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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 .
In this issue:
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.
Access ProDemand or ShopKey Pro Using Your Existing Login
ProDemand and ShopKey Pro are now available to all OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com subscribers using your existing username and password. You no longer need to request an updgrade. It's now easier than ever to start using the new product. Just click the appropriate link below to give the new product a try.
Want to know more about ProDemand or ShopKey Pro?
Join us at one of our training workshops where we show you how the new product works. Workshops are held each week at varying times. You only need to attend one 45 minute session to learn the basics of using the program. There is also a question and answer session at the end to help you with anything else you need to know. Click the appropriate link below to visit our training site and to sign up for a workshop.
Informative ShopConnection blog posts about the new product:
Reserve Your SureTrack™ Username Now
SureTrack adds to the power of ProDemand and ShopKey Pro with an exclusive combination of expert knowledge and detailed parts replacement records, all wrapped in an interactive community. Designed to help automotive shops increase accuracy and efficiency from diagnosis to completed repair, the industry's most comprehensive repair information resource is just a few clicks away.
Since SureTrack is a tool for the individual tech, you will need a separate username and password in order to ask questions, share tips or upload content. It is very easy to set up your SureTrack user account by just launching SureTrack from ProDemand or ShopKey Pro and then clicking the Create Account link at the top of the SureTrack screen. Remember that you can use your existing OnDemand5 or ShopKey5 login to access the new repair programs.
Key Advantages of the SureTrack Community
- Notification system lets you know when someone has replied to your question.
- Easy to find your own content.
- Follow posts and get notified when replies are made.
- Key additional data provided when you search for tips and fixes.
- Ever growing collection of waveform and PID graphs, upload your own too.
- All users who participate must set up a profile. No more anonymous posts.
- Your profile can travel with you if you change shops.
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New Mitchell 1 Shop Connection Blog
Mitchell 1 has a new blog site dedicated to providing the latest updates on our products as well as interesting and informative industry news and stories. Much the same content as you're used to getting here in the OnDemand5/ShopKey5 newsletter but expanded to cover more products.
Contents include:
- Product Highlights
- SureTrack Real Fixes
- Product Update Information
- Product Tips & Tricks
- Quick Product How-To Videos
- Industry News and Insights
- Automotive Repair Articles from Motor Age and Other Sources
- And Much More
Click here to visit the Mitchell 1 Shop Connection blog now.
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Internet Explorer 9 or Newer Compatibility
Before installing or upgrading to Internet Explorer 9 or newer, please read our page of information detailing what to do and issues that may occur with this update. Some users will get Internet Explorer updates automatically from Microsoft.
Click here for more information.
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Keep the 'Cool' in Cooling Systems
Cooling system service fundamentals are unchanging, but the details -- ah, the details.
Dave Hobbs/Motor Age -- Changes in technology for the "David and Goliath" extremes of engines used in both hybrid passenger cars and light-duty diesel trucks definitely will ruin your day if you don't know how they operate. Assuming all coolants are created equal can ruin your day as well. But the encouraging news is there's good money to be made in cooling system repairs.
While oil change and spark plug replacement intervals have gone up over the years, surveys indicate 35 percent of vehicles inspections reveal an improper coolant level, improper coolant mixture or coolant leaks. All of this gives you the green light to sell proper cooling system maintenance and repairs to your customers. Coolant Basics
The center focus on cooling systems always has been the coolant itself. Do you have enough coolant in the system? Are there leaks? What is the freeze protection? Is the coolant in good condition? Those used to be about the only questions regarding coolant, but times have changed.
Generally speaking, ethylene glycol has around 3 percent additives present to prevent corrosion, control pH levels and add color to the coolant. Added to the coolant is, of course, water, which averages around 50 percent of the coolant mix.
Most of us have seen the charts giving a clear picture of the ratio of the concentration of antifreeze vs. water in coolant. As antifreeze concentration goes up, the temperature protection goes up with it until that concentration goes past the 70 percent mark, where the freeze protection is actually reduced.
Testing has been simple, with a hydrometer that checks the specific gravity (and freeze point) of coolant. Hydrometers are cheap -- some even fit in your pocket. But cheap can sometimes be expensive. Laboratory studies indicate that hydrometers can be as much as 23 degrees Fahrenheit off in their measurements for freeze protection.
In recent years, the refractometer has become more popular because it's more accurate (within 1 degree Fahrenheit) and dependable for testing coolant strength to ensure ample freeze protection. They are also compatible for testing both ethylene glycol (EG) and propylene glycol (PG), while the hydrometer measures either one or the other.
Source: Motor Age
A/C Compressor Care And Service - The Trainer Video Series
Motor Age -- Air conditioning systems have come a long way in a short while. Today's systems are more efficient, more durable and more capable of keeping the vehicle's occupants comfortable even in the hottest of our nation's cities. According to a recent report delivered at the annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society's (MACS) training event and trade show earlier this year, compressor failures made up only a small portion of the total a/c system repair business as reported by member respondents.
And while the instances of compressor failures have gone down, other problems in the air conditioning system can put the compressor in jeopardy. Leaks, for instance, will lead to lower refrigerant levels and that can impact compressor lubrication. Clogged condensers may produce excessive heat in the compressor, similar to how a clogged radiator will lead to engine overheat.
Failure to properly repair these problems correctly can also make life harder for the compressor. Overcharging the system with refrigerant, or allowing air to remain in the system when recharging, can cause higher head pressures and heat -- both bad things for the a/c system's heart. Adding too much or too little oil, or overdosing the system with leak detection dyes, can have the same effect as it does on it's gasoline-powered big brother.
Should a compressor fail catastrophically for whatever reason, failure to follow the correct replacement procedures (like getting all the old debris out of the system or adding inline filters as required) will almost assuredly mean that your customer will soon be back with another failed pump.
Yes, compressors on modern cars are robust units that can last the life of the vehicle. But problems in the rest of the air conditioning system and the improper repair of those problems can cause premature, and unnecessary, failure. Making sure the "heart" of your customer's air conditioning system stays healthy is the topic for this month's edition of the Motor Age video series, "The Trainer".
Special thanks to:
Dave Hobbs, Instructor and Training Developer, Delphi Product and Service Solutions - http://am.delphi.com/
Steve Schaeber, Manager of Service Training, Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide - http://www.macsw.org
Source: Motor Age
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.
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SureTrack Real Fixes
Mitchell 1's long running a tip contest ended on July 31, 2013. We will be focusing on the new SureTrack system available in the new ProDemand and ShopKey Pro programs and will probably have a contest there in the future. We would like to express our gratitude to all have participated in the tip contest in the past. If you have not tried the new products and SureTrack, click here request your upgrade.
- Click here for the archive of OnDemand5/ShopKey5 tip contest winners.
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