Congress Passes Intellectual Property Enforcement Legislation
from Automotive Service Association
The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed legislation on Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement, Senate Bill 3325. The measure, which is awaiting President Bush’s signature, would increase tools and resources for the Department of Justice's programs to fight intellectual property theft, protect innovation and advancement within the United States, and establish federal efforts to eliminate counterfeiting and piracy. More

ATTENTION: Automotive Locksmiths and Service Technicians

The National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) is a cooperative effort among the automotive service industry, the equipment and tool industry, and automotive manufacturers to ensure that automotive service professionals have the information, training, and tools needed to properly diagnose and repair today's high tech vehicles. Founded in 2000, NASTF has this new vital solution for consumers, locksmiths and technicians that need to obtain keys, key codes and other vehicle security service data. This is an Internet based solution available 24/7 nationwide. More

October is Car Care Month

The Cincinnati Chapter of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) is hosting a free automobile safety inspection on Saturday, Oct. 11, as part of October is Car Care Month. "The event is being put on to help educate consumers on how proper vehicle maintenance can not only protect them and their investment but also save them money in the long run," said Joe Sanfillipo III, ASA Cincinnati president. More

Leaks, Cracks and Noises

Leaking transfer cases on Audi Q7s and cracked engine blocks in Honda Civics are among the problems in the most recent roundup of technical service bulletins. The bulletins are not recalls; they are information provided by manufacturers to their dealers’ service departments and mechanics. More

Measuring for a Proper Fit

How many of you remember that mid 70s Chevy Nova you saw from the rear, "dog tracking" so badly that you could clearly see the front fender and maybe even the front bumper end? How many times have you seen poorly fitting sheet metal panels and elongated bolt-holes when you've lifted the hood of a customer's car? These issues are is not as common now as it used to be. More

Congress Authorizes $25 billion to Help Automakers Retool Factories

If credit remains locked up and auto sales continue to slump, the federal government's $25 billion loan package for the auto industry could be a huge help in keeping Detroit's downtrodden automakers afloat, according to lawmakers and industry analysts. Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp., which likely will get the bulk of the loans, are losing billions and facing huge debts already as they try to remake their lineups from predominantly trucks and sport utility vehicles to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. More

Turbulent Economy Affects Take-Home Income

Three out of four owners of small businesses say the U.S. economy is getting worse, that it is harder to get loans and that the economic environment had reduced the amount of money they take home, according to a survey released this week. More

Chrysler Shocks Electric Car Timeline with New Plug-ins for 2010

In a surprise move, amid struggling sales numbers from its dealers and fuel-efficient buzz from competitors, Chrysler announced that it's charging into the electric vehicle market a lot sooner than expected. The automaker just unveiled a trio of battery-powered vehicles—including an all-electric, 200-mile-range Dodge sports car that we revved up near its 120-mph top speed on the test track and think could give the Tesla Roadster a run for its money—and plans to bring one of them to market by 2010, aligning Chrysler with the timetable for General Motors' Chevy Volt. More

Behind on Hybrids, Hyundai Sets High Goals

Hyundai Motors is a latecomer to the hybrid-vehicle race, but the Korean automaker is setting high targets for the technology as it chases Toyota and Honda. Hyundai is scheduled to sell its first U.S. hybrid, a version of its mid-sized Sonata sedan, in 2010. Initial annual volume is expected to be around 50,000 units. But Hyundai expects its annual hybrid sales to balloon to 500,000 units worldwide by 2018. More

Anti-theft Keys are Opening the Doors to Costs and Questions

Transponder keys, those chunky little black keys that come with your new car, have been around for a few years. They were first introduced with luxury cars, like Mercedes or BMW. But in recent years, the automotive industry has begun making the keys standard on most new models found at any major dealership in Lodi. More

U.S. Loans for the Detroit Auto Makers Include a Mandate for Big Changes

The U.S. government is about to offer billions to an industry that spent much of the past decade indulging itself in short-term strategies to boost profits and avoid reckoning with harsh reality. No, this isn't about Wall Street. This is about Detroit's auto makers. Compared to the $700 billion in federal aid proposed to salvage the financial industry, the $25 billion in loans that Congress approved for the beleaguered auto makers don't any longer look like such a big deal. More