Shop Repair

Now let's take a look at reality. I know every available minute you have before, during and after business hours is spent servicing the aforementioned vehicles in an attempt to get them out of your shop. I also know that during any downtime in your shop you might find other jobs that are more pressing than maintaining your own equipment. I also realize that given the economy and the nature of competition in the automotive service industry, money may be so tight that you might not want to spend the extra bucks to purchase oil, filters and other items necessary for maintaining your own shop equipment.

So what is the hard reality? What we all know and are hard pressed to admit is that if your equipment fails to function properly during a job, or if it out and out breaks and requires service, you lose productivity. What shop out there can afford to have jobs stacked up in the parking lot and employees standing idle?

We, as an industry, constantly are selling our customers on pre-season checkups for their vehicles. We sell maintenance services as a preventive solution to expensive and time-consuming repairs. We display brochures from our industry associations that tout the value of maintenance. So why do we not follow our own advice and perform needed maintenance on our equipment? Let's face it: we spend more time waxing our mega dollar toolboxes than we do maintaining our shop equipment.

Vehicle Lifts

Whether you use the in-ground or above-ground variety, a lift is the single most important piece of equipment in your shop and should be tops on your inspection and maintenance list. Not only do malfunctioning lifts pose a safety concern, but how many of you would like to go back to the days of using a floor jack and jack stands and laying on a piece of cardboard on your back to service a vehicle?

According to the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) — an association comprised of automotive lift manufacturers whose mission is to promote the safe design, construction, installation, service and use of automotive lifts — an automotive lift should be inspected at least annually or more frequently when so specified by the manufacturer.

In addition to the manufacturer's specified inspection and maintenance schedule, ALI recommends that annual inspections:

• Confirm adequacy of clearances around the lift.
• Check all fastening devices for tightness, including floor anchor bolts.
• On lifts equipped with lateral synchronization or equalization systems, check the operation of the systems.
• Operate the lift and check the operation of the positive stop and the lift locks.
• On lifts utilizing pumping units, confirm adequacy of oil level at fully raised position.
• With lift loaded, stop the load at midpoint of travel and observe.
• With a representative vehicle on the lift, check the lowering speed.

The ALI also recommends the following daily inspections:

• Accessibility and readability of the operating procedures, safety tips and generic safety material.
• Proper operation of the lift controls, restraints and locking devices.
• Deformation or excessive wear of any of the lift structural components.
• Deformation or excessive wear of other components such as hoses, electrical wires, drive chainss, cables or screws.
• Damage or excessive wear on any of the lift contact points which engage the vehicle during lifting.
• Evidence of hydraulic or pneumatic leaks.
• Unusual noises, sudden movements, erratic operation or evidence of chips or filings during use.
• Cracks or loose concrete around floor anchor bolts.

Compressors

Few pieces of shop equipment are used as regularly as air compressors. In order to ensure that an air compressor continues to run smoothly day after day, most compressors are installed in clean, well-ventilated areas. Some shops will place their compressor in a (clean, well-ventilated) room that's apart from the general shop area, often referred to as the compressor room. This special room also might include an outdoor intake that supplies clean air for the compressor.

A pressure gauge is essential for maintaining pressure within tool manufacturers' recommended levels. Incorrect levels can cause safety hazards and impair tool performance. The pressure gauge also can help detect any leaks that may be in the lines.

Lubricators (often referred to as oilers) are designed to be used between the filter and machine being run by the air compressor. They feed oil directly into the air line, which provides constant lubrication for your air tools. This lubrication can significantly extend the lifespan of your tools and equipment.

Separate air dryers often are used to help cool the compressed air after it leaves the compressor on its way to your tools and equipment. This cooling of the air lowers the dew point, which turns any water vapor in the air into liquid, according to Sill. The moisture is then removed from the air line as it passes through the dryer. There are a few different types of dryers on the market today, so be sure to discuss with your supplier which one best fits your shop's needs based on what you will be using the compressed air for on a daily basis.

In general, it is important to keep the entire air compressor clean, as dirt can act as an insulator and cause the unit to run hotter than necessary. Under normal use, temperatures inside an air compressor can exceed 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything you can do to keep this temperature from escalating will help your air compressor run better and last longer.

Proper compressor maintenance includes the following:

• Drain water from the main air tank on the compressor daily. This can be done manually or through an automatic device that opens the bottom drain for a specified period of time each day.
• Change the oil in your compressor on a regular basis. A low oil level can cause the pump to work harder and run hotter. The oil should be changed at least every six months or in severe applications, every two to three months.
• Perform a safety inspection on your shop's air compressor regularly. Inspect the drive belts for any signs of wear. If you find damage to either belt, always replace both belts at the same time. Replacing the belts as a matched set will maintain balanced tension from the drive to the pulley.

Recovery/Recycle Machine

Refrigerant recovery and recycling machines have come a long way from their simple beginnings. However, as the machines have become more complex, there is more to go wrong.

Surprisingly, basic maintenance on today's complex recycle/recovery machines has not changed that much. They still need to have the filters changed regularly and have the vacuum pump oil changed if the machine has a vacuum pump. Also, the air must be purged from the tank. Daily maintenance items, such as draining the refrigerant oil recovery bottle after each use, is also required.

Changing the filters, O-rings, oils, and leak-checking the unit usually can be done in about 1 to 1-1/2 hours with the parts costing less than $100. Some of the machines even will prompt the user and tell them that it is time for maintenance. The older machines use an hour meter that indicates usage between maintenance intervals.

With repair bills for recovery/recycling machines averaging $400 and higher, and the cost of a new automatic machine averaging $2,500, plus the lost revenue from the machine being absent from your shop, you can see why maintenance is the answer.

Common problems/failures include:

• Oil drain bottle is not drained after each recovery
• Air in the refrigerant
• The machine is left dirty or dusty
• Tank valves leak
• Hoses and O-rings leak
• Keypads fail
• Scales require calibration

Computer Equipment

Where would we be today without our computers? They power our shop management systems, provide our diagnostic and service information and enable us to order parts without picking up the phone. The only thing they require is a clean, temperate climate and a consistent flow of electricity. What most shop owners don't know is that the electrical power supplied from the wall outlet may not be stable enough to power their computers.

Depending on where your shop is located, power line disturbances strong enough to disrupt computer operation can occur frequently, resulting in hardware damage and more importantly, lost data. Unfortunately, equipment like your compressor and brake lathe are electrically "noisy" enough to cause disturbances, according to Kenneth Konzelman of Satisfied Computing (www.satisfiedcomputing.com).

Installing a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply) to supply power for your computer equipment will not only provide backup AC power, allowing an orderly shutdown of computer equipment in the event of a power failure or blackout, but better units also will condition the electricity and provide a "clean" flow of power.

Shops are dirty, especially for computers. A computer vacuum or clean, dry, low-pressure air should be used monthly to prevent dust from accumulating on the power supplies, fans, heat sinks and vents. A gentle cleaning with mild detergent will keep all external surfaces of the computer, keyboard, mouse and screen fresh.

Now that the outside of the computer is maintained, let's turn our attention to the inside. For security and reliability purposes, program updates should be done regularly. Large updates such as Service Packs should be installed only after checking with software vendors to make sure there are no compatibility issues, reports Konzelman. Anti-Virus software should be updated regularly, as the software is fully protecting the computer only if it is receiving updated virus signatures.

What would happen if you lost your building and all its contents to fire? You may be able to temporarily relocate, but how would you contact your customers if all of their information is on your (now melted) shop computer? Daily and weekly backups will insure none of your data is lost. Here is how:

• Contact all hardware and software vendors for documentation as to which files need to be backed up.
• Perform daily on-site backups of all computers containing shop management and accounting software data files to correct accidental deletion of files, hardware failures and system crashes.
• Perform weekly backups of all computers containing shop management and accounting software data files and keep these discs in a secure place off-site to recover from catastrophic disasters such as fire or flood.
• Both Microsoft and Apple provide free built-in backup utilities that are more than capable of satisfying the backup needs of all but the most complex computer systems and networks.

Undercar Shop Equipment

Brake lathes, wheel alignment systems, wheel balancers and tire machines of old required frequent maintenance and mechanical adjustments to ensure consistent, accurate results. Thanks to computers, the calibration process is much easier. If you still own non-automated equipment, check with the individual manufacturer's specific maintenance and calibration documentation.

For shops with newer equipment, in general, keeping the components clean, damage free and well lubricated will ensure long and trouble-free service, offers Jim Huhn from Hunter Engineering. Some equipment-specific recommendations include:

• Metal shavings can damage brake lathes and cause inaccurate cuts. Never substitute compressed air for a soft-bristle brush when cleaning. The compressed air can force metal fragments into undesirable places.
• Inspect and replace cutting bits regularly. Dull bits require the lathe to work harder.

The second factor is maintaining the proper calibration. Let's face it: Measurement equipment is worthless unless it's correctly calibrated. The consequence of incorrect calibration is misalignment.

• Keep the laser/optical lenses clean, calibrated correctly and updated with the correct alignment specifications.
• Inspect, clean and replace damaged adapters and cones. Wheel balancers are particularly sensitive, and proper balance is affected greatly by their condition.

Place dust covers over equipment when they are not in use.

As the first line in most equipment user's manuals says, "Congratulations! You've just purchased . . ." By properly and consistently maintaining your equipment, you will be taking care of your most important profit centers and paying yourself back the dividends.

Jim Marotta is a freelance writer with more than 17 years of experience in the automotive industry. He currently works as a technical editor for ChiltonPRO.com.