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This newsletter is provided to share information about our users, their shops, automotive industry news, things going on at Mitchell 1 as well as tips for using the OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com products. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, or ideas for what you'd like to see in it, please .
Missed a previous edition or want to read an article again? Just go to the Newsletter Archive page for a list of links to past headlines.
NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Mitchell 1 Introduces ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro
FASTER, EASIER, SMARTER
Mitchell 1 is proud to introduce our new repair information products, ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro. These new products deliver accurate information to help technicians complete their jobs faster, easier, and smarter. Beginning in April, existing OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com subscribers will have the opportunity to upgrade to ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro.
FASTER - eliminating the need for multiple information look-ups. By returning relevant content in one look-up, ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro quickly give the technicians everything they need to complete the job.
EASIER - allowing the technician to effortlessly navigate from procedures to TSBs to specifications to wiring diagrams and more. ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro bring the information to the technicians so they can focus on the vehicle.
SMARTER - intelligently cross referencing components, phrases, and codes in the database. Technicians don't have to know the OEM specific term because ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro will find the information regardless of term entered.
In late 2009, Chrysler made the announcement that the Dodge division would be split into 2 brand names. Dodge car, minivans and SUV models would continue to be sold under the Dodge brand name. The pickup and cab & chassis models would be sold under the RAM brand name. Along with the existing Ram truck models, the 2011 and later Dakota pickup also became a RAM model. For 2012, the Dodge Caravan C/V commercial van becomes the RAM C/V. Chrysler also announced future plans to distribute additional RAM models based on Fiat and Iveco platforms.
When is it a Dodge, and When is it a RAM?
During the 2010 model year there was some confusion during brand names changes to the model line-up. Many of the pickup models were called Dodge Rams. Mitchell 1 started using the RAM brand in its products starting with the 2011 model year. When you select the 2011 model year in OnDemand/ShopKey you will find RAM as a vehicle make. You will not find 2011 and later Dodge built trucks under the Dodge vehicle make they are now under the RAM brand name.
A DSO is capable of doing a lot more than you may think
Motor Age -- Diagnosing drivability problems on today's cars presents several challenges to technicians. Many engine designs are unforgiving of even minor flaws, and are quick to let their driver's know they aren't happy by bucking, spitting, and turning on the Check Engine light. Finding these minor discrepancies takes a trained eye, a little patience, and the right equipment.
One such piece of equipment is the Digital Storage Oscilloscope, or DSO. This modern version of the old big-box engine analyzers many of us grew up with is capable of much more than simply tracing secondary ignition patterns. With the addition of a few accessories, it becomes a powerful and time saving tool that can help you find those minor discrepancies when other diagnostic techniques will not.
Join technical editor Pete Meier as he shares some of those techniques in this month's edition of "The Trainer".
The Drum Brake Wedge Effect
Learning the care and service of drum brakes.
Motor Age -- Stealing a reference from my good friend Richard McCuistian, early braking systems consisted of nothing more formal than a lever that was used to apply a wooden pad against the iron-banded wooden wheel. The first drum brakes were external designs, first appearing around 1899. The man most credited for the invention of the modern automotive drum brake was a Frenchman by the name of Louis Renault, though there are records of similar designs in use before his debut in 1902.
These external designs left much to be desired, as they were exposed to the elements and required frequent servicing. It wasn't long before the braking components were moved to the inside of the drum.
In 1918, Malcolm Loughhead (later to become one of the founders of the Lockheed Aircraft Company) developed a four-wheel hydraulically operated system that made its production appearance on the Duesenberg. The hydraulics, of course, reduced braking effort considerably and the concept was soon adapted by other carmakers.
How Today's Systems Work
While it may, at first, look complicated when you remove the drum and peer inside, drum brake operation is relatively simple and quite interesting. There are variations on the theme, but the essentials are common: Two brake linings (or shoes) pivot at one end and are forced outward at the other by a hydraulic piston (wheel cylinder), bringing the friction material into contact with the inner circumference of the brake drum. Click here to read the complete article at Motor Age Online.
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Would you or one of your techs like to be profiled in the newsletter? How about your shop? We're looking for techs and/or shops to feature in this spot. This is an opportunity to let other techs know about you and your shop. You can share information on what your specialties are, what special conditions you have to deal with in your area, anything interesting about your shop or even what you like to do in your free time.
We will also list your shop's information such as location, phone number, web site, or any other information you'd like to provide.
Send your story and photos for consideration to . Please also include your account number.
Did you know... When you post a tip or question in the OnDemand5/ShopKey5 Live Tips system, there is a spell checker available. It is the right-most button on the tool bar above the text box. Just click the button before you click the post button.
Click here for more hints on using OnDemand5 and ShopKey5.
Mitchell 1 is running a tip contest for a limited time in OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com. Below are the latest winners of the contest. Each of these tips earned the tech a $100 prize. Click the links below to see the complete tips and for more information on how you can enter.
Mitchell 1 and Motor Age Team up on Monthly Tech Tip Contest
FEBRUARY 2012 IS THE LAST MONTH TO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN
NOTE: The following contest is in addition to the contest listed above. Winning tips from the regular contest will automatically be submitted to the Motor Age contest.
"Necessity is the mother of invention," and techs can be real mothers when it comes to inventing ways to make life in the shop easier. Motor Age now gives you the opportunity to share those ideas with your fellow techs with a chance for monthly prizes on its Motor Age Tech Tips page.
Motor Age and Mitchell 1 have teamed up in this monthly contest for our readers. Just fill out this form with your best tech tip. Each month, Motor Age editors will select the best tip and feature it and you in the magazine and online. Not only that, but Mitchell 1 has great prizes for each monthly winner. Readers will choose the grand prize winner at the end of the contest year.
In the shop, it's all about helping your fellow techs earn their livings a little easier, a mission we share with you. Submit your tips today and help out your fellow techs all across the country!
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Mitchell Repair Information Company, LLC. All Rights Reserved. By accessing and using Mitchell Repair's web sites, each user agrees that they have read and agreed to be bound by the Legal Notices governing Mitchell Repair Online. Our Privacy Policy. The Mitchell 1 name is used herein by permission from Mitchell International, which has no ownership interest in Mitchell 1.
Would you or one of your techs like to be profiled in the newsletter? How about your shop? We're looking for techs and/or shops to feature in this spot. This is an opportunity to let other techs know about you and your shop. You can share information on what your specialties are, what special conditions you have to deal with in your area, anything interesting about your shop or even what you like to do in your free time.
When you post a tip or question in the OnDemand5/ShopKey5 Live Tips system, there is a spell checker available. It is the right-most button on the tool bar above the text box. Just click the button before you click the post button.
