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By Counterman · Posted
CRC Industries celebrated a pair of milestones for its flagship product, CRC Brākleen, when NASCAR returned to Pocono Raceway in late July. It marked the second running of the CRC BRAKLEEN 150 Camping World Truck Series race and the culmination of a year-long CRC BRAKLEEN 50th-anniversary celebration. Many CRC employees and customers attended the event along with lucky CRC fans and students from the TechForce Foundation, who won tickets through a CRC-sponsored promotion. A few special CRC guests held dignitary positions in the pre-race ceremonies along with Perry Cozzone, CEO, who served as grand marshal. The race aired on FOX. CRC brand ambassador Ty Majeski put in a strong top-10 performance, finishing in sixth place. In addition to the CRC BRAKLEEN 150, CRC sponsored Sage Karam’s No. 45 Chevrolet Camaro in the Explore the Pocono Mountains 225 Xfinity Series race. The race marked Karam’s momentous return to Pocono Raceway seven years after being involved in a fatal crash during an IndyCar race. The Xfinity race aired on the USA Network, marking the end of a long and difficult journey in which Karam made peace with his home track and established a new beginning with a top-20 finish. Karam represented CRC for the entire weekend in media spots, link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view link hidden, please login to view and the race itself. “We had a great time connecting with our customers, end users, raceway fans and drivers at the Pocono Raceway CRC BRAKLEEN 150 event,” Cozzone said. “Motorsports are near and dear to our hearts, and we love to see CRC products in action on the track. With Pocono Raceway practically located in our own backyard, our partnership as fellow Pennsylvanians is a perfect fit and a great way to connect with our passionate NASCAR fans!” For more information about CRC Industries, visit link hidden, please login to view or follow the CRC brand on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman · Posted
I swore for years that I would never buy a brand-new car. I didn’t even want to make a car payment. You see, I’ve always owned cheap (read “broken”) cars. The way I see it, you either make a monthly payment to the bank, or to the parts store. Since I’ve been working on cars for most of my adult life, it made more sense to keep driving cheap cars and doing the work myself. That all changed when my 2003 Nissan Altima left me stranded on the side of the highway on my way to pick up my daughter from daycare. I was so thankful she wasn’t in the car with me yet; it was icy, snowy and just downright dangerous. I started looking for a new (to me) car that night. I couldn’t justify driving half-busted cars any longer, and I certainly didn’t want to put my then-3-year-old daughter in danger. Thanks, COVID … Fast forward a month or two, and it’s March 2020. Ohio shuts down, and there’s a lot of uncertainty. I was still searching for a newer car to buy at this point, and I was leaning toward a gently used VW Golf Alltrack. Then, in April 2020, VW offered 0% financing on its new cars. When I did the math, the payment on a new one was the same as the payment on a used one. So, I hurried up and scooped up a brand-new 2019 Alltrack, and it’s been my primary vehicle ever since. Mind you, this is the first nice car I’ve ever owned, and I was pretty excited to drive something that was still covered under warranty. But my inner car guy has a lot of influence, and before long I started to make some upgrades. Upgrades It started out slow. First, a set of WeatherTech floor mats. Then, I picked up some protective film for the headlights, taillights and fog lights. Next, I bought an auto-dimming rearview mirror with built-in HomeLink garage-door-opener functionality. I bought an entire arsenal of car-cleaning products, from microfiber towels to a DIY ceramic coating kit. This was the first nice vehicle I’d ever owned, and I wanted to protect my investment! Then the “real” upgrades started. Bigger front and rear sway bars helped to keep the body roll in check, and completely transformed the way the car drove around a corner. Aluminum skid plates underneath for added protection from whatever the roads in Ohio could throw at me. A set of projector headlights with HID lighting gave me unparalleled nighttime visibility. Then, I got the opportunity to test out a prototype 1.25-inch lift kit. Sure, it’s not much, but a touch of added ground clearance is always nice. It also brings the car up to the height that it should have been from the factory, in my opinion at least. The truth is, I simply can’t leave a vehicle alone. I have to make it my own, one way or another. But I enjoy the process, and it’s satisfying to watch it slowly evolve into exactly what I want it to be. I share this to help you get inside the minds of some of your more passionate DIY customers. Growing Opportunity I can’t help but look for things to change, upgrade or improve whenever I buy a vehicle. Doing this might not make sense to everyone, but it’s how I make my vehicles better for me. However, I suspect that I’m not alone in this mindset. With new-vehicle prices skyrocketing, it makes sense that someone might choose to repair or upgrade their current vehicle instead of trading it in for something else. And that’s a huge opportunity for the automotive aftermarket. According to the 2022 SEMA Market Report, U.S. consumers spent a whopping $50.9 billion on accessorizing and modifying their vehicles last year – an all-time high for specialty-equipment sales. Trucks are a major driving force behind this sales trend, accounting for nearly one-third of those sales. Considering that the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the United States for many years – and the top three best-selling vehicles in 2021 were pickup trucks – this should come as no surprise. According to the SEMA report, sales of “utility accessories” such as truck bedliners, truck caps, racks, truck-bed covers and trailer and towing products are expected to grow from $3.79 billion in 2021 to $3.87 billion this year. If you’re not stocking truck accessories, you might want to give this category another look. Here’s the bottom line: Every time somebody buys a new or used vehicle, there’s an opportunity for us as counter pros to help them find the accessories they need. The question is, what are you doing to capitalize on this exciting category? The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman · Posted
Autel U.S. has launched its Remote Expert platform to all MaxiSYS Ultra, MS919 and MS909 tablets nationwide. The Remote Expert platform connects technicians with independent module programmers, automotive diagnosticians and system experts who use the peer-to-peer network to perform needed services remotely. Earlier this year, the platform debuted on the East Coast and has since become available across the country and Canada. “Techs can connect with experts remotely from as close as down the street to thousands of miles away,” explained Maurice Miller, Autel’s director of technical operations. Since its debut, more than 2,500 sessions have been completed, and the platform continues to grow in popularity, according to the company. Remote Expert has seen more than 350 competed orders in just the first two weeks of August. As shops face a severe staff shortage and technicians are overwhelmed with the increasing complexity of today’s vehicles, Remote Expert is an ideal solution, Autel asserted. “Remote Expert is like a virtual lifeline from the technician to an expert,” said Miller. “Whatever a technician’s challenge, from a tricky diagnosis to module programming, he can use the platform to reach out to an expert. No need to sublet the work or wait for a mobile programmer to drive to the shop; help is a tap on the tablet away.” Here’s how it works: From his Autel Ultra, MS919 or MS909, the technician writes the order with vehicle identification and the issue and submits it to the expert community. The expert sends a quote on the job directly to the tablet. Once the price is set, the expert connects his hardware and Autel Remote Expert device to one of Autel’s multiple pass-through servers. The servers are strategically located throughout the United States to ensure that communication from the expert’s systems to the technician’s equipment and vehicle is sent efficiently with the least latency or delay. Although other companies offer remote programming and diagnostics services, the Autel Remote Expert platform is unique for many reasons, according to the company. The technician needs only his Autel tablet and VCI; no other hardware is required. The expert contracts directly with the technician while Autel only acts to provide the platform and to vet each expert to confirm that each has liability insurance and the proper education, experience, OE subscriptions and hardware. The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view -
By Counterman · Posted
Rislone has introduced new High Mileage Power Steering Stop Whine with Leak Repair (P/N 4604), describing it as “a quick and dependable solution for customers suffering steering ‘whine,’ sluggish steering or a power-steering system leak in their high-mileage cars, SUVs and light trucks.” Power-steering problems are common in older vehicles, especially those clocking 75,000 miles or more. Noise and whining, minor leaks and hard-steering complaints can dull your customers’ driving enjoyment and, if ignored, only get worse over time. “High Mileage Power Steering Stop Whine with Leak Repair can cost-effectively and quickly solve a range of power-steering issues,” said Clay Parks, Rislone vice president of strategic development. “It’s an affordable solution to noisy power-steering systems that generally occur when the system is low on fluid, there is air trapped in the fluid or the vehicle has some mechanical issues.” The all-new product contains a special blend of viscosity improvers, anti-wear friction modifiers and extreme-pressure performance additives, according to the company. It’s formulated to stop bearing, piston and valve noises inside the power-steering pump. Special lubricity additives smooth out rough, hard and tight steering and reduce friction. Stop-leak additives repair minor leaks and help prevent new ones. Customers can use the product to top off existing fluid when low or add a bottle as a preventive-maintenance measure whenever power steering fluid is changed. It’s compatible with all types of domestic and imported power-steering fluids, including petroleum and synthetic formulas, and works with systems that use ATF automatic-transmission fluid. Most passenger cars and light trucks require one 11.8-ounce (350-millileter) bottle for every 1 to 3 quarts of power-steering fluid. In smaller systems (those under a quart of capacity), use half a bottle. Depending on the power-steering problem, results will either be immediate or noticeable within a few days of driving, according to the company. A second application may be needed for hard-to-stop leaks or to solve other system issues. Rislone High Mileage Power Steering Stop Whine with Leak Repair is a sister product to Rislone High Mileage Transmission Stop Slip with Leak Repair (P/N 4502) for automatic and manual transmissions. For more information, visit link hidden, please login to view. The post link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view. link hidden, please login to view -
See what's new at RockAuto in the August Newsletter! Headlines at RockAuto: Precision Weatherstripping Current Rebates and Promotions "The Nut That Drove Me Nuts" Blunder Vintage Mustang Forum Upholstery Trivia Oil Level Sensors Jim's 1999 Crown Victoria And More... link hidden, please login to view
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