How Well Do You Know Your Driveshaft?

How To Answer Customer Ride Control Questions

TPMS Valve Stems – What Are The Trends? What Is The Future?

How Well Do You Know Your Driveshaft?

How To Answer Customer Ride Control Questions

TPMS Valve Stems – What Are The Trends? What Is The Future?

Sponsored By BCA Bearings by NTN

Sponsored By Carter Fuel Systems

Sponsored By NGK Spark Plugs

AC Diagnostics: Troubleshooting Pressures and Temperatures

The most difficult AC complaints to resolve are the system blows warm, or the air is not as cold as it once was. The causes of the declining performance could be caused by a multitude of components and conditions. In a 45-minute webinar, the experts from Transtar AC will cover the possible causes of AC failure.

The training session will cover:

Speakers Andrew Markel, Director of Technical Content, ShopOwner Dennis Husband, ASE Certified Technician, Transtar AC

Sponsored By BCA Bearings by NTN

The July issue includes technical and management content and is free to download and read.

Presenting your customer with inspection results and benefits of replacement will help sell the job.

The reality is that if you can master some very general skills, ADAS is not rocket science.

Brake & Front End serves repair shops conducting a high volume of undercar repairs by providing application-specific technical information and solutions to address emerging trends in the undercar repair segment. By subscribing, you’ll receive the ShopOwner digital edition magazine (12 times/year) featuring articles from Brake & Front End and the Brake & Front End eNewsletter (twice weekly). Access to digital editions, contests, news, and more are ready for you today!

Brake & Front End serves repair shops conducting a high volume of undercar repairs by providing application-specific technical information and solutions to address emerging trends in the undercar repair segment. By subscribing, you’ll receive the ShopOwner digital edition magazine (12 times/year) featuring articles from Brake & Front End and the Brake & Front End eNewsletter (twice weekly). Access to digital editions, contests, news, and more are ready for you today!

Next year will mark 40 years for Robert Roos in the industry and he says it’s been an incredible journey.

Don’t settle for “almost” - it matters where the engine is manufactured or remanufactured. Sponsored by ACDelco.

GM transmissions and transfer cases are unique to each individual vehicle. This video is sponsored by ACDelco.

Don’t settle for “almost” - it matters where the engine is manufactured or remanufactured. Sponsored by ACDelco.

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TPMS and keyless entry can be difficult to understand because these systems rely on transmitting, receiving and decoding radio waves. You can see wires connecting modules and components, but seeing radio signals takes a little faith in science.

TPMS and keyless entry can be difficult to understand because these systems rely on transmitting, receiving and decoding radio waves. You can see wires connecting modules and components, but seeing radio signals takes a little faith in science.AdvertisementRadio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation that have artificially organized patterns of waves so it transmits information. Still confused? Think of a TPMS sensor; it transmits a very low power signal that goes in all directions. The wave is absorbed and reflected off the vehicle and environment. The antenna on the vehicle, that could be on the windshield, in the wheel well or other locations, receives part of the wave. TPMS sensor signals are low power and low frequency with the majority of sensors transmitting at 315MHz or 413MHz. Keyless entry fobs also operate at this frequency. The transmitters in TPMS sensors are low signal devices subject to FCC Part 15 and are Class C devices. The signals are unencrypted, but the signal is so minimal that it cannot be read by anyone more than 100 feet away. ­AdvertisementThe other thing to remember is that similar frequencies in the same area can interfere with each other. In the 315-413MHz range are a lot of consumer products, like home alarm systems and home automation products like smart light bulbs. In some cases, electronic devices such as phone chargers can emit unintended electromagnetic radiation. If a TPMS sensor transmitted all the time, a sensor would not last very long. Most TPMS sensors will transmit when movement is detected through a simple accelerometer inside. If the wheel stops moving, the sensor will stop broadcasting after a programmed amount of time. But once it is triggered, the sensor transmits on a predetermined interval set by the manufacturer. A sensor will immediately send a signal if it detects a sudden loss in pressure. A sensor never receives radio signals during normal operation. The only time a sensor receives a signal is when a TPMS tool activates the sensor by emitting an electromagnetic pulse.AdvertisementThere are some models that can send a signal to indicate ­reduced battery voltage if it goes beyond a specified limit, but not all sensors send such a signal, and this information is often inconsistent. For instance, cold temperatures can cause a temporary voltage reduction that only corrects itself once the tires warm up. The only proven way to know how much battery life remains is to fully use the sensor to depletion. The TPMS system will not turn the light on if a single transmission is not received. It takes multiple missed signals. The system knows that a missed or garbled transmission might be an external issue like a sensor on another vehicle transmitting at the same time or interference from the sensor being behind a brake caliper. It is like a misfire monitor, it only sets a code if the problem reaches a specific threshold.AdvertisementIn the future, advanced tire information systems will have an expanded role that will include ­enhanced monitoring of pressure, temperature, ­acceleration, run-flat mileage, load detection, tread depth and storage of tire data. All of these future developments will have far-reaching benefits. Down the line, this information will be processed and the suspension, powertrain and braking characteristics of a vehicle could be further optimized as a result. Radio Wave Diagnostic Tips 1. Perform relearns away from other vehicles and sources of electromagnetic interference like alarms and home appliances. 2. If a vehicle can’t receive signals from a sensor during a relearn process, try rolling the vehicle forwards a few feet to unblock a sensor. 3. To avoid radio frequency issues, try relearning sensor positions with a TPMS tool that can interface with the TPMS module through the OBDII port. 4. If a sensor can’t be activated with a TPMS tool, try rapidly deflating the tire by pushing in the valve stem. Hold the tool near the tire to see if the tool received the sensor’s ID. 5. Do not retrain or program sensors around tire balancers and mounting machines. These machines cause sensors to transmit by deflating the tire rapidly or activate the sensor due to rotation. A vehicle might pick up the signal from a sensor that is not on the vehicle and when the vehicle is pulled out of the bay the TPMS light will come on. 6. Look for dash cams and radar detectors mounted on the windshield. Often these devices can cause interference that can block the TPMS antenna that might be mount on or near the windshield. 7. On long vehicles like pickups and cargo vans, the distance from the sensor to the antenna is pushed to the limits. It can get worse if the truck is filled with cargo like steel pipes or sheet metal.

Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation that have artificially organized patterns of waves so it transmits information. Still confused? Think of a TPMS sensor; it transmits a very low power signal that goes in all directions. The wave is absorbed and reflected off the vehicle and environment. The antenna on the vehicle, that could be on the windshield, in the wheel well or other locations, receives part of the wave.

TPMS sensor signals are low power and low frequency with the majority of sensors transmitting at 315MHz or 413MHz. Keyless entry fobs also operate at this frequency.

The transmitters in TPMS sensors are low signal devices subject to FCC Part 15 and are Class C devices. The signals are unencrypted, but the signal is so minimal that it cannot be read by anyone more than 100 feet away. ­

The other thing to remember is that similar frequencies in the same area can interfere with each other. In the 315-413MHz range are a lot of consumer products, like home alarm systems and home automation products like smart light bulbs. In some cases, electronic devices such as phone chargers can emit unintended electromagnetic radiation.

If a TPMS sensor transmitted all the time, a sensor would not last very long. Most TPMS sensors will transmit when movement is detected through a simple accelerometer inside. If the wheel stops moving, the sensor will stop broadcasting after a programmed amount of time. But once it is triggered, the sensor transmits on a predetermined interval set by the manufacturer. A sensor will immediately send a signal if it detects a sudden loss in pressure. A sensor never receives radio signals during normal operation. The only time a sensor receives a signal is when a TPMS tool activates the sensor by emitting an electromagnetic pulse.

There are some models that can send a signal to indicate ­reduced battery voltage if it goes beyond a specified limit, but not all sensors send such a signal, and this information is often inconsistent. For instance, cold temperatures can cause a temporary voltage reduction that only corrects itself once the tires warm up. The only proven way to know how much battery life remains is to fully use the sensor to depletion.

The TPMS system will not turn the light on if a single transmission is not received. It takes multiple missed signals. The system knows that a missed or garbled transmission might be an external issue like a sensor on another vehicle transmitting at the same time or interference from the sensor being behind a brake caliper. It is like a misfire monitor, it only sets a code if the problem reaches a specific threshold.

In the future, advanced tire information systems will have an expanded role that will include ­enhanced monitoring of pressure, temperature, ­acceleration, run-flat mileage, load detection, tread depth and storage of tire data. All of these future developments will have far-reaching benefits. Down the line, this information will be processed and the suspension, powertrain and braking characteristics of a vehicle could be further optimized as a result.

Radio Wave Diagnostic Tips 1. Perform relearns away from other vehicles and sources of electromagnetic interference like alarms and home appliances. 2. If a vehicle can’t receive signals from a sensor during a relearn process, try rolling the vehicle forwards a few feet to unblock a sensor. 3. To avoid radio frequency issues, try relearning sensor positions with a TPMS tool that can interface with the TPMS module through the OBDII port. 4. If a sensor can’t be activated with a TPMS tool, try rapidly deflating the tire by pushing in the valve stem. Hold the tool near the tire to see if the tool received the sensor’s ID. 5. Do not retrain or program sensors around tire balancers and mounting machines. These machines cause sensors to transmit by deflating the tire rapidly or activate the sensor due to rotation. A vehicle might pick up the signal from a sensor that is not on the vehicle and when the vehicle is pulled out of the bay the TPMS light will come on. 6. Look for dash cams and radar detectors mounted on the windshield. Often these devices can cause interference that can block the TPMS antenna that might be mount on or near the windshield. 7. On long vehicles like pickups and cargo vans, the distance from the sensor to the antenna is pushed to the limits. It can get worse if the truck is filled with cargo like steel pipes or sheet metal.

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Technical Resources for diagnosing and servicing undercar components