty, evaporative, leak, testing, evap, test, codes

This Bearly Used Grizzly Grinder was for sale recently – Classified Site 

Back in the early eighties when I first started working on front wheel drive cars, the Goodyear shop that I worked at got one of these Grizzly Grinders (sold by Bear). It was the newest best way at the time, to sort of machine rotors on the vehicle when doing a brake job. Actually it didn’t really machine the brake rotors, it would grind them. The Grizzly Grinder only worked on front wheel drive vehicles, since there was no built in motor to spin the rotors. The Grizzly Grinder was bolted on where the caliper goes, the grinding discs were adjusted and then you would run the car in drive trying to maintain around 35 miles per hour! Metal would fly and you’d better be sure you’ve got it adjusted right or the rotors would be ground unevenly in a hurry. This was definitely a job you didn’t want the customer to watch.

Ammco Brake Lathes.  Some brand names make you automatically think of certain products. Ammco is one of those brands that makes one thing come to mind…brake lathes. Ammco is one of the oldest and best known names in brake lathes and by far has more brake lathes in use today than any other manufacturer. Ammco was founded in 1922 and has an excellent reputation among professional auto technicians.

Not just Hondas.  For several years there were some Honda cars that had rotors that were not easily removable from the hub. Sometimes bearing damage would occur when using the slide hammer to separate the rotor from the hub. Even if the bearings were not damaged, since the rotor was being machined without the hub, accuracy was sacrificed. That is one reason in the past that many repair shops wanted on the car brake lathes.  

Preferred Method.  Due to possible variances in the car’s hubs, on the car brake lathes are the preferred way to machine rotors on any car today. When the rotor is machined off the vehicle no allownces are figured in for possible hub run-out. When using an on the car brake lathe, the run-out is checked before the machining begins. This insures the most accurate cut is obtained. When comparing on the car machining to turning rotors on a conventional brake lathe, the on the car brake lathe always yields better results, with a much higher likelihood that the rotors will not become warped as quickly over time.

I’m not sure when Bear stopped making the Grizzly Grinder, but I am sure that my Grizzly Grinder experience  is better left, somewhere back in the 80’s…

Tags: brake, lathe, ammco, Bear, turning, machining, brakes, on, the, car

Some of our most requested tools lately has been specialty tools for aligning cams and cranks for timing chain alignment. In the past changing a timing chain or timing belt only required basic tools to get the job done. The camshaft and crankshaft sprockets only went on one way due to the design that used a key-way which only allowed the pulley to go on one way. Alignment marks for the cam and crank were aligned per directions from the service manual. Now many engines have no key-way and the pulleys are pressed on. Since the key-way is not used in increasing number of vehicles, specialty automotive tools are required to properly Align the cam and crank.

Looking for the Marks.  Many auto mechanics, when changing a timing chain in the past could just look for the timing marks and not even have to look up the timing mark diagram in the service manual (me included). It was pretty simple, bring the number one cylinder to top dead center and look for the obvious timing marks. Most of the time there was only the crank and only one camshaft to deal with and the pulleys went on one way. Times are changing.   

European Influence.  In the past, most of the vehicles that did require specialty cam/crank holders and line-up tools were Volkswagen’s, BMW’s and Volvo’s. More cars sold in the US are using European designed or influenced engines. They are not as easy to work on, some have VVT (Variable Valve Timing), SOHC (Single Over Head Cam), DOHC (Double Over Head Cam) engines that aren’t nearly as simple. Now with American cars using more engine designs from overseas, auto technicians are finding that the old familiar timing marks that were stamped on the timing covers or pulleys are now gone.

Ford Explorer.  One very popular engine that requires cam and crank alignment tools is the German built 4.0 SOHC that is used in Ford Explorers from 1997 and up. Rotunda has been selling specialty tools for years that are used for holding the proper alignment of the cams and crank, since the pulleys can be pressed on in any position. There are eight tools required to align and hold everything in place when aligning the crank and cams. As with many Ford Rotunda specialty tools, once they have been the exclusive supplier of specific dealer required tools for a certain period of time, they start selling these auto tools under the OTC (Owatonna Tool Company) label. The above mentioned Rotunda equivelant auto tools are in a kit, the OTC6488-OCDEM.

All Makes.  Ford is not the only manufacturer that uses European designed engines that require these specialty tools. Chevrolet and Chrysler also have gone with import designs for their engines as well. Alignment tools required for Chrysler are usually labeled Miller specialty tools and Chevrolet required specialty tools are usually labeled as Kent Moore. Rotunda, Miller, Kent Moore and OTC specialty tools along with many other brand names are all under the SPX Corporation (Sealed Power Corporation) umbrella.

Professional Repairs.  Since there are many different specialty tools required for changing timing chains or aligning the old timing chain after having a cylinder head off, this precludes many DIY’s (Do It Yourselfers) from tackling this type of job. This is good news for professional auto repair shops that are willing to invest in the specialty tools required to repair these engines. For the well equipped auto repair shop, there will be no shortage of repair work in the future.

Tags: timing, chain, alignment, Lining, Up, Cams, Cranks, camshaft, crankshaft, Special, Auto, Tools, specialty, OTC, OTC6488

OTC (Owatonna Tool Company) is a very large tool company as you may already know. OTC’s tool line includes hand tools, shop equipment and diagnostic scan tools. The OTC Genisys scan tool has been a very popular choice in auto scan tools for many years, but now Pegisys is staged to be OTC’s next generation of automotive diagnostic scan tools. Genisys is still a very good scan tool and will continue to be very popular due to it’s much lower cost and it will continue to be supported by OTC. OTC has many automotive code readers, scan tools and diagnostic tools. OTC currently has the OTC 3499 (no fancy name), the Nemisys, the Genisys and now the Pegisys. The Pegisys has AirBridge technology which allows wireless communication with the vehicle and the Internet. I suppose there is a correlation between the Pegisys and Pegasus, Pegasus is a winged horse in classical mythology and is also a northern constellation between Cygnus and Aquarius. It represents the freedom of the wireless capability that allows the auto tech to move around the vehicle when performing diagnostic tests. Auto scan tools normally have an interface cable that keeps the tech in the seat or requires the cable to be draped through the door or window to reach the engine compartment. 

Pegisys has a touch screen. In addition to being able to use the scroll to change frames when using the scan tool, the Pegisys allows the user to make selections right on the touch screen. Everyone knows that guys are “visual” creatures. So, what better way for a guy to find the application he wants than to just touch the image on the screen?

OTC 3825 equipped with a scope.  Sometimes when testing a particular component on a car, a scope is needed to see the wave patterns to help detect momentary glitches. This is particularly helpful when testing sensors like the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor).

Updates through the Internet. The Pegisys comes with a one year subscription that starts when the tool is registered for warranty on the Pegisys website. It comes with USA Domestic and Asian software and even has OBD I and OBD II cables included. Optional software enables the Pegisys to be used on European vehicles and Heavy duty truck applications.

OTC also produces car dealer specific diagnostic scan tools like the Tech 2 Scan tool for Chevrolet. While the Tech 2 has programming/flashing capability it is limited to GM. The key to the Pegisys scan tool is that it has the capability to access many different makes and many systems. This makes the OTC Pegisys a good choice for repair shops that need to service many different makes and models. With access to the Internet, technicians can also easily find more information from Identifix an optional data base that has fixes that auto techs in the real shop environment have uploaded. Indentifix can of course be accessed without the Pegisys, but with the wireless Internet it just makes it very convenient.

Tags: New, OTC, Diagnostic, Scan, Tool, Pegisys, wireless, automotive, auto

Has a slowing economy along with climbing gas prices affected auto repair shops for better or for worse?

As gas prices increase along with almost everything else, most people will inevitably be keeping their cars longer and that means more vehicles with more repair needs.  But, does that mean automotive repair shops will have an influx of work to do?  That depends…

Shops rely on people to bring in their vehicles for oil changes where they hope to find additional auto repairs that will help them turn a profit.  However, with tougher economic times encroaching, many people who would normally bring their vehicle in for a simple oil change will be choosing instead to change the oil themselves and save a few dollars.  People will be more willing to drive their vehicle without air conditioning or take the rise of not getting extensive brake work as long as the vehicle “stops”.  Bare minimum crucial fixes combined with a hope-for-the best mentality will keep many repair shop’s profits down.

On the flip side, because more people are driving older vehicles, many are making repair purchases with more of a preventative mentality by keeping their car in good working order so it will “last”.  So although there might be less work to be had, the shop owner who is able to offer competitive pricing along with having an honest reputation will most likely be the one who drives more people into their shop.

Tags: rising, gas, prices, automotive, repair, industry

Should your car repair business honor aftermarket extended warranty plolicies? If you are willing to process the claims, there is great potenial for additional business to be gained.

Car owners can elect to purchase coverage for mechanical break-downs with some exclusions. Some policies cover drive-train only. Maintenance like oil changes, tires and brake pads and shoes are commonly not covered. But for the average person that wants to budget a set amount for expenses extended warranties make good financial sense. For example, a transmission replacement might cost several thousand dollars. 

Many car buyers get extended warranty coverage when they finance their car at the bank or credit union. The coverage allows the car owner in most cases to choose any licensed auto repair shop. Once the car’s problem has been diagnosed, the repair shop calls the claim in with the repair estimate. When calling the claim in, it’s best to have the cause and correction well documented. Simply stating that a component is “broken” or “no good” will not be enough to get a repair authorization. In some cases the warranty company may send an inspector to verify that the repairs are in fact needed. The inspector will make sure the mileage (stated in the policy) has not been exceeded, check for impact damage and take some digital pictures to email to the warranty company. Once the warranty company approves the work, the repair is performed, the customer pays a deductible and the extended warranty insurance company pays the balance. 

Yes, dealing with a warranty company can be somewhat of a hassle, but it can also be very lucrative. Since the customer only pays a deductible, it may be easier to get large repairs approved with a customer that has extended warranty coverage as opposed to selling the job to a customer that has to pay the entire bill. Many transmission repair shops have been accepting extended warranty insurance on a broader scale for a longer time than most general auto repair shops. Now with rising repair costs for many general repairs and the higher number of cars that have extended warranty coverage, shops are realizing that accepting this coverage can increase their sales drastically. If your company decides to accept extended warranty coverage it can then include this in advertisements and spread the word to customers coming in for regular maintenance. Towing is usually covered as long as the break down was caused by a covered component. Let the potential extended warranty customers know that they can have their car towed to your shop if their car breaks down.

Does your shop already accept extended warranty coverage? Is it worth the time to process the additional paperwork?

Tags: automotive, auto, extended, warranty, insurance, repair, shop, sales