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Jeep Wrangler Modification: Several Key Points You Need to Care
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By Counterman
Women in Auto Care is introducing its revamped Connection Circle, Women of the World. The event will take place the first Wednesday of every month beginning in May.
“Join Dunya and Ellonyia as they host this engaging connection circle to discuss ways in which women can strengthen their visibility and amplify their roles within the automotive industry! The goal of this connection circle is to break barriers and challenge global stereotypes,” the announcement on LinkedIn said.
The goal is to unite women from every corner of the globe to inspire, support, and network. Together, we’ll amplify voices, break barriers, and forge meaningful connections, Women in Auto Care posted.
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes took the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead on Friday night with a stout fourth-place performance at Texas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST captured his third top-five finish of the season and scored 50 points on the night, the second-most of all drivers in the field. Eckes led 31 laps, the only driver to have led laps in each race this season, and tallied his third top-five finish in the last four events.
For the second-consecutive weekend, Eckes qualified on the front row and was a mainstay in the top five for the entire event. He settled into second at the drop of the green flag and challenged for the lead near the midway point of the opening stage. The first lead change of the night occurred when Eckes powered his Gates Hydraulics Chevy to the lead on lap 17 and paced the field for 21 circuits. He surrendered the lead on lap 38 and collected nine points at the end of Stage 1 on lap 40 while running second.
Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit road under the stage caution for four fresh tires, fuel, and a minor air pressure adjustment to tighten his balance. Eckes restarted second on lap 47 and maintained position inside the top five for the ensuing 35-lap run. An improved handling balance and consistent lap times netted Eckes another eight points at the end of Stage 2 on lap 80 by running in third position.
Eckes was armed with another batch of fresh tires, fuel, and minor adjustments to fine-tune the handling during the second stage caution. After restarting third on lap 87, he waged war for the runner-up position and gained control of it by lap 100. He ran there until a cycle of green flag pit stops began on lap 119. Eckes made his final stop on lap 129 just before a caution waved. He was able to stay on the lead lap in fourth position and in contention for the victory. He made another fierce run for the race lead on a lap 150 and led until lap 158. During the final 10 laps, Eckes fought valiantly for one final charge at the lead but took the checkered flag in fourth position for his third top-five and sixth top-10 of the season.
“Not a bad points night,” Eckes said. “I thought we’d have a pretty good shot at the win there, but just went down into Turns 1 and 2 and got way too tight and slid up the racetrack. It is what it is. I’m proud of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics team for making the improvements that they did. Our mile-and-a-half stuff has definitely shown a little bit of an improvement. We still have a little bit of a ways to go, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Start / Finish: 2 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 1 / 287 pts. (+2)
Next Race: Saturday, May 4, Kansas Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
NAPA:
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By Counterman
On modern vehicles, overheating is a rare occurrence thanks to high-quality hoses, thermostats and better engine management. Unfortunately, the weak point is still the coolant. Whether it’s a 100,000-mile or 150,000-mile coolant, eventually it will break down and lose the ability to protect the components with which it comes into contact.
Coolant at 100,000 miles may look the same as coolant with zero miles, as the real difference between good and bad coolant can’t be seen with the naked eye; it is in the chemistry and based on mileage.
Coolant contains additives called buffers that keep it at a neutral pH but these buffers are meant to last forever. When these chemicals become depleted, the pH can’t be controlled. It rises dramatically in a short period of time the moment the buffers are fully depleted. This is why replacing the coolant at the recommended interval is critical.
Coolant has two specifications that can be used to justify replacement — the condition of the additive package and the freezing point.
The additive package is the secret sauce for a coolant. Its main function is to control corrosion. Other components of the additive help with heat transfer and cavitation reduction. Some additive packages use seal conditioners to extend the life of the gaskets and plastic carriers.
The freezing point is measured by the overall specific gravity of the coolant, which has a direct relationship to the coolant/water mixture. This test can help spot coolant that has been compromised by the owner topping off with water. This measurement works well on systems that do not have pressurized reservoirs.
The strength or freezing point of coolant can be measured with a simple hydrometer. This device uses a calibrated float or plastic balls (not as accurate) to show the specific gravity of the coolant. This, in turn, shows how much freezing/boiling protection the coolant offers. You must remember to compensate for temperature because the specific gravity (density) of the coolant is lower when the coolant is hot.
The more professional tool for this purpose is an optical refractometer because it is very accurate and automatically compensates for temperature. Be aware: these are not simple, inexpensive tools. A refractometer can cost up to $300 or more because of the precision optics in its lens. Ethylene glycol (EG) and polyethylene glycol (PG) antifreeze have slightly different densities, so you have to use a hydrometer or refractometer with the appropriate scale (or one with a dual scale) for accurate test results.
Color-coded chemical test strips that are dipped into the coolant can be used to quickly and easily reveal the condition of the coolant. These strips of coated capillary paper react to the presence of certain dissolved minerals in the coolant and change color to give a good, marginal or bad indication of the coolant’s pH condition. Some test strips also show the concentration of antifreeze in the coolant.
The added benefit of test strips is that the results can be shared with the owner by attaching the used strip to the inspection form.
But, mileage is the gold standard for any coolant replacement recommendation. Engineers and chemists spend a lot of time formulating the coolant to match the engine and interval.
If you are performing a water pump, heater core or hose repair, recommend a full coolant flush. Just topping off the coolant can lead to a mixed bag when measuring the pH and freezing point. Also, check the specific gravity before a repair. Many customers know how to top off their coolant with water that could dilute the coolant concentration.
Selling any fluid maintenance service is difficult these days. But, if you document and educate customers on the importance of coolant, it becomes more than just an “add on” service.
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By Counterman
The Auto Care Association recently announced the addition of Jacki Lutz as director of content to its communications team.
As the director of content, Lutz will be tasked with leading a cross-functional and multimedia content strategy, development and execution across all platforms. Lutz also will be responsible for shaping and driving content initiatives to meet the association’s business objectives; enhancing brand presence; and engaging with current and prospective members.
With more than a decade of marketing and communications experience in the automotive aftermarket, “Lutz’s mastery of telling brands’ stories in a clear and compelling way will enable the association to expand the reach of its mission to more industry professionals both across the supply chain and up and down the business ladder,” the association said in a news release.
“The Auto Care Association has spent the past several years working on building an organization that meets its members’ needs of today with solutions that can carry them into the industry of tomorrow,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO. “A vital part of being that kind of a dependable association for its members means being able to connect with them – all of them – and that begins with great communication. The addition of Jacki Lutz to our communications team will help the Auto Care Association to grow its connections with our members and share their stories in an impactful way with the entire auto care industry.”
Prior to joining the Auto Care Association, Lutz served as the senior manager of global corporate marketing communications for Sensata Technologies, where she created and executed a new centralized marketing communication strategy for all of its business units, including aerospace, automotive, heavy-duty, clean energy and aftermarket. Since 2013, Lutz previously held additional roles within Sensata Technologies, including global head of communications, training and e-commerce, auto and aftermarket; global head of marketing and communications, aftermarket; and marketing and communications manager, NA aftermarket.
Lutz has been an active member of the Auto Care Association, participating in and providing leadership to the association’s Marketing and Communications Committee; the Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG); the AWDA Manufacturer’s Advisory Council; and the Women in Auto Care Executive Board.
Lutz has contributed to several other prominent industry organizations throughout her career. She served as president of the Automotive Communications Council and has contributed her expertise to the boards of MEMA Aftermarket’s Marketing Executive Council and the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation.
Lutz’s remarkable contributions have been recognized with prestigious accolades, including the Auto Care Impact Award, SEMA’s 35 under 35 distinction, membership in Babcox’s Women at the Wheel and induction into Tire Review’s esteemed Club 3633.
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and No. 9 Kelley Blue Book team qualified third for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway The 28-year-old driver earned valuable stage points, finishing fifth in stage one and seventh in stage two A slew of cautions in the final stage prompted multiple strategies among teams. Elliott restarted 17th after the final caution of the race and ultimately finished the race in the 19th position Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Phoenix ninth in the Cup Series points standings After posting the seventh fastest lap in Friday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series practice session at Phoenix Raceway, Chase Elliott backed that up with a third-place qualifying lap on Saturday. The 28-year-old driver took the green flag for the 312-lap race from the second row on Sunday afternoon. Elliott was still running inside the top five when the first caution flag of the race waved on lap seven. The early report from the Hendrick Motorsports driver was that his No. 9 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was locked down and tight in the back. With the team opting not to pit, Elliott restarted in the fifth position on lap 12 and remained there as the rest of 60-lap first stage went caution free. The fifth-place stage finish garnered six stage points for the Dawsonville, Georgia, native.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott relayed to crew chief Alan Gustafson that the Kelley Blue Book Chevy was tight and that it freed up as the run went on. The crew opted for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment during a fast pit stop which gained Elliott a spot on pit road. He lined up fourth to start the second stage on lap 69. Elliott raced three-wide once the field went back to green, taking over the third position on lap 70. He held strong, maintaining his top-three running position through a long green-flag run. The field started making green-flag pit stops on lap 115, with Elliott bringing the Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet to pit road on lap 117 for four tires and fuel. With the field stretched out, Elliott was bogged down in traffic following his stop, making it harder to gain track position. Still, he managed to score a top-10 finish in the second stage, taking the green-and-white checkered flag in the seventh spot. The result added four more stage points to his total.
During the stage break, Elliott brought the Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet to pit road for four tires and fuel. The pit crew knocked out another fast stop, gaining the 2020 Cup Series champion three spots. Elliott took the green flag for the final stage from the fourth position on lap 194 and was scored in fifth place when the caution came out just two laps later. Elliott kept his Chevrolet on the track under the yellow flag. He lined up fifth for the restart on lap 202 and was battling inside the top 10 when the race was slowed once more. Staying out while some drivers deeper in the field visited pit road, Elliott restarted eighth and was scored in ninth at the time of the lap-216 caution. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road with the rest of the leaders for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. With varying pit strategies among teams – some taking only two tires and others opting to stay out – Elliott restarted in the 17th position on lap 220. He managed to advance as high as 16th early in the run but being stuck in dirty air made it difficult for Elliott to continue forward progress. When the checkered flag waved on lap 312, he was scored with a 19th-place finish.
Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Phoenix Raceway ninth in the Cup Series points standings, just 28 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 3 / 19
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 123 pts. (-26)
Next Race: Sunday, March 17, Bristol Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN or SiriusXM
NAPA:
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