Blogs

Back in Chicago for the Volkswagen/Audi TDI class.

A bigger class, as VW/Audi is a popular car in this area. Great group of technicians, and some real smart ones.

With Todd in my arsenal, we are unbeatable with information and field experience.

Today is the half day of hands on and we have a parking lot full of TDI's to poke at. Looking so forward to the winter for Mercedes and BMW, as I have been getting requests for a class here at Northside Import on Pratt Ave.

Car Commando Reporting from Chicago.
Great Volvo Seminar is almost near the end of the second day. Some GREAT hands on diagnostics, hands-on tech diagnostics. LOTS of Volvo shortcut diagnostics.

For Technicians that are just getting into this VIDA stuff, this was the class for you, or will be available for you in another city and facility later this year. Fly if you have to get there, cause you will KNOW how to work the VIDA by the end of the class, including how to load the software.

Richard has been a great asset for Euro-Diagnostics, and will continue to do so.

Now you can subscribe to the Garage Spiel podcast directly from iTunes! Click here to either listen to the podcasts or to open the iTunes store where you can subscribe to the podcast! 

Boston, Volvo, Lots of Rain.....a deluge of rain over this past 3 days. Florida needs this rain, but it is nice and cool up here (in the 70's).

No squawking here, it was 104 in Florida yesterday!

So my Volvoman, Rick is doing a superb job at this seminar, and the ones that did not attend this seminar......it is the perfect day for a seminar (it's raining!!!!)

Lots of information, casual chit-chat, and TONS of information and diagnostics.

Baum Tools announces its newest VW-Audi Timing kit. This new kit is for the 2.0 SFI / BPY engines. These models are known for experiencing excessive wear on the intake cam lobe that drives the high-pressure fuel pump. The wear limits maximum pump piston lift, causing fuel pressure fluctuations. The # BT1052KIT includes the cam timing fixture, tensioner pins, adjusters and a special socket for the cam bolt. All packaged in a handy case to keep it all together. Call Baum Tools at 1-800-848-6657 for more information or to order

Good morning to all, at the airport in Baltimore after another successful training seminar. I love doing these seminars, as I meet some great fellows, they learn, I learn......and we never get too old to learn.

The weather unexpectedly was awesome, and in the 70's and 80's, as I dodged the 90's by a day. Ziggy, our host is always accommodating, and is one of the many reasons why I come to the Baltimore area to train. His shop will be the centralized shop for training in the Baltimore area (Jessup, MD). So look for more training in this area.

Toyota announced yet another recall this morning, this time involving the first generation Prius. Here in the United States, 52,000 2001 through 2003 Prius may experience a problem with electric power steering pinion shaft attachment nuts. Repeated hard turning to full-lock position may loosen the nuts securing the pinion shaft in the steering gear box assembly, eventually resulting in significant increased steering effort when making a left turn.

Owner notification letters will be mailed in July. Here's the full press release from Toyota:

VANOS has been giving everyone fits for quite a while now, but it can be a real money maker once you know how to fix those rattles quick! We dug up a short, simple animation that shows how VANOS works.

Click here to see the animation on our site

Click here to see the animation on our YouTube Channel

Cool.

On May 10, Toyota opened the first hydrogen refueling station in the United States that's fed directly by an active hydrogen pipeline. Baby steps, absolutely. But when you consider the infrastructure required to actually make this happen it's pretty friggen incredible!

So the Atlanta BMW Seminar is now behind me, as it is Sunday morning and I am choking down my first cup of latte. Choking, as I am not quite over this miserable cold I acquired just before leaving for Atlanta.

This was one of my smallest, but best classes. I had a great class of technicians, and they all left feeling lucky the information they learned, plus were entertained with my sparkling personality. :-)

So now it's on the plane and back home to a house full of Rubbermaid bins that are still not unpacked, organized, eBay'd, put away, or thrown away. Oh fun, fun ladi, da.