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You turn the ignition key on your mid-90′s Ford motor vehicle and all you get is a click. Initially you think that either the battery is low or that the battery cables are not secured tightly. You may be surprised that the problem is with the small red wire that leads to the starter solenoid (which is attached to the top of the starter).

Ford products (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury) made from 1992 to 2006 had a design defect in the starter that often caused a no-start, no-crank condition. The problem was traced to the ignition terminal connection on the starter’s solenoid. Ford finally came out with a conversion kit that remedied the problem. It is Ford part number 6U2Z-14S411-NA, discussed in Technical Service Bulletin 06-19-14 dated Oct. 2, 2006.

Continue reading ‘Solving Starter Problems on 1992-2006 Ford Products’ »

As the economy continues to ride on it’s present financial rollercoaster one of the toughest hit industries has been the automotive industry. Fewer individuals are buying new cars as a result of either a loss in financial savings, or worries as to what their financial future might hold.While this might seem disastrous for the sales department of a dealership, it has created new opportunities in dealership service departments. The fact that a lot more individuals are holding on to their older cars creates a new demand to keep those cars operational, opening the opportunity for a higher sales potential. The dealerships are seeking resources in order to maximise this opportunity, and because of this new potential has created a demand for automotive consulting.

You can go to nearly any dealership and when you consult the service team you’ll discover that training focuses primarily on vehicle knowledge and customer service. This of course is essential when your main purpose is to maintain and repair vehicles on behalf of vehicle owners. The very first thing a quality individual in the Automotive Consulting field will identify for you is a new need to focus the service department’s training on sales. Anybody could look at a computer and inform a client that their vehicle is in need of various services based on mileage and time of use. However, a properly trained sales person could express this information in a manner which will convince a consumer of how these services benefit them while making a connection with the individual. When this is done through the training of Automotive Consulting you will discover more clientele accepting these additional services and increasing your sales potential.

If you look into Fixed Ops Consulting, the very first thing you will discover is that the dealership environment is swiftly changing. The focus is no longer on the sales of vehicles, but on the relationships you could develop with clients that produce long term business results. Dealerships could no longer depend on simply selling cars to keep their business operational. Client loyalty and relationships are the new opportunity to achieve long term profits and while this might start with a vehicles sale, the Fixed Ops Consultant will show you that this is continued through the service department. When you could keep clients satisfied with quality services and a well trained staff, not just will they continue to use your service department they will likely return to your dealership, when they are ready to start buying again.

Every dealership could benefit from Fixed Ops Consulting in order to further their sales potential through the development of long term client relationships.

With the ever-increasing development of modern technology available to consumers nowadays, consumers have the upper hand when it comes to the purchase of big items such as a house or new car. With the world at our fingertips, coupled with trends in e economy that have driven down rates for new loans, now is the ideal time to think about making the choice to trade in your old auto. It’s been said that one of the most enjoyable parts of purchasing a new car, truck or SUV is the hours you spend researching, test driving and ultimately deciding on one. For the inexperienced consumer, however, this process can be stressful. Here in lies the advantage of automotive groups. Modern technology makes it possible for every consumer to visit a variety of vehicle distributors within the comforts of their own home. While this, in and of itself, puts buyers at an extreme advantage, it can seem like a lot navigating from one Google search to the next.

Dealer groups can are among the best resources for consumers since they provide an extensive array of up-to-date inventory for a wide variety of new and previously owned vehicles spanning multiple makes, categories and classes; Making it possible for a consumer to do one-stop-shopping from one single website. Buyers, who’ve spent the time researching vehicles they’re interested in will find their experience at the dealership to be much more enjoyable.Many auto groups enable consumers to speak with a one associate who will help to guide them through the buying process. Doing this enables their clients to spend less time heading from one seller to the next and more time focusing on their search. Vehicle groups can put buyers at an advantage when it comes to the final purchase or their ideal new vehicle.

Since they’re larger by nature, automotive groups have more access to multiple venues for financing an auto loan putting them at an advantage over smaller dealers who may negotiate with only one or two banks for their clients. Economic trends in today’s society, more often than not, lead to lenders competing for a potential consumers business. Having an extensive network of contacts saves the consumer money and time. All in all, automotive groups are an ideal means of researching and negotiating a great deal on a new or previously owned vehicle for consumers in today’s market.

Cars require regular maintenance and repairs. A mechanic does the physical work on the vehicle, but the service manager ensures that the dealerships service department is well run and managed. Automotive service manger training requires years. The manager needs skills gleaned from work experience, education, vocational training, and certifications in the automotive field.

Service managers are usually employed at a car dealership or a vehicle service operation. Budgeting is one of the chief responsibilities of the manager. They are charged with creating the operating budget, but also making sure the department stays within the budget parameters. They have to make sure costs remain within their projected expectations. They also have to set the goals in regards to profits. Quality assurance and the high ethical standards of the operation also fall under their purview. The manager is in charge of hiring and supervising employees, especially mechanics and technicians. It’s important that the manager make sure all employees are up to date in their training and applicable skills. This insures that customers are receiving the best service possible. They oversee everything that happens in the service department of a car dealership. Continue reading ‘Automotive Service Manger Training Process’ »

My name is Vinny and I’m a car nut. There, I’ve said it! Now you know. I’m hopelessly hooked and it is definitely incurable. I’ve been told that by some very reliable members of my family (my wife specifically).

So you may be saying, “Ok, what’s this got to do with saving money on classified ads?” Well, here it is. I really love all kinds of cars – classics & streetrods in particular and some of the newer ones too. So in my spare time, I’m always looking at classified magazines and websites just checking things out to see all the beautiful cars I can’t afford. Continue reading ‘How to Save Over 80% on Automotive Classified Ads’ »

This may be old news to some of you but the automotive industry is not what it used to be. The days of car manufactures making new cars, slapping an expensive price tag on them and then watching happy go lucky customers drive off the lot in large numbers has passed long ago. With the economy being in the worst shape that it has been in in a very long time, people just don’t have money to waist on vehicles the way that they did once upon a time.

In recent months thing have began to stabilize a little more than the last twelve months. In what was being called the automotive crisis many people lost jobs as almost no cars were being sold. Household names Like GM, Ford, and Chrysler all looked to the government for help. A big reason that the crisis took place was because the automotive industry was weakened by a substantial increase in the prices of automotive fuels. With virtually no fuel efficient models to offer consumers the “Big three” of the American automotive industry watched their sales quickly decrease. Continue reading ‘Changes in the Automotive Industry’ »

C.R.M is the short for Customer Relationship Management it is a software that posses the quintessential capabilities for an automotive dealership to maintain a good relationship with their existing or new customers. In a nut shell the CRM is designed to sort, filter, and management customer’s information in an effective way. It has some eerie resemblance to a well known software everyone uses on a daily basis called “Micro Soft Outlook”.

There are some key differences between a CRM and a DMS, don’t get caught up in the big words. A DMS system or Dealer Management Software should have a build in CRM capabilities, and in addition some functionalities a CRM can not offer. But today we are going to focus solely on the CRM aspect of the technology.

Continue reading ‘What is a CRM in the automotive industry?’ »

Automotive oil filters are not supposed to be put on with wrenches. They should only ever be put on hand-tightened or you may never get them off again. The bad thing is that sometimes the oil filter put on at the factory feels like it’s been put on with an impact wrench. And, sometimes no matter how hard you try, you just cannot get that old filter off with your hands. Continue reading ‘Unsticking a Stuck Oil Filter’ »