Welcome to the OnDemand5.com/ShopKey5.com newsletter.
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
ProDemand™ and ShopKey®Pro Now Available
FASTER, EASIER, SMARTER
ProDemand and ShopKey Pro are now available to all OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com subscribers at no additional charge. For more information and to request ProDemand™ or ShopKey®Pro to be added to your account, click the link below:
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.
Want to know more before you sign up?
Join us at one of our training workshops where we show you how the new product works. Workshops are held twice per day, every weekday at 12pm Eastern/9am Pacific and 5pm Eastern/2pm Pacific. You only need to attend one 45 minute session. Click the appropriate link below to visit our training site and to sign up for a workshop.
ProDemand and ShopKey Pro now include Estimator built right in.
Click here to request access to ProDemand or ShopKey Pro.
Internet Explorer 9 or 10 Compatibility
Before installing or upgrading to Internet Explorer 9 or 10, please read our page of information detailing what to do and issues that may occur with this update. Some users will get IE9 automatically from Microsoft.
Cheap natural gas is leading us to reexamine how America's fleet is fueled.
Tony Martin/Motor Age -- It seems like we've been here before. Natural gas is coming back into focus as a transportation fuel in North America, despite a false start from 20 years ago. There were numerous reasons for it's initial failure, including a lack of fueling infrastructure and less-than-durable natural gas engine technology. While natural gas vehicles (NGVs) have advantages over liquid-fueled vehicles, their disadvantages are not insignificant. So what is different now, and are we witnessing the beginning of a long-term trend?
Worldwide, there are 14.8 million NGVs in operation, but only 112,000 of those travel on American roads. Natural gas is used extensively for heating and power generation in the U.S., but only one-tenth of 1 percent is currently used for transportation. It would seem that NGVs are almost starting from zero in the United States, but the numbers are currently increasing and are projected to continue upwards.
Probably the major driver in the NGVs' recent growth curve is the price difference between gasoline and natural gas. According the federal Department of Energy Clean Cities Alternative Fuel Price Report (July 2012), the national average price for a gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) of compressed natural gas (CNG) is $2.05. This is quite attractive when compared to an average price of $3.52 for a gallon of gasoline, or $3.75 for a gallon of diesel. With the potential for significant fuel cost savings, fleet managers and consumers alike are taking a closer look at natural gas as a transportation fuel.
Advantages of Natural Gas
Natural gas is a fossil fuel, often produced simultaneously with crude oil. However, it is also common for natural gas to be produced by itself as "dry gas." Natural gas is comprised mostly of methane (CH4), which is the simplest and lightest hydrocarbon. Natural gas has varying amounts of methane, but will also contain small amounts of ethane, propane, and butane along with numerous other gases. The rule of thumb is that there should be a minimum of 90 percent methane in the natural gas for it to be considered a high quality vehicle fuel.
A Professional Tire Inspection - The Trainer Video Series
Motor Age -- Often overlooked and often abused, tire condition can make the difference between "safe" and "unsafe".
Tire-related accidents made national headlines in the '90s when Firestone announced a massive recall in the wake of rollover accidents involving SUVs riding on their rubber. Arguably, there was more to the problem than a defective batch of tires and if you've been in this business for even a little while, you know what one contributing factor was already.
Under inflation.
I'm willing to bet that nearly every car you've ever worked on has had at least one tire that was significantly low (more than 10%). Tires that are low on air run hotter than normal and increase the risk of failure. One element of the TREAD Act of 2000 was the requirement that manufacturers develop a means to warn drivers when their tires were dangerously low and TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) was born.
Underinflated tires also have more rolling resistance than those that are properly inflated, impacting emissions and fuel economy. The state of California's Air Resource Board considered it a cause for increased green house gas emissions and enacted a regulation back in September, 2010 requiring shops to check and adjust the pressure on every tire of every vehicle (GVWR of 10,000 pounds or less) they performed any type of work on.
And while under inflation is likely the most common issue you'll find when inspecting your customers tires, there are others you should be aware of. Has the tire been repaired and if so, has the repair been done properly? Are there any visual signs of damage and if so, what caused them? Does the age of the tire make a difference? These topics and more are the subject of January's "The Trainer"!
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.
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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.
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.
