Top 5 Automotive Technology Schools in the United States

The complexity of automobile engines continues to increase, thus increasing the demand for well-qualified auto mechanics. A formal automotive technician training course is the best way to prepare you for a position in this fast growing industry. Listed below are the top 5 automotive technology schools in the United States.

1. Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
2. NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI)
3. Nashville Auto Diesel College (NADC)
4. Lincoln Technical Institute
5. Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI)

With the onslaught of vocational high schools, many students can start preparing for their mechanic career early. Many students will begin as apprentices in body shops and auto dealerships, while continuing their post secondary studies. Some employers will even reimburse employees for the additional schooling they receive.

The programs consist of classes such as auto engine mechanics, mathematics, physics, mechanical drawing, and customer service. This gives students the well-rounded education they need to succeed in the industry.

The bureau of labor statistics states that there will be a growth of 15% in the industry over the next decade. This is about 4% over the national average. Graduates typically work in dealerships, manufacturers, and repair shops. Those with the entrepreneurial spirit can also go on to open their own shops.

With the rapidly growing technology used in new cars, it is important to remain current with your education. Even with a degree from an accredited automotive technology school, you will likely still have to continue your education over the years. This will ensure that you stay ahead of your peers in this booming industry.

Prevent the Rock Chip From Spreading Across the Auto Glass With Windshield Crack Repair

Most drivers have faced the 'rock chip on the windshield' and more often than not, they let the rock chip sit there till it grows into a longer crack and then one is forced to replace the windshield. Windshield crack repair can prevent the crack from growing further and ensure that your auto glass lasts the life of the vehicle. While it may seem like a small rock chip will eventually lead to a glass replacement, windshield repair technology offered by Ding Plus guarantees that this need not be the case. Windshield chip repair can actually save your windshield from replacement.

But how exactly does windshield crack repair work?

Windshield crack repair follows a simple procedure of completely removing the air from the rock chip, filling the rock chip with resin, and curing the resin with ultraviolet light. Once the crack or rock chip is repaired utilizing the windshield repair method, strength and optical clarity is restored again to the windshield. Once the crack is contained by the windshield chip repair method, it cannot weaken the glass anymore. Usually even a small rock chip on the auto glass weakens it tremendously and not only can the crack grow but the glass could also shatter on minor impact. Therefore by utilizing windshield glass repair technology, one can ensure that the life of the auto glass is preserved.

It is a proven fact that over 90% of small chips on the auto glass tend to grow into major cracks. Since windshield repair can only be utilized for cracks and rock chips that are smaller than a quarter, it is imperative that you schedule an appointment with providers like Ding Plus as soon as possible. Waiting it out may result in the minor chip growing into a larger uncontrollable crack which will lead to a highly weakened auto glass. Therefore when you do spot a chip on your windshield, opt for a windshield chip repair option that will cost you $60 or you will be dishing out much more for a windshield replacement.

In fact Ding Plus is so sure of its windshield crack repair technology that it offers an iron-clad windshield repair guarantee. Dings Plus guarantees your windshield glass repair will not grow or spread for as long as the customer owns the vehicle or they will refund the original price of the windshield chip repair.

5 Tips for Using Calendars in Your Direct Marketing Campaign

Start the New Year out right by doing a direct marketing campaign. One innovative tool to incorporate in that campaign are calendars. Use them to promote virtually any type of business, from luxury spas to auto repair shops. There are a few varieties to choose from, including wall calendars, poster calendars, card calendars and desktop calendars. The best time to start sending or handing out calendars in your direct marketing campaign is during the month of December, before the start of the New Year.

That is the time that people start to think about buying a new calendar for the upcoming year. Even in this time of technology, most people display calendars in their kitchen or and some are just more comfortable with paper calendars. Read on for the top 5 tips for using calendars in your direct marketing campaign.

Printing Company

Calendars are relatively inexpensive to produce and send. Make sure to use a reputable printing company and place a batch order as you will typically get a discount on batch orders. In contrast to other forms of advertising, that makes custom calendars cost-effective. Consider this method to make a strong impression on a low budget.

Types of Calendars

Use different types of calendars, such as wall and desktop, to send out to clients, if it's in your budget. It's still quite common for businesses, and people, to hang calendars at their place of business. Many employees enjoy using desk calendars. There is a certain satisfaction of being able to see things at a glance and write them down. Use all different types of calendars in your campaign for best results.

Time Frame

It's important to send calendars to clients and potential clients early enough for them to use them in time. Another reason to get them sent out early enough is that companies typically use the first calendar or calendars that they receive. Getting them out early, but not too early, ensures that your custom calendar is used and is effective.

Make Them Memorable

Stand out from the crowd! While you want to include your logo as a way of advertising your brand, stay away from making the business calendars hum drum. Take the time to use photos and designs that make the calendar, and by extension your company, memorable. Keep it tasteful and elegant, but make it fun at the same time. The printing company that you use can help walk you through the process.

Hand Deliver the Calendars

If possible, boost your direct marketing campaign by hand delivering the calendars. This isn't always possible but it can pay off in big dividends. It will resonate with clients, and potential clients, far more than receiving them in the mail. Not to mention, you will save money on postage!

Mercedes Benz Auto Body Repair - Selecting the Right Shop

Mercedes are the one of the standard and reliable cars in the market, in recent years. But just alike humans who prefer getting pampered by taking spa once in a while, even your car deserves a fine tuning. Especially when the paint on the body of the vehicle is faded or when the impairment is caused by the collision, then collision repair is a must.

Conventionally, getting a source of OEM (Original Equipment manufactured) and Mercedes parts is a tough job for ever one from a licensed Mercedes dealer. Nevertheless, the world of internet allows for the opulence to find the appropriate Mercedes body repair stores right from your home.

Mercedes body repair are pretty expensive and they seem to be high for imported cars in particular. Automobile Body Repair is a proficiency that restores a damaged automobile to its original condition. The body repair normally means fixing and exactly matching the paints on the body of the vehicle. It also includes fixing car frames, comprehending electrical, mechanical and electronic system of the automobile.

There are several procedures that are used in Mercedes body repair. Some of them are automotive body structuring, welding, frame straightening, shop safety, body panels adjusting and finally painting and coating. You can make use other accessories to get back the previous new look to your car. As far as exterior look is concerned, Schatz has its name for good quality bumper spoilers and grilles. Mercedes offers the OEM (original equipment Manufactured) look and it is well known for its high degree productivity and customization.

Mercedes body repair process is an expensive process as they are done only the most skilled shops. But you need not spend huge bucks on getting it done. It is always best to look up for the right shop online which not only offers you a great deal but also saves your time. Finding the right mechanic is crucial as he should be able to handle many operations involved in this process depending upon minor or major accidents.

The assortment and kind of Mercedes body repair materials and tools differs with the size and type of the impairment caused. It is always advisable for the customers to carry a wide search on the net to find the exact details about these techniques and shops. As this is an expensive process, one should always contact the accomplished mechanic to get the right suggestions.

Get Automotive Tools And Equipment From Online Sources

Carrying out repairs of passenger cars, trucks or any other type of vehicle is a ritual that needs to be done from time to time. The workshops that handle this type of work should have top quality automotive tools and equipment so that they can perform their tasks efficiently and safely. There are many types of automotive equipment that are needed in a repair workshop. These include tire changers, Hunter wheel alignment and wheel balancers, auto lift equipment, two post lifts, mobile column lifts, four post lifts, pit lifts, short and mid rise lifts, brake lathes, suspension and brake testing systems, automotive tools and other equipment.

In order to find reliable automotive equipment distributors, it is best to browse their websites and choose the one that offers the best quality equipment at competitive rates. The equipment selected by you should be such that shop efficiency can be improved leading to better profitability. Before making a choice, you must ensure that the auto equipment distributor will offer proper after sales services. The basic criterion for choosing any equipment should be safety.

Various types of automotive tools and equipment

The different types of automotive tools and equipment necessary for auto repair services are as follows:

* Auto Lift Equipment: Most repair work on any vehicle needs to be done on its belly and in order for the mechanic to approach it, the vehicle will have to be raised and held in that position. There are different types of auto lift equipment that are available like two posts, four posts, parking, mid-rise, and turf. The most popular one is the two post lift. The equipment manufacturer has to ensure that all safety standards are observed. The buyer should choose only the most reliable equipment because any lapse in quality and safety norms can result in a devastating accident.

* Air Compressors: For inflating tires and for operating various other pneumatic tools, an air compressor is essential to supply compressed air. It is powered by an engine that could be run on diesel, gas or electric power. Compressors could be of different types like duplex, horizontal, or stack.

* Lubrication Equipment: Since a vehicle consists of many moving parts, it is essential that periodic lubrication of these parts is carried out. Oil pumps, oil meters and grease valves are some of the equipment that is necessary for this purpose.

* Wheel Balancing and Alignment Equipment: If the tires of a vehicle are not balanced and aligned, they will wear out very soon and replacements can be costly. Wheel balancing and wheel alignment should be a regular feature of the maintenance of the vehicle and an auto repair shop should have good quality equipment for this purpose.

* Tire Changers: For the purpose of wheel balancing, repairs and replacement of tires, it is essential to have a tire changing machine that will take away all the hassles of manual tire changing and do an accurate job in a few minutes.

* Service and Exhaust Equipment: For regular servicing of a vehicle, it is necessary to have equipment like battery chargers, paint, brake fluid exchangers, and booster cables. The exhaust equipment should also be of good quality because the exhaust hoses should be able to cope with high pressure and high temperature.

* Other Accessories: Monitors, jacks, screwdrivers, dollies, and hammers are some of the other types of automotive tools and equipment that are necessary for servicing and repairs of vehicles.

A reliable online source can supply good quality automotive tools and equipment that are essential for high productivity and safety of operations.

How to Fix Scratches in Your Car's Paint

Getting scratches on your vehicles paint job can be devastating! Luckily for you, if they are not too deep, they can be finessed out of the top surface.

Most scratches and scuffs, as well as "orange peel" and some paint defects can be "finessed" out, depending on severity. You need to tread lightly, most clear coats can be 3-5 mils thick, and a typical "finesse job" can remove.5-1.0 mils of clear coat.

Pre-inspection

First you will want to wash the vehicle. This will allow you to accurately asses the damage and can prevent making the situation worse as you attempt repair. Wet sanding and buffing a dirty car can actually make the scratch worse! Once the car is clean, analyze the area. If its just a mere scuff or even paint transfer from the object that hit it, you can usually skip straight to buffing. If its a little deeper, you will need to wet-sand first. If its too deep (paint layer, primer or bare metal exposed) then the panel will need repainted.

Wet-sanding

If you decided to wetsand, you will need to get a foam sanding block and wet-sanding paper. You will want 2000 grit and 3000 grit "wet-or-dry" paper, found at most parts stores and automotive body supply shops. The foam pad is a must, because it conforms to the area you are working on, it absorbs water (you must keep the work area wet) and they are usually cheap. You only want to wet-sand until the defect is gone. Excessive sanding yields no extra benefit and makes the clear coat too think. The appearance after sanding will be a dull chalky color, but it should be smooth and even. I usually start with 2000 grit to do most of the work, then follow up with 3000 grit to make it real smooth. Always keep the work area WET and you can add a few drops of dish soap to your water (if you are using a spray bottle) for extra lubrication.

Polishing

To polish, you will need an electric polisher with variable speed. I usually set the speed between 1500 RPM and 2500 RPM, depending on what I'm working on and what kind of pad I am using. I use only foam pads unless I have a lot of material to remove and then I will use wool. You will also need a compound. There are different grades of compound depending on how much material you need to remove. The heavier the "cut", the larger the grit in the compound. If you are polishing after 3000 grit, there really isn't a need for a "heavy cut" compound. Keep in mind that every step of the process removes a small amount of clear coat, so you always want to go as little as possible.

Apply some compound to the work area and begin polishing with the buffer. One think to ALWAYS keep in mind with the buffer, is NEVER stop moving. Polishing creates heat and when the paint gets too hot, it can blister. Also stay away from raised edges. Raised edges can burn through the paint very quickly, down to primer or even bare metal. As you move the polisher back and forth, the compound will appear wet, then dry and then eventually disappear. You want to work in small sections, repeating that cycle (wet, dry, gone). Keep repeating until the dullness of the wet-sanding is gone.

Final Glaze

Polishing can leave the paint shiny, but there is still another step to really unlock the potential shine. To do this, you need a softer pad on the polisher (I find the softest foam they offer) and a bottle of special compound usually called "finishing glaze" (also called "swirl mark remover). Its a very compound designed to restore a very high shine and remove swirl marks from the previous step. It is applied just like regular compound.

Once the Finishing glaze is applied, a good coat of wax is recommended to help protect the paint. If the car has been recently painted, skip the wax as it can prevent the out-gassing of paint solvents weeks after a paint job. Rubbing compounds and finishing glazes are silicone free and won't "seal" the paint, so they are safe for "fresh" paint jobs.

Fender Benders And Auto Body Repair

Ok, so you just got in an accident. Albeit, it was a minor one (fender benders usually are), you now have to worry about how much it's going to cost to fix it, or if you can fix it yourself. Or maybe you're thinking it's such a small dent that you don't even need any auto body repair.

Well, before you consider sticking with it so that you can save money, you might want to take into account that many car experts highly recommend you repair any and all dents immediately. The reasoning behind this is that the exposed metals become more vulnerable to rust damage, and/or your bumper may have come loose in the collision which could cause serious problems for you later on.

Small dents can cost as low as $50 to repair anyways so it's probably worth it in the end, but the price will depend on the make of your car and the dent size.

Can I repair a fender bender myself?

There are ways to fix a fender bender yourself, but this is generally tricky and you may not even end up with a quality repair! One do-it-yourself method is to fill the dent with body filler and then sand it down with sand paper. This might sound easy, but the whole process can end up taking 5 hours or more, especially if you have no auto body repair experience! This method also requires that you complete it in one go, so if you're planning on going this route make sure you set aside a big chunk of time.

Another interesting option is to try pulling the dent out with a backhoe. However, if you don't have a backhoe on hand or know how to operate one this isn't going to be your best option, and it is especially not the safest!

Why you need to call a professional
More than likely you probably don't want to spend hours of your free time trying to figure out how to sandpaper your own dent, or have a back hoe on hand ready to go. Even if you do, why go through all that hassle when an auto body repair professional is just a phone call away? You can get a free repair estimate online before you go in so that you know what to expect.