10 minute read
What You’re Missing by Not Researching Battery Disconnect and Reconnect Procedures
What You’re Missing by Not Researching Battery Disconnect and Reconnect Procedures
During a recent collision industry seminar I was teaching, I asked if there were any technicians in the class, and several people raised their hands.
I asked them: “If I walked into your shop, and asked you if you research the procedures in the OEM repair manual before you disconnect a battery, what would you say?”
It’s a question I’d like you to consider right now as you start reading this article.
In that class, I heard one tech muttering something quietly, and I asked him what he said.
“I would say if you don’t know how to disconnect a battery, you shouldn’t be working on cars,” he replied.
That’s a fair statement, I told him. But then I took him—and the rest of the class—through the OEM procedures for a particular vehicle, showing him what that automaker states you need to be aware of before you disconnect a battery. Yet I think most of you, like that tech in my class, would acknowledge that no, you’re not researching the OEM repair procedures before you disconnect a battery.
So let’s talk about this. First, one of the things you need to know before you disconnect a battery is whether the vehicle is connected to telematics. This is only going to become more important moving forward as more vehicles are “connected” to things like General Motors’ OnStar or Toyota/ Lexus Safety Connect.
What we’ve found is, in some instances, if the vehicle is connected and you disconnect the battery, it may send an alert through the telematics to the automaker to say something happened to this car’s battery. The OEM may in turn contact the customer via text or email, or sometimes even alert the dealership service department to ask them to reach out to that customer.
Your failure to research the procedures prior to disconnecting that battery just created a bad customer service experience.
So before you ever disconnect a battery, determine whether the vehicle is connected, and if so, determine if you need to place it in “service mode” first.
Another consideration is “wait time.” Every automaker I’ve researched says you have to wait a certain amount of time after you turn the vehicle off before you disconnect the battery. It’s not a one-size-fits-all procedure.
For one vehicle, the automaker may say you have to wait one minute, while another may say you have to wait six minutes. I’ve seen some OEMs say after you turn the car off, you have to wait 90 minutes before you disconnect the battery.
There are often other precautions listed in the automaker battery disconnect procedures. For example, you may have to protect certain components. I saw a procedure recently that said you have to have the left front door open when you disconnect the battery. If you don’t, it can trigger some diagnostic trouble codes.
Okay, so you followed the disconnect procedures, repaired and the vehicle, and you’re ready to reconnect the battery. Are you researching those procedures every time as well?
I know the answer to that question because it’s something we ask about in our “Who Pays for What?” survey every year. We found less than half of you (46%) say you’re researching those procedures all or most of the time. While I would say even “most of the time” isn’t good enough, I’m even more concerned about the 41% of you who say you do it “some of the time” or “only occasionally.” And the 13% of you who said “never” are just inviting trouble.
Every vehicle manufacturer I’m aware of has certain procedures that must be done when you reconnect a battery. Some of them may be initializations, like for a one-touch feature on a window or sunroof.
I can tell you I recently saw reconnect procedures for a Ford that said the vehicle must be driven for a certain amount of time and distance so the engine can relearn or reprogram itself. I’ve seen other OEMs say when you reconnect the battery you have to do a steering angle sensor procedure.
At Collision Advice, we recently built a new training course focused just on battery disconnect and reconnect procedures. We found enough content related to this topic to fill more than six hours of classroom instruction to ensure estimators and technicians understand what they need to know.
So now that you’ve read this article, I’m going to ask you again: If I walked into your shop, and asked you if you research the procedures in the OEM repair manual before you disconnect a battery, what would you say?
Oh, and another incentive for taking this important step: The “Who Pays for What?” survey found that among the shops performing the OEM battery reconnect procedures, nearly two-thirds (63%) said they are paid for that labor “always” or “most of the time” by the eight largest national insurers.
Industry trainer Mike Anderson worries too few shops are researching automaker information related to disconnecting and reconnecting vehicle batteries
— MIKE ANDERSON
COLLISION ADVICE
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and calibration software platform. He also authored a book, “Auto Industry Disruption, Who and What is Being Disrupted and What to Do About It.”
In October, Auto Techcelerators was acquired by Opus IVS™, a global diagnostics, ADAS calibration, programming and on-demand remote support company.
At the 2022 SEMA Show held in November in Las Vegas, NV, Terlep was honored for his hard work and dedication over the years. During the event, he was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame; received a SEMA Best New Product Award in the category of Collision Repair & Refinish; was given a Chairperson’s Award for co-chairing the CIECA Emerging Technologies Committee; and was named chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC).
Autobody News recently had the opportunity to ask Terlep about his accomplishments and what he attributes his success to.
Frank Terlep was inducted into the Hall of Eagles, the collision industry’s Hall of Fame, during the SEMA Show
Q: What prompted the sale of Auto Techcelerators to Opus IVS and how will this impact Auto Techcelerator’s focus?
A: The sale to Opus IVS started with a phone call from Brian Herron, the CEO, inquiring if we had an interest in selling our company. After multiple phone calls and a trip to the Opus IVS office, it became apparent that our organizations had many synergies and business opportunities if we integrated Opus IVS solutions with our technologies. Based on the synergies and opportunities, the decision to sell the company to Opus IVS was easy.
I think the acquisition will allow Opus IVS to make a much bigger impact on the industry when it comes to ADAS services, calibrations and validation. When we combine our technologies, we hope to deliver a single end-to-end diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation platform that everyone in the automotive, collision, glass, truck and insurance companies can benefit from.
The acquisition will also allow us to expand the sales and marketing of our existing Auto Techcelerators CoPilot suite to existing and future Opus customers in North America, the UK and Australia.
Q: With the sale of the company, what will your new role be?
A: My new title is vice president of ADAS solutions. My focus will be on designing, developing and delivering this platform. It will also include educating the industry on the importance of proper diagnostic, ADAS, calibration and validation processes and documentation.
Based on previous experiences with Auto Techcelerators and other corporations, I am sure I will be involved in other aspects of the company, such as business development, marketing, sales, etc. I want to help the company and its employees be successful.
Q: Congratulations on the awards you received during the SEMA Show, including being inducted into the prestigious Hall of Eagles. Only a few distinguished individuals receive this honor for their contributions toward the betterment of the industry. What do you attribute your success to?
A: Humbled… honored… thankful… When I started in this industry in 1984, I had no idea my “collision industry adventure” would take me to where I am today. When I look at the names of previous inductees, I never thought my name would be added to this list of industry icons. I am thankful and blessed to have met thousands of great people in this industry who have had a positive personal and professional impact on me and allowed me to learn from them.
I attribute my success to hard work, perseverance and always striving to “do the right thing,” as well as listening and being willing to help anyone who needs it.
Q: What was your reaction to receiving the SEMA New Product Award for Test Drive Co-Pilot?
A: I was at dinner with some of my new Opus teammates when I was told. As you can imagine, I was shocked, excited, happy and satisfied! I had to call Jordan Hendler, the administrator of CIC, at 8 p.m. the night before the CIC meeting to reschedule my committee presentation the next morning so I could attend the SEMA Awards Breakfast and receive the award.
When someone like me invents something from an idea and receives this type of award, it validates all the blood, sweat and tears it took to launch a product like Test Drive CoPilot.
It was also very satisfying to have Test Drive CoPilot receive runner-up in the new ADAS Product Category, be selected as a top five finalist in the SEMA Launch Pad competiton, and receive the SEMA Global Media Award.
Q: What is the importance of being involved as the co-chair of CIECA’s Emerging Technologies Committee and helping to create new standards for the collision industry?
A: Being co-chair of the Emerging Technologies Committee with Gene Lopez from Seidner’s Collision allows us to “see around the corner” on what and potentially how “the next big thing” will affect our industry and how CIECA needs to get involved. CIECA plays such an important role in data and technology and I believe the Emerging Technologies Committee plays a critical role in helping CIECA understand and prepare for future Q: As the new CIC chairman, what is your goal during your term and what are you most excited about?
A: I am humbled and honored to be selected as the next CIC chairman for 2023 and 2024. I know I have a lot of big shoes to fill but I am excited about the opportunity. Darrell Amberson, the past chair, really raised the bar, so I hope to raise the bar even further. I am most excited about my opportunity to lead an organization and work with committed people who can positively impact the collision industry.
I have a few goals and objectives during my term. This includes continuing to “raise the bar,” as past chairs Jeff Peevy and Darrell Amberson have done over the past four years. I would also like to position CIC as THE industry event to learn from, contribute to, participate in, network, challenge industry norms, debate, have fun and leave each meeting wanting to come back. I will challenge “the body” to become more engaged, more vocal and, when appropriate, more provocative. Overall, I want to leave CIC better than it was when my term ends.
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