Sam Bell

Sam Bell has owned and operated The Lusty Wrench, a premium auto repair facility in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, for over 30 years. He is the 2010 Delmar/Cengage ASE Auto Technician of the Year after earning the highest composite score of more than 350,000 professionals who took the ASE tests; icing that cake with a perfect score on the L1 (Advanced Engine Performance Specialist) test. He is a frequent contributor to Motor magazine, and has won five International Automotive Media Awards, including a Gold Medallion. He has also won three ASBPE Awards, including a Gold Medal.

Crackerjack PCM Diagnosis: A Surprise in Every Box? - Motor Magazine July 2015

The PCM is one of a vehicle’s most expensive components, underlining the importance of an accurate diagnosis. These proven techniques will prevent unwelcome surprises.

Smart Tool Purchasing: Weighing Need vs. Want - Motor Magazine May 2015

If you make your living with your hands, it’s hard not to have an emotional attachment to your tools. Attempts to deny this can complicate matters when tool purchasing decisions must be made.

Advising When To Pull The Plug On An Older Vehicle - Motor Magazine Feb 2014

Your shop is in the business of repairing vehicles, but there can be circumstances when it’s wiser to not repair a vehicle. If properly presented, most customers will thank you for your counsel.

GDI: Gasoline Deposits Inside? - Motor Magazine December 2014

Gasoline direct injection allows smaller displacement engines to develop more power, along with improved fuel economy. But your shop may have to deal with some of the unintended side effects of this technology.

A Maxi Tool to Measure Mini Current, Motor Magazine May 2013
Unless you’re a tool collector flush with cash, you’ll want some assurance that a new tool will earn its keep. A microamp probe measures weak currents, but offers the potential for strong returns in diagnostic time and accuracy.

Diagnosing Returnless Fuel Systems, Motor Magazine March 2013
Well beyond the simple “crank/no-start,” fuel supply problems can cause a range of driveability symptoms. The advent of returnless fuel systems has added another layer of complexity to fuel supply diagnostics.

Turn On Your Exhaust Analyzer— It’s a Gas!, Motor Magazine, May 2012
There has been continuous improvement in on-board diagnostic systems as well as in the scan tools that report the data they provide. But there are still occasions when the best tool for the job is an exhaust gas analyzer.

Improving Fuel Economy Produces More Smiles Per Gallon, Motor Magazine, March 2012
Any increase in fuel prices seems to provoke a corresponding rise in consumer awareness and concern. Helping them get maximum MPGs out of the fuel they purchase builds customer satisfaction and enhances shop profits.

Table Manners: Developing Forensic Diagnostic Skills, Motor Magazine, January 2012
Identifying a failed (dead) component tells only part of the story. Determining how or why it died provides valuable additional information for immediate or future use, especially if the part died prematurely or unexpectedly.

Belts: Keep 'Em Clean, Queit & (Properly) Tightened, Motor Magazine, July 2011
Electrically driven a/c compressors, power steering pumps and other accessories indicate the end of the drive belt may be within sight. Don’t despair; there’ll be many service and diagnostic opportunities before it disappears entirely.

A Battery of Tests, Motor Magazine, May 2011

It’s a perennial question: Is the battery good or bad? And if the answer is ‘borderline,’ how long will it be before it goes bad? The tests you use, and how you conduct them, can provide conclusive answers to these questions.

View the complete list of Sam Bell articles at Motor.com, then click on the link "+ Click to Expand Results".

In addition to his articles at Motor Magazine, Sam has also co-authored two books, The Emissions Bible and The Emission Technician, both available from AESwave.

Although not endorsed by Sam Bell, many of the products mentioned in his articles can be purchased from AESwave, for your convenience, we have listed those products below…