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Win more cash with Guess the Car

Mar ch 2013

MarketThe A chance to sell the humble andoften taken-for-granted wiperblade should never be ignored.

Plus, we review:● Engine Mounts● Clutches● Oxygen Sensors● Power Steering● Maintenance Aerosols

A chance to sell the humble andoften taken-for-granted wiperblade should never be ignored.

MarketThe

Plus, we review:● Engine Mounts● Clutches● Oxygen Sensors● Power Steering● Maintenance Aerosols

counterman.com/ASAP for reader service

Mechanic Connection By Gary GomsDon’t forget the humble wiper. ..................32Engine mount review. ..................................34Tech Features By Larry CarleyA power steering pump’s shaft bearings or pump mechanism can wear out. ............36O2 sensors make emissions control possible. ........................................................38A chemical for every purpose. ....................40Clutches get a workout. ..............................42

COUNTERMAN (ISSN 0739-3695) (March 2013 Volume 31, Number 3): Copyright 2013 Babcox Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved: Published monthly by Babcox, 3550 Embassy Parkway, Akron, OH 44333U.S.A. Phone (330) 670-1234, Fax (330) 670-0874. Periodical postage paid at Akron, OH 44333 and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COUNTERMAN, 3550 EmbassyParkway, Akron, OH 44333-8318. A limited number of complimentary subscriptions are available to individuals who meet the qualification requirements. Call (330) 670-1234, Ext. 275, to speak to a subscription ser-vices representative or FAX us at (330) 670-5335. Paid Subscriptions are available for non-qualified subscribers at the following rates: U.S.: $69. Samples and back issues - Domestic - $10, International/via air mail -$15. Canada: $89 for one year, $149 for two years. Canadian rates include GST. Ohio residents add 5.75% sales tax. Other foreign rates/via air mail: $129 for one year. Payable in advance in U.S. funds. Mailpayment to COUNTERMAN, P.O. Box 75692, Cleveland, OH 44101-4755. Visa, MasterCard or American Express accepted.

Editor’s Ink By Mark Phillips ....................................................6Are your employees empowered?

Allen & Allan By Allen Markowitz and Allan Gerber ........46Are you a counterman or a professional counterman?

Counter-tech By Mandy Aguilar ........................................50It’s time to do your to-dos.

From The Publisher By S. Scott Shriber ........................56Be on the lookout for CSKs (customer service killers).

features

50

24

32

columns

2 March 2013 | Counterman

MarchVolume 31, No. 3

INSIDE

departmentsAftermarket News ..........................................................................................8Aftermarket News presents news, views and analysis of currenttrends and events in aftermarket distribution.

MarketPlace ....................................................................................................43Every month, MarketPlace showcases the newest automotive product and service innovations your customers are asking about!

Classifieds ........................................................................................................48NASCAR Performance............................................................................49This monthly special section takes you behind the scenes of this fast-growing sport.

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P U B L I S H E RS. Scott Shriber330-670-1234, ext. [email protected]

E D I T O R I A LMark Phillips, Editor330-670-1234, Ext. [email protected]

Amy Antenora, Editor, aftermarketNewsManaging Editor, Counterman330-670-1234, Ext. [email protected]

Larry Carley, Technical [email protected]

C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T O R SMandy Aguilar, ColumnistGary Goms, Commercial AccountsGerald Wheelus, ColumnistAllen Markowitz, ColumnistAllan Gerber, ColumnistJerry King, Cartoonist

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C O R P O R A T EBill Babcox, PresidentGreg Cira, Vice President, Chief FinancialOfficerJeff Stankard, Vice PresidentBeth Scheetz, Controller

Edward S. Babcox (1885-1970)Founder

Tom B. Babcox (1919-1995)Chairman

Founded 1983. Copyright 2013Babcox Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved

COUNTERMAN (ISSN-0739-3695) ispublished monthly by Babcox Media, 3550Embassy Pkwy., Akron, OH 44333. Periodicalpostage paid at Akron, OH and additionalmailing offices.

Member, BPA International

Igot an interesting response to my col-umn last month about the saga of tryingto pay for a newspaper at a grocerystore. If you didn’t read it, here’s the

recap: I’ve bought the same newspaper at agrocery store a number of times. Aftermany pleas, the newspaper still hasn’tbeen added to the store’s point of sale sys-tem, so when you scan it, the system does-n’t recognize the item. It’s a huge waste oftime that happens over and over and over.

I’ve pleaded with a number of employ-ees to fix it and nothing has happened.

One reader comment that struck me isthat it’s up to me to do more, as a cus-tomer, that I should have sought out amanager to fix the situation.

I’m sorry, but if that’s the way you’re operating your business, you’ve gotproblems.

Two words come to mind when I hearstuff like this: empowerment and initiative.Empowerment, meaning, give your em-

ployees the leeway to actually fix prob-lems, think for themselves and

reward it. And initiative, as in, doesyour employee possess the initia-tive to hear a customer’s problem,the desire to fix it and the will tomake it happen?

An article by Anthony L.Emerson in a trade

magazine called“Credit Union

EDITOR’S INKBy Mark Phillips

Empower the EmployeeTimes,” put it succinctly: Employee em-powerment is “the process of enabling anemployee to think, behave, act, react andcontrol their work in more autonomousways, as to be in control of one’s owndestiny.”

I’m a big believer that when someonecalls you with a problem, even if it’s not“your department,” you now own theproblem. Tag, you’re it! Yes, you mighthave been on your lunch break when youtook the call. But now it’s your issue. Andit’s up to you and only you to see thatproblem through until the solution. Itdoesn’t mean you necessarily need toknow the answer, but are you motivated to figure out who can help the customer and get them the information they need.

There’s a good reason to practice up onthis customer service stuff. I’m sure you’veall heard the term “Millennials” or “Gener-ation Y.” Depending on who you talk to,they were born in the latter 1970s all theway to the early 2000s. They’re an econom-ic force to be reckoned with and they ex-pect almost every transaction to be anexperience. They will not tolerate BS. Theywill not tolerate bad service. In the face ofit, they may do one of two things: Eithervaporize in terms of their relationship toyour business or jump on social media andtell everyone just how bad your service is.

Trust me, these are roads you don’t wantto go down. CM

■ ■ ■

For more information: www.counterman.com

I’m a bigbeliever thatwhen someonecalls you with aproblem, even ifit’s not ‘yourdepartment,’you now ownthe problem.


GERMANTOWN, Tenn. – Duringits recent annual membershipmeeting at the Peabody Hotel inMemphis, Auto Pride elected threenew members to its executiveboard and revealed a completemarketing campaign designed toestablish a more professional brandimage nationwide, said Steve Tuck-er, vice president of the Automo-tive Distribution Network.

The three newly elected AutoPride board members are:

● Chairman Ron Sutton, Stan-dard Auto Parts; Baltimore, Md.

● Joe Bray, Quality Parts Ware-house; Garland, Texas

● Joe Snyder, Fremont Automo-tive; Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa.

“Auto Pride also recognized de-parting executive board memberRon Brody, president of New Jer-sey-based All Parts Distributors,who stepped down after more than28 years of service,” Tucker said.

“A founding member of AutoPride in 1985, he’s been committedto our success for decades, and wewere proud to present Ron with aplaque in honor of his numerouscontributions to the group sincethe very beginning. He’s done aheck of a job for us.”

During the proceedings, AutoPride introduced an extensive newmarketing campaign and enhancedprogram elements designed to es-tablish its new logo and a more pro-fessional brand image nationwide.

“This gathering marked the cul-mination of an effort to bring ourAuto Pride and Auto Service Ex-perts programs to the level of a com-plete marketing program anddistinction as an industry brandwith national name recognition. Weunveiled several new elements, likeour two-year/24,000-mile nation-wide consumer warranty on anypart or service purchased at our

Auto Service Experts locations, afirst-rate motorsports program fea-turing the new Auto Pride logo thatappears prominently on TV everyweek as an associate sponsor of BobVandergriff Racing and an appear-ance-upgrade initiative designed toimplement our new look on our fa-cilities across the country.”

Nearly 25 of the Network’s man-ufacturer partners were on-hand atthe booth show at the Peabody todisplay their latest wares, servicesand cross-promotional opportuni-ties. Over the course of two days,Auto Pride attendees participatedin hands-on demonstrations of thelatest Network Intelligence pro-grams and received an overviewon the latest in product, tools andequipment and merchandising.The group also took a trip to near-by Somerville, Tenn., for a tour ofNetwork Products, the group’s co-man facility.

AFTERMARKET NEWS

What vehicle does this picturerepresent? If you think youknow the answer, go towww.counterman.com andclick “Guess the Car” on thenav bar. Submit your answerand contact information. Awinner will be randomlyselected by the Countermanstaff from all correct answers.The deadline to enter is April 2.The winner’s name will appearin the next issue. Stay tuned!

Torrent

Congrats to Charlie Heiman,Farmington, Minn.

Last Month’s Correct Answer:This Month’s Puzzle

Guess the Car / Win $100!

#62

#61

Auto Pride Elects Three Executive Board Members During Annual Membership Meeting

Federal-Mogul Expands

MOOG Steering AndSuspension LineForty-five new parts cover millions of late-model vehicles, the company says.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – The MOOGsteering and suspension productline from Federal-Mogul now in-cludes 45 additional high-qualityparts covering millions of popularlate-model passenger vehicles fromChrysler, Ford, Volvo and otherleading global automakers.

The latest expansion of theMOOG line includes the followingMOOG Problem Solver parts:● CK620592 & CK620593

Lower control arms with MOOGProblem Solver ball joints2000 Volvo S40 and V40

● K750429

Rear sway bar link kit2010-2012 Dodge Ram 3500; 2008-2012 Ram 4500 and 5500

● K750570

Sway bar link kit2008-2012 Smart Fortwo

● K750576 & K750577

Sway bar link kits2012 Infiniti M35h; 2011-2012 M37and M56

● DS300037

Drag link20008-2010 Ford F250 and F350Super Duty


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Other parts now availablethrough MOOG distributors are 14new tie rod ends, eight additionalsway bar link kits, 10 bushings andsix additional MOOG R-Series con-trol arms.

“These new parts extend ourMOOG coverage to a wide rangeof late-model applications that arenow entering the aftermarket re-placement cycle,” said MarkBoyle, director, steering and sus-pension products, Federal-Mogul.“By choosing MOOG, serviceproviders can be certain they willhave innovative, problem-solvingtechnologies that help them savetime and deliver a superior repairfor virtually any vehicle in theirshops.”

For more information regardingMOOG steering and suspensionparts, visit the brand’s technician-focused www.moogproblemsolver.comwebsite or contact your MOOGsupplier. To identify the rightMOOG part for virtually any appli-cation, use the www.FMe-cat.comelectronic catalog.

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — Federal-Mogul has expanded its line of Wag-ner ThermoQuiet CeramicNXTbrake pads with new application-engineered disc pad sets for 2013Dodge Dart and 2012 LexusHS250H passenger vehicles. The

company also has introduced threenew sets of Wagner ThermoQuietsemi-metallic pads for late-modelapplications.

The following new pad sets arenow available through leading re-placement parts distributors:

● Wagner ThermoQuiet CeramicNXT Brake Pads

● QC1632 2012 LexusHS250H (Rear) (Fronts also avail-able)

● QC1640 2013 Dodge Dart(Front)

● Wagner ThermoQuiet Semi-Metallic Pads

● MX1433 2009-2012 BMW Z4(Rear) (Fronts also available)

● MX1549 2012 Audi A6Quattro (Front)

● MX1631A 2013 Lincoln MKZ(Front)

Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic-NXT brake pads feature Federal-Mogul’s next-generation proprietaryceramic formulations and DynamicNoise Absorption technology, whichis integrated into the brake pad totarget and absorb vibration at thepoint of contact for quieter braking.In addition, these formulations fea-ture thermal-sensitive propertiesthat adapt to the wide range of tem-peratures encountered duringeveryday driving conditions to en-sure superior stopping performance.For additional information regard-ing Wagner ThermoQuiet Ceramic-NXT and ThermoQuietsemi-metallic brake pads, contactyour Wagner Brake supplier or visitwww.TQBrakePads.com. To identifythe right Wagner product for anyapplication, log on to Federal-Mogul’s convenient www.FMe-Cat.com electronic catalog.


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AFTERMARKET NEWS

Wagner ThermoQuiet CeramicNXT Brake Pads IntroducedFor 2013 Dodge Dart And 2012 Lexus HS250H

STAUNTON, Va. – The annualFederated Auto Parts nationalmembership meeting will be heldApril 24-27 at the Caribe RoyaleHotel and Convention Center inOrlando, Fla., and will feature anew venue, the Federated VendorExpo, allowing Federated membersand manufacturing partners addi-tional opportunity to interact.

“The goal of every annual meet-ing is to create an efficient environ-ment for members and suppliers tomeet and communicate,” saidRusty Bishop, CEO of FederatedAuto Parts. “As our membershipexpands and we add more suppli-ers, the Federated Vendor Expo isthe ideal addition to the scheduled

meetings and social events thathave historically made up our na-tional meeting. The booth environ-ment of the Vendor Expo providesour members with more access tomore supplier partners for shorter,less formal meetings.”

In addition to the new FederatedVendor Expo, Federated memberswill attend meetings on a variety oftopics including technology, em-ployee health care, inventory man-agement and marketing, as well asreceive updates from select manu-facturers on their latest product of-ferings. Several new suppliers willbe provided an opportunity tomake presentations to the member-ship, and meetings will be held

with various Federated councilssuch as Co-man, Technology andthe Board of Governors.

On April 25, Federated will hostits annual awards dinner to honorFederated members, vendors andtechnicians with such prestigiousawards as Outstanding Vendor ofthe Year, the Art Fisher MemorialMembership Award and the inau-gural Federated Shop of the Yearpresentation.


AFTERMARKET NEWS

Federated Auto Parts has devel-oped an addition to its frictionoffering with a new co-label line

supplied by Wagner Brake. Thenew product line is a premium offering for profes-

sionals designed exclusively for Federated membersand their customers.

The line uses the highest-performing formulas specificto each application and includes System Synergy Tech-nology (SST), which is an OE approach to brake designthat ensures the interaction of all brake components toprovide the ultimate performance.

Each set of Federated Profession-al Premium is engineered and de-signed to match the OE pad in fit,form and function, using premiumformulations and shims designedfor ultimate performance on eachapplication.

The System Synergy Technologyfocuses on managing the NVH is-

sues through testing and validation of the variouscomponents used. While many consider a disc brakepad one component, it actually consists of many differ-ent components, including backing plates, shims,hardware, along with friction material, slots andchamfers, all designed to work together to deliver ulti-mate performance.

Working with Wagner Brake experts, Federated de-veloped the product line using OE designs, and im-provements in materials and component integration,to deliver superior performance to other aftermarket

lines. The Federated Professional Pre-mium line provides superior brakingperformance, long life and quiet oper-ation for customers who perform pre-mium brake service and have areputation for using high-qualitybrand name parts. Federated Profes-sional Premium brakes are availableexclusively from members andaffiliates of Federated Auto Parts.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Federated Offers Premium Braking Performancefor Today’s Vehicles

For more information, visitwww.federatedautoparts.com.

Federated Adds Vendor Expo

To National Membership Meeting

Continuing its longtime partnership with

NASCAR legend Kenny Schrader,

Federated has announced it willonce again sponsor “racing’s

hardest working man” and hisrace teams during the 2013

season in a variety of series,including the NASCAR Sprint

Cup Series.

Centric’s StopTech Brand EarnsISO/TS16949 CertificationCertification of the performance brake manufacturer assures automotive customers that StopTech’s processesand products meet the industry’s expectations and standards.COMPTON, Calif. – StopTech, the high-performance and racing brandfrom Centric Parts, recently earned full ISO/TS 16949 certification, forthe design and manufacture of automotive brake systems and compo-nents. The company said the certification expands on its commitmentto providing the best high-performance brakes in the world.

The Compton, Calif., company, founded in 1999, is a producer andsupplier of a wide range of high-performance brake components andsystems for thousands of street car, armored vehicle and race car appli-cations. The privately held business, which operates in a 71,000-square-foot facility and employs 100, also supplies its brakecomponents and systems to several OE manufacturers with bothStopTech and private branding.

“With the ISO/TS16949 Quality Management System certification,Centric Parts’ StopTech division can now supply OEM vehicle assem-bly plants directly in a Tier 1 relationship,” said Greg Woo, vice presi-dent of performance operations. “Virtually every car manufactureraround the world recognizes the ISO/TS16949 certificate, so this is aglobal validation of StopTech OEM brake system design, developmentand production capabilities.”

pled, centered leadership and iscommitted to the core values exem-plified by company founder E.P.Arnold.

Mike Molle, manager of theArnold Motor Supply in Ft. Dodge,Iowa, received the coveted Serviceis the Difference Award. Molle re-ceived the award for exemplary ef-fort going above and beyond thenorm in customer satisfaction. Hisstore reached a milestone in salesin 2012.

AFTERMARKET NEWS

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Terry Helmer Recognized As Arnold MotorSupply 2012 Store Manager Of The YearSPENCER, Iowa – Arnold MotorSupply recognized its top per-formers in the retail store divi-sion of The Arnold Group ofCompanies for 2012. The top re-tail performers were recognizedat the company’s manager’smeeting held Jan. 15 in Ankeny,Iowa.

Terry Helmer, manager of theAuto Value Parts Store inHumphrey, Neb., received thecoveted Store Manager of theYear Award. This award wascreated to recognize the individ-ual who best exemplifies out-standing leadership in thepursuit of performance excel-lence, and who has done themost to further store perform-ance in the Arnold Group ofCompanies. The recipient of thisaward is dedicated to princi-

DYK Automotivehas acquired the assets of

Robert Elgart &Son, a Philadelphia-based

distributor.

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. – TricoProducts was recently awarded2012 Vendor of the Year by O’ReillyAuto Parts at the Annual Man-agers’ Conference on Feb. 8.

The award recognizes vendorsthat have provided exceptionalbusiness partnership across all op-erational areas of O’Reilly AutoParts. Companies that receive thishonor are held to the highest stan-dards and work to further total co-operation with O’Reilly Auto Parts.Trico Products was the only com-pany to ever accept this accolade inthe same year that it became a newvendor, the company noted.

“Trico was well-deserving of thisdistinction through their ability toshift purchasing decisions and in-crease our profits with highly inno-vative wiper products, variousoff-shelf promotions and cutting-edge marketing support,” saidTom Seboldt, O’Reilly Auto Partsvice president of merchandise.“Any order we place is always in-stock and ready for shipment rightwhen we need it, which reallycommunicates Trico’s dedication toour company.”

More than 500 vendors wereconsidered for this acknowledg-ment. O’Reilly Auto Parts has rec-ognized outstanding vendors with

this award for the past 12 years tohonor their commitment in rein-forcing O’Reilly’s competitive posi-tion in the marketplace.

“This is an important recognitionin our industry that demonstratesthe hard work that went into theinitial O’Reilly wiper marketingstrategy, our manufacturing anddistribution excellence, and pre-mier customer service,” said JimFinley, president and CEO at TricoProducts. “From the beginning, es-tablishing a mutually beneficial re-lationship with O’Reilly was acomplete team effort, and its stead-fast progress validates the strengthand determination of our team.”

“We worked closely with ourpartners at O’Reilly to create, de-velop and deploy a category man-agement driven plan that leveragesunique wiper programs and focus-es on more profitable retail andcommercial sales,” said Rick Stempien, vice president of salesand marketing for the aftermarketbusiness at Trico Products. “We arevery excited to share in the successof this initiative.”

A full range of Trico wiperblades are sold in O’Reilly’s 4,000retail stores and website includingTRICO Force, TRICO Flex, TRICOExact Fit and TRICO Chill.


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Trico Products Receives O’Reilly Auto Parts Vendor Of The Year

AutoZone has reported net sales of

from the second quarter of fiscal 2012 (12 weeks). Domestic same store

sales, or sales for stores open at least one year, decreased

for the quarter.

for its second quarter (12 weeks) ended Feb. 9, 2013, an increase of

$1.9 billion

2.8 percent

1.8 percent

OBITUARY

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Just onthe heels of a similar event held inGrand Rapids, Mich., the Auto-Wares Group of Companies has re-ported another successful PartsStore and Service Tech Expo, thistime in Chicago.

More than 1,640 service techni-cians, parts store owners and otherautomotive aftermarket professionalsattended the Auto Value Bumper toBumper Parts Store and Tech Expoheld Feb. 23-24 in Chicago, Ill. Withthe completion of this event, Auto-Wares educated more than 4,300 peo-ple between the two expos.

According to event organizers,one of the most exciting trainingsessions at the Chicago event cov-ered emerging telematics trends,and was presented by AftermarketTelematics Technologies. Shop

owners were eager to learn aboutthis aftermarket solution to connectwith customers’ vehicles to pro-vide better maintenance and repairoptions. Many service center own-ers and technicians expressed in-terest in deploying this program intheir businesses.

In addition to the training op-portunities, a large booth showwas held with more than 200 man-ufacturers represented. Attendeeswere able to see the latest productofferings from these vendors allunder one roof. Attendees alsowere able to make purchases at theshow at special savings rate fortheir businesses.

For more information about theAuto Value Bumper to BumperParts Store and Service Tech Expo,visit www.btbtechexpo.com.


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Auto-Wares Holds Another SuccessfulParts Store And Service Tech Expo,This Time In Chicago

Clay Buzzard, Former Uni-Select Board Member;Chairman And CEO, MAWDI

BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec and BUFFALO, N.Y. – It is with heartfelt sadnessthat Uni-Select announced the passing of Clay E. Buzzard on Feb. 7 at theage of 87. He was the chairman and CEO of Middle Atlantic WarehouseDistributor Inc. (MAWDI) from 1963 until 2004, when Uni-Select purchasedthe company. After the sale, Buzzard served on the Uni-Select Inc. boarduntil May 2012. He remained very active in the business during his timeon the board and contributed significantly to Uni-Select’s success. Hemaintained a close relationship with the employees, customers and indus-try leaders during his entire career.

Not only did Buzzard love the automotive aftermarket, he was also atrue pioneer and leader in the industry. His mark on the industry is deepand will never be forgotten. He was a kind, passionate, hardworking andcharismatic person who brought people together and gave them the op-portunity to succeed in business and in life.

Buzzard was chairman and CEO of Clarit Realty Ltd. and the chairman ofAWDA University Foundation. He received many honors during his career,being recognized as the Leader of the Year by the Automotive WarehouseDistributors Association in 1996, awarded the Hall of Fame by the NewYork State Automotive Aftermarket Association in 2000 and the Automo-tive Aftermarket Education Award by the Northwood University in 2003.

GASTONIA, N.C. – WIX Filters is partnering with Babcox Media to spon-sor the 2013 Tomorrow’s Technician School of the Year, Counterman CounterProfessional of the Year and the Babcox TechGroup Best Tech programs,supporting excellence at every level of the automotive repair industry.

“We are excited to continue our partnerships to support all aspects ofthe automotive aftermarket industry,” said Mike Harvey, brand managerfor WIX Filters. “Each year we see high-caliber nominations from the besttechnical school, counter professionals and technicians, and we look for-ward to reviewing top-of-the-line industry professionals and school nom-inations for 2013.”

The School of the Year program (www.ttschooloftheyear.com), a nationalsearch to find and name the best technician training school in the countrywith O’Reilly Auto Parts as a partner, is open to all high schools or post-sec-ondary schools that have a subscription to Tomorrow’s Technician magazine.Judges will then review entry criteria and select the top school from each ofthe four regions in the U.S. The winner will be selected from the four final-ists and announced at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX)in November. This is the sixth year a school will be recognized.

The Counter Professional of the Year award (www.counterman.com/cpoty.aspx) recognizes an automotive aftermarket parts professional whogoes above the call of duty; continually seeks out education for himself orherself; is an example of the consummate parts professional; and is anambassador for the aftermarket. This year will be the 28th year that Counterman magazine has named its Counter Professional of the Year,sponsored by Affinia Group Inc., Raybestos Chassis and WIX.

The Best Tech award (www.besttech2013.com) recognizes the skills andprofessionalism of today’s automotive technicians, from demonstratingexcellence in the automotive service industry to engaging in the localcommunity. This is the third year a recipient will be recognized.


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WIX Filters Sponsors 2013 School of the Year,Counter Professional of the Year And Best TechAward Programs

The United States Hispanic Cham-

ber of Commerce (USHCC) has an-nounced NAPA AUTO PARTS as anew corporate partner. The USHCCrepresents the interests of morethan 3 million Hispanic-owned busi-nesses through a network of morethan 200 local chambers and busi-ness associations nationwide.

Centric Parts has announced a namechange in its performance productlineup for 2013. In an effort tostreamline its performance productrange, the former Power Slot andSportStop direct-replacement one-

piece rotors will now be known in-stead as StopTech Sport Rotors.

Dayco is pleased to announce theacquisition of the Nytron Group, aBrazilian-based manufacturer ofdrive belt and timing tensioners,pulleys and hydraulic actuators forthe automotive aftermarket. Nytronis the largest manufacturer of ten-sioners and pulleys in South Ameri-ca, according to Dayco.

Rotary Lift was named EquipmentVendor of the Year by KOI Auto Parts.KOI is a leading automotive partsprovider in Kentucky, Ohio, Indianaand West Virginia.

Quick Takes


By Mark Phillips

LAS VEGAS — Attendees of Uni-Select’s first North American con-vention at Wynn Las Vegas learned

from business leaders in other in-dustries how providing fantasticservice and a unique experiencewill position their businesses

NEWS EXTRA

Uni-Select President Richard Roy set the tone for theconvention, held Feb. 24-27, by telling the independent jobbersand shop owners in attendance, “We intend to become thesupplier of choice for the automotive aftermarket.”

‘Rock And Roll’Into Their Businesses

Uni-Select Convention Attendees Hear How To Put

‘Rock And Roll’

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leaps and bounds ahead of thecompetition.

Uni-Select President Richard Royset the tone for the convention, heldFeb. 24-27, by telling the independ-ent jobbers and shop owners in at-tendance, “We intend to become thesupplier of choice for the automo-tive aftermarket.”

“It’s not necessarily an easyworld out there. It’s up to us tocapture the opportunities outthere,” he said. “Without creatingvalue for the customers, we’re notsuccessful.”

Keynote speaker TaylorMadeCEO Mark King explained how hiscompany gained enormous marketshare — by changing the way itdoes business.

King related how he invited JohnHamm, a business adviser, authorand entrepreneur to TaylorMade’soffices to learn just how to do it.

“What he said to me changedthings forever,” King said. “Hesaid you’re going to have to dothree things: You’re going to haveto evolve the way your leaderslead the company. You’re going tohave to change the way your em-ployees interact in their jobs. And,

Continued on page 26

MONROE, Mich. – Tenneco hasannounced plans to attract nearly10,000 attendees to its 45-stop cal-endar for 2013. The company alsoplans to take its Monroe Ride &Drive seminar to several key in-dustry training schools and events,including the VISION Hi-TechTraining Expo in Kansas City, Mo.,this March.

Now in its 12th year, the MonroeRide & Drive program was de-signed to help technicians identifythe characteristics and differencesof worn versus properly function-ing ride control components and torecognize the impact these compo-nents have on overall vehicle safe-ty.

“We’re proud to continue to of-fer such a critical educational ini-tiative to the aftermarket,” saidChuck Osgood, manager of train-

ing and sales operations, NorthAmerican aftermarket, Tenneco.

The 2013 Monroe Ride & Driveprogram also features enhancedcurriculum, including key newride control trends, exclusive train-ing in innovative undercar tech-nologies and the industry’s onlyhands-on ride and drive trainingexperience, according to Tenneco.The driving experience gives serv-ice technicians an opportunity tocompare the steering, stoppingand stability characteristics of ve-hicles with worn OE ride controlcomponents and new Monroe ridecontrol replacement components.

To find out when the MonroeRide & Drive program will visityour region, visit the “Events”page on www.monroe.com to seethe most current schedule and toregister for an upcoming event.

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AFTERMARKET NEWS

BOUCHERVILLE, Quebec – Uni-Se-lect Inc. generated sales of $424.3million in the fourth quarter of 2012,compared to $436.7 million over thesame period in 2011.

The company said the 2.8 percentdecrease in sales for the quarter wasmainly due to a temporary slow-down in the aftermarket, mainly inthe Northeast of the United Statesand Eastern Canada. These negativefactors were partially offset by the

Tenneco Expands Monroe Ride & Drive Program,Adds Key Industry Training Events In 2013

NPW’s Speed Warehouse Announces New80,000-Square-Foot Facility in San JoseMIAMI, Fla. – National Performance Warehouse Companies, with fiveoperations in California, has announced it is opening a larger facility inSan Jose.

Commenting on the expansion, Larry Pacey, company president andCEO, said, “Our business in California continues to grow. As we add newlines and widen and optimize our coverage on current ones, we knew wehad to have a larger building that would see us through at least the nextthree to six years. We feel that providing a large inventory with San Joseas the base, we can service our customers better and quicker.”

Uni-Select Reports 2012 Fiscal Year Sales Of $1.8 Billionaddition of the sales derived fromthe assets in Florida purchased inthe fourth quarter of 2011 and an ad-ditional billing day. Sales of U.S. op-erations totaled $298 million in thefourth quarter, while sales of Cana-dian operations totaled $126 million.

For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31,2012, sales increased 2.3 percent to$1.821 billion compared to $1.781billion for the same period of theprevious year.

you’re going to have to evolve theculture of your company if youwant to sustain success.”

“This is what he said,” King not-ed. “For 100 years in business inNorth America, we’ve used a com-mand-and-control leadership mod-el. It’s not bad. It’s the way we’verun businesses. Someone’s at thetop — they’re the leadership team— they create the vision of wherewe’re going, how we’re going to getthere and what your role is. He of-fered up that the model is really go-ing to be challenged as we moveforward, because as leaders, leader-ship becomes obsolete through thespeed of change in the marketplace.Leaders who hang onto that willfail.”

King said he asked Hamm howto change the model. “He said,‘you need to distribute the leader-ship,’” King added. “You need topush the responsibility for makingthe company successful off yourshoulders and onto as many peo-ple as want to get involved.”

“Regardless of your industry —if you’re the leader — your No. 1job is to move the business fromwhere it is today, to where it is inthe future,” King said. “And hope-fully, you’re successful. It’s onlybecoming more challenging thanbefore. “

Attendees had a chance to listento other business leaders duringmorning sessions. A breakout ses-

sion titled “Leadership forGrowth,” was lead by former headof training and development forthe Hard Rock Café, Jim Knight.

Knight said all businesses needto “shift from being product-fo-cused to being customer-ob-sessed.”

“You want people talking aboutyou and you want them comingback,” he said. “Millennials wantunpredictability. They want some-thing to happen to them that’s in-dividualized.”

One company that’s changed theway everyone thinks of service?Starbucks.

They’ve turned what was a sim-ple cup of coffee into an experiencethat includes exotic names, baristaswho write your name on the coffeecup and address you with it, to er-gonomic chairs that make youwant to stay longer in their stores,Knight said.

Creating this kind of experiencefor customers means hiring theright people, he said. “Hire rockstars, not lipsynchers, to amp upthe band,” Knight said. “It’s nolonger enough to have experienceand tenure in your position. Em-ployees should be in the memory-making business.”

And, avoid three dreaded four-letter words in service: fine, good,okay, he added.

Attendees of the conference had achance to make more connections onthe extensive trade show floor. CM


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Attendees had a chance to make connections on the extensive trade show floor.

Uni-Select continued from page 24

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Fifteen grass-roots racers representing several differ-ent forms of engine-drivencompetition were selected as finalistsin the 2013 “Search for a Champion”racing sponsorship contest, which willaward $125,000 in sponsorship cashfrom Federal-Mogul’s iconic Champi-on brand of spark plugs, wiper bladesand chemical additives. Each finalistwill receive a $5,000 Champion sponsorship and a chance to earn the con-test’s $50,000 grand prize. Voting for the grand prize sponsorship tookplace at www.AlwaysaChampion.com.

The finalists were announced at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedwayby NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and Champion spokesperson Kevin Har-vick. More than 160 racers and teams submitted two-minute video entriesto the www.AlwaysaChampion.com website. More than 81,000 voteswere cast by racers, fans and members of the Champion community andfinal judging was led by Harvick. Harvick was scheduled to announcethe $50,000 “Champion’s champion” at 9 a.m. E.T. on April 2.

“Each of our finalists did an outstanding job of demonstrating theirpassion for racing and a commitment to take their skills to the next levelin 2013,” Harvick said. “I’m proud to be associated with this innovativecontest because Federal-Mogul and the Champion brand are helping tobuild the next generation of racing superstars.”

The 2013 “Search for a Champion” finalists are:Name City/State Vehicle Class/Type

Kolby Araki Clovis, Calif. USAC Sprint CarCody Correia Lake Elsinore, CA. Motorcycle/MotocrossJason Feger Bloomington, Ill. Dirt Late ModelMolly Helmuth Seattle, Wash. Super Late ModelTed Hodgdon Danbury, Conn. Junior Outlaw KartJolly Rogers Racing Des Moines, Wash. Jet Sprint BoatAndy Lieders Colby, Wis. Snowmobile/SnocrossTristan Nunez Boca Raton, Fla. Prototype LiteD.J. Osborne Lehi, Utah Super Late ModelBobby Pierce Oakwood, Ill. Dirt Late ModelCarl Rydquist Redondo Beach, Calif. Attack & DriftingDonnie Steward West Burlington, Iowa Dirt Winged Sprint CarTyler Tanner Auburn, Wash. Straight Rail Late ModelTaylor Toftemark Castle Rock, Wash. Top Alcohol Jr. DragsterWes White Pacoima, Calif. Vintage Motorcycle

Federal-Mogul also announced five “Honorable Mention” winners, eachof whom will receive a $500 Visa Gift Card. They are: Alex Cognac, Marvin,N.C.; Sierra Jackson, Middleton, Idaho; Nick Lascuola, Abington, Mass.; Jeremy Lowe, Sarasota, Fla.; and Pittbull Motorsports, Bismarck, N.D.


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Fifteen Finalists Named In $125,000‘Search For A Champion’ ContestEach finalist will receive a $5,000 Champion racing sponsorship,plus a chance to win the $50,000 grand prize sponsorship package.

cone rubber blades that last two orthree times as long. In northern cli-mates, “winter blade” assemblies areenclosed in rubber boots to preventwiper freeze-up in the winter. Winterblades are a mandatory item formany who drive in severe coldweather.

As with many parts, wiperblades are best sold in pairs and,while we’re at it, let’s not forget theblade located on the rear glass or,in some luxury models, on theheadlight assemblies. Unless priceis an issue with the customer, it’salso a good practice to sell premi-um wiper blades. Last but notleast, prevent a disastrous wind-shield freeze-up for your customerby recommending a washer fluid


By Gary Goms, commercial accounts editorMECHANIC CONNECTION

The Forward Visibility Market

There’s nothing more dangerous than being stuck in a blindingsnowstorm with bad wiper blades and a frozen windshieldwasher system. In an ideal world, of course, a conscientious lubebay technician should have tested the windshield washers and

wipers when the vehicle was last in for service. But, in the real world, test-ing wipers and washers is often forgotten in when meeting the demandsof a tight schedule. The end result is an unhappy motorist caught shop-ping for new blades at an interstate truck stop or convenience store andreplacing them in a cold, windy and usually dark parking lot.

rials and designs. Since standard rub-ber blades usually require annual re-placements, some manufacturersproduce premium sili-

that’s rated for use in sub-zerotemperatures.

Wiper Arm Inspection

The condition of the wiper arms andmountings should always be checkedwhen replacing the wiper blades. Inmost applications, a splined wiperstud connected to the wiper motorlinkage drives the wiper arm. Someimports use a nut to retain the wiperarm onto the stud while many do-mestic vehicles use a spring metalclip or mechanical lock to perform thesame function.

Next, the wiper arm hold-down

spring should keep the wiper bladefirmly in contact with the wind-shield. If the newly installed bladeschatter or streak the windshield,weak wiper arm springs are likelyat fault. Last, the wiper arm shouldbe straight and in original condi-tion. If the wiper arm is bent ortwisted, it should be replaced.

Because wiper blades are an on-demand part, any lube bay techni-cian should have an inventory ofwiper blade refills on-hand thatwill cover at least 50 percent of hisaverage workflow. If a shop beginswith a basic inventory of thefastest-moving blades, the invento-ry can be adjusted by replacing theslow-moving SKUs with lost-saleSKUs. CM

A chance to sell the humble and often taken-for-grantedwiper blade should never be ignored.

How Wiper Blades Fail

Although old, weathered wiperblades can look good to the eye,they often fail because the hard-ened rubber will no longer conformto the curved windshield. In mostcases, the hardened rubber willchatter across the windshield orleave long, wide streakswhere the blade doesn’tcontact the glass. In oth-er cases, the rubber onthe blade can be torn when thewiper is frozen to the windshield.Turning on the wiper will not onlytear the rubber away from thewiper blade, but it can also damagethe wiper motor and arm assembly.

Selling Wiper Blades

Preventive maintenance is doublyimportant because, in most applica-tions, the wiper arms operate in dif-ferent arcs and modern wiperblades are usually of differentlengths. Similarly, the rear wiperblades found on many SUV andhatchback vehicles are made inlengths dependent upon the loca-tion of the rear wiper motor.

Another issue is the variety ofchoices available in wipe blade mate-

Blades are best sold in pairs and, while we’re at it,let’s not forget the blade located on the rear glass or,

in some luxury models, on the headlight assemblies.


By Gary Goms, commercial accounts editorMECHANIC CONNECTION

Engine Mount Review

During the early 1930s, theDodge Brothers revolution-ized automotive designwhen they introduced the

concept of “floating power” in theirline of automobiles. Unlike themagnification effect of metal-to-metal engine mounts, the DodgeBrothers’ rubber engine mountsminimized the reciprocating, rotat-ing and crankshaft torsional vibra-tions produced by a piston engine.The result was a much quieter,smoother-running and longer-last-ing automobile.

Engine Mount Failures

Unfortunately, the effects of heat, oiland environmental exposure even-tually reduce the ability of any rub-ber engine mount to dampenvibration. In addition, torsionalstress tends to separate the mount-ing rubber from its metal attachingplates, which allows the engine andtransmission to shift position in thevehicle’s chassis.

During the early days of mechan-ical clutch and cable throttle link-ages, the first indication of wornengine mounts was a continualneed to adjust both linkages. Brokenengine mounts on any conventionalrear-wheel drive chassis are likelyto cause the engine-mounted fan tocontact the radiator shroud or allowthe engine’s exhaust pipes to con-tact the frame.

In contrast, broken enginemounts on modern transverse-mounted engines aren’t as obvious

because they are attached to a sub-frame called an engine “cradle”which, in some cases, is attached tothe body by its own set of rubbermounts. In addition, a torque strutlocated between the engine and thebody reinforces the conventionalengine mounts by absorbing enginetorque.

Nevertheless, broken enginemounts or torque struts in trans-verse engine installations can aggra-vate a condition known as “torquesteer,” in which the vehicle’s steer-ing will pull in one or the other di-rection as the vehicle accelerates.Last, excessive fore-and-aft move-ment caused by a broken enginemount or torque strut on a trans-verse engine installation can causethe exhaust flex pipe located be-tween the engine and catalytic con-verter to break during acceleration.

Types Of Engine Mounts

Early engine mounts were manu-factured by bonding a rubber paddirectly to a top and bottom metalplate. With the advent of more pow-erful engines during the 1960s, anumber of cases of unintended ac-celeration occurred due to enginetorque actually holding the me-chanical throttle linkage wide-openwhen the mounts separated. Sincethe 1960s, most engine mounts aredesigned as “captured” mounts thatmechanically prevent an enginefrom rotating in the chassis if themount separates.

Most recently, a few import and

domestic auto manufacturers offeractive hydraulic engine mounts intheir high-end vehicles. Active hy-draulic mounts dampen engine vi-bration by using electricallycontrolled orifices operating in aclosed chamber filled with a viscousfluid to control engine movement.During lower engine torque loads,both large and small orifices remainopen to dampen engine vibrations.During high engine torque loads,the large orifice is closed to bettercontrol engine torque.

A more leading-edge designcontains a magneto-rheological(MR) fluid that increases viscositywhen exposed to a magnetic field.As with conventional active en-gine mounts, the fluid flowsthrough a fixed orifice in a closedchamber. The engine managementsystem then changes the dampen-ing capacity of the engine mountby electronically modifying themagnetic field surrounding theMR fluid.

On a more basic level, some aftermarket manufacturers offercaptured polyurethane enginemounts designed for high-perfor-mance applications. For safety’ssake, polyurethane enginemounts should be recommendedfor extreme operating conditionssuch as drag racing or off-roadcompetition.

Selling Engine Mounts

Although engine mounts normallylast well over 100,000 miles, theyshould be inspected if unusuallyhigh levels of chassis-borne vibra-tion and noise are present. Similarly,if the engine exhaust or accessoriesare rubbing against the frame orsheet metal, suspect a bad enginemount. CM

Although engine mounts normally last well over100,000 miles, they should be inspected ifunusually high levels of chassis-borne vibrationand noise are present.


By Larry Carley, technical editorTECH FEATURE

Power Steering Sales

Hydraulic power steering has been standard equipment on mostcars and trucks for many decades, but on many newer vehiclesit is being replaced by electric power assisted steering. Electricsteering assist eliminates the belt-driven PS pump, hoses and

hydraulic fluid to reduce weight, noise and friction. The change alsoimproves fuel economy and allows steering effort and feel to be bettertuned to changing driving conditions. But even if hydraulic power steer-ing disappears entirely, there will continue to be a huge aftermarket forreplacement PS pumps, hoses and related components.

with the type of fluid specified onthe pump reservoir or in the vehi-cle owners manual. Most vehiclescan use a universal PS fluid, butsome require special fluids or ATF.Using the wrong fluid may dam-age the pump or steering unit.

Refilling some PS systems can betricky because air can becometrapped in the steering gear. Airwill cause noise and erratic steer-ing assist. Rotating the steeringwheel slowly from as far as it willgo in one direction to its limit inthe opposite direction multipletimes will usually allow most ofthe air to escape. In some cases, itmay be necessary to use a specialvacuum tool to pull the remainingair out of the system.

A new drive belt should also beinstalled when a high-mileage PSpump is replaced. Chances are theold belt will have a lot of miles onit and will be badly worn, glazedor contaminated with oil, grease orPS fluid that leaked out of the oldpump. The automatic belt tension-er also should be carefully inspect-ed and replaced if it is sticking,rusty, wobbling, noisy or can’tmaintain proper belt tension. CM

Depending on usage and mileage, a powersteering pump’s shaft bearings or pumpmechanism can wear out.

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PS pumps are fairly durable andoften last the life of the vehicle.However, depending on usage andmileage, the pump’s shaft bearingsand/or pump mechanism canwear out, causing pump noiseand/or a loss of steering assist. Thepump’s pressure relief valve canalso stuck or fail causing a loss ofpower steering assist.

When a PS pump fails as a resultof wear or internal damage, metal-lic debris may pass through the hy-draulic lines and damage thepower steering unit. Consequently,when a PS pump is being replacedall of the old fluid should bedrained from the system and dis-carded. The hoses and steeringgear also should be flushed to re-move the contaminants. If this isnot done, the new pump may bedamaged.

Replacement pumps may or maynot come with a pulley. If not, thepulley on the old pump must be re-moved and installed on the newpump. DIY installers should bewarned NOT to pound on the pul-ley or pump shaft as this may dam-age the pump.

The PS system should be refilled



Oxygen Sensors Make Emissions Control Possible

Abad oxygen sensor is oneof the most common rea-sons for failing an emis-sions test, according to

EPA research. Most oxygen sensorsdo not have a scheduled serviceinterval and are only replaced ifthey have failed or are causing adrivability, fuel economy or emis-sions problem. A bad sensorshould set a fault code and turn onthe Check Engine light, but some-times they don’t so the motoristhas no way of knowing a sensormay have to be replaced. And evenif the Check Engine light is on andthere’s an oxygen sensor code, itdoesn’t always mean the sensor isbad. Some O2 sensor codes (suchas rich or lean codes) can be causedby other conditions such as dirty,leaky or inoperative fuel injectors,air/vacuum leaks, ignitionmisfires, exhaust leaks and so on.Because of this, accurate diagnosisis important to make sure an oxy-gen sensor actually needs to bereplaced.

Many technicians recommendreplacing all of the oxygen sensorsin a high-mileage vehicle if one ofthe O2 sensors has failed. If con-taminants such as oil or coolant en-ter the combustion chamber, it canfoul any or all of the O2 sensors.

The response time of O2 sensorscan slow down with age. A sensoralso may become biased rich orlean (usually lean), causing a dropin fuel economy and an increase inemissions. Replacing a sluggish orbiased O2 sensor will restore like-new performance.

Many technicians prefer to in-

stall “exact fit” replacement sen-sors because they are faster andeasier to install and save the timeand trouble of having to cut andslice the sensor harness wiring.Universal fit oxygen sensors areusually less expensive than exactfit O2 sensors, and reduce invento-ry requirements by allowing fewerSKUs to cover a broader range ofapplications. But universal fit O2sensors do require a little more ef-fort to install.

Upstream O2 sensors are locatedin the engine’s exhaust manifold(s)while the downstream O2 sensor islocated in or behind the catalyticconverter. The upstream O2 sen-

sors monitor the air/fuel mixtureoxygen levels coming out of the en-gine while the downstream sensormonitors the operating efficiencyof the catalyst.

Replacing an oxygen sensor maybe difficult depending on the sen-sor’s location. Your customer mayneed a special, deep-well O2 sen-sor socket to replace the sensor.The threads on most new O2 sen-sors have a coating to minimizecorrosion. A small dab of antiseizecan be applied to the threads toprevent sticking, but care must beused to keep the compound awayfrom the sensor tip so it doesn’tfoul the new sensor. CM

Many technicians recommend replacing all of the oxygen sensors in a high-mileagevehicle if one of the O2 sensors has failed.



Chemicals For Every Purpose

The chemical aisle is full ofproducts for all kinds ofspecialized purposes, andmaintenance aerosols are

no exception. One of the more pop-ular products in this category isbrake cleaner. Available in variousformulas, brake cleaner is designedto remove brake dust, dirt, oil, brakefluid and grease from disc and drumbrake components. Most leave littleor no residue behind on surfacesthat have been cleaned. Over theyears, brake cleaners have beenreformulated to reduce VOCs(volatile organic compounds) and toreduce or eliminate other potentiallyharmful ingredients. There are chlo-rinated products, non-chlorinated

products and low-VOC products. Like any chemical product, users

should read and follow the direc-tions and heed any precautions orwarnings. Because brake cleanerworks so well, it is often used as ageneral purpose degreaser. Howev-er, brake cleaner should NOT beused to clean electronics. Recom-mend an aerosol electronics cleanerfor cleaning wiring connectors andmass airflow sensors. Recommendthrottle cleaner for cleaning dirtythrottle bodies, and carburetor forcleaning carburetors on older vehi-cles. Make sure the product is safefor throttle bodies that have specialcoatings as many older Fords do.There are also general purpose de-

greasers for cleaning engine parts.Another popular maintenance

product is aerosol penetrating oils.Some of these products contain lightviscosity oil that can penetrate andloosen rust on fasteners. The sametype of product also can lubricatefastener threads and surfaces thatslide or rub to reduce friction andprotect against corrosion. The oil inthese products repels moisture, asdoes the silicone in products that areessentially spray on lubricants.

As with brake cleaner, aerosolpenetrating oils and lubricants areoften misused for applicationswhere they are ill-suited, or wherethere is a better product to use.Spray lubricants should not beused to quiet a noisy drive belt.Use a belt dressing spray for thispurpose. CM

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Clutches GetA Workout

By Larry Carley

TECH FEATURE

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Manual clutches are wan-ing in popularity, butare still found in manyperformance-oriented

cars and trucks. The clutch matesthe engine with the transmission soengine torque can flow to the dri-vetrain. The clutch gets quite aworkout because it has to beengaged and disengaged everytime the vehicle starts, stops andshifts gears.

Riding the clutch increases thetemperature of the clutch and ac-celerates wear. As wear increases,the clutch may lose some of its gripand start to slip. A clutch that failsto release or engage may be the re-sult of a misadjusted or brokenclutch cable, a linkage problem or afailed hydraulic master or slavecylinder.

Replacing any of the three majormechanical clutch components (thepressure plate, clutch disc or re-lease bearing) usually involvesquite a bit of disassembly labor.That’s why the pressure plate,clutch disc and release bearingshould all be replaced at the sametime on high-mileage vehicles.

Selling your customer a com-plete clutch kit guarantees theparts are properly matched.

On applications where a pilotbushing is used in the center of theflywheel, the bushing should alsobe replaced to assure trouble-freeand quiet clutch operation.

For performance, heavy-dutyand hard-use applications, upgrad-ing to a higher temperature metal-lic/ceramic friction material canimprove wear resistance andtorque transfer. A higher load ca-pacity pressure plate may also berecommended. CM

New Severe Duty Chassis Line From Autopart International

Autopart International has introduced itsnew Severe Duty Chassis line. Engineeredspecifically for trucks, SUVs and commer-cial use vehicles. The line offers profession-al technicians improved durability andextended life on ball joints and tie rod ends.Forged from SAE1045 steel, the heat-treatedhousing has superior structural integrityand durability. The powdered-metal gusher

bearings with grease grooves extend product life, and a larger ball socket givesthe ball joints added strength. The 160 new Severe Duty Chassis SKUs cover im-portant truck and fleet applications, and complement the more than 3,000 SKUs inthe premium chassis line. Autopart International’s Severe Duty and PremiumChassis lines are available at all 218 Autopart International warehouse locations.

Baldwin Filters 2013-2014 Point Of SaleProgram

Baldwin Filters recentlydebuted its 2013-14Brand Builder Point ofSales Program. Thisprogram offers point ofsale materials to aidBaldwin distributors in

promoting the Baldwin brand and fea-tures a fresh new look. The new point of sale ele-ments include colorful graphics that captureBaldwin’s commitment to the heavy-duty mar-ket. While the program is designed as a “pickand order” program, convenient prepackagedkits also are available.

55 NewPremiumParts AvailableFrom SMP’s TechSmartLine

Standard Motor Products Inc.(SMP) has expanded its TechSmart line of enhanced enginecontrol products for professional service techni-cians by adding 55 new premium parts. High-lighting this release are more than 30 new HVACair door actuators and blend door motors, ex-panded fuel level sensor coverage for Nissan/In-finiti trucks, plus eight new expansion tankservice kits for European applications. TechSmarthas also added a knock sensor wiring harness forGM V6/V8 – this application has a very highoriginal replacement rate.

counterman.com 43

MARKETPLACE › visit www.counterman.com/ASAP for reader service


Whether a delivery fleet consists offive or 500 vehicles, knowing pre-cisely where each one is at anygiven time is vital to giving a parts

store or warehouse that competitive edge. Butit’s an almost impossible task to perform with-out a technology partner.

We talked to two parts distributors who haveimplemented systems from DQ Technologies todo just that and much more.

John Myers, vice president of information tech-nology for Eastern Warehouse Distributors, sayshis operation oversees 300 vehicles that make hot-shot deliveries all day long out of 28 locations.“All deliveries are dynamic. They typically couldbe for one to four stops. Being able to manage andmonitor the performance of all these vehicles iscritical. Our goal is to provide consistent deliveryservice. Knowing what route and in what orderdrivers travel was unknown without it.”

DQ Technologies offers Order Delivery Track-ing or ODT, which assists distributors in stream-lining and maximizing the time drivers spendout in the field. Distributors can make use ofGPS tracking, signature capture and other toolsto make the process almost seamless.

Eastern Warehouse nowcan assess how long adriver spends at eachstop; ascertain their posi-tion on the road; andknow if they’ve made anunknown stop.

What has the responsebeen from employees?“For the most part, oncethey embrace it, they loveit,” Myers says. “It helpsthem with their overallefficiency.”

Chris Ortiz, director ofoperations for Big CityAutomotive, said theysought out DQ, “to have agreater insight into the ac-

tual day-to-day productivity of our delivery sys-tems and its cost.”

Ortiz says his company currently usesDQ’s map routing, invoice bar-coding and trans-fer solution routing. “By providing us with pre-cise information on the results of DQ deliverysystems, we are able to develop new and im-proved strategies based on cost/benefit consid-erations,” he says.

How has using DQ Technologies changed theway Big City Automotive does business? “Weare now running our company paperless,” Ortizsays. “We’re more efficient in our deliveries andtracking processes, and we also have achieved agreater facility in determining and resolvingtroubled areas.”

In addition, Ortiz says the company has seena 7.5 percent decrease in fuel costs.

“Not only are our employees very positive intheir response to the DQ program and its tools,”Ortiz says, “they are also very anxiously antici-pating the implementation of DQ’s newest cus-tomer/counterman viewer version. DQ has notonly dedicated its company to developing apackage that meet our needs, but at a reasonablecost while providing superior tech support.” ■

Advertorial

Parts Distributors Reduce Fuel Costs, Improve Deliveries With

DQ Technologies


By Allen Markowitz & Allan Gerber ALLEN & ALLANco

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Are you a Counterman or a Professional Counterman?

Joe works for a local autoparts store. Most days Joe isonly 5 to 15 minutes late,unshaven, clothes wrinkled

and his personality reflects hisappearance. When confronted byhis manager he answers “I’m here,better late than never.” After a fewminutes and his first coffee Joefinally decides to start working. Heanswers the phone after six or sevenrings in a rushed voice. Joe says,“Right Part Auto.” After asomewhat long pause, he againspeaks loudly into the phone, “Rightpart Auto,” this time there is a reply.

He hears, “I need a widget for an’08 Toyota,” and without giving itmuch thought or asking for addi-tional information, Joe simplyreplies, “We don’t have it, can’thelp you” and hangs up.

Next, Joe decides he will wait onthe customer who walked in topurchase brake pads for his Fordpickup. This time, Joe asks basicquestions — year, make, modeland nothing else. Joe looks on thecomputer goes in the back andcomes back with a set of brakepads. He completes the sale andthe customer leaves, and, of course,two hours later this customer isback — wrong pads. Joe againlooks up the pads and replies thatthey should be correct. “Are yougiving me the right information?”This is finally sorted out and thecustomer leaves.

The day goes on and similarphone and counter situations hap-pen. Joe is an individual whocomes to work for a paycheckwith little enthusiasm, answersthe phone, waits on customers,does what is asked and no more.

Continued on page 54

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Track Talk

In 1992, General Motors waslooking for ways to decreasethe number of lower leginjuries to its Indy Car drivers.In the automaker’s research, itwas lacking one piece of tech-nology to help them measurethe force drivers were subject toin crashes.

GM did, however, have adevice placed in shipments ofexpensive equipment goingoversees to determine how thecargo was being handled, andtrack when it was mishandledand by whom. With a fewtweaks, such as an increasedrange of measurement, thecompany realized these devicescould be placed in cars tomeasure the impact of a crash.

That was the beginning ofthe incident data recorder(IDR), or "black box," inautomobile racing.

Today, NASCAR supplieseach of the cars in its threenational racing series with anupdated version of that

recorder. In the event of acrash, big or small, NASCARofficials are able to retrieve thedata and details of the crash,including the rate of decelera-tion when the car hits a barrier.

According to Tom Gideon,senior director of safety,research and development forNASCAR, the incident datarecorder hasn’t failed to collectinformation on a crash yet.

“From 2002 to now, we’verecorded over 6,000 incidentsin the national series,” he said.“All the vehicles in our nation-al series – which includeNASCAR Sprint Cup,Nationwide and CampingWorld Series racecars andtrucks – are required to have acrash recorder.”

Since 2002, the accidentdata recorders have riddenalong with NASCAR drivers.Teams are responsible only forthe aluminum bracket thatholds the recorder in place inthat car. Before each race, a

team of fieldinvestigatorsplaces arecorder intothat bracket.Once a mag-netic sensorinside thebox detects ithas beenplaced intothe car, itgoes into a state of readiness.

Because the units don't havean on/off switch, the magnetsensor helps to preserve batterywhen they aren’t in a car.During a race, the device meas-ures the acceleration or deceler-ation of the car 10,000 timesper second. NASCAR officialsremove the IDRs from the carafter each race, recording infor-mation from those in carsinvolved in wrecks.

Once NASCAR extracts thedata from a crash, the num-bers are then released to theteam whose car held therecorder. Teams use thisinformation to determine

how hard thecar was hit,and whetherthe impact wasbig enough tocause damageto the seat andrestraints. Ifso, the seat –which can costup to $12,000– will be fullyi n - s p e c t e dbefore beingreplaced orrepaired.

NASCAR also uses thesedevices to reconstruct actualcrashes to improve safety andto test new developments.Technicians are able to take thenumbers from a wreck and,using a hydraulic cylinder anddummy model, examine theeffects of that identical force onthe body. They have even usedthese data recorders to test theGeneration-6 car's improvedroll cage by capturing theimpact when a car is droppedupside down in the Researchand Development Center park-ing lot.

“We’re at all times lookingfor improvements to the carthat we can validate, so thatwhen we finally put it in thecar, we’re not worried thatmaybe we did somethingwrong,” Gideon said.

Learn more about the latesttechnological advances inNASCAR by visiting the new NASCAR AutomotiveTechnology Center EngineeredBy Mobil 1: www.nascar.com/automotivetechnology.

By Kristen Boghosian,NASCAR.COM

Inside NASCAR’s Black Box

During a race, the “black box” measures the

acceleration or deceleration of a racecar 10,000

times per second.

An incident data recorder, also known as a “black box,” gives NASCAR officials the ability

to measure the effects of crashes.

Follow NASCAR Performance on Twitter and Facebookwww.twitter.com/NASCARauto ■ www.facebook.com/NASCARPerformance


Memo to all: Multitasking is nowrequired in business. Our com-puters multitask, our phonesmultitask, and so, just to keep

up with the pace of the tech world today,we better become multitasking superhumans. This trend did not happenovernight; but, swiftly in the span of mycareer, I have seen the change. I nevercared for agendas or calendars before. Istill remember the days when people car-ried their leatherbound FranklinCoveyagenda into meetings, with all kinds ofdividers and inserts for their calendar,notes and to-do lists. The inner free spiritstill left in me those days always felt a bitapprehensive of these agenda-carryingdrones — what? Can’t they remember sim-ple appointment? Eventually, I too felt theneed to find tools to help me keep up withthe many tasks thrown my way. As we allknow, Father Time keeps on ticking and hecaught up with me too. “Time waits for noone, and it won’t wait for me,” said thefamous 20th century philosophers, Jaggerand Richards (heck they’re still around, somaybe now they need to be called famous21st century philosophers?) So for severalyears now, I had to drone out and startusing the tools of the trade; I just couldn’thack it with the leatherbound alternatives,so I went with digital tools.

Multitasking sounds stressful; and it canbe. Surprisingly, I have found that the digi-tal calendar, agendas and to-do tools avail-able today can actually help manage theworkload and hopefully reduce stress. In aperverse way, it can even turn it into apowerful motivator. This is especially trueof apps that manage to-do lists. I have be-come a convert and try to list most of theimportant things I need to do regularly. Inever ever kept up with my to-dos when Iused to jot them down with good old pa-per and pen; however, the dawn of to-doapps have turned my efficiency way upand my stress levels way down.

COUNTER-TECHBy Mandy Aguilar

It’s Time To Do Your To-Dos

Wunderlist

This is the first to-do app that made medrink the Kool-Aid. Like all great apps,this one is free and works all on PC, Macand mobile platforms. It syncs on thecloud, behind the scenes so that your listsare available on all your computers andphones. There is even a Web-based ver-sion of your lists available to you on anycomputer.

The app creators encourage you to cre-ate multiple lists to track your to-dos, butto speed up the flow of work, you enter allyour to-dos into the “inbox” list and latermove them around to their appropriatedestination. For example, say you have alist for work, one for things to do at homeand one for pending items for your son’stennis team. You remembered that youhad to write a column for a magazine, andat the same time you remembered that youhad to order tennis balls from Amazon forthe upcoming tournament. You simply en-ter both of these items in the Wunderlistinbox and later, when you have time, youmove them to the respective lists. I havefound this to be the most likable aspect ofthis app. As soon as I remember some-thing, I just jot it down and later, when I’morganizing my inbox, I redistribute the to-dos accordingly, just like I would withemail.

The app is full of features to help youwork better. It easily allows you to printor email your to-do lists. You can set upreminders that will alert you both onyour phone and computer; this makes itone of the most powerful reminder toolsout there. You can also add sub-tasks,notes and links to your to-dos, whichmakes this a great tool for project man-agement and research. Finally, you canshare your lists with other Wunderlistusers; this is a smooth feature that allowsall collaborators to work on the same listand keep it synced and up to date at alltimes.

Mandy Aguilar is aregional vice president forJacksonville, Fla.-based

The Parts House.

The dawn of theto-do apps haveturned myefficiency wayup and mystress levelsway down.

Any.do

When apps are free, you tend totry more than one. That’s how I re-cently got into a new app calledAny.Do, available for Android andiOS devices. This app also syncs onthe cloud and keeps you organizedand up to date on all your devicesat once. The app has an extremelyappealing aesthetic design thatmakes it very pleasing to use. Ithas a dictation feature that workslike magic; you remember some-thing and just dictate it on the app,and it will turn it into written to-dos. You can add reminders veryeasily to stay on track.

Just recently they updated theapp and added what they call an“Any.Do Moment.” This is an auto-matic daily routine that, in an al-most Zen-like fashion (with Zensoundtrack to set mood), makesyou go through all you pending to-

dos and organize your day by reset-ting priorities and due dates withjust a few taps of the screen. Onceyou’re done, your to-dos will be up-dated and resorted, and your mem-ory will be boosted to keep track ofthe things you need to do. The flowof work on this feature is just per-fect. I have yet to see any other pro-ductivity apps adjust to day to daywork flow like this one. The rewardof using the app far outweighs itslearning curve!

So now I’m using both, Any.Doand Wunderlist, regularly. With notpreset agenda, I seem to have mi-grated to Any.Do for my daily,more immediate to-dos, and keptWunderlist for items that are a bitmore long-term, require more re-search or involve collaborationwith my peers. I know that it maysound like too much work, butthese two apps really work in uni-

son for me, and perhaps they cando the same for you to.

What I value most about usingto-do apps is that I have found away to jot down things right whenI remember them. We’ve all beenthere: you are in a meeting or driv-ing your car, suddenly you remem-ber something you had to do, butyou forget to write it down thenand there. Soon your brain fizzlesand that thing you had to do isfiled away in the never-to-remem-ber lobe in the back of your brain.By writing down my to-dos morefrequently, I seem to remembermore, therefore keeping better to-dos. Without a doubt, this hashelped me manage my time moreefficiently, thus allowing me moretime to play and goof off. Could itbe that this simple change in theway I work has allowed me to ac-tually work less? CM


COUNTER-TECH

Get FREE product and service info from the companies featured in this issue of Counterman. It’s fast and easy!

www.Counterman.com/ASAPand click the company you want info from!

Advertiser Page Advertiser PageAdvance Auto Parts Cover 3Advics 19Raybestos brakes 26, 27Airtex Corp. Cover, 20, 21Automotive Distribution Network 7Bar’s Products 36, 37CARQUEST Corp. 1Centric Parts 16, 17 DEA Products 5Denso Sales California Inc. Cover 2DMA Goodpoint 12DQ Technologies 44, 45ExxonMobil Cover 4Federal-Mogul/Champion Spark Plugs 28, 29Federal-Mogul/Wagner 10, 11Federal Process Corp. 25Federated Auto Parts 14, 15GAAS 47

Gabriel/Arvin Innovation 54Key Craze 3KYB Americas Corp. 51Lisle Corp. 42NAPA Belden/Echlin 53NGK Spark Plugs 55Packard Industries 56Philips Lighting 24SAAB Parts North America 46Schaeffler Group USA 9, 30, 31Spectra Premium Industries 39TechSmart 13Timken 18Trico Products 33TYC/Genera Corp. 41Walker Products 35WIX Filters 22,23

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Visit Mandy’s blog: www.mandyaguilar.com

Fortunately, Joe is a fictional per-son and no professional counter-man is like our “Joe.”

What is a professional counter-man? Certainly not “Joe.”

Preparation starts as soon as youwake up and begin getting ready for

work. Before you leave, take a lookin the mirror; this is what your cus-tomers will see. Are you satisfied?Will they think you are wellgroomed and appropriately attired?First impressions: remember you donot get a second chance!

How you present yourself nexthelps achieve the desired result, a

profitable sale and a satisfied cus-tomer. Do you say “good morn-ing?” And, if you know thecustomer’s name, use it!

Ask all pertinent questions; donot skip any selling steps. If thecustomer does not have the an-swer, tell them how they can findit, or better yet, actually assistthem. Remember, the more you doto help a customer become a satis-fied customer comes back to youtenfold in word-of-mouth referrals.Once the sale has been made sim-ply thank the customer for theirbusiness and let them know youwill be there the next time theyneed you.

Telephone customers need to betreated the same: Remember howyou sound paints a picture of youto the customer. There is actuallysuch a thing as body language overthe phone! Answer the phone pro-fessionally, “Good morning, RightPart Auto, Steve speaking. Howmay I help you?”

If you have to place a customeron hold ask if it is ok to do so andgive an estimated time that youwill be able to return to the call. Ifthis is not acceptable, ask if itwould be ok for you to call back assoon as you finish with the cus-tomer you are helping? Make sureto ask appropriate questions toidentify all of the proper parts nec-essary to complete the job. Oncethe customer places the order, sim-ply say “thank you, appreciateyour business, speak to you againsoon.”

Yes, we know this takes practicebut once customer basics are mas-tered both you and your companywill profit. CM


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ALLEN & ALLAN

Allen Markowitz and Allan Gerber operate AutoBiz Solutions, which provides training, marketing,management and business consulting services toboth the automotive jobber and independent re-pair shop.

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For more information, go to:www.autobizsolutionsllc.com

or e-mail [email protected].

Continued from page 46


Recently on a flight home, Ihad one of those experi-ences that moves me towrite about it. These

epiphanies are usually customersatisfaction related and this wouldbe no exception.

In my job I have to travel a fairamount and find myself on air-planes at a fairly regular rate. I don’thave any fancy status on the airlinesand at best, have the initial level ofstatus that gets me on the plane a lit-tle early. I just want to be clear herethat this is a regular old coach expe-rience and pretty mundane.

FROM THE PUBLISHERBy S. Scott Shriber

Be Looking for CSKsOn this particular trip, I was returning

home and had to fly from Memphis toHouston; small jet and only one flight atten-dant. Our attendant was very friendly andhad a great rapport with the customers.When she asked me what kind of soda Iwould like, she even called me by name.What? How did she know my name? I leftthis very cramped uncomfortable flight witha very good feeling and it was completelydriven by the flight attendant’s attitude. Iforgot all about the hard seats and crampedenvironment.

Now, my next leg — into the big bird withdecent room and seats. Four flight atten-dants and breathing room. AHHHHH.

Enter the customer satisfaction killer (orCSK): A seasoned flight attendant, barking or-ders up and down the isle and slamming cartsaround. It came to me and my seatmate or-dered water. As the flight attendant handedthe glass to the guy at the window, it spilledinto my lap and just missed my computer.(Good thing, because now I can write this).Her comment has not left me yet. “Gosh, I’vejust been dribbling stuff all day. “

She quickly stuffed a few napkins at meand moved on. Not a sorry or any sort ofapologetic reaction.

I guess as I reflect back on it there is agreat business lesson here: Which attendantdo you have working for you? All organiza-tions will make mistakes. It’s the way ourpeople handle them that makes the differ-ence. I have learned over my career that em-pathy is not a teachable skill. It is inherent inour DNA. It is important to keep the peoplewith it in front of our customers and ourless-skilled members out of the front lines.

Better be on the lookout for CSKs on yourteam. CM

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For more information: www.counterman.com

She quicklystuffed a fewnapkins at meand moved on.

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