counterman, november 2014

November 2014

Plus, we cover:• Air, oil filters

• Antifreeze: Premixed or straight?

• Brake rotors

• GDI engines and fuel system

product sales

AGM BatteriesAre Gaining Ground

Pulse-Modulated Fuel Pumps ● Enter Guess The Car, Page 8 ● Executive Interviews

Tech Features By Larry Carley

AGM batteries are gaining ground. ................38Air, oil filters protect engines. ..........................40Antifreeze: Premixed or straight?....................42Brake rotors generate a lot of heat. ................44

Mechanic ConnectionBy Gary Goms

GDI engines and fuel system product sales. ............................................................46Pulse-modulated fuel pumps. ..........................48

COUNTERMAN (ISSN 0739-3695) (November 2014 Volume 32, Number 11): Copyright 2014 Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved: Published monthly by Babcox, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, Fax (330) 670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COUNTERMAN, 3550 EmbassyParkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318. A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 275, to speak to a subscription ser-vices representative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69. Samples and back issues - Domestic - $10, International/via air mail -$15. Canada: $89 for one year, $149 for two years. Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add 5.75% sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mailpayment to COUNTERMAN, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. Visa, MasterCard or American Express accepted.

Editor’s Ink By Mark Phillips......................................................4Do it first, ask permission later.

By The Numbers By Tom Dayton ....................................36It’s all about the base.

Counter-tech By Mandy Aguilar ........................................56The Internet has turned me into a chatterbox.

From The Publisher By S. Scott Shriber ........................64Sometimes, I forget.

features

46

38

columns

NovemberVolume 32, No. 11

INSIDE

pg. 56

1 November 2014 | Counterman

departmentsAftermarket News ..........................................................................................6Aftermarket News presents news, views and analysis of currenttrends and events in aftermarket distribution

MarketPlace ....................................................................................................60Every month, MarketPlace showcases the newest automotive prod-uct and service innovations your customers are asking about

Classifieds ........................................................................................................62

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C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R SMandy Aguilar, ColumnistGary Goms, Commercial AccountsGerald Wheelus, ColumnistJerry King, Cartoonist

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COUNTERMAN (ISSN-0739-3695) ispublished monthly by Babcox Media, 3550Embassy Pkwy., Akron, OH 44333. Periodicalpostage paid at Akron, OH and additionalmailing offices.

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12

Have you ever heard someone usethe term “Skunk Works?”Aerospace giant Lockheed Martinhas a group of engineers that work

in the company’s Skunk Works laboratory.They’ve been doing it for decades. SkunkWorks is an outfit that does secretive workon its own, free of bureaucracy in the hopesthat something really cool comes out of it.

What’s cool? How about the SR-71Blackbird? In my book, it’s still one of thecoolest aircraft ever made. It made a runbetween New York and London at 1,800mph in just under two hours. Two hours! Atypical commercial jet takes about 7.5hours for the same trip. And the SR-71 wasbuilt in the 1960s!

Lockheed Martin also built the U-2 spyplane in its Skunk Works labs. (In fact,

Lockheed Martin liked the term “SkunkWorks” so much, it trademarked it!)

What does Skunk Works have todo with you? Anyone, workinganywhere, can create their own ver-sion of Skunk Works or operate asa one-person laboratory. My ver-

sion is called, “Do it first, askpermission later.” (Ok,

you’ve probablyheard that phrase

or somethinglike it before,but I still likeit.) And, youmay already

be doing itand not re-alize it!

EDITOR’S INKBy Mark Phillips

Do It First, AskPermission Later

There’s a lot of power in the notion thatyou should just do something without get-ting approval. First, it’s very efficient. Elim-inating the steps and time necessary towait for approval certainly speeds thingsalong.

What am I talking about here? Let’s sayyour company does things one way andyou like to do things another way; so youeschew what they do and do it your way.Aren’t you breaking the rules a bit? Yes.And that’s beautiful, as long as the wayyou’re doing things is better than the waythe company normally does things. Buthere’s the caution: If the way you’re choos-ing to do things messes things up, you mayhave to pay the consequences. Or, if you’relucky, you’ll get a pat on the back from theboss, telling you “good job” for thinking onyour own while telling you not to do itagain.

Under the Lockheed Martin’s SkunkWorks program, the engineers aren’t teth-ered to normal duties and are free to dowhatever they need to innovate. SeveralSilicon Valley companies over the yearshave had programs where employees arefree to work on side projects on companytime because they realize it could lead toinnovation for the company.

I realize you probably neither have theresources nor people to create a self-con-tained Skunk Works program. But you arefree to innovate individually and try newthings.

If it’s a great idea, do it and get some results.

If not, let it fail and try something new.

■ ■ ■

For more information: www.counterman.comTwitter: @CountermanMag

Skunk Works is an outfit that doessecretive workon its own, freeof bureaucracyin the hopesthat somethingreally coolcomes out of it.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

What vehicle does this picturerepresent? If you think youknow the answer, go towww.counterman.com andclick “Guess the Car” on thenav bar and submit youranswer. The winner’s name willappear in the next issue.Remember: You don’t need towait for Counterman in print toplay the game.

Subaru Forester

Congrats to Austin Helliwell ofFolsom, Calif.!

Last Month’s Correct Answer:This Month’s Puzzle

Guess the Car / Win $100!

#82

#81

“OK, Kid, time to get in the game!”

Exide Technologies LaunchesNew Light-Vehicle Battery Range

GENNEVILLIERS, France – Exide Technolo-gies has launched a new range of batteries thatthe company says offers significant performancegains, faster recharging and a sleek new design.The new range was unveiled at the Auto-mechanika 2014 trade fair in Frankfurt, Ger-many.

Exide’s new Start-Stop batteries were first de-veloped in its original equipment business, andare coming to the aftermarket for the first time.The new batteries meet the strict requirements ofcarmakers, and include all the features fromExide’s current OE generation.

Exide’s new absorbed glass mat (AGM) bat-tery delivers four times the cycle life, 20 percentmore power and three times greater charge ac-ceptance than a standard battery, the companystates. This is achieved through high-perfor-mance materials and state-of-the-art technology,including advanced lead-tin alloys, high-surfaceglass mat separators and unique carbon addi-


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Over the Counter By Jerry King

tives. The new Exide EFB battery shows similarly im-pressive gains, the company says. The company in-vented the first Start-Stop AGM battery in 2004 andthe first EFB battery in 2008.

Exide is reporting major performance gains in itslineup of conventional batteries as well. The new Pre-mium Carbon Boost recharges up to 1.5 times fasterand delivers 30 percent more starting power, thecompany says. This is a result of Exide’s new CarbonBoost technology, a key breakthrough from the com-pany’s research and development facility.

When a standard battery discharges, sulphate par-ticles build up on the negative plate, forming a non-conductive layer that inhibits recharging. Exide’sCarbon Boost dissolves these particles by incorporat-ing proprietary carbon additives into the negativeplates, increasing conductivity. This greatly improvescharge acceptance and charging times.

Exide also redesigned its labels for the new range,emphasizing strong typography and clean design,and sending customers to mobile-optimized productpages for more detailed information. Every productin the new range will have a QR code and a shortURL on the label, giving motorists easy access to theinformation they need.

Customers looking for the right product from thenew range can use Exide’s Battery Finder app.

SAN ANTONIO – The Automo-tive Aftermarket Auto Parts Al-liance announced that CARSOnDemand, an Internet-basedtraining provider, will be its part-

ner in Alliance University (AllianceU). Alliance U delivers a strongcurriculum of online training thatis available on any schedule with afull range of topics from human re-

sources, safety, sales and automo-tive technology. Alliance U is a re-source for distributors, parts storesand service centers. CARS will bein charge of the class content aswell as providing the reportingplatform so a student’s progresscan be tracked.

CARS OnDemand delivers lead-ing automotive technical training,having served the North Americanautomotive aftermarket for morethan 25 years. Starting as a tradi-tional training provider, CARS of-fered automotive aftermarketemployee programs in classroomsettings. In 2013, CARS OnDemandbroadened its delivery scope, pro-viding training delivery to mobileplatforms including tablets such atthe Apple iPad, and smartphonesincluding iPhone and Android.

Dave Kimbell, the Education andTraining Committee chairman forthe Alliance, said, “This will take Al-liance University to the next level ofcontent. Our sales and counterteams will have access to not onlythe technical courses that will helpthem find the right parts the firsttime for their customers. It will alsoprovide cutting-edge mobile busi-ness training that will help them bemore efficient at the store.”

The Alliance says it is delightedto be working with an industryfrontrunner in the training and ed-ucation sector and making top-notch training available to allmembers. The Alliance Universitywill go live with CARS OnDemandcontent and reporting functionali-ties on Oct. 1, accessible throughwww.alliance1training.com.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Names CARSOnDemand As A New Training Provider

AP Exhaust

Technologies hasannounced Dan Billie as

its new vice president of

sales and marketing.

Billie will report directly to Vange Proimos, CEO.

BARRE, Vt. – Make-A-Wish Ver-mont recently celebrated past,present, and future wish childrenat the 11th annual Walk For Wishesat the Shelburne Museum in Shel-burne, Vt. More than $130,000 wasraised to grant wishes. Hundredsof people joined together to helpraise awareness and funds for Ver-mont children living with life-threatening medical conditions,and local businesses and volun-teers donated goods and servicesto the event.

The Walk For Wishes, spon-sored by Bond Auto Parts, is aspecial event in which wish sto-ries are shared and new friend-ships are made. Bond Auto Partsand its team of 98 walkers raised$70,000 toward the total $130,000that was raised at the event.Bond has been the title sponsorand supporter of this event forthe past 11 years.

The Walk For Wishes is a shortloop on the grounds of ShelburneMuseum and focuses on celebrat-ing hope. This year, a new scav-enger hunt component wasadded for extra fun. Other high-lights included a speech by awish kid, Hyperfocus face paint-ing and activities for the wholefamily provided by The Big BlueTrunk.

Since its inception in 1989,Make-A-Wish-Vermont hasgranted the wish of every med-ically eligible child; more than650 wishes to date.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Bond Auto PartsRaises $70,000For 11th AnnualWalk For Wishes

Michael Cardone Jr. PresentedWith MEMA’s Highest Honor:2014 Triangle AwardROCHESTER, N.Y. – Michael Cardone Jr., owner andchief strategy officer, CARDONE Industries, was pre-sented the prestigious Triangle Award, the highest hon-or awarded by the Motor & Equipment ManufacturersAssociation (MEMA), during the Motor & EquipmentRemanufacturers Associa-tion (MERA) GolisanoConference in September.

“It is fitting that as thisprestigious award marks its40th year, we recognize anindividual who has hadsuch a longstanding influ-ence on the motor vehicleparts industry and an im-pressive record of service toMEMA and MERA,” saidSteve Handschuh, presi-dent and CEO of MEMA.“The growth of CARDONEIndustries and MERA is atestament to Michael’s drive and commitment.”

Cardone founded CARDONE Industries with his latefather, Michael Cardone Sr., in 1970. Beginning in just asingle room in Philadelphia, the business has grown tobecome a major global supplier with more than 6,000employees. CARDONE Industries now spans three gen-erations, and is the largest family-owned remanufactur-er of motor vehicle parts in the world.

“Michael humbly credits his service to a strong callingto engage with his peers to improve the industry,”Handschuh said. “He willingly shares his expertise andthought leadership as a frequent keynote speaker at in-dustry and business events.”

Cardone is an active member of MEMA and hasserved on the Board of Governors of the Automotive Af-termarket Suppliers Association (AASA), MEMA’s lightvehicle aftermarket division; as a past chairman of theMEMA Board of Directors; and as the founding chair-man of MERA. “Michael’s most recent contribution toour industry — and perhaps closest to his heart — is theestablishment of MERA,” said John Chalifoux, presidentand chief operating officer of MERA. “He was the driv-ing force behind the association’s launch in 2011. Underhis leadership and guidance, MERA has grown to morethan 100 member companies, and has become a leadingvoice for the global remanufacturing industry.”

Cardone’s years of service to industry groups alsohave been recognized by the Automotive WarehouseDistributors Association (AWDA) and the AutomotiveHall of Fame.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Michael Cardone Jr., left, acceptshis award from MEMA Presidentand CEO Steve Handschuh.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — Tri-co Products Corp. has been namedthe Advance Auto Parts 2013 Ven-dor of the Year in the Do-It-Your-self Excellence Award category.

Advance Auto Parts carries a fullrange of TRICO wiper blades in-cluding TRICO Onyx, TRICO Neo-Form, TRICO Flex, TRICO Ice andTRICO Exact Fit. Whether throughits wiper products, merchandisingsolutions, sales and marketing sup-port or ensuring on-time deliveryand high-fill rates during a record-setting winter last year, TRICO

helps to solidify Advance AutoParts in the wiper category, the re-tailer says.

“We are truly honored to be rec-ognized by Advance Auto Parts asone of their top supplier partners,”said Rick Stempien, vice presidentof sales and marketing at TricoProducts Corp. “We take pride inproviding them with innovativewiper product solutions and thecustomer service and marketingsupport they need. We look for-ward to continuing this successfulpartnership for years to come.”


AFTERMARKET NEWS

TRICO Named A Vendor Of TheYear By Advance Auto Parts

LUBEGARD Unveils LUBEGARDMulti-Vehicle Dual Clutch Transmis-sion Fluid At AAPEXSEATTLE — LUBEGARD launched LUBEGARDMulti-Vehicle Dual Clutch Transmission Fluid(DCTF) at the AAPEX show.

LUBEGARD Multi-Vehicle Dual Clutch Transmis-sion Fluid is designed to provide extreme pres-sure protection in high-performance DCTvehicles, the company says. It is manufacturedwith the highest-quality synthetic base oils andperformance additives, producing improved shift-ing proficiency at all ambient temperatures.

This formula is infused with proprietary LXE,which provides friction durability, unrivaled shear stability and superiorwear protection. The carefully calculated viscosity protects against wearwhile simultaneously improving fuel economies. LUBEGARD Multi-VehicleDCTF has been rigorously tested and evaluated against OEM approved flu-ids and proven superior in third party standardized industry tests in the fol-lowing areas:

• Frictional durability, resulting in improved shifting at all ambienttemperatures, longer fluid life, and extended drain intervals;

• Load carrying, insulating gears and bearings from extreme pressureincreasing the life of the transmission; and

• Seal performance safeguarding against fluid leakage and preventingcomponent failures due to oil starvation.

For more information on LUBEGARD, visit www.lubegard.com.

TECH TIP

CONCORD, N.H. – Jeff Viens hasbeen presented with the Auto TechAward sponsored by Sanel AutoParts Co. and More Than WheelsInc. The award was presented toViens at his business, Jeff’s Lex ToyLLC, in Londonderry, N.H. In ad-dition to the award, Viens receiveda $500 gift certificate to Sanel AutoParts Co.

More Than Wheels is an award-winning, not-for-profit that helpsconsumers with damaged creditsecure the best deal on a reliable,fuel-efficient car. It helps New Eng-land residents get reliable, afford-able transportation by providingaccess to very low interest rates fortheir vehicle loans. The organiza-tion stipulates that clients completeeducational opportunities to helpthem increase their financial skillsas part of the process in securingloans.

More Than Wheels partners withfamily owned Sanel Auto Parts topresent the award. Award nomina-tions were received for auto techni-cians and businesses in NewHampshire, Vermont and Maine.The award is presented quarterlyfrom nominations made on WGIRFM’s website.

In his nomination, Vien’s cus-tomer John Irvin wrote, “Jeff andhis staff always go out of their wayto make you happy! They keep youinformed of what needs to doneand what can wait. Never tries todo something you don’t reallyneed, always has a loaner car readyfor me. I don’t have to hangaround, waiting to be seen. Justdrop off my car, get into my loanerand off I go! Car is ready whenthey say, and they always followup the next day to see if I’m happywith the work they did!”


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Sanel Auto Parts, More Than WheelsAnnounce Auto Tech Award Winner

Circle Distributing Chooses Epicor Vision Automotive Aftermarket Parts Distribution Software

AUSTIN, Texas – Epicor Software Corp. has announced that Circle Dis-tributing, an automotive replacement parts distributor based in Indi-anapolis, Ind., will implement the Epicor Vision automotive aftermarketparts distribution software. A member of the ACDelco Dedicated Distri-bution Group (DDG), Motorcraft Ford Authorized Dealer (FAD) networkand National Pronto Association, Circle Distributing has operated itswarehouse and three stores using Epicor Prism software since 2000.

“Epicor Prism has been an excellent tool for nearly 14 years, but we’reready to invest in a new solution that can help us become better andfaster in everything we do,” said Todd Cloud, co-owner and fixed opera-tions manager at Circle Distributing. “Epicor Vision will give us greatercontrol of our operations and has the capacity and flexibility to serve ourneeds for many years to come.”

Epicor Vision is an enterprise solution that includes customer relation-ship management (CRM) tools, a centralized database, price managementand inventory capabilities, comprehensive “central services” functionali-ty, integrated accounting and other features that are designed to helpdrive sales, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. The solutionalso includes a “three-way match” feature that helps users quickly identi-fy and reconcile discrepancies between purchase orders, advanced ship-ping notices, receivers and vendor invoices.

DOWNER’S GROVE, Ill. –ShowMeTheParts.com is now inte-grated with Blue Sage Software(PaceSetter), DMS Systems (DX-System), EXTEND PERFORM-ANCE, Fuse5, Web2Market andWeb-Link Solutions.

According to Vertical Develop-ment, parent company ofShowMeTheParts, these partner-ships help ShowMeThePartsclients create e-commerce sitesthat set them apart from the com-petition. Features such as productvideos, social links, a store locatorand “My Garage,” can be addedto clients’ e-commerce sites.Clients also can connect their siteto Google Shopping, eBay andAmazon. New integrations alsoallow an array of POS systems todisplay real-time pricing and in-ventory, with administrative toolsto manage everything from your

content and promotions, ordersand returns, tax and shipping andmore.

ShowMeTheParts users can dis-play detail information, which mayinclude one or more images, speci-fications, installation instructions,MSDS sheets and many other itemsuseful in selecting and installingthe part. Users can navigate imagesusing the thumbnails and makethem larger or smaller.

Shopping cart and third partyshopping cart integration is nowavailable, utilizing configurationsettings to enable dynamic config-uration of the shopping cart func-tionality, integratingShowMeTheParts with externalshopping carts resulting for effi-cient handling of e-commercetransactions.

ShowMeTheParts also has inte-grated Google Maps as well.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

ShowMeTheParts ExpandsFeatures And Functionality

Aftermarket Buyers Name DENSOOE Supplier Of The Year

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The NationalPronto Association has honoredDENSO Products and ServicesAmericas Inc. with its 2014 OriginalEquipment (OE) Supplier of the YearAward. The organization, which rep-resents independent warehouse dis-tributors, auto parts stores and autoservice centers throughout NorthAmerica, also chose DENSO as its2014 Mexico Supplier of the Year.

The National Pronto Associationannounced the awards in Septemberat its fall 2014 Shareholders Confer-ence and Expo in San Francisco.DENSO has collected the organiza-tion’s OE Supplier award eight ofthe past nine years and the more re-cent Mexico Supplier award bothyears since it was introduced in 2013.

“DENSO team members takepride in our products and servic-es, and we are honored to receiveboth awards from this leading in-dustry group,” said Frank Cisek,senior manager of DENSO Prod-ucts and Services’ AftermarketSales. “We value our collaborationwith Pronto and its members, andeach additional year that theyhonor us shows that we continueto earn their business and respecton a daily basis.”

The National Pronto Associa-tion annually honors suppliersbased on the quality of their prod-ucts and services. The associa-tion’s collective purchasing powerrepresents more than $2 billion in sales.

LAS VEGAS – Premium synthet-ic lubricant and performancechemical manufacturer, RoyalPurple has announced the2014 Royal Purple Las Ve-gas Bowl Sweepstakes, acontest offering five fansa chance to win an all-ex-penses-paid trip to the RoyalPurple Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 20and the opportunity to competefor the grand prize: a 2015 SubaruWRX STI.

Now through Nov. 30, fans canenter the sweepstakes by visitingany O’Reilly Auto Parts U.S. loca-tion and filling out an entry form,or by visitingRoyalPurpleLVBChallenge.com andcompleting an online entry form.

vancing to vie for thegrand prize. At half-time,

Royal Purple will bringthe finalist on to the field

at Sam Boyd Stadium alongwith the Subaru WRX. The

finalist will have one chanceto throw a football to hit a target

on the moving vehicle in order totake home the car.

“We wanted to do somethingbig for our second year as the titlesponsor of the Royal Purple LasVegas Bowl,” said Royal PurplePresident Bryan Yourdon. “We’rethrilled to offer football fans theexperience of a lifetime, givingthem the chance to watch thegame in-person, putting theirquarterback skills to the test infront of more than 42,000 peopleand potentially drive away in abrand new Subaru.”

In addition to the sweepstakes,Royal Purple is offering a specialin-store promotion at O’ReillyAuto Parts locations nationwideto help fans make sure their vehi-cles are just as prepared for gameday as their favorite team. Cus-tomers can receive an O’Reillygift card of up to $10 when theypurchase select Royal Purpleproducts at O’Reilly Auto Partsbetween Oct. 1 and Nov. 25.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

ACDelco Adds New GM OE Emissions PartsGRAND BLANC, Mich. – ACDelcohas expanded its General Motorsoriginal equipment emissions linewith 356 new part numbersincluding fuel pipes, hoses, EGRtubes, PCV valve hoses,accelerator pedal assemblies andmore that were previously dealer-exclusive items.

Five lucky winners will receive anall-expenses-paid trip to the RoyalPurple Las Vegas Bowl as semi-fi-nalists for the grand prize.

On Dec. 20, the five semi-final-ists will compete in a quarterbacksimulator before the start of theRoyal Purple Las Vegas Bowl,with the single highest scorer ad-

Royal Purple To Give Away 2015 SubaruWRX, Trip To Las Vegas Bowl In December

Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance Announces Jeff Ireland As Winner Of The

Perfect Stop/ThermoQuiet Harley-Davidson Giveaway

SAN ANTONIO, Texas –Auto Value and Bumper toBumper stores have givenaway a brand new Sport-ster 1200 Custom Harley-Davidson Motorcycle tothe winner in their PerfectStop/ThermoQuietHarley-Davidson Give-away.

Jeff Ireland from Jeff’sTire in Bordentown, N.J., isa customer of Alliancemember Eastern Ware-house Distributors. Hisname was drawn frommore than 10,000 entries of

customers of Auto Value or Bumper to Bumper stores who purchase ei-ther Perfect Stop by Wagner or Wagner ThermoQuiet friction duringJuly and August.

A total of two Harleys were awarded. The second winner was RayMiller of Minute Muffler in Regina, Saskatchewan, a customer of Al-liance member Auto Electric Service.

A total of two Harleys were awarded in thePerfect Stop/ThermoQuiet Harley-DavidsonGiveaway.

Bosch Awards Four GrantsTotaling $50,000 In BrowardAnd Miami-Dade CountiesFT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The BoschCommunity Fund (BCF) has granted$50,000 to four programs in theBroward and Miami-Dade countiesto support robotics and science, tech-nology, engineering and math(STEM) education. The grants will gotoward programs led by Florida In-ternational University, Miami-DadeCounty Public Schools, Broward Col-lege Foundation and Broward Coun-ty Public Schools and will benefitlocal students and teachers.

According to Jerry Smith, generalmanager, FHP Manufacturing Co.,“At Bosch, we want to partner withthe local school systems and univer-sities that are encouraging studentsto gain hands-on experience withSTEM education. The grant applica-tions this year has been extremelyhigh-quality. The programs that wehonor today will provide engaginglearning opportunities to drive in-terest in STEM careers and perhapsa future career with Bosch.”


AFTERMARKET NEWS

TECH TIP

To: Tire Technicians facing a TPMS issue

Subject: Questions to answer

If there is one piece of advice that should be given to anytire tech facing a TPMS issue, it would be: Test before youtouch and document the answers you get.

Understanding potential TPMS land mines can savetime and money and eliminate frustration.

Get answers to these very important questions beforetackling any TPMS issue:● Do I have a TPMS Trigger Tool to diagnose the sensor

through the tire?● Is the light on due to low tire pressure? Check the plac-

ard on the door to document born on date and recom-mended pressure.

● Is the tire leaking?● Is the valve leaking?● Is the sensor a one piece and is the valve molded to the

sensor?

● Can I replace the valve components (grommet, hex nut,valve core, valve cap and metal washer) with a specificservice kit?

● Do I have the part?● Is the valve a two-piece sensor (valve separate from the

sensor)?● If the sensor battery is dead and one or more sensors

have failed to respond and after verifying the door plac-ard born on date and recommended pressure, wherecan the make, model and year of the vehicle be re-searched and verified to the sensor part?

● Do I understand the OE relearn process and where to findit for this vehicle?

● Do I have the right tool for the OE relearn and do I needan OBD attachment to relearn the sensors to the vehicle?

All of the questions above should be documented andanswered before the tire tech begins to tackle any TPMSissue.

For more information, visit http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/rulings/TirePresFinal/Index.html.

—Courtesy: JohnDow Industries

“An Open Memo To Tire Tech’s – Test Before You Touch….And DOCUMENT!”

counterman.com 25

New Philips Vision LED Lights

With the new Philips Vision LED category, you can offer yourcustomers the latest technology in vehicle lighting and increaseyour lighting sales and profits.These innovative LEDs are de-signed to deliver dynamic interiorand exterior lighting. The PhilipsVision LEDs are robust enough tohandle extreme heat and high vibration.

Backed by a 12-year limitedwarranty, they are guaranteed todeliver years of exceptional lighting.

Philips Vision LEDs are first to market with street legal exte-rior LEDs, featuring an advanced design that puts a bright,well-focused beam on the road and deliver an instant-on re-sponse that can alert drivers faster and help reduce brakingdistance. They are a direct replacement for incandescent bulbsused in brake and taillights, back-up, dome, glove compart-ment, side marker, trunk and license plate lights.

Philips Vision LEDs can be used to directly replace the fol-lowing lights: 168, 194, 12961, DE3021, DE3022, DE3175, 12854,12844, DE3425, DE3423, 6411, 578, 211-2, 212-2, 3157, 1156,1157, 921, 7443 and 7440.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

More information and applications at: www.usa.philips.com/c-m-li/vision-led

Put Your Customers

on the Edge of Lighting

Technology!


AFTERMARKET NEWS

GRAND BLANC, Mich. – ACDelcois expanding its battery portfoliowith seven new part numbers, in-cluding four automotive batteries, aGroup 31 part for customers seekinghigh cold-cranking amp solutions;and two marine batteries.

● 95RPS is an ACDelco Profes-sional battery for Audi, Volkswa-gen and BMW vehicles. It includesan acid level indicator that meas-ures the electrolyte level in the bat-tery.

● 31-1000 is a Group 31 ACDelcoProfessional battery developed forgovernment and other customersrequiring a 1,000 cold-crankingamp battery.

● 47AGM is an ACDelco Profes-sional absorbed glass mat batteryfor difficult deep or high-cyclingapplications such as the Malibu

Taxi and others requiring a Group47 battery.

● 92PS is an ACDelco Profes-sional battery for late-modelBMWs.

● M24AGM is a Voyager ab-sorbed glass mat battery forboaters who require or prefer anon-spillable battery. Its ability todeep cycle makes it suitable formarine use.

● M24DCX is an affordable,flooded deep cycle Voyager batterywith extreme deep cycling capabil-ity. Its ability to provide three ormore times the cycling ability ofcurrent Group 24 batteries makes ita value for marine customers,ACDelco adds.

● 94RA is an Advantage batteryfor applications that require Group94R.

ACDelco Releases Seven New Battery Part Numbers

COLMAR, Pa. — Dorman Prod-ucts Inc. has announced the win-ners in its October 2014 NEWProduct Idea contest:

Congratulations to:● Alison O. from Hamilton, Ontario,

for suggesting an idea for 2004-’09 F150 door checks.

● Anders C. from Ventura, Calif.,for suggesting an idea for aBMW rear sun screen repair kit.

Qualifying service techniciansand counterpeople submitting anew product idea via Dorman-Products.com are eligible to win.

Win $100 With Dorman’s New Product Idea Contest

Dorman’s New Product Devel-opment Team will review allideas, whether they were sub-mitted recently or in the past,and determine monthly win-ners. Each new product ideacounts, and those submittingmultiple ideas earn multiplechances to win.

Winners are awarded:● Service Technician New Idea of

the Month: $100 VISA gift card● Counterperson New idea of the

Month: $100 VISA gift card● Contest winners also will earn

a spotlight on themselves andtheir businesses on Dorman’sFacebook page

● All individual contest winnerswill be entered into Dorman’sannual grand prize contestdrawing in December for achance to win a $500 VISA giftcard

Complete contest details areavailable at http://www.dormanproducts.com.


GASTONIA, N.C. – OwensboroCommunity & Technical College(OCTC) in Owensboro, Ky., wasnamed the 2014 Technical School ofthe Year by Tomorrow’s Tech maga-zine and WIX Filters during a sur-prise ceremony yesterday for 100students and instructors of the col-lege’s Automotive Technology pro-gram.

OCTC is the seventh recipient ofthe annual program to find andname the best technician trainingschool in the country. WIX andO’Reilly Auto Parts are title spon-sors of the national award in con-junction with Tomorrow’s Tech, aBabcox Media publication dedicat-ed to automotive students.

“Owensboro Community &Technical College is a great exam-ple of an educational institutionthat is focusing on the future of anentire industry,” said Mike Harvey,brand manager for WIX Filters.“Specializing in automotive tech-nology, diesel and alternate fuels,OCTC is exactly what we envi-sioned when we started the Schoolof the Year competition – a highlyskilled technical program dedicat-ed to training the next generationof technicians.”

As the 2014 School of the Year,Owensboro Community & Techni-cal College’s automotive programreceived:

● A 2,500 donation to the

school’s Automotive Technologyprogram from WIX Filters.

● Uniform for every studentfrom Red Kap, a manufacturer anddistributor of comfortable, durablework-related clothing and outer-wear.

● Merchandise from O’Reillyand WIX Filters.

● Travel for the school’s instruc-tor and a guest to Las Vegas to at-tend Babcox Media’s recognitiondinner at the Automotive After-market Products Expo (AAPEX).

The School of the Year programis open to all high schools andpost-secondary schools that have asubscription to Tomorrow’s Techmagazine.

AFTERMARKET NEWS

WIX Filters Names Owensboro Community & TechnicalCollege 2014 Technical ‘School of the Year’

Auto-Wares Acquires UnitedAutomotive Supply Co.GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Auto-Wares Group ofCompanies has announced it will acquire United Au-tomotive Supply Co. (UAS) of Warren, Mich. This ac-quisition includes the Warren distribution center andfive stores marketed under the Maxi AutomotiveSupply name. United Automotive Supply Co. hasbeen a family owned Michigan business since 1930.

Chairman of the Auto-Wares Group of Companies,Fred Bunting, said, “Auto-Wares has always held agreat deal of respect for UAS/MAXI, its people andtheir customers. Our goal will be to make sure thisnew alliance will benefit and strengthen all our exist-ing and new customers. In addition to our 39 years ofcommitment to benefit the independent parts storeowner, our primary focus as a company is the profes-sional technician. We proudly serve more than 700Auto Value or Bumper to Bumper Certified ServiceCenters and 36,000 other service dealers and commer-cial accounts.”

Albert and Shari Goldstein from UAS added thatthey are pleased with the union of the two progres-sive, family owned Michigan companies. “We believethis move will ultimately offer many long-lastingbenefits to our employees, our customers and oursuppliers in the long run,” they commented.

BETHESDA, Md. – Echoing thelong-standing contention by theAuto Care Association that au-tomakers mislead consumers intowrongfully believing that servicingtheir vehicles outside dealershipsmight void warranties, U.S. Sena-tor Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)has assailed the Federal TradeCommission (FTC) about its lack ofurgency in clarifying its interpreta-tion of the Magnuson-Moss War-ranty Act.

In a letter to the FTC, Sen. Blu-menthal said, “Many motoristsmay have been led to believe …that going to a local repair shop orusing a different manufacturer’s

parts could void a car’s warranty.Manufacturers should be expresslyadvised that the Magnuson-MossWarranty Act prohibits any con-duct that would lead a reasonableconsumer to believe that his or herwarranty coverage depends on theuse of a particular brand of prod-uct or service.”

Despite the law, the Auto CareAssociation along with other autocare industry groups have filed nu-merous complaints with the FTCprotesting that many car compa-nies have issued releases and tech-nical bulletins misleadingconsumers into thinking their war-ranty could be voided by use of

non-dealer parts or service.“It is critical that the FTC take

action to ensure that car companiesstop misleading consumers as totheir warranty rights,” said Kath-leen Schmatz, president and CEO,Auto Care Association. “We hopethe actions by Sen. Blumenthal andother legislators will move the FTCto immediately respond to thecomplaints filed by our associationto ensure that consumers are prop-erly informed of their rights underthe law such that they can main-tain their vehicle using non-origi-nal equipment parts and servicewithout the threat of voiding theirnew car warranties.”


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Senator Urges FTC To Take Action AgainstCarmakers’ Misleading Warranty Tactics

DST Simplifies eCommerceFor Parts Sellers WithEnhancements To TurboPartsFOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. –DST has announced the releaseof TurboParts Select, an enhance-ment to its award-winning e-commerce tool TurboParts.

TurboParts Select combinesthe features and benefits of anyparts e-commerce engine to en-able sellers to issue one simplelogin to their customers, such asrepair technicians, for the pur-chase of B2B parts. By combin-ing all tools and digital assetsinto one login, TurboParts Selecthelps parts sellers to efficientlymaintain their e-commerce or-ders and streamlines the mainte-nance of their customer base.

“This is the first tool on themarket that encourages all e-commerce providers to work in acollaborative manner,” said StanGowisnock, president of DST.

NEWARK, Calif. – WORLDPAC has announced the opening of a new regional warehouse in Roswell, Ga.

The facility offers expanded service and delivery options to independ-ent automotive repair professionals in the greater Atlanta area. It is thefourth WORLDPAC location in Georgia.

Opens New Warehouse In Greater AtlantaWORLDPAC

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — The Timken Co. announced the launch of fournew training videos and multiple TechTips focusing on light vehicles.

Two of the training videos support the Timken online predictive ana-lytics inventory optimization solution, Demand Insight. The solution pro-vides distributors a quick and easy way to identify and stock an optimalinventory mix that corresponds with their local customers’ current andfuture demand. Timken designed Demand Insight to support its distribu-tors with valuable programs and technology designed to help them growsales and profits.

“Demand Insight helps us understand county-specific demand forTimken parts in our market,” said Alena Van Cleave, market analysismanager for A & Jay Automotive Warehouse Inc. “Since we know whatto stock, we are capturing sales we might have lost to the competitionwhile reducing our inventory.”

Timken Launches New Training MaterialResources For Automotive Technicians

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – O’Reilly Au-tomotive has announced recordrevenues and earnings for its thirdquarter ended Sept. 30, 2014.

Sales for the third quarter in-

creased $149 million, or 9 percent,to $1.88 billion from $1.73 billionfor the same period one year ago.Gross profit for the third quarterincreased to $968 million (or 51.6

percent of sales) from $879 million(or 50.9 percent of sales) for thesame period one year ago, repre-senting an increase of 10 percent.

Net income for the third quarterincreased $31 million, or 16 per-cent, to $217 million (or 11.6 per-cent of sales) from $186 million (or10.8 percent of sales) for the sameperiod one year ago. Diluted earn-ings per common share for thethird quarter increased 22 percentto $2.06 on 105 million shares ver-sus $1.69 for the same period oneyear ago on 110 million shares.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

O’Reilly Automotive Reports Third Quarter 2014 Results

Genuine Parts Co. Reports Third QuarterSales And Earnings

ATLANTA – Genuine Parts Co.(GPC) has reported sales andearnings for the third quarter andnine months ended Sept. 30, 2014.

Thomas Gallagher, chairmanand CEO, said record sales total-ing $4 billion were up 8 percentcompared to the third quarter of2013. Net income for the quarterwas $190.5 million compared to$173.7 million recorded in the pri-or year period.

For the nine months, sales to-taled $11.5 billion, up 9 percentcompared to the same period in2013. Net income for the ninemonths was $545.7 million com-pared to $534.5 million recordedin the previous year.

Gallagher commented, “In thethird quarter, we achieved salesand earnings growth, producedoperating margin improvement,generated solid cash flows andmaintained a strong balance sheet.These are important and ongoingcore objectives for us and thecompany is well positioned toshow continued improvement inthese areas in the periods ahead.”


Customers are always in a hurry these days,right? Why do customers expect us to be able tofind their answers immediately? Why is the

customer’s crisis our crisis? How hard is it to slowdown and do your job efficiently at a pace thecustomer is comfortable with?

Much is made about change in our industry andchange is the only thing we can be sure of. Time haschanged many things in our industry and at onetime, computer diagnostics were thought to be a solu-tion to our problems. But, it could be argued, it’smade it more complicated than ever. The OBD II sys-tem is a long way from the point and condenser day.We veterans of the business have created the “right-now” syndrome.

That’s right: A veteran of the business admits thatwe caused a problem. The problem is that we wereable to remember the top 200 part numbers in ourstores and that was 80 percent of our sales. That gaveus the impression things were quick and easy andthat it took very little intelligence to sell parts. Sincethe mid 1980s, the introduction of various foreigncars, the complication of the computer system andeven California emissions standards keep us from re-membering the part numbers like we once wouldhave. Answers are much more complicated thesedays and take more precise questions to find the cor-rect answer for the customer.

Fortunately, we do not hear the phrase “What dif-ference does it make? They’re all the same?” as nearlyas often as we once did. Customers have at leastlearned that cars are very complicated and yes, itmight be necessary to have a VIN code to get the cor-rect part. But why do customers expect an immediateanswer to their questions?

We can learn to calm that speed limit from 100miles per hour to a more reasonable speed. The cus-tomer has many things to do, just as we do. But theywill never, and I mean never, understand that theyare not the only customer we have. They will alwaysthink they are on top of the agenda. Our jobs, asmuch as it is to just sell parts, is to help be time man-agers as well. We can’t get caught up in the cus-tomer’s crisis and haste in getting their job done. Weall need to learn to slooooow things down and getthem to understand: we are trying to make sure thatwe get things correct the first time and that helpsthem save the time they are trying to make up. CM

KEEPING IT SIMPLEBy Gerald Wheelus

In A Hurry? No, Not Me!

Gerald Wheelus isgeneral manager of

Edgewood Auto Parts,Edgewood, Texas.

We can learn to calm thatspeed limit from 100 milesper hour to amorereasonablespeed.


When it comes to selling exhaust,parking brake cables and evenaccessories like runningboards, knowing a vehicle’s

wheelbase can be an important but confus-ing specification. Many times, when we askthe customer for wheelbase, they respondwith some combination of “cab and box”description, which we must translate into aspecific number. Wheelbase is most oftenrequired with light trucks and full-size vans,but some passenger cars and minivans havevarying wheelbase options. We will coverthe domestic trucks from the past 20 yearshere. Import trucks, vans and various othervehicles will be covered at another time.

The most basic bit of knowledge ofwheelbase is how to actually measure it.With the wheels straight ahead, the meas-

By Tom Dayton

urement is from the center of the frontwheel to the center of the rear wheel, ex-pressed in inches. Be aware that the cus-tomer’s measurements are rarely exact, butas long as you are within an inch or so ofthe advertised wheelbase, you’re usuallyOK. If you are measuring for yourself, agood 25-foot tape measure works best,since many full-size truck wheelbases aretoo long to measure with the freebie 10-foot tapes we tend to get from our vendors.

GM and Ford make it quite easy for uswhen it comes to their trucks and vans.Wheelbase is printed out for us on the op-tions tag. (see below) For those times whenwe don’t have access to that information,here’s a chart of configurations and theircorresponding wheelbases, rounded to thenearest inch:

Many times,when we askthe customer for wheelbase,they respondwith somecombination of“cab and box”description,which we musttranslate into aspecific number.

Tom Dayton is operationsmanager for JS Auto Supplyin Jamestown, N.Y., andwas Counterman’s CounterProfessional of the Yearfor 2009.

BY THE NUMBERS

Reg cab Reg cab Ext cab Ext cab Crew cab Crew cab Truck Years Short box Long box Short box Long box Short box Long boxS10/Sonoma 82/04 108” 118” 123” N/A 123” N/AColorado/Canyon 04/10 111” 126” 126” N/A 126” N/AC/K series 88/00 118” 131” 141” 155” N/A 164”Silverado/Sierra 99-up 119” 133” 144” 158” 153” 167”Ranger 83/97 108” 114” 125” N/A N/A N/ARanger 98/11 112” 118” 126” N/A N/A N/AF150/Heritage’04 97/04 120” 139” 139” 157” 139” N/AF150 04/08 126” 145” 133/145”* 163” 139” 150”F150 09-up 126” 145” 133/145”* 163” 145” 156”Super Duty 99-up N/A 137” 142” 158” 156” 172”Dakota 96/04 112” 124” 131” N/A 131” N/ADakota 05-up N/A N/A 131” N/A 131” N/ARam 94/01 119” 135” 139” 155” N/A 155”Ram 02/10 121” 141” N/A N/A 141” 161”Ram 10-up 121” 141” N/A N/A 141/149”# 161/169”#*5 ½’ box (Raptor) & 6 ½’ box options available # 2500/3500 series 8” longer

Be aware that cab-and-chassis trucksmay have additional wheelbase optionsthat are longer than those listed here.Whenever there is a doubt, I find it best tophysically measure wheelbase for accuracy.Other resources are available in paper andonline formats for older models, and thosenot covered here. CM

At left, sample Forddoor sticker, #4 showslocation of wheelbase(WB). At right, actualGM SPID tag from 2009Chevrolet Express van,with wheelbase showntop center (135.0)

All About That Base


By Larry Carley, technical editor

As automotive technologycontinues to advance, sotoo are the conventionallead-acid batteries that are

used for starting, lighting and pow-ering the vehicle’s electronics andelectrical accessories. Conventionalwet cell (“flooded cell”) 12-voltlead-acid batteries have workedwell enough for many decades, buttoday’s vehicles are placing higherand higher electrical loads on thebattery and charging system. Con-sequently, a growing number oflate-model vehicles are coming fac-tory-equipped with AbsorbentGlass Mat (AGM) batteries. Theseinclude certain 2014 and 2015 mod-els that have fuel-saving idleStop/Start systems that turn theengine off when the vehicle is notmoving.

A conventional lead-acid batterycan handle the cranking loadsplaced on it by a typical Stop/Startsystem, but not as well or as long asan AGM battery. AGM batteries donot contain liquid acid (electrolyte)in the cells. They have thin glassfiber mats between the lead cellplates that are saturated with apaste-like electrolyte. The basicchemistry is similar to a convention-al lead-acid battery except that thereis no liquid to spill or evaporate.

AGM batteries also produce lessgassing when they are beingcharged. The latest AGM batteriesalso can recharge up to 1.5 timesfaster and deliver 30 percent morestarting power than a conventionalwet-cell battery. AGM batteriesalso provide a longer service life inmost instances, lasting up to sever-al years longer than the typical

conventional batteries. One batterymanufacturer says their new line ofAGM batteries has four times thecycle life of a conventional battery.

According to one AGM batterymanufacturer, when a standardbattery discharges, sulphate parti-cles build up on the negative plate,forming a non-conductive layerthat inhibits recharging. By addingcarbon to the negative cell plates,conductivity is increased allowingthe sulphate to dissolve morequickly for faster charging. This al-lows the battery to recover morequickly after starting the engine.

Because of these advantages, AGMbatteries are now being used in somelate-model luxury cars (such asCadillac ATS) as well as many importmodels (Audi, BMW, Mercedes,Volkswagen and Volvo). If in doubtas to what type of battery a vehiclehas, refer to your battery replacementguide listings and follow the vehiclemanufacturer’s recommendations.Most battery suppliers now includeAGM batteries in their product linesfor a range of applications (includingmotorcycles and RVs, anddeep cycle batteriesfor marine).

AGM Batteries Are Gaining Ground

TECH FEATURE

Some vehicles (notably certainlate-model BMW, Volkswagen andother makes) now have two 12-voltbatteries. One battery providescranking power for the starter andthe other battery powers the acces-sories and onboard electronics.This allows each battery to operateindependently of the other and tobe charged separately so electricalloads on the charging system canbe varied to improve idle qualityand fuel economy. If one batteryfails, the vehicle may not crank orit may crank but not run depend-ing on which battery has failed.

If a late-model vehicle with anAGM battery needs a new battery,recommend the same type of bat-tery (AGM) as the original. Replac-ing an AGM battery with a lessexpensive conventional lead-acidbattery may compromise batteryperformance and possibly lead topremature battery failure.

AGM batteries also can be sold asa premium upgrade to replace con-ventional batteries. Some vehicleowners may not even wait for theirold battery to call it quits before de-ciding to upgrade to an AGM. Vehi-cles that have unusually highelectrical loads such as emergencyvehicles or ones with high-amp after-market sound systems can benefitfrom the improved performance pro-vided by an AGM battery. CM


By Larry Carley, technical editorTECH FEATURE

Replacing oil and air filters for preventivemaintenance is an accepted ritual of vehicleownership – although some motorists tend toscrimp on maintenance thinking it will save

them money. Nothing could be further from thetruth. The air filter protects the engine against out-side contaminants while the oil filter protects itagainst inside contaminants (wear particles and com-bustion byproducts in the crankcase). Both filters areabsolutely essential to protect the engine against pre-mature wear and failure.

The factory recommended replacement interval foran air filter will vary depending on the design of the

Air, Oil Filters Protect EnginesFrom Premature Wear, Failure

filter, but it typically lasts 30,000 to 50,000 or 60,000miles. A few applications even have 100,000-mile re-placement intervals. Regardless of what the owner’smanual recommends, filter life really depends ondriving conditions. Dusty gravel roads, dirty urbanenvironments and off-road driving can clog a filterfairly quickly, so the filter needs to be inspected regu-larly (every oil change) to determine whether or not itneeds to be replaced.

The dirtier a filter gets, the more efficient it becomes.That’s good for trapping smaller and smaller particlesof dust but not so good for efficient airflow. As the filterclogs up, it restricts airflow and slowly strangles the en-gine for much needed oxygen. The engine computercan compensate for a dirty air filter up to a point, buteventually the restriction will cause a noticeable drop infuel economy and performance. Replacing the filter be-fore it reaches that point will maintain normal vehicleoperation, good fuel economy and performance.

It’s the same story with oil filters. As oil circulates

from the oil pumpthrough the filter, thefilter traps particles thatmight cause wear or damageto the engine’s bearings and other components. A stan-dard oil filter with pleated cellulose media will usuallytrap most particles 25 to 30 microns or larger. A filterthat combines cellulose with synthetic fibers will typi-cally trap even smaller particles down to 10 microns orless. The finer the filter media, the more efficient it is attrapping particles. Some oil filters even employ a two-stage approach, routing a small portion of the oil flowthrough a secondary bypass filter to capture the small-est particles.

How often should an oil filter be replaced? Most au-tomakers say the oil filter should be replaced everytime the oil is changed, which varies on most late-model vehicles from 5,000 to 7,500 to 10,000 miles orlonger. Oil life depends not only on number of miles

counterman.com 41

Continued on page 54



Antifreeze: PremixedOr Straight?

Antifreeze is a product thatis in every liquid-cooledvehicle’s cooling system.Most brands of antifreeze

are made of Ethylene Glycol (EG),although some brands use Propy-lene Glycol (PG) because it issomewhat less toxic if ingested.

Antifreeze is mixed in equalparts with water to create a coolantsolution that provides both freez-ing and boilover protection com-pared to straight water. Water is anefficient conductor of heat, whichis good for cooling the engine andtransferring heat to the radiatorand heater core. But straight waterfreezes at 32 degrees F and boils at212 degrees F, which is not ade-quate for year-round driving or to-day’s hot running engines.

NASCAR and drag cars usuallyrun straight water in their coolingsystems, but only because trackrules designed to keep slipperyethylene glycol off the track in theevent of a coolant spill. Straightwater cools well, but provides noprotection against rust or corrosionwithout corrosion inhibiting addi-tives. It also provides no lubrica-tion for the water pump seal andshaft bearing without additives.

That’s where antifreeze comesin. When mixed in equal parts withwater (50/50), antifreeze lowersthe freezing point to -35 degrees Fand raises the boiling temperatureto 223 degrees F. Antifreeze also in-cludes corrosion inhibitors to pro-tect the engine and cooling systemagainst rust and corrosion. The ad-ditive package in most long-lifecoolants will last up to 5 years or150,000 miles. That’s not forever,but long enough to minimize the

need for regular coolant changes.A 50/50 mixture of antifreeze and

water is the standard recommenda-tion for most applications because itprovides the best all-round coolingprotection and performance formost applications. Premixed an-tifreeze is 50/50 and takes theguesswork out of correctly mixingantifreeze and water. Most con-sumers find premixed antifreeze ismuch more convenient to use be-cause it doesn’t require any mixing.A gallon jug also is less expensivethan a gallon of straight antifreeze.

In some situations, the ratio ofantifreeze in the coolant can be in-creased to as much as 70 percent. A70/30 mix will lower the freezingpoint to -67 degrees F and to raisethe boiling temperature to 235 de-grees F. But a 70/30 mixture of an-tifreeze and water will not conductheat as efficiently as a 50/50 mix-ture because the thermal capacityof antifreeze is not as high as wa-ter. That might cause the engine torun too hot and overheat if thecooling capacity of the radiator ismarginal (which is often the casewith many late-model vehicles thathave relatively small radiators andcooling capacities).

Pressurizing the cooling systemwith a 8 to 15 PSI radiator cap willraise the boiling temperature of thecoolant whether it is straight wateror a standard antifreeze/watermixture. The cap seals the systemand acts like a pressure cooker toprevent steam from forming. A 15PSI cap can raise the boiling tem-perature as much as 45 degreesover an unpressurized system. Butthe cap pressure depends on the




Brake Rotors GenerateA Lot Of Heat

The rotors in a disc brake system provide a two-sidedfriction surface for the brakepads to press against when

the brakes are applied. Thisproduces friction a heat – a LOT ofheat. In a matter of seconds, thetemperature of the rotors and padscan shoot up to several hundreddegrees. Temperatures of up to 350degrees F may be generated at thefront rotors after a few hard stops in a rear-wheel drive car. With front-wheel drive, the temperaturescan be even higher, as much as 500 degrees or more after severalhard stops.

As the temperature of the rotorsand pads goes up, friction decreasesand the brakes may begin to fade. Ittakes more and more pressure toachieve the same friction and stop-ping power. Semi-metallic brakepads typically experience less fadeat high brake temperatures thanmost nonasbestos organic or ceram-ic pads.

How the rotors manage heat de-pends on the size of the rotors (big-ger is better), whether the rotors arevented or solid (vented cools better),the design of the cooling fins insidethe rotors (directional fins cool bet-ter than nondirectional fins) and air-flow through the rotors (moreairflow is better).

Performance rotors often have ad-ditional features to improve coolingand heat transfer such as holes andslots. Holes and slots on the rotorsurface provide an escape path forhot gasses generated by the pads.Although some holes may bedrilled through the rotor, many areactually cast to reduce stress thatmight lead to cracking.

At the high end of the perform-ance spectrum are carbon ceramicrotors. Carbon ceramic rotors arevery light, weighing about 10pounds less than a comparable castiron rotor. Carbon ceramic rotorshave been used in racing since the1970s and are now found on a num-ber of high end performance carssuch as Corvette, Ferrari, Porscheand similar models. You’ll probablynever sell a replacement rotor forone of these exotic applications, butyou should be selling a lot of re-placement rotors for everyday pas-senger cars, trucks and SUVs.

Rotors are a wear item, so as thepads wear with normal driving sodo the rotors. Ceramic brake padsand NAO pads typically produceless rotor wear than harder semi-metallic brake pads. Other factorsthe influence rotor wear include theweight of the vehicle, the size anddesign of the OEM rotors, front/rearbrake balance and driving style.Fullsize SUVs and pickups tend towear brake pads and rotors fasterthan small economy cars. Aggres-sive driving and “riding the brakes”also accelerate brake pad and rotorwear.



By Gary Goms, commercial accounts editorMECHANIC CONNECTION

Considerations When Selling Bulk Fuel Hose

In March, when I was travelingto the 2014 Vision Hi-Tech Train-ing & Exposition held in KansasCity, I saw a thin plume of black

smoke extending well above thehorizon. As I neared the plume ofblack smoke, I was horrified to seethat it came from a small compactcar haphazardly parked along theshoulder of the road with flamesbillowing from under the car’sopen hood and spreading to adja-cent grassland areas. The onlymechanical cause of a catastrophicunderhood fire would be aruptured high-pressure fuel hose.With that terrible scene in mind,let’s take a look at five things youneed to know about selling bulkfuel hose.

Storage Tips

Assuming bulk hose is stored at aroom temperature of less than 100degrees F, it should have a shelf lifeof about three-to-five years. Be-yond that, the service life of fuelhose can be dramatically short-ened. For that reason alone, it’s im-portant to store all bulk fuel hoseinventories on a first-in, first-outbasis. If you’re servicing bulk hosefor a wholesale account, it’s wise tojot the delivery date on the hose

spool or carton to help track theshelf life of the hose.

Ethanol Issues

Practically all modern gasolinescontain 10 to 85 percent ethanol.Consequently, any type of bulkfuel hose should be approved foruse with gasoline, ethanol, diesel,bio-diesel and other bio-fuels. Ifyour wholesale technician cus-tomer is currently using non-barri-er bulk fuel hose, the potentialliability caused by hose failure isvery high. Remember too that ifbulk hose is used to plumb inside afuel tank, the hose also shouldmeet a submersible rating allowingthe hose exterior to withstand con-stant exposure to fuel additiveslike ethanol.

Pressure Ratings

Carbureted fuel systems normallyoperate at no more than 8 poundsper square inch (psi) pressure. Toprovide the necessary safety mar-gins with ethanol fuels, carburetedfuel systems require bulk hose ratedto withstand operating pressures upto 50 psi at operating temperaturesbetween -40 F. degrees to +257 F. de-grees. In contrast, most electronicfuel injection systems normally op-

erate at about 40-50psi fuel pressure at

between -40 F. degrees to +275 F. de-grees. But, if the fuel pressure regu-lator sticks or the fuel regulatorreturn line is pinched closed, thefuel pump’s “dead-head” pressurecan instantly rise to more than 100psi, which can catastrophically rup-ture non-specification fuel hose. Forthat reason alone, bulk fuel injectionhose is rated to safely operate at aminimum 225 psi fuel pressure.

The Fine Print

While all fuel hose might appearidentical, hose designed for use asfuel pressure return, positivecrankcase ventilation, vacuumhose on MAP/Baro sensors, andreturn hose on diesel fuel injectionsystems must not only contain atleast 50 psi pressure, but also mustwithstand a vacuum reading of atleast 24 inches of mercury (“Hg)for inside diameters smaller than .5inches. at temperatures ranging be-tween -40 F. degrees to +257 F. de-grees without collapsing.

Catalog Research

I hate to disappoint , but I sourcedmost of the information for this col-umn from an ordinary paper-boundhose and belt catalog. If you take afew minutes to do the same, you’lllearn that, not only does the catalogcontain hose ratings, it also lists thecorrect hose clamps for various ap-plications. All of the above is whyyou should always confirm the in-tended purpose and application be-fore filling an order for bulk hose. Sotake some advice from an old auto-motive service professional: Play itsafe and “look at the book” beforemaking the sale. CM

Service informationprinted on modern fuelbulk fuel hoseincludes the “J”ratings from theSociety of AutomotiveEngineers (SAE) andEPA approvals.


By Gary Goms, commercial accounts editorMECHANIC CONNECTION

Five Things to Remember About

Pulse-Modulated Fuel Pumps

Just this summer, I experi-enced a situation in whichthe fuel pump had beenreplaced four different

times on a single vehicle with noresult because the various repairshops attempting to repair thevehicle didn’t understand how todiagnose a pulse-modulated fueldelivery system.

Instead of a defective fuel pump,the problem was caused by a de-fective electronic fuel pump controlmodule (FPCM). So it’s no stretchof the imagination to find yourself,as a parts professional, dealingwith unjustified warranty returnson similar pulse-modulated fueldelivery systems. With that said,here are five things you shouldknow about selling parts for pulse-modulated fuel delivery systems:

1.Supply And Demand: Conven-tional electric fuel pumps con-stantly operate at 100 percent

capacity, which wears the fuel pumpout relatively early in the vehicle’slife. To remedy this situation andestablish more accurate fuel control,engineers designed a fuel pump thatruns on electrical impulses ratherthan a steady current. Running thefuel pump on electrical impulses notonly allows the Powertrain ControlModule to control fuel pump speedand pressure according to enginedemand, it also extends fuel pumplife and reliability.

2.System Identification:

Pulse-modulated systems canbe identified because they

generally have no externalSchrader valve port for testing fuel

pressure. Instead, when the techni-cian connects his professional scantool, he will usually see fuel pres-sure as a data display transmittedfrom an electronic fuel pressuresensor located on the fuel injectormanifold or “rail.” In addition, hewill observe the “duty cycle” or thelength of pulse modulation avail-able at the fuel pump.

3.Pulse Modulation

Principles: The basic operat-ing principles of pulse-modu-

lated fuel pumps are relativelysimple. When the PCM senses thatthe engine is demanding more fuel,it commands another key compo-nent, the fuel pump control mod-ule (FCM), to increase the fuelpump speed by increasing thelength of the electrical pulses beingsent to the fuel pump. Similarly,when engine’s fuel demanddecreases, the length of the electri-cal pulses sent to the fuel pump isdecreased as well. Electronicallymanaging the fuel pump speedand fuel pressure through pulse

modulation is a convenient methodfor helping the fuel injectors to effi-ciently meet minimum and maxi-mum fuel demands.

4.Fuel Delivery Diagnostics:

Most failures in a pulse-modu-lated fuel system are instantly

recognized by the on-board diagnos-tics built into the engine’s PowertrainControl Module (PCM). The on-board diagnostic process is basicallysimple. When the PCM senses that alonger than usual pulse width isrequired to meet a commanded fuelpressure value, it stores one or morediagnostic trouble codes in its diag-nostic memory indicating that thefuel pump isn’t performing at itscommanded level. Keep in mind, ofcourse, that a common failure suchas a restricted external or in-tank fuelfilter or pinched fuel line also canstore these and other trouble codes inthe PCM’s diagnostic memory.

5.Selling Pulse-Modulated

Parts: When you’re selling to aretail customer, remember that

conventional fuel pump testingmethods won’t work on pulse-mod-ulated fuel pumps. Consequently,pulse-modulated systems can beaccurately diagnosed only by usinga professional scan tool to recoverdiagnostic trouble codes and per-form specified testing procedures,such as bi-directional pump control.Last, remember that, while theaftermarket might supply the fuelpump, the FCM itself might be adealer-only item. In any case, mod-ern fuel pump testing is best left to the hands of a qualified serviceprofessional. CM

Scan tool analysis is the best method fordiagnosing pulse-modulated fuel pumps.The second and third lines from thebottom of this scan tool data screenindicate fuel pump pulse width.


By Amy Antenora

CRP is celebrating its 60th

anniversary this year. What is the

company doing to commemorate

this milestone?

Our plan for this year has been tocelebrate our 60 years of growthand success as a team while we alsomake sure we are looking to the fu-ture to ensure that we are aroundfor the next 60 years. We will holdan internal celebration in mid-No-vember, after we get back fromAAPEX. This will give us some timeto reflect on our success and every-thing we should be grateful for. Wehave been very fortunate to havegreat customers, supplier partnersand employees over the years. It isvery important to us to acknowl-edge the long-termrelationships/partnerships thathave helped us get to this point.Many of our partnerships go backto the company’s inception. Fromkey suppliers such as ContiTech,Pentosin and Ajusa, to a long list ofwell-known wholesale distributorsand OEMs, all have played an im-portant part in the CRP story. We

are also very proud of the fact thatwe have a number of employeeswho have been with us for morethan 30 of those 60 years.

Remaining successful in this industry

for 60 years is quite an achievement,

especially when you consider some

of the challenges the aftermarket

industry has faced over the past few

decades. What are the keys to CRP’s

continued growth and success?

Getting to 60 years took a lot ofhard work by a lot of great people,a supporting vision that couldevolve through the years, and acommitment to our core values ofquality, service and trust. We alsohad to be flexible when thingsneeded to change. Whether thatchange came from a supplier, acustomer, or the industry, we havealways been able to identify it andmanage it successfully.

We also maintain a consistent fo-cus on our strategy of providingthe highest quality brands and OEparts that the professional repairtechnicians love. We make surethat our professional repair techni-cians get the right tools, knowledgeand parts to do the job right thefirst time, and on time.

We work in a transparent andtruthful manner with a commit-ment to excellence in everything wedo within our community of cus-tomers, suppliers and employees,so they can perform at their verybest. And finally, we never overlookthe need for sustainability andmake our decisions from a long-term perspective.

This past year, CRP was ranked in

Inc. Magazine’s prestigious Inc. 5000

List. To what do you attribute the

company’s strong pattern of growth

in recent years?

We made the Inc. list at the end of2012 because we were one of thefastest-growing private compa-nies from 2010 through 2012. I at-tribute this and our ongoinggrowth to several key factors: Theright expertise at the right time,strong partnerships, qualitybrands, good people and continu-ous improvement.

Our expertise in import partscomes at an ideal time in the af-termarket as the car park contin-ues to shift toward importvehicles. This puts us in an excel-lent position to help our distribu-tion partners increase market

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

AMN Executive Interview: Daniel Schildge, President Of CRP IndustriesDaniel N. Schildge is the president of CRP Industries Inc. He was appointedto the position in July 2008, after serving in a variety of capacities with thecompany, including COO. In this role, Schildge is directly responsible for thestrategic and tactical management of CRP Industries and accountable for thedevelopment and implementation of the company’s infrastructure, includingall systems, processes and personnel. In this AMN Executive Interview,Schildge talks about the company’s 60th anniversary and the keys to theCRP’s long-term growth and success.

share. We have established strongpartnerships with some of thebest distributors in the industryand have built a level of trustwith them by delivering high-quality products and supportingthem with excellent customerservice. We offer an exceptionalportfolio of brands, Pentosin,ContiTech, Ajusa and Rein Auto-motive, which are respected and loved by professional repairtechnicians.

CRP has a very unique position in the

marketplace. Could you please give

AMN readers a quick breakdown of

the company’s four-brand strategy

and role in the market?

We started as a master distributorwith Continental in 1954. Today,we partner with several EuropeanOEM manufacturers and functionas their NAFTA market sales,marketing and logistics arm. Ourfour-brand strategy includes Con-tiTech, Pentosin, Rein and Ajusa.We have helped build thesebrands over the years. They aretrusted and in-demand by profes-sional repair technicians.

Our commitment to provide thehighest OE-quality parts is a key-stone of CRP and part of our DNA.A key strength of CRP is productmanagement for the NAFTA mar-ket. Our intimate understanding ofthe market ensures we offer brandsand products that meet the needsof professional repair technicians.An important point of differencefor CRP is our innovative approachin developing kits that provideprofessional repair technicianswith all the parts they need to suc-cessfully do a complete repair. OurCRP ContiTech Pro Series timingbelt kits and the Rein Automotivecoolant hose kits are excellent ex-amples of this specialty.

Does CRP consider itself a global

company or primarily a North

American business and why? Please

tell us about the company’s

distribution footprint.

We are a global company from thesupply side and a North Americancompany from the market side. Be-cause our partners are locatedworldwide with manufacturingplants located in many countries,we need to maintain a strong globalbusiness skill set to effectively andefficiently source from them. From amarkets-served point of view, weprimarily focus on the NAFTA mar-ket with distribution points in theU.S., Canada and Mexico. We havesubsidiaries in Mexico and Canada,

which is important because a localmarket presence there allows us toeffectively address the specificneeds of that market without tryingto make a U.S.-based model work.

Over the past 60 years, CRP hasbeen involved in a number of jointventures with European OEMs, typi-cally driven by an opportunity to bet-ter serve the market and customers.We also work with many of the topdistribution outlets in North Americato serve the professional repair tech-nician and DIY markets.

Talk to us about your marketing

strategy for the brands in the CRP

portfolio.

There are four brands in our portfo-

counterman.com 51

Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation(Act of August 12, 1970; Section 3685. Title 39. United States Code.)

COUNTERMAN is published monthly at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333. Headquarters and general business offices are also at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333.Publication No. 0739-3695.

The publisher of COUNTERMAN is Scott Shriber, the editor is Mark Phillips and the managingeditor is Amy Antenora. The staff is located at 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, Ohio 44333.

COUNTERMAN is owned by William E. Babcox, Babcox Media, Inc., 3550 Embassy Pkwy., Akron,OH 44333.

Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent orMore of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None.

Issue date for Circulation Data Below: August 2014.

Extent and nature of circulation is: Average no. copies Actual no. copies each issue during of single issue preceding 12 months nearest to filing date A. Total Number of Copies 41,933 43,409B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation 1. Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 35,345 37,844C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 35,345 37,844D. Free Distribution Outside the Mail 6,309 5,310E. Total Free Distribution 6,309 5,310F. Total Distribution 41,654 43,154G. Copies not Distributed 279 255H. Total 41,933 43,409I. Percent Paid and/or RequestedCirculation 84.9% 87.7%

I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.Pat Robinson, Associate Director of Circulation September 19, 2014


By Amy Antenora

Earlier this year, Spectra acquired

Richporter Technologies, based in

Montreal with manufacturing in

Taiwan. Talk to us about what this

acquisition provides for Spectra in

terms of benefits.

Entry into the engine manage-ment sector of the automotive af-termarket was a key initiative forSpectra Premium as it provides us

increased overall vehicle replace-ment coverage, adding to our ex-isting fuel and cooling systemproduct categories. We are cur-rently in the process of leveragingthose lines through the brand con-version of all Richporter productsto the Spectra Premium brand,which will be available to themarket this month. The future ofthe key products lines in this ac-quisition such as mass air flow

sensors, ignition coils and throttlebody sensors gives us penetrationinto some of the fastest-growingproduct categories currently in re-placement.

What is Spectra’s global footprint

like now, with the acquisition of

Richporter?

One key within the acquisition wasthe solidification of a physicalSpectra Premium presence in Asia.

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

AMN Executive Interview With Jason Best,Sr. Vice President Of Aftermarket Sales And Business Development, Spectra Premium IndustriesIn this AMN Executive Interview, Jason Best discusses Spectra’s recentacquisition of Richporter Technologies and other areas of growth for thecompany.

lio. Three of the brands, ContiTech,Pentosin and Ajusa, are partner-ships with the European manufac-turers, while the fourth, Rein, is ourown proprietary brand. Our keystrategy is to make sure our cus-tomers are aware that CRP Automo-tive is the company behind all ofthese brands in the NAFTA market.Many repair technicians know thebrands we offer, but we want themto know that CRP Automotive isalso a dependable conduit for theirtechnical, sales, marketing and logistical needs.

We want them to know that weare committed to delivering thehighest quality in OEM and OE-equivalent replacement parts inthe most efficient way possible.We believe building a relationshipwith the professional repair tech-

nicians is vital for delivering anoffering that meets the needs ofthe market. Repair technicians tellus what works and what doesn’t,and what would make their liveseasier. It’s critical to be in tunewith them. For example, our verysuccessful Pro Series Plus timingbelt kit program was originallyconceived from technician feed-back that suggested adding a wa-ter pump and hydraulic damperto the purchase of a timing beltand tensioners.

Having served in your role as

president of CRP for some time now,

what do you see as some of the

most significant challenges and

opportunities facing suppliers, and

CRP specifically, today and going

forward?

Working capital requirementspose a significant challenge whenyou’re supplying automotiveparts to an ever-changing market.We support a very large SKU of-fering, so we constantly facetough demands on our inventoryon-hand. Another challengecomes from extended paymentterms that are creating a very dif-ficult situation for all levels of thedistribution channel.

Technological shifts are makingit harder for the independent re-pair technician to compete, whichmakes the delivery of technicalcontent and information to supportthem even more vital. We also haveto be careful with the race to theprice bottom on parts, especiallythose with technical and safetyconsequences. CM

Our office now located in Kaohsi-ung, Taiwan, will serve as the mainsupport to the development of theengine management program. Themanufacturing process within thisfacility ensures proper ceramicboard technology is utilized withinour mass air flow product line.Spectra Premium Taiwan will alsohouse our long-life durability test-ing for all engine managementproducts, supported by our exten-sive engineering and developmentlocated in Boucherville, Quebec,thus ensuring the similar type ofquality that is found in all ourproduct lines.

Do you have plans for more growth

in the coming year, whether

organically or through acquisition?

We continue to expand our plat-form and customer outreach inNorth America through the ongo-ing development of our productcategories. Our main focus is tocontinue to offer premium prod-ucts and service solutions that areadaptable to our individual cus-tomer needs. Recognizing thechanging trends in the repair andreplacement market along withvehicle technology is one thing,but being able to adapt your serv-ice solutions to that for each chan-nel partner is what sets us apartin the industry. Similar to manyother companies, we are alwayslooking at potential growth op-portunities, whether that bethrough new lines or synergies inthe market and we will pursuethe best option that fits the needsof our customer base.

Tell us about the engine manage-

ment customer satisfaction war-

ranty that became effective in July.

The market expectation of cus-tomers and end-users thru onlinevisibility of brand positioning has

pushed the service level expecta-tions to new levels. Included with-in these expectations is the serviceprovided for a part that did notperform to the vehicle needs. It isour intention to protect the needsof the vehicle owner and offerthem peace of mind when buying aSpectra Premium ignition or en-gine management component, thatif something goes in the operatingperformance of that part, they willbe covered. This goes in line withour Premium Choice commitmentto all our customers.

In May, you were promoted to

Senior VP of Sales and Business

Development. Congrats! How have

your roles and responsibilities

changed with this promotion?

Thank you very much. The mainchange to my responsibilities isassuming the global productstrategy and strategic develop-ment as it relates to all our linesand new potential categories.Within this change from the salesstandpoint, Mr. Max Carter stepsinto the role of VP sales USA and Kerry Best Jr. assumes theposition of corporate director ofsales – Canada, thus resumingthe day-to-day sales supportfunctions. From a category per-spective, Collin Francis, Eric Re-naud and Aaron Athey step in as corporate directors of productdevelopment and category man-agement for their respectiveproduct lines. CM

counterman.com 53

driven, but also idle time, enginetemperature and ambient tempera-ture, vehicle speed, engine loadand other environmental factors —also the quality of the oil itself.Synthetic oils are generally re-quired or recommended for longerservice intervals.

A long-life premium quality oilfilter should always be used in anyapplication that has an oil changeinternal longer than 7,500 miles.Even if the oil is changed every3,000 miles (which is still a goodidea for many older, high-mileageengines that are subjected to “se-vere service” use), a premium oilfilter will provide much better en-gine protection than an economyor standard replacement filter.

What’s really scary is that someoff-brand economy filters provideminimal protection from the day

they are installed, and may evenplug up before they ever reach3,000 miles. Oil filters have a by-pass valve so if the filter media be-comes restricted, oil will bypass thefilter media and continue to flow tothe engine. But this is unfiltered oil

that may contain engine-damagingwear particles and contaminants.That’s why regular filter changesare so important, and why qualitybrand-name filters that provideproper engine protection should al-ways be used. CM


TECH FEATURE

Oil filters continued from page 41

application and the strength of theradiator, heater core and othercomponents. Replacement radiatorcaps should have the same pres-sure rating as the original on astock cooling system.

There also are chemical additivesfor the cooling system that reducethe surface tension of water to min-imize the formation of bubbles andcavitation inside the cooling sys-tem. These “wetting agents” im-prove heat transfer and thermalefficiency, allowing the cooling sys-

tem to run as much as 6 to 8 de-grees cooler with a 50/50 an-tifreeze mixture, or 15 to 20degrees cooler in a racing applica-tion that is using straight water asa coolant. CM

Antifreeze continued from page 42

By the time the brake pads areworn down to minimum thicknessand need to be replaced, the rotorsoften need to be resurfaced or re-placed. Many original equipmentrotors are thinner to reduce weightand cost, so by the time a vehicleneeds pads the rotors may also haveto be replaced.

Rotor thickness should always bemeasured with a micrometer to de-termine wear. If the thickness hasworn down to the OEM minimumthickness specification, or the rotorcannot be resurfaced without ex-ceeding the spec, the rotor is wornout and must be replaced. Rotorsthat are cracked, severely corrodedor have hard spots should also bereplaced. Rotor runout also shouldbe checked when the brakes areserviced. This requires a dial indica-tor to check the amount of “wob-ble” in the rotor as it turns. On mostcars more than .003 inches is toomuch. On some, as little as .001inches of runout may be objection-able. Fixes include replacing the ro-tors, placing a thin tapered shimbehind the rotors to reduce runout,or resurfacing the rotor in placewith an on-car brake lathe. Thick-ness variation is another factor thatneeds to be checked. It’s hard tomeasure, but if it exceeds more than.0005 inches, it may cause a notice-able pedal pulsation. CM

Rotors continued from page 44


Inever thought I’d say this, but the Internethas turned me into a chatterbox! Anonline chatting fanatic, that is (althoughsome of my friends will say I’ve always

talked my behind off in the real world).What I mean is that I use online chatting alot, and not just one platform. In addition toSMS text messages, I use no less than threeother platforms regularly: Google Hangouts,Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. Howdid this happen?How did I everthink I couldmanage commu-nications on fourdifferent plat-forms (on top ofemail, mindyou?). I neverset out to dothis, but as atrue marketeer,my customersand businessdrove me to it.By now, my dear readers, you all know I’mno bystander when it comes to tech — nosir, I’m no toe-dipper, so I dove headfirstinto all four text platforms.

Chatting online is way more immediatethan email; nothing beats it for a quickquestion. The unspoken protocol of chat isthat you use it for quick requests, but ex-pect a quick response in return. It’s also agreat tool to keep in touch with customersand colleagues over great distances whilecreating a sense of intimacy. Our own com-pany is spread out over the Southeast with40 locations. I get to visit our HQ less thatfour times a year, but I engage our stake-holders daily via Google Hangouts. Mostof us have our chat always on when sittingin front of our PCs, and it has become ourcompany’s go-to tool for a quick question

COUNTER-TECHBy Mandy Aguilar

Always-On Chatto accounting about a payment, or to pur-chasing about being out of stock on a part(hypothetically speaking that is…). We alsouse Google Hangouts to schedule phonecalls, rather than cold-calling a colleague.It’s great to check in on chat first and set upthe call after; both parties are ready, andmore efficient calls ensue.

In sales, you have to go where customersare, and nowadays customers are using

chat apps to en-gage their suppli-ers; sales andsocial media oftenintertwine online.I have several cus-tomers who aredoing a bang-upjob on Facebook,generating leadsand engagingtheir customersvia social interac-tions. Becausethey spend lots of

time on Facebook, they tend to use theirchatting platform more often. It’s not un-common for me to log in to Facebook atnight and find a couple offline messagesfrom customers inquiring about a part.Facebook Messenger also is a great tool forsharing Facebook content privately. Manyof our customers and collaborators oftenshare a post from a competitor via thischannel, and we love to stay up-to-speedusing it.

Customers have become highly connect-ed, and they expect us to be there withthem. By far, the app most are gravitatingto nowadays is WhatsApp (especiallywhen abroad). The app is available on allplatforms, and more than half a billionsmartphone owners around the world havedownloaded the app and become active

Mandy Aguilar is aregional vice president forJacksonville, Fla.-based

The Parts House.

In addition toSMS textmessages, I useno less thanthree otherplatformsregularly:GoogleHangouts,FacebookMessenger and WhatsApp.How did thishappen?

users, sending more than 50 billionmessages a day! That’s more thandouble the number of traditionalSMS messages sent globally daily.WhatsApp is a cross-platform mes-saging service that uses the Inter-net, instead of traditional phonenetworks, to allow users to sendSMS messages without the tradi-tional SMS fees. It works with vir-tually all smartphones, and theycan all communicate with one an-other. The app is free to downloadand only charges a 99 cents peryear as a subscription fee thatkeeps the app ad-free. For 99 centsa year, you get unlimited texting,media sharing, voicemails andmore with zero long-distancecharges or SMS fees across the

planet; truly a disruptor for tradi-tional phone companies.

The app is so hugely popularthat the folks at Facebook figuredthey might as well buy the wholething and paid $19 billion for itearlier this year, making it one ofthe biggest tech acquisitions ever.Our customers, not unlike Face-book, realized the app is easy touse, works flawlessly and moreand more it has become their appdu jour for chatting.

By far the biggest joy for mewhile using the app is when a low-tech customer uses it to place anorder. Some of our lesser tech-savvy customers (you know, theones who won’t log into your on-line eCommerce platform even if

you gave them the parts for free)have downloaded the app and areusing a low-tech way of communi-cating an order. These are the guyswho have handwritten their ordersfor millennia and will not use acomputer, but they still buy a lot ofparts. Instead of faxing that pieceof paper, many are taking a pictureof it with their smartphone and us-ing chatting platforms to “text youthe order” (gotta love that term).On the other side of the chat, westill have to key punch that order;but, the interactions we get viachatting, and the immediacy of it,beats the fax all day long. So, dearcustomers, we are here for you anyway you like —let’s chat somemore. CM


COUNTER-TECH

■ ■ ■

Visit Mandy’s blog: www.mandyaguilar.com

Airtex Corp. 34, C3Amsoil Inc. 29Auto Care Association 3Automotive Distribution Network 5AutoZone 7Bar’s Products 26Campbell Hausfeld 8CARDONE Industries 13East Penn Mfg. Co. 11eBay 44ExxonMobil C4Federal-Mogul Motorparts 39Federal-Mogul/Champion Spark Plugs 16, 17Federal-Mogul Motorparts/Moog 42, 43Gabriel Ride Control 45Gates Corp. 57GMB North America 47Huf Group 9Interstate Batteries Inc. C2ITW Global Brands 49

JohnDow Industries 24LIQUI MOLY GmbH 20Mahle Clevite Cover, 35Mann + Hummel 32Mevotech 33Nissan North America 37NUCAP Industries 53, 54, 64Packard Industries 28Robert Bosch Corp. 19, 21Schaeffler Group USA 14K-Seal 18Stellar Automotive (Lube Guard) 10, 16Tri Star Engines & Transmissions 6TYC/Genera Corp. 23Uni-Select 31UPS 27WD-40 15WIX Filters 40, 41Zep Inc. 12

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GearWrench Introduces 3-Degree, 120Position Extra-Long Ratcheting Wrenches

GearWrench has introduced its new 120XP Uni-versal Spline XL Ratcheting Wrenches. The newratcheting wrenches feature 120 positions forevery full rotation and a swing arc of as little asthree degrees. The new 120XP Ratcheting Wrench-es from GearWrench deliver unparalleled access,allowing them to turn hard-to-reach fasteners inconfined areas. Available in SAE and Metric sizes,end users can choose from three styles, including:

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PlastiKote Primers Set the Standard for Performance and Durability

Versatile and high-performing, the PlastiKote line of premium primers is theprofessional choice for preparing an area for painting and the first step to get“The Perfect Finish.” “PlastiKote primers properly prepare a wide variety of sur-faces for painting. These premium aerosols are simple to use, fast-drying andlong-lasting,” said Katie Whiting, product and brand manager for PlastiKote.“We have excellent options that provide a durable base and make the paintingprocess that much easier.” PlastiKote Premium Primer is a non-sanding primerthat helps improve adhesion, fills in imperfections and improves the overall ap-pearance of the top coat. It can be used either inside or outside and helps in-crease rust prevention. PlastiKote Sandable Primer provides strong adhesion andresists rust when applied to bare metal. This versatile primer works well underlacquer, enamel or acrylic top coats, making them look smoother and last longer.


Penray Introduces Synthetic Media Heavy-DutyCoolant FilterThe new Penray synthetic media coolant filters aredesigned to last up to 150,000 miles, 15 months or 3,000

operating hours,and are fullycompatible withconventionalcoolants as well asnew-generationExtended LifeCoolants (ELCs).They are availablefor all popular Class6, 7, and 8 vehicles,as well as for many

mobile off-highway and marine applications. Penrayalso offers synthetic media filters for use with ExtendedLife Coolants (ELCs). The key to the effectiveness anddurability of these new heavy-duty coolant filters is thecompany’s fiberglass-based filtering mediaincorporated into a sophisticated triple-layer designthat provides exceptional filtration, even in extremeoperating conditions.

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ADVERTISEHERE!Jennifer Hazen

Classified Sales Mgr.330-670.1234 ext. 224

Fax 330.670.0874 • [email protected]

CLASSIFIED


Even though I have spent my entirelife in and around the automobilebusiness, I still forget how much apart of our lives these machines are.

How could I forget the 3 trillion miles wetravel or the $255 billion in business wegenerate here in the automotive aftermar-ket every year alone?

Well, it’s really the 240 million vehicleson the road today that make it all possible.Along the way, in the last 100 or so years,the personal automobile has become such apart of our fabric we tend to take it forgranted. Given my background, that is re-ally hard to imagine.

Once every year, I am reminded of myown infatuation with it and am always gladwhen I am. About five years ago, a serviceadviser told me about a car show that night.I don’t make a habit of crashing parties butfor some reason after some coaxing by myadviser, I loaded up the family and showedup. It turned out to be quite an evening andI was astounded to find out that it was alldone by word of mouth — other car enthu-siasts telling each other. It was so popular,the area police were there to direct trafficand help with crowds.

FROM THE PUBLISHERBy S. Scott Shriber

This was all made possible by one carlover who decided to share his collectionwith the rest of us. This rare individual isBob Jones. His collection is one of the mostunique I have seen. No Bentleys or Fer-raris. Just really cool cars that all of us ei-ther had or knew someone who did. Ofcourse, there are the oddballs, like a 1923air-cooled Franklin touring car, and twoelectric cars from yesteryear. (Who says hy-brids are new?) Bob’s favorite car is a 1939Ford Roadster. The oldest car is a 1906 Bak-er electric, quite a contrast to the Art Ar-fons salt flats jet car that is there also. Forthose of you who remember, it was theGreen Monster.

The diversity of the collection is impossi-ble for me to explain here in words. Theother impossible thing for me to explainhere is the opportunity to see them all in acasual environment. You see, Bob believescars are meant to be driven. They all runexcept the Baker and they get taken toshows and are often seen running aroundtown. There were no “do not touch” signsand every one was open and ready for in-spection. This is absolutely unheard of to-day with a collection of this magnitude.

This is all made possible by the generosi-ty of one man. Why? Because he shares thesame love of the automobile that this na-tion has had for the last century. This in-dustry is a great place to work and if youare reading this, I know you make yourlivelihood from it. It’s easy to take it forgranted, but thanks to people like Bob whogive back to the industry, we can be re-minded of its importance and the enduringplace it holds in our country.

Thanks Bob and see you next year! CM

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For more information: www.counterman.com

Along the way,in the last 100or so years, thepersonalautomobile hasbecome such apart of ourfabric we tendto take it forgranted.

Sometimes, I Forget

counterman, november 2014

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