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ADAS ‘Here to Stay,’ Says American Honda Asst. Manager, Could Be New Income Stream for Shops by Stacey Phillips
Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Information and Collision Mitigation Braking Systems are just some of the Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) in vehicles today. According to Scott Kaboos, the assistant manager of collision marketing for American Honda Motor Co., not only will these systems prevent accidents in the future, but there may also be fewer claims on vehicles that are equipped with these systems. Kaboos discussed “Honda ADAS Systems: Today and Tomorrow” dur-
ing a recent Guild 21 podcast. Presentations are sponsored by VeriFacts Automotive. “Love them or hate them, ADAS Systems are probably here to stay,” said Kaboos. “The question is: Are they going to be effective?” During his Guild 21 presentation, Kaboos shared information from a study compiled by a major insurance company partner regarding 26,039 Honda Civic vehicles from the 2016 model year. “We compared how many vehicles were drivable vs. non-drivable after an accident,” he said. “We noticed See ADAS, Page 30
Two New I-CAR Modules Emphasize Construction Materials and Materials Types, 9 New Courses Offered The constantly evolving and everchanging construction of vehicles means bodyshops need to know how different materials affect collision repair. I-CAR is looking to address this with the launch of a new course that aims to educate technicians on how different materials impact their work. The I-CAR course—Vehicle Construction Material Types—is described as an excellent core course for repair technicians and estimators alike. It covers most modern vehicles and their repair techniques. The online course will be split into two modules: Vehicles Construction Materials and Material Types.
The Vehicle Construction Materials module will look at introducing the learner to how vehicle makers use a variety of materials to transfer collision energy around the passenger compartment, while Material Types looks at the different types of materials used and how they impact vehicle design. “Vehicle makers use a variety of materials to transfer collision energy around the passenger compartment to protect the occupants,” read a statement from I-CAR. “This course introduces how those materials are used and to how to identify them. From dif-
VOL. 36 ISSUE 2 FEBRUARY 2018
SCRS Chairman Opens 34,000-Square-Foot, State-ofthe-Art Facility in CA, No DRPs
tions of being a racecar driver and traveled throughout the United States Growing up in Southern California, racing while running European Motor Kye Yeung always had a Car Works, which he opened passion for cars. in 1975. He recalls that his first Eventually, his father-invehicle—a 1969 Oldsmobile law, whom he considered a mentor, told him, “If you put 442—was intended to be the same tenacity into your shared with his mother, but business as you do in racing, Yeung had plans of his own you’ll be successful.” and wanted to hot rod it. He Kye Yeung That’s exactly what he soon found that he could only file photo did, and has not looked back do so much with the Oldsmobile in his garage without some heavy- since. That was more than 34 years duty equipment and knowledge. ago. “What I was able to learn from He enrolled in a four-semester body and fender course at Golden West racing, I applied to the mechanical end College in Orange County where his of my business,” said Yeung. “I found instructor, Bud Yeargain, taught him I had an edge over my competitors due how to be a body man and helped him to the knowledge I could draw from.” Since then, he has put all of his land his first job in the auto body intime and effort into running his busidustry. See New Shop, Page 12 Meanwhile, Yeung had aspiraby Stacey Phillips
NorCal I-CAR Instructor/Technician Honored by ASE by Ed Attanasio
In November, Kurt Money of Shotwell Body & Paint in Petaluma, CA, was named the I-CAR Platinum/ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Tech-
See New I-CAR Courses, Page 29
For the second time, Kurt Money was named the I-CAR Platinum/ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Technician of the Year for 2017 by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence
nician of the Year for 2017—for the second time—by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. He received the award at the annual ASE
Technician Awards banquet in San Diego during its Fall Board of Governors meeting. Money has more than 42 years of experience as a collision repair technician and has been known as a leading instructor for I-CAR for more than 25 years. He was selected from hundreds of individuals who hold both an I-CAR Platinum recognition as well as an ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish certification, for demonstrating superior commitment to the industry and the importance of training. The old saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” surely does not apply when you’re talking about Kurt Money, because he is a double threat as both a technician and an instructor. Money, 60, is celebrating a quarter century as an I-CAR instructor this year, but that doesn’t mean that he is See Honored by ASE, Page 15
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2 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contents North Bay Area MSOs Shine With Holiday
Benevolence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Auto Body Hawaii Repairs Salvaged Van
for Donation to Veteran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Auto Shops Play Role in Math, Science
Education in CA Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
BumperDoc Announces Purchase of its
Flagship San Diego Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
to Attract Business Using Social Media . . . . 47
Yoswick - CCC Drops Proposed Charges,
Makes Other ‘Secure Share’ Changes . . . . . 44
Yoswick - Industry Foundation Helped Storm
Victims 5 Years Ago, Continues Today . . . . 40
NATIONAL
AGRR Magazine Survey: What’s the Cost
of Doing Business? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
CA Owner Speaks About Losing Auto Body
Applications Open for 2018 University of the
CA Teen Finds Self-Discipline, Motivation
Auto Care Association Promotes Joe Register
CARSTAR West Coast Collision Center Opens. . 3
Auto World Goes ‘Back to the Future’ With
Shop in Fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 in Auto Repair Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
High School Auto Tech Program Expands
in Simi Valley, CA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Leon’s Car Care Center in CA Improves
Auto Tech Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Aftermarket Foundation Scholarships . . . . . 65 to Vice President, Emerging Technologies . . 60 VW Microbus Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
CARSTAR North America Names Jeff
Labanovich as Associate VP, Operations
for CARSTAR Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
NorCal I-CAR Instructor/Technician Honored
Driverless Car ‘Guidelines’ Allegedly
OR Audit Targets DEQ’s Air Quality Permit
Elon Musk Promises Tesla Pickup Truck
SCRS Chairman Opens 34,000-Square-Foot,
GM To Make Autonomous Car Without
TechnaGlass Enters Northwest With
Major Car Companies Settle Takata Airbag
Truck Hits Herd of Elk on U.S. 26 Near
Meet Hundreds of Entry-Level Candidates
Tualatin, OR, Scout Launches Tool Drive
Progressive Evolves its Service Centers
by ASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Backlog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 State-of-the-Art Facility in CA, No DRPs . . . . 1 Acquistion of Precision Auto Glass . . . . . . . . 8 North Plains, OR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
for World of Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
COLUMNS
Not Working . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
in Tweet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Steering Wheel, Pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Lawsuit for $553 Million . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
at CREF’s Career Fairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
for Customers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Service King Apprentice Program Registered
by US Department of Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Attanasio - The Legend of Lavell Chisum,
Skill-Loan Helps Auto Techs Find
Ledoux - OE Certification Programs - Ford . . . 38
The Future of Takata Airbag Claims . . . . . . . . . 71
Creator of Chief EZ Liner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Phillips - How an AMi-Accredited Designation Can Help Industry Professionals With
Essential Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Phillips - Model Vehicles With Emerging Technology Will Rely on Pre- and
Post-Scanning, Recalibration . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Supplementary Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Sad Pathway to Airbag Injury . . . . . . . . . . 46
Two New I-CAR Modules Emphasize
Construction Materials and Materials
Types, 9 New Courses Offered . . . . . . . . . . . 1
U.S. Auto Sales Forecasted to Fall Below
17 Million in 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sisk - ASA-Northwest’s 2018 ATE Set To Be
Uptick in Domestic Auto Sales; Vehicle Repair,
Sisk - Consumer Telematics Show
Urgent.ly Announces Collaboration With CCC . . 59
Another Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Kicks Off 2018 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
CARSTAR West Coast Collision Center offers free collision repair estimates, state-of-the-art unibody and frame repair equipment, expert color matching, towing assistance, vehicle pick-up and delivery, a nationwide warranty for most repairs and takes pride in offering a clean, inviting environment. The certified technicians at CARSTAR West Coast Collision Cen-
Insurance Prices Also Increase . . . . . . . . . . 68
ter are trained to work on all makes and models and participate in ongoing education programs on the latest vehicle technologies and materials. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. “We continue to expand our presence in Southern California and are proud to welcome CARSTAR West Coast Collision Center and owner Mark Shackleford to our CARSTAR family,” said Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America. “Our first location in the Inland Empire will provide the highest-quality collision repairs and excellent customer service for drivers in the region.” For more information on CARSTAR visit www.carstar.com.
Publisher & Editor: Jeremy Hayhurst General Manager: Barbara Davies Contributing Writers: John Yoswick, Janet Chaney, Toby Chess, Ed Attanasio, Chasidy Sisk, David Luehr, Stacey Phillips, Victoria Antonelli, Gary Ledoux Advertising Sales: Joe Momber, Sean Hartman, Bill Doyle, Norman Morano (800) 699-8251 Office Manager: Louise Tedesco Digital Marketing Manager: Bill Pierce Art Director: Rodolfo Garcia Graphic Designer: Michelle Lucas Online and Web Content Editor: Rochelle Beckel Accounting Manager: Heather Priddy Editorial/Sales Assistant: Randi Scholtes
A Few Old Shops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Anchorage Chrysler-Dodge-JeepRam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Audi Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .61 AutoNation Chrysler-Jeep-DodgeRam-Fiat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 BMW Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . .67 Bob Smith BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Bob Smith MINI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Capitol Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 ChemSpec USA, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . .12 Chevrolet of Anchorage . . . . . . . . . .39 Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram of Seattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 Colortone Automotive Paints . . . . . .18 Cutter Auto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Dave Smith Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 DCH Auto Group Temecula . . . . . . .20 Del Grande Dealer Group . . . . . .16-17 Diamond Standard Parts, LLC . . . . . .7 Downtown Motors of LA (Audi, VW) .13 ECS Automotive Concepts . . . . . . .22 Engine Parts Warehouse . . . . . . . . .10 Enterprise Rent-A-Car . . . . . . . . . . .42 Equalizer Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . .25 First Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Ford of Kirkland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Ford Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .51 Galpin Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Glenn E. Thomas Dodge-ChryslerJeep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 GM Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . .63 Haddad Dodge-Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Honda-Acura Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36-37 Hyundai of Kirkland . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Hyundai of Seattle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Serving California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Autobody News is a monthly publication for the collision industry. Permission to reproduce in any form the material published in Autobody News must be obtained in writing from the publisher. ©2018 Adamantine Media LLC. Autobody News P.O. Box 1516 Carlsbad, CA 92018 (800) 699-8251 (760) 603-3229 Fax www.autobodynews.com editor@autobodynews.com
Western
Attanasio - Body Shops Giving Back: Two
Sisk - Management Success Teaches Shops
Index of Advertisers
REGIONAL
CARSTAR West Coast Collision Center Opens
CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts announced the opening of CARSTAR West Coast Collision Center, located at 9287 Orco Parkway, Riverside, CA, 92509. It is owned by Mark Shackleford.
Hyundai Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Insta Finish Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Island Clean Air, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Kearny Mesa Subaru-Hyundai . . . . .65 Kia Motors Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54-55 Killer Tools and Equipment Corp. . .21 Mazda Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .71 MINI Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . .66 Mitsubishi Wholesale Parts Dealers . .62 MOPAR Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .41 Moss Bros. Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge . .23 Nissan/Infiniti Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Penske Hyundai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Polyvance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Porsche Wholesale Parts Dealers . .56 PPG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Puente Hills Subaru . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Riverside Kia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Robaina Industries, Inc . . . . . . . . . .45 Roy Robinson Subaru . . . . . . . . . . .15 SATA Dan-Am Company . . . . . . . . .19 Shingle Springs Subaru . . . . . . . . . .52 Sierra Chevrolet-Honda-Subaru . . . .46 Spanesi Americas . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Subaru Wholesale Parts Dealers . . .57 Symach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Tacoma Dodge-Chrysler-Jeep-Ram .35 The Bay Area Automotive Group . . .31 Valley Auto Dismantlers Association, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Vintage Flatz/Cumberland Products .33 Volkswagen Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Volvo Wholesale Parts Dealers . . . .71
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 3
Hey Toby!
Toby Chess is an I-CAR program instructor, Training specialist, and former salvage yard operator. Toby is universally known in the collision industry for his work with first responders and advocacy for body shops and consumers. He can be reached at tcspeedster@gmail.com
Obtain, Review Repair Data Every Time You Repair A Vehicle with Toby Chess
A 2016 Ford F150 that is damaged in the front is towed to your facility. See Fig 1.
Figure 1
You do a tear-down and start writing your preliminary estimate. Did you think to check the type of A/C refrigerant that is in the vehicle? Most likely not.
Figure 2
Well, this truck has R-1234yf and not R-134. Now this means that you need to sublet the recharge of the system if you do not have an R-1234 yf machine. Fig 2.
Figure 3
Figure 4
Ok, now that you have this handled, you are ready to go. Question: How many of you would go to the
Ford website and download the information pertaining to R-1234 yf? I would venture to say, unless you are a Ford dealer body shop, it probably would not enter your mind. Big mistake—and it could cost you a lot of money. Let’s see what for states about R1234 yf. “After installing the condenser core, 1.5 fl oz plus that amount (oil) collected during refrigerant recover is added directly to the inlet port to low side service port system charging. On page 21 of 22 from the Ford website on A/C service, there are 10 more scenarios that are outlined. One page on a notice in bold script states “Motorcraft R-1234 yf Refrigerant PAG Oil (YN-35) only must be used as a refrigerant system lubricant. Addition of any oil other than Motorcraft R1234yf (YN-35) to the refrigerant system will damage the A/C compressor and contaminate the refrigerant system”. There is a lot more info, but I think you get the message, which is that you need to follow OEM procedures. Speaking of not following OEM procedures, recall that John Eagle Collision in Texas lost a court case to the tune of $42 million for not following the OEM-recommended procedures. If you have not read or heard of this case, shame on you. John Eagle Collision glued a roof to a Honda Fit, when the recommended (required) procedures stated that the roof should be welded. The vehicle was involved in another accident and the roof gave way, causing damage that should not have happened. The vehicle caught fire and both occupants were severely injured. The attorney that represented the plaintiffs, Todd Tracy, showed the pictures of the burn injuries to audiences at SEMA last year. It was sickening. Furthermore, both individuals are permanently disabled and no amount of money is worth that. I’m going to give a number of examples in this article about OEM repair information. I sincerely hope that Figure 7
4 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
when you have finished reading, you will search out the OEM repair procedures prior to writing and beginning the repair process, and not allow third-
Figure 5
party entities to dictate a different repair to satisfy their bottom lines. Both of these Hondas (See Fig 3 and Fig 4) are identical platforms, except the “A”,”B”, and Rocker reinforcements on the 2012 Accord are high-strength steel, whereas the same parts on the 2013 Accord are ultrahigh strength—in fact, the strongest steel found in vehicles today (1500 mPA) See Fig 5. Let’s see what Honda says on its website. Parts made of Ultra-High-Strength Steel (UHSS/1,500MPa/USIBOR) must be installed as a complete part. No
sectioning allowed. Ultra High-Strength Steel requires special welding equipment, procedures, and settings. See the welding section of the appropriate body
repair manual. Failure to use the proper equipment or follow the proper procedures can result in an unsafe repair”:
Figure 6
Furthermore, Honda states the following:
Observe these precautions when repairing 1,500 MPa steel parts:
• Never attempt to straighten damaged 1,500 MPa steel parts; they may crack.
• 1,500 MPa steel parts must be replaced at factory seams using squeezetype resistance spot welding (STRSW). Do not section these parts!
• MIG brazed joints should be used See Repair Data, Page 25
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 5
BumperDoc Announces Purchase of its Flagship San Diego Location
BumperDoc Franchises, which develops BumperDoc Express Auto Body Repair Centers, announced the sale of its original shop to the husband and wife team of Jess and RJ Coons. Long-time BumperDoc customers and car enthusiasts, Jess and RJ are excited to steward the next phase of the shop’s journey.
The shop, which will continue operations as a BumperDoc franchise, is conveniently located at 3885 Convoy St. in San Diego, CA. It was the company’s flagship business location and birthplace for the BumperDoc business concept. Offering the shop to franchisees is another step in the company’s plan for continued growth. “Partnering with enthusiastic, customer service-oriented people like Jess and RJ enables us to free up
and redirect people and resources in support of our continued expansion”, noted Triston Miller, BumperDoc CEO. “We know our customers are in great hands with Jess and RJ.” Focusing on high-quality repairs, with award-winning customer service and quick turnaround times, BumperDoc shop owners provide their communities with an alternative to the traditional auto body shop. Customers can find many different, but related, services conveniently located under one roof, including bumper repair, dent and door ding removal, window tinting, cloudy headlight restoration, auto detailing and more. Partnered with several worldclass companies such as AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paint manufacturer, BumperDoc uses only the highest quality materials, paint and coatings. Known for excellent finish and color match, and backed by warranty, customers can expect the finest results when having their car or truck repaired at BumperDoc. BumperDoc provides free estimates both online and onsite, comfortable lobbies and attentive service to make the customer experience as pleasant as possible.
Leon’s Car Care Center in CA Improves Auto Tech Skills by Staff, The Times-Standard
Leon’s Car Care Center staff collectively completed more than 100 years of continuing auto technology education in the fiscal year of 2016–17. “Automobile technology is changing constantly,” manager Dale Warmuth said in a news release. “We have to be ahead of that change in order to provide reliable automotive repair and service. This past year, NAPA Auto Parts, together with Tenneco, provided travel to Monroe, Michigan, for members of our team to observe the engineering of Walker catalytic converters and Monroe shocks and struts. It’s very useful for our technicians to see the entire technology behind today’s re-
placement parts.” The release states that employees worked after hours to complete certifications in Napa Auto Care and O’Reilly’s First Call continuing education programs. A team—which included Warmuth, Lucas Sams, Trevor Atkins, David Pederson, Jim Frasier Jr., Bill Yeater, Mike Marlin and Dina Romero—also received Automotive Service Excellence certifications. Leon’s Car Care Center was established in 1961 by Leon and Elaine Warmuth. It is located at 929 Broadway in Eureka, CA, at the corner of Washington Street. For more information, call 707-444-9636 or visit www.leons-carcare.com We thank The Times-Standard for reprint permission.
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Tualatin, OR, Eagle Scout Launches Tool Drive for World of Speed to Provide Correct, Sufficient Supply
collection of tools available for students to use, but there are a few gaps The World of Speed motorsport mu- that need to be filled,” Oubre said. seum is known for its educational “As one of their past students, I mission, introducing area high school wanted to help future students by students to the world of auto repair. making sure they have the correct The museum partners with tools and enough of them. These Clackamas Community College to classes have influenced me to become bring students to the museum for a mechanic, so I will be continuing classes that qualify for both high my education in the automotive inschool and community college cred- dustry.” its. Oubre will be onsite at World of Tualatin High School Speed during the Portland Associate Principal Jarvis Cars & Coffee events on Gomes said of the partnerthree consecutive Saturday ship, “World of Speed has mornings—January 13, 20 given our students an exand 27. Oubre will be able ceptional opportunity to to accept donations of new learn auto mechanics at a or gently used tools, as well state-of-the art facility. We as cash donations. couldn’t be more excited The World of Speed is Nick Oubre about this partnership and located at 27490 S.W. 95th experience for our students.” Ave. in Wilsonville, OR. To see a Nick Oubre of Tualatin is a complete list of needed tools, visit Life Scout and graduate of the World www.worldofspeed.org and follow of Speed learning program. Oubre the links for Youth Automotive Edutook on an Eagle Scout service proj- cation. Donations are also accepted ect to purchase or collect donated online through the website. tools to more completely outfit the learning center. We thank Portland Tribune for reprint “World of Speed has a large permission. by Jeff Zurschmeide, Portland Tribune
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 7
U.S. Auto Sales Forecasted to Fall Below 17 Million in 2018
by Sean Szymkowski, GM Authority
Many automotive forecasters agree that the end is nigh for record vehicle sales. 2017 will likely mark the first time since 2009 that auto sales will fall instead of grow. Final numbers won’t be available until January, but early figures peg the figure at around 17.2 million cars sold in the United States, which is down about 2 percent from 2016. Next year, things will likely continue on the downward trend. Automotive News reported that annual vehicle sales will likely fall below the 17 million mark in 2018. That’s a major shift from what automakers have been accustomed to. It will also shift how automakers market new vehicles and how generous incentives may be. Thus far, the slow sales decline hasn’t worried automakers like General Motors because transaction prices have risen to create higher profit margins. GM still sees a steady market for new cars, and not a sharp decrease. Industry analyst Jessica Caldwell of Edmunds
made her predictions as well. “That period of growth that we had grown accustomed to is obviously over, and the industry is starting to rightsize,” she said. “We could see a fight for market share. They’re looking to keep their share, and if one company starts increasing their incentives, generally others follow.” Right now, analysts project 16.7 to 16.8 million new cars sold in 2018, though that figure could fluctuate due to increased takehome pay with the inbound Trump tax cut legislation. This year will be an important one for GM. The automaker will roll out the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra, and both play an integral part in the automaker’s healthy bottom line. The pickups also help finance mobility and self-driving car programs. We thank GM Authority for reprint permission.
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TechnaGlass Enters Northwest Market Through Acquistion of Precision Auto Glass in OR
TechnaGlass, a regional leader in the automotive glass repair and replacement industry, recently announced the acquisition of Precision Auto Glass in Clackamas, OR.
The expansion into the PortlandVancouver market allows TechnaGlass to continue its growth into the Pacific Northwest. The company will retain all Precision Auto Glass employees and will be based out of 11231 SE Hwy 212, Clackamas, OR. TechnaGlass provides highquality auto glass repair and replacement services in more than eight states and 36 retail locations. TechnaGlass has serviced more than 2 million customers since its inception over 25 years ago. “We are excited to expand our TechnaGlass brand to the Northwest and look forward to serving Precision Auto Glass’ loyal customers and commercial accounts
while making operational investments to grow and expand in this market,” said Troy Mason, President of TechnaGlass. Since 1995, Precision Auto Glass has provided auto glass windshield repair and replacement service to a large retail consumer base, as well as a diverse commercial account base including auto dealerships, municipalities, school systems, car rental firms, and fleet services companies in the greater Portland area. Precision is accredited by every major insurance provider, allowing direct billing and electronic reimbursement of claims. “I have complete confidence that TechnaGlass will provide a passion for pleasing its customers and will be a great home for our Precision employees,” said John Carey, former owner of Precision Auto Glass.
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High School Auto Tech Program Expands in Simi Valley, CA by Hector Gonzalez, Simi Valley Acorn
Nanor Deirboghossian, the sole girl in Simi Valley Unified School District’s new automotive repair program, knows more about fixing cars than many twice her age. “I’ve learned how to do oil changes, how to change tires—definitely more than your average (teen),” said Deirboghossian, 16. Offered for the first time this semester to students in the district’s three high schools, the vocational program operated by the county Office of Education moved into an old garage in the rear of Simi Valley High. It hadn’t been used as an auto repair shop in more than 20 years. “There was an inch worth of dust everywhere,” auto shop teacher Russell Martin said. “There was nothing but junk in here. We got rid of all the old junk.” The students cleaned up the garage and repainted it—in the usual white and blue favored by many auto mechanic shops—and the county education office funded the purchase of two large toolboxes, a tire repair station and other equipment, totaling around $40,000. Donors provided two old cars for students to work on.
Martin, who has taught auto shop at San Fernando High School for the past 25 years, was hired to teach the program. “The class covers just the basics— how to check brakes, how to change the oil, how to act in a shop, how to behave,” Martin said. “There’s no engine rebuilding or any of the heavy-duty stuff.”
perience in auto repair. In January, Deirboghossian and her peers who’ve attended the class regularly will be working as unpaid interns at local auto shops that agreed to take them on. The internships will continue through the second week of May, Martin said. It’s going to give them a real taste of what it’s like working in the automotive repair industry, he said.
Although just six students signed up for the class at the start of the semester in September, the number swelled as word about the program spread around Simi, Royal and Santa Susana high schools. Now a core of 16 students consistently shows up at the garage for the twice-weekly, after-school class, Martin said. “When I heard about the class, I thought it was awesome,” said Adam Rios, 18, a senior at Royal High. Next year, Martin said, he plans to offer an advanced course. But his current students won’t need to wait that long to gain more ex-
Deirboghossian will be interning at an auto body repair shop, learning how the experts appraise and estimate damage to a crashed vehicle. “The recent group of friends I joined was always talking about cars, so I felt left out. So I joined the program to learn more, because I always wanted to learn about cars,” the Simi Valley High junior said. By taking the class, she’s already ahead of the majority of women when it comes to car maintenance. According to a 2015 survey by PEMCO Insurance, 30 percent of women completed oil changes themselves, compared to 74
“The class covers just the basics—how to check brakes, how to change the oil, how to act in a shop, how to behave” — Russell Martin
CA Shop Owner Speaks About Losing His Shop in Fire by Sharon Chen, fox5sandiego.com
Just a few days before Christmas, the owner of a Midway-area auto body shop was dealing with the loss of his livelihood. On the morning of Dec. 19, a massive fire broke out at Diko’s Auto Repair on Pacific Highway in CA. The fire gutted out the business, leaving nothing but a shell of a building. “That’s my office, my tools, my everything,” said Diko Awanessian. Awanessian showed FOX 5 the extensive damage Dec. 22. “The lifts, the compressor and the machines—everything is gone,” said Awanessian. The fire erupted just before 8:30 a.m., sending into the air a giant plume of smoke that could be seen all around San Diego County. It took firefighters nearly two hours to knock down stubborn flames. The fire showed no mercy, causing more than $1 million in damage. Awanessian told FOX 5 he does have insurance, but it’s not clear how much he’s covered. Until the coverage kicks in, Awanessian is out of work. “If there is no business, there’s no
money and no living,” said Awanessian. The shop was his livelihood, built from scratch since he came to the United States from Armenia 26 years ago. “I come here, zero. I started with zero and I did it,” said Awanessian. “Little by little, I buy stuff and pay it. Now everything is gone.” From the ashes, Awanessian is finding hope—not only from his family, but also customers who continue to stand by his side. “I’m so happy for my customers—all of them. They come in here, they ask about me, they support me. Thank you,” said Awanessian. As he closes the chapter on this tragedy, Awanessian says that one day, his shop will return. “It’s not easy, but I’m going to do it again,” he said. “I’m not going to give up—never.” Awanessian’s daughter, Livia, has set up a GoFundMe page to accept donations.
We thank fox5sandiego.com for reprint permission.
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10 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
percent of men. “In case my car does ever break down, I’ll know what to do,” Deirboghossian said. “I like to be a knowit-all.” For Deirboghossian and other students in the program who stick it out and go on to complete a post-secondary education in automotive service technology, job prospects are promising, according to an April story in the New York Times that highlighted a growing shortage of highly trained mechanics. Although the median annual income for mechanics is around $38,500, a top-level technician in the field can earn $100,000 a year after achieving master mechanic status and five years of experience, the article said. As vehicles become more complicated and computer-controlled, the demand for those top-tier techs is only going to get greater, the Times reported. “It’s hotter than it’s ever been,” Martin said. “Shop owners are thirsty for kids. I’ve got (former) students calling me up saying they’re now making $100,000 a year. In fact, that’s one of my requirements: When they hit $100,000, I tell them, you have to call me and let me know.” We thank Simi Valley Acorn for reprint permission.
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Continued from Cover
New Shop
ness in Costa Mesa, CA. This past summer, Yeung opened a new 34,000square-foot location after 25 months of planning and construction. Autobody News recently toured Yeung’s shop and talked to the industry veteran about his journey to become a successful businessman and operate a state-of-the-art collision repair facility.
What prompted the decision to Q: open a new location? Over the past five years, I had A: been looking to expand. We were inundated with work at our other
location and had a three- to fourmonth backlog. At the time, we were focused on repairing the four brands we are OEM-certified with: Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Tesla. Making the decision to only focus on the certified brands created a challenge. Unfortunately, we were turning away our loyal customers with whom we had built relationships over the past 40 years because of all the work/pres-
sure to repair these four brands. We are the only body shop in Orange County that is certified to repair Aston Marin, Jaguar and Land Rover. There are some Tesla competitors, but not in the immediate area. I began working with a realtor to find a new location. We found an old run-down building that was constructed in 1975 and didn’t even have power. However, there was an upside—it was located next to Tesla, our biggest vendor. When I saw the building, it was hard to say that I didn’t like it. It was a leap of faith, but I went ahead and secured the deal. After making the purchase, Edison took seven months to get the power we needed. Meanwhile, the building was completely renovated. We soon found that there were a lot of unexpected up-front costs. For any potential shop owner looking to expand, whatever you think you have put away, you better have triple that because of all the unknown things that come up. For example, I didn’t realize [there were] new ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance codes in CA. We spent a lot of money to become compliant and demolished quite a bit to
12 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
ensure we were up to code. For example, we added handicapped parking and the restrooms had to be upgraded. It was almost like starting from scratch. Eventually, we got past the hurdles and opened five months ago.
What are some of the unique Q: features at your new location? Everyone has dreams and aspirations of what they would like A: to do with their business. When the
building was going through the restoration process, I was able to implement most of the desires I wanted. We run about 100–120 vehicles at a time and are using a different type of processing. Everything is in a mobile state and a lot of the smaller repairs have no dedicated bay. Also, all of our paint booths are drivethrough. Our previous facility didn’t have the luxury of space the way it was constructed. We would have to back out five cars to move one. It took us an hour in the morning to move everything outside and then another hour at the end of the day to put everything back. The shop procedure was that every person driving a car had to have
a spotter to guide you out. You lose two people by doing this. Now, with the flow going one way, our goal is to eliminate any need to back up a vehicle. When we used to close up at night, we had to leave 40 cars outside in the parking lot. Luckily, we didn’t have a theft issue, but you always worry about leaving vehicles outside, especially high-end ones. Because our new location has so much space, we are able to have more cars come in and we can stage them. Another advantage with our set-up now is that we don’t have a lot of internal damage with parts lost and cars damaged from having to relocate them. Part of what makes our facility unique is that we focus 100 percent on these four brands of vehicles. Obviously, competition is fierce in our industry and to be able to just focus on these unique brands, we have been able to be successful. All of our employees are trained on how to repair these vehicles. What I have found is that to be good at doing a repair process, it helps to be repetitious. Like anything in life, once you do things enough, you become a perSee New Shop, Page 20
Auto Body Hawaii Repairs Salvaged Van for Donation to Veteran by Max Dible, West Hawaii Today
Big families on the Big Island need big cars. Last holiday season, a handful of local companies got together to find such a family and presented them with an early Christmas present to make their lives a little simpler.
Employees from Auto Body Hawaii join representatives from First Insurance Co. of Hawaii and Enterprise as the three companies, in conjunction with Big Island Honda, repaired and gifted a salvaged 2009 Honda Odyssey van and a $100 gas card to veteran Jeff Mayo of Captain Cook. Credit: Max Dible, West Hawaii Today
First Insurance Co. of Hawaii provided the salvaged vehicle, a 2009 Honda Odyssey van. Big Island Honda donated the parts necessary to reconstruct the van, and Auto Body Hawaii put the pieces back together. Enter-
prise Rent-A-Car kicked in a $100 gas card and the entire package was presented to Army National Guard veteran Jeff Mayo, a father to eight children, Dec. 22 in front of Auto Body Hawaii. “It’s kind of a big family, so (the van) is going to help with doctor’s appointments, getting them to school on time and the all-around daily grind of being a stay-at-home dad, basically,” said a grateful Mayo, whose partner works two jobs to support the family. Auto Body Hawaii donated its services as part of its Spirit of Kina‘ole Program, which concentrates on community outreach efforts over the course of the year. Tracey Taylor, who handles marketing for the company, said this is the ninth vehicle Auto Body Hawaii has helped gift to families across Big Island communities. The company typically works with local charities or organizations to find recipients, coordinating this year with the Veterans of Foreign Wars. “I was ecstatic they were able to find a family,” said Rissa Matsumoto, vice president of Auto Body Hawaii, who helped coordinate the effort with her husband, Dale, the company’s president. “We want it to be a hand-up for
them. You see, especially during this time of year, everybody is doing what they can to give back, but there’s always a sad story behind it. In this case,
(l to r) James Balsai and Reynold Doi of First Insurance Co. of Hawaii look on as Dale Matsumoto of Auto Body Hawaii shakes hands with veteran Jeff Mayo of Captain Cook Friday after the companies collaborated with Big Island Honda to gift Mayo a salvaged 2009 Honda Odyssey van. Credit: Max Dible, West Hawaii Today
they needed the van because of the size of their family, and vans are very hard to come by.” Reynold Doi, assistant vice president of claims with First Insurance Company of Hawaii, and James Balsai, a technical specialist there, flew to Hawaii Island from their home office on Oahu for the ceremony. This is the second year FICOH has been involved in the vehicle giveaway on Hawaii Island. The company
also participated in a similar charitable endeavor in Oahu last year, and the men said they may incorporate a family from Maui in 2018. “First Insurance is very conscious and aware of working families, and transportation is an important thing for them to have,” Doi said. “We thought, ‘Why not donate a salvaged vehicle?’” No representative from Big Island Honda was able to attend the gifting of the van on Dec. 22, but Phong Nguyen, branch rental car manager with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and fellow employee Kim Dumaguin showed up to chip in the $100 gas card. Their company, too, was involved last year, and said they will participate as long as the donations continue. “Part of our founding values is we strengthen our community one neighborhood at a time,” Nguyen said. “So we love to be involved in this kind of event.” We thank West Hawaii Today for reprint permission.
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Body Shops Giving Back: Two North Bay Area MSOs Shine With Holiday Benevolence herd’s Gate and Recycled Rides. Tonya Montgomery, with two chilIn the North Bay Area of California, dren, received a 2016 Nissan Altima there are two body shop chains that from Enterprise Rent a Car through pride themselves on doing as much the Richmond Community Foundaphilanthropy as they possibly can to tion and Spark Point. Hilda Bravo help those in the cities they serve. received a 2014 Nissan Altima from It’s not really a competition and CSAA Insurance through UCSF Beeveryone wins. If you hear about a nioff Children’s Hospital. body shop that gave away a car or “We feel very fortunate to be involved with such a wonderful program and are very excited to be able to give back to the community that has supported us for the past 44 years,” owner Mike Rose said. “Being in this business for that long—repairing the vehicles is the easy part. Having to decide on a recipMike’s Auto Body gave Tonya Montgomery, the mother ient is the part that’s hard. of two, a 2016 Nissan Altima from Enterprise Rent a Car After receiving hundreds of through the Richmond Community Foundation and Spark applications over the years Point and reading the heartbreaking helped a local nonprofit in any way, stories, we only wish that we could do shape or form, the names Mike’s Auto more. But hopefully with increased Body and G & C Auto Body are likely publicity of our Benevolence Propart of the conversation. During every holiday season, these two MSOs go over the top to help people and improve their lives significantly, and 2017 was no exception. On Dec. 13, Mike’s Auto Body gave vehicles to four deserving Bay Area families. This presentation was our second Benevolence presentation of 2017, which now brings our grand total to 72 cars donated in 17 years. Everything is donated, including Hilda Bravo received a 2014 Nissan Altima the cars, parts, paint, mechanical infrom CSAA Insurance through UCSF Benioff spections, tires and one year of auto inChildren’s Hospital as part of Mike’s Auto surance. It’s a total team effort, and Body’s Holiday Benevolence vprogram many body and paint technicians donate their time and talents to comgram, other shops will adopt a similar pletely refurbish these “nearly new” program of their own.” Benevolence vehicles. At G & C Auto Body, the Crozat This year, CSAA Insurance Group, family had much to be thankful for Farmers Insurance, State Farm Insurduring the holiday season, even though ance and Enterprise Rent A Car particthey had all lost their homes during the ipated in the December presentation by recent fires—five total. However, indonating “written-off” vehicles to be given away to deserving families. Guadalupe Rivera, with two children, received a 2011 Toyota Camry from Farmers Insurance and Recycled Rides through the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California. Crystal Morris, with four children, received a 2009 Toyota Corolla from State Farm G & C Auto Body worked closely with local radio station Insurance through the Shep- KZST to help the community during the holidays by Ed Attanasio
14 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
lost their home and one car in the fires, and five days later found out they were pregnant with twins. So they were most definitely in need of a car that could fit all the kids so Rachel can take them to their appointments while her husband gets to work. We were also able to pay for six months of full coverage insurance for this family, along with $1,000 to Target to pick up supplies for the twins.” In addition, G & C gave a 2011 VW Golf to a single mom of two whose oldest was One of the vehicle recipients as part of G & C’s ongoing born with a cleft lip and palcharity efforts was Chessy, a single mom of two whose let, and worked with two famoldest has a cleft lip and pallet. To her left is Govinda ilies who lost their homes in Crozat, the company’s Outreach Program Director the fires to find permanent Community Outreach Coordinator placement. One family received a speCarlynn Tocchini outlined a lengthy cialty van with a wheelchair lift, and list of all the charitable projects that G the other got a 2007 Nissan Quest from & C Auto Body performed during the G & C. “For Christmas, we were able to holiday season. “In December, we gave a car away help 11 families attain gifts for their with the Secret Santa program in 31 children, something the Crozat Sonoma County,” she said. “We were family does every holiday season,” able to gift a 2007 Nissan Quest to a Tocchini said. “Govinda and Teri go family of three—soon to be five. They See Giving Back, Page 24 stead of slowing down their charitable efforts throughout the North Bay, they stepped it up and blanketed the area with their own form of benevolence.
Continued from Cover
Kurt Money
going to slow down. He now conducts many welding classes for I-CAR throughout the Bay Area, as he travels to shops where the classes are held inhouse. When he got the phone call telling him about the award, Money was surprised and delighted. “It came out of left field and I was caught off guard,” he said. “I don’t work for awards or recognition, but when things like this happen, of course I’m flattered. There aren’t a lot of people in this industry who are both I-CAR Platinum and have the ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish certification, so to be chosen from that group, it means a lot.” After being the lead body man at Larkfield Body and Paint in Santa Rosa, CA for 27 years, Money recently changed jobs and joined the team at Shotwell Body & Paint, a shop that has been in existence for 35 years. Money came to northern California from Spanish Fork, UT—just outside of Provo—in 1979. After graduating from Utah Valley Technical College, he decided to start his
own body shop and later hired two of his classmates to work for him. It was called Money’s Body & Paint and before long, the business was doing well. But Kurt was not ready to own and operate his own business at that point in his life. “The shop was doing well, but I was more into having a good time, playing a lot of golf, bowling and not paying attention to the shop. I was playing when I should have been working and pretty soon I ran it into the ground. It was a useful lesson that taught me I don’t want to own my own shop!” After working briefly for a Chevy dealership’s collision center in Provo, UT and supervising a crew of nine, Money decided to go west. “I loaded my tools in my van and headed to California,” Money said. “I was actually going to San Diego, but my voltage regulator failed and caused my vehicle to break down in Santa Rosa. I took it to a dealership and they told me that the van made it all the way from Utah on the charge that was left in the battery, which was very surprising.” In 1985, Money started taking ICAR classes, to learn as much as he could about his profession and improve his skills, he said. “When I first found
out about I-CAR, some of the older guys told me that I didn’t need to take those classes. But, I found out that ICAR was offering information I couldn’t find anywhere else. Back then, they had approximately 16 classes and I took them all. My instructor was a guy named Bob Puckett and he’s retired now. When I saw him in action, I thought to myself, I can do this.” His I-CAR teaching career started over a gentleman’s bet, Money said. “I told one of my fellow techs that I was thinking of becoming an instructor for I-CAR. But he said, ‘You can’t talk in front of two people, how are you going to get up there and talk to a group?’ So, we made a bet and it actually provided me with additional motivation. I jumped in there and started teaching and I’ve been doing it now for 20 years.” By using his proven techniques, a wide range of people within the col-
lision industry have grown to know and respect Money for his uncanny ability to connect with his students. One of these is Jim Boyle, the owner of Regal Collision in Vallejo, CA, also goes way back with Money and like everyone else, has nothing but good things to say about the man. “He is a unique individual and the one thing I can say is that his passion for teaching and helping people really stands out,” Boyle said. “When he gets up there in front of a class, you want to listen to him. I most appreciate his sense of humor and his attention for detail. He inspires people to be better, and that’s what teaching is all about.” Does Money have any ideas about retiring when the time comes? “People keep asking me that and the plan was to step down in four years, but I’m not sure,” he said. “I love working in this industry and I still enjoy teaching, especially the hands-
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CA Teen Finds Self-Discipline, Motivation in Auto Repair Work by Jenna Hunt, The Desert Trail
Virtual education is the key to success for Israel Ruiz as he strives to overcome challenging health hurdles he has faced since birth. Ruiz, 17, was born with a condition that caused the underdevelopment of part of his tiny heart. He had openheart surgery at 4 days old, 6 months old and again at 3 years old, his parents said. He continues to need treatments and procedures annually, first at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and now at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. He has had a stent procedure to help the functioning of his heart. Public schools were not an option for him, as he needed to protect his fragile immune system and heart, his parents said. “We had to protect him from germs,” his mother said. “His heart was functioning off of one ventricle.” Ruiz now attends the Capistrano Connections Academy, a tuition-free online public school serving students in grades K-12 in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. The school, founded in 2004, is accredited by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. On Dec. 29, he celebrated his 17th birthday with his family. “I get double presents,” he said. “I am trying to keep that record.” He lives with his parents, Becky and Jose Ruiz, who both work fulltime jobs, and his younger brother, Josiah, 15, who attends an online education program at California Academy. About six months ago, Ruiz experienced some setbacks and his heart was “starting to struggle,” his mother said. He was not able to keep the pace he had been setting. The online school is the perfect option for her son, she said. “It helps tremendously with his health,” she said. “He does not want to be thought of as not as capable as other kids.” There’s another reason he is happy to attend school online. “There is a lot of negative peer pressure at school, and I did not want it to influence me,” he said. Motivation and self-discipline with auto repair Ruiz has lived in Twentynine Palms since 2010, but has deep roots there.
His grandparents, Diane and David Bailey, owners of Bailey’s Automotive, have been strong sources of support for him. “I’ve got a dream he’ll grow up and run this shop,” his grandpa said, smiling at his grandson on a sunny af-
Israel Ruiz, 17, is a fast learner and quick study on all things automotive, says his grandpa, David Bailey. He spends at least two days a week with his grandpa working on cars at the shop. The week before Christmas, Ruiz helps his grandpa on repairs for a 1994 white Jeep. Credit: Jenna Hunt, The Desert Trail
ternoon the week before Christmas. “He may go another direction.” His grandson is a fast learner and quick study on all things automotive. He spends at least two days a week with his grandpa working on cars at the shop. “He’s self-motivated,” David Bailey said. “With his school, you have to be.” Ruiz also goes to the shop to work on his 1992 Toyota truck. “He’s learning all the mechanics from his grandpa,” his dad said. “It has helped him to focus and his grades have improved. He’s there all the time.” His work helps him with social activities as well. “He can work,” Ruiz’s mother said. “It is not too strenuous for him.” A lot of other physical activities are not possible with his heart condition. The family returns to Loma Linda soon to discover through more tests if there have been improvements with his heart’s strength. Future options include pacemakers and looking “toward transplants” if his heart continues to weaken. In the one-year time period from 2016– 2017 when he was tested, he had an “obvious deterioration with the strength of his heart,” his mother said. “He wants to work and be as normal as every other kid his age,” she added. Ruiz has at times worked two jobs at once, including at a local Mexican restaurant and a fast food position at McDonald’s. He has decided for now
18 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
that one job is enough. “I quit my McDonald’s job,” he said during a phone interview. His current job at the Mexican restaurant keeps him busy. He is flexible with his schedule, going to work when he is needed. “It really depends,” he said of his schedule. “They just call me. If they call me in early, I can go. I want to work.” If he works night hours, he said he does all his homework beforehand. He said he loves the flexibility of online education and that it has helped him be responsible and disciplined. “I have a car now and I want to work,” he said. “I want more money, and as an adult you need to have a job.” Ruiz hopes to travel in the future and one day own and operate his own business. He said his grandparents have been an inspiration for him. He said he is making excellent grades in his online classes and plans to attend Copper Mountain College’s automotive program in the future. “We’ll see how it goes,” he said. “It’s online too.”
A passion for the arts and magic Ruiz also loves to perform magic tricks, and wrote an essay to attend an annual convention for magicians in Ohio recently. “We went to Columbus, Ohio, together,” his dad said. “He has so much freedom … he’s really motivated and has a lot of goals.” He is also acting in plays at Theatre 29 and participated in this summer’s youth theater program. He played Sebastian in “The Little Mermaid” and performed in “Into the Woods” as Milky the Cow. Every summer, he attends a camp for young people with heart conditions on Catalina Island called Camp Del Corazon. “When he was in public school, it conflicted,” his dad said. “He would get behind in school.” He does not know when he will graduate from high school at this time, but he will be able to participate in a real-world graduation ceremony with Capistrano Connections Academy on campus. We thank High Desert Star for reprint permission.
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New Shop
fectionist. We have eight dedicated aluminum bays, which demonstrates the volume of work we do. The curtains are primarily for dust control. We don’t have a cross contamination problem since 95 percent of the vehicles we repair are aluminum. We’re also able to stock all of the parts that are relevant to the four brands such as quarter panels, headlamps and grills. As a result, there isn’t a lot of downtime waiting for a clip or fastener. This allows for more efficiency and helps accelerate getting the vehicle back to the customer.
Q: I was born in Hong Kong and had British citizenship. My A: parents migrated to Hawaii and after
How did you get involved repairing British vehicles?
obtaining U.S. citizenship, we came to CA in 1960. I was always fascinated with British cars. When I was growing up, they had a bad reputation of not working and leaking oil. However,
I felt they were the nicest cars out on the road. When I opened my business, I decided to focus on those brands. At the time, they weren’t popular, but now I’m thankful that I did. What are your plans for the original 16,000-square-foot facility?
Q:
We completely rebuilt our origA: inal location over the last five months and plan to re-open [during]
the beginning of 2018. It will cater to all of our customers who don’t own the four brands we specialize in at the new location. The older location has 20 employees, and we are in the process of building a new team.
Q: One of the reasons we wanted A: to segregate is because we have been able to command a higher labor
Why did you decide to segregate your work by location?
rate for our certified work. We can demonstrate why the compensation level has to be higher due to the equipment and training for the brands we work on. It gives us the luxury to stay in that little niche. It’s very hard to negotiate a fair
labor rate if you have a normal vehicle sitting next to one being repaired by a certified technician. I can see it from a third-party standpoint where they might wonder why they should pay more to repair one vehicle, when a technician will repair the other for so much less. It’s a fair statement. Sometimes the third party fails to realize that we are paying a technician based on their experience. By segregating the vehicles by location, we are trying to limit that argument.
How do you run your business Q: using a “team concept,” and what are the main benefits?
This is something I started 42 A: years ago. Every vehicle that comes through the shop is touched by
every employee. If technicians have different skill levels and a repair is allocated to a certain individual, it’s the luck of the draw for the consumer because that person might not have received training for that car. All of our A Tech employees have been certified by the OEs to do a specific part of the repair. As cars come in, there are a group of guys that specialize in different aspects such as blueprint-
ing, paint, mechanical components, wash and delivery, etc. As product workflow goes through the shop, it only moves one way to the next station. What this does is help with quality control and polices the group of people beforehand. If a car is pushed through to the next station and there is a problem, it gets kicked back and doesn’t move to the next station until that particular job has been completed. I’ve found that a team concept ensures you’ll have the right tech doing the right job and a consistent repair quality. I always tell everybody in life: Be ready for opportunity. In the past, when employees go on vacation or are ill, it gives others the opportunity to showcase their talents.
How have you built a dedicated Q: team over the years? Our longest employee has been A: with us 36 years. Most have been here 15–20. I would say that 80
percent of our employees in the back shop started out sweeping floors and we [helped] these technicians [grow] to what they are now. We’re proud of them because they are top tier.
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It’s great to see someone start out with a poor work ethic because they didn’t have the right guidance and then be able to nurture them. Some of them have quit and then come back with a new mindset. I think the reason we have been able to hang on to our employees for so long is because we provide a nice work environment, we’re consistent and we always pay them on time.
Congratulations on being named Q: chairman of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). What
have you learned from being part of SCRS over the years?
We’ve been members of SCRS A: for quite some time. About 15 years ago, my daughters, Nichole and
Jennifer, came on board with the business. It freed up some of my time and I had an opportunity to attend the first Collision Industry Conference (CIC) SCRS meeting in Palm Springs. I was able to see shop owners and other people in the industry come together and share ideas and work out situations. It was something [that] I was totally unaware could happen. When my dear friend March Tay-
lor passed away in 2007, I was appointed to fill his seat on the SCRS board. I attended the first couple of meetings and was blown away with how much knowledge was flying around the room. It was so far above me at the time because I was in my own little world. As an owner/operator, like others in the industry, I was very hands-on. I could tell you everything that was happening at my shop, but I had no idea about all of the things that were happening across the nation. I always encourage new board members to be patient—don’t feel that you don’t have anything to contribute. It comes in time. I had no idea when I first joined that I would eventually chair SCRS. As you start to get involved, you get SCRS blood in you and begin to understand the repair issues happening across the country. Now you have an opportunity to not only present those problems, but also resolve some of them and network with people who can help focus those issues. Unfortunately, some shop owners have a tendency to complain [about] why they aren’t doing well. SCRS offers the opportunity to educate and inform repairers on the current industry
climate and what direction it’s going.
What do you attribute your sucQ: cess to? I was ready for opportunity and I took advantage of it. A key A: component is that I’ve always rein-
vested in my business. When I had extra money, rather than purchasing a new car, I would buy a new frame machine! Our facility has always been properly equipped to repair vehicles properly. Also, I feel that I couldn’t have success without my two daughters, Nichole and Jennifer, and son-in-law, Mike Hubbard, working in the business.
is your advice to others Q: inWhatthe industry? Life experience would be a A: good start. Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing. It has been an amaz-
ing journey and I believe the best is yet to come. Many have a fallacy that body shops are dirty. This shop demonstrates that not only can you make a good living, but you can also have a
great environment you are proud of and contribute back to the community. You should have a game plan and realize what you have to offer. Look at your team of employees like a family. The most successful shop owners are the ones who have a passion for doing the repair properly and not looking at the bottom line of every vehicle. We ask ourselves: How many customers are happy this month? If you have that mindset going in, good will most likely come out of it. When you have a third party dictating repair cost and procedures, how can you guarantee a safe and proper repair to your customer? Focus on best practices—that would include following OEM repair standards and continued training. By keeping your customers’ interests first and building on that relationship, you’ll realize that you won’t need to be dependent on a DRP or lose one that isn’t as profitable, and still be able to build your product brand. I’m a perfect example of how you can be successful in this industry without any DRP relationships.
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 21
Auto Shops Play Role in Math, Science Education in CA Schools by Carolyn Jones, EdSource
Thirty years ago, auto shop was as much a part of California high schools as frog dissection, typing classes and Friday night football. But due to budget cuts, teacher shortages and a push for more academic course offerings, fewer than half those auto shops remain in California—even though they have the potential to complement hands-on math and science curriculum, education experts say. Vocational education classes, such as auto shop, can provide training and career options for students less likely to go to college, but also can be useful for students who are on academic tracks, educators said. They provide students with practical skills and can be a helpful way to teach science, technology engineering and math, or STEM. “Auto shop these days is not the auto shop of the past. Now it’s about engineering, math, computers, physics, problem solving … It really is part of STEM, as it should be,” said Ruben Parra, president of California Automotive Teachers and an automotive teacher at Skyline College in San Bruno, CA. “And there’s such a need for it. Look out the window—you see more vehicles on the road today, not less. We need the next generation to understand how those vehicles work.” Auto shop can fit in well with California’s new K–12 science standards, called Next Generation Science Standards, which emphasize classroom projects that allow students to observe how abstract scientific concepts apply to real-world scenarios, Parra said. Auto shops were once part of schools’ vocational education offerings, along with wood shop, home economics, metal shop and other career training courses, but began declining about 30 years ago, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. About a decade ago, some schools began introducing career-focused courses, through Linked Learning or other programs, but the classes are more tailored to careers in health care, design or engineering, rather than auto mechanics, manufacturing or construction. In California, the number of auto shop classes has remained mostly steady over the past five years, according to the California Department of Education. In 2016–17, there were 551 schools that offered automotive classes—up from 548 in 2012–13—
but enrollment in those classes dropped from 37,373 to 35,343. A few districts in California have re-opened or expanded their existing programs, Parra said. Schools in San Diego, Long Beach and Ukiah, among others, have recently invested in their
Students at an Eden Area ROP’s auto shop class work on a car engine. Credit: Carolyn Jones/EdSource
automotive programs, he said. At least one community college, Rio Hondo College in Whittier, offers a bachelor’s of science degree in automotive technology. The California Department of Education’s career and technical education division also offers auto shop guidance and curriculum for schools. One challenge for districts wanting to expand auto shop programs is cost. Modern auto shops require computers, scanners and software, because most new cars are computerized. That equipment can cost thousands of dollars and must be upgraded every few years, Parra said. In addition, credentialed auto shop teachers are scarce, he said. Most people with expertise in auto repair choose to become mechanics or engineers, where they can earn more money. One of the state’s most established programs is the Eden Area Regional Occupational Program, which offers 135 vocational classes for high school students and adults in the East Bay Area. About 100 students are enrolled in auto repair and auto painting classes, learning how to take apart engines, install and rotate tires, fix brakes and transmissions and diagnose engine malfunctions based on a customer’s description of loud clankings or funny smells. Students come from high schools from throughout the area, taking busses across town for three hours a day of engine tinkering in two cavernous auto shops in Hayward. Both shops are filled with old Fords and Chevys with the hoods up, new Hondas and Subarus on hoists and engine blocks on pedestals for students to learn about cylinders, cooling and lubricating systems and the crankcase.
22 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
After graduation, many of the students continue studying automotive mechanics at nearby community colleges or attend private automotive schools, and some go to work as apprentices in local auto shops, dealerships or vehicle fleets. The career outlook for auto mechanics is good, according to the California Employment Development Department. The auto repair job market is expected to grow by about 8.5 percent, or 5,900 jobs, by 2024, according to the agency. Experienced auto mechanics can earn at least $60,000 annually. Dafne Ochoa, a senior at Mt. Eden High School in Hayward and one of the few girls enrolled in the Eden program, doesn’t want to be an auto mechanic. She wants to be an architect, but thought auto repair would be a useful skill. “I want to learn how to do things for myself, so I don’t have to rely on men,” she said last week during a break in her auto class. “I feel like I’m learning a lot about engineering, which will help with architecture later on. I like puzzles—figuring out problems and putting things together, and this is good
training for that.” Some students said that tinkering with cars is a family hobby. Joshua Paris, a senior at Royal Sunset High in San Lorenzo, said his grandfather and all his uncles are mechanics, and someday he hopes to open his own auto repair shop. “I like learning how engines work,” he said. “How did the first engine get put together? How did they figure that out? I’m interested in that part of it. And I also like fast cars. I think we all like fast cars.” Teacher Jose Sanchez, who’s taught auto repair for 21 years and worked as a mechanic at dealerships before that, said all students could benefit from auto shop, even if they don’t want to pursue it as a career. Learning how engines work is a perfect hands-on way to teach math and science, he said. Students learn physics and chemistry by studying aerodynamics, temperature differentials, lift and drag forces, instability, air and fuel ratios, combustion, carbon monoxide and other topics. His classes also cover the basics of business, such See Role in Math, Page 29
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 23
Consumer Telematics Show Kicks Off 2018 by Chasidy Rae Sisk
The new calendar year kicked off with the Consumer Telematics Show, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, on Jan. 8. Designed for the connected car community, the show’s website claims that it provides a platform for new partnership and product announcements from automakers while also acting as the largest and most focused meeting point for more than 500 automotive executives before the International CES®. More than 130 OEMs and other industry companies registered for this year’s event, including GM, NVIDIA, Mobileye, Toyota, Audi, Hyperloop One, Continental and 3M, to discuss what’s in store for auto technology in 2018 and the future. The meeting began at 7:30 a.m. with registration and coffee, followed by the morning’s keynotes. Roger Lanctot, Director of Strategy Analytics for Automotive Connected Mobility, presented “Getting Real about Connectivity: Monetization, Mobility and Me,” while “Blockchain: Powering the Next Auto Data Revolution” was presented by Rajiv Phougat, CTO of Industry Solutions & Strategy, Automotive, Aerospace & Defense, IBM; GM Director of Strategic Initiatives Nick Pudar; SVP Software Engineering at Hyperloop One Matt Jones; and Michael Morgan, Partner Co-Leader, Global Privacy and Cybersecurity, McDermott Will & Emery LLP. “The Autonomous Vehicle Reality Check” was a collaboration between Bryn Balcombe, Chief Strategy Officer at Roborace; Brad Stertz, Director of Government Affairs for Audi of America; NVIDIA Senior Director of Automotive Danny Shapiro; Dan Mender, Vice President of Business Development for Green Hills SoftContinued from Page 14
Giving Back
through a list of past recipients and ask for updates on people they know were really hurting throughout the year. I then follow up with an update from each family, and Teri and Govinda then decide how much to give. They usually donate $100 per child and always provide Safeway
ware; and Grayson Brulte, Co-Chair of the Mayor's Autonomous Vehicle Task Force for the City of Beverly Hills. The morning also featured “Partnerships are Powering the Connected Car Revolution” with Kenny Hawk, Mojio CEO; Daniel Rockey, Senior Manager of Product Management for T-Mobile; SVP of IoT & Digital Supply Chain, SAP Gil Perez; and Paul Drysch, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Civil Maps. After a coffee break and networking opportunity, the morning continued with three sessions on Data and Networks. “Driving Data to the Edge - Automotive Edge Computing Consortium” was discussed by Kenichi Murata, General Manager of Connected Strategy Department, Connected Company, Toyota; Erik Ekudden, CTO for Ericsson; and Caroline Chan, Vice President and Network Platforms Group General Manager of 5G Infrastructure Division for Intel. Then, Wejo CEO Richard Barlow presented “Connected Car Data – Unlocking Value Today & Creating a Roadmap for the Future,” followed by Green Hills Software’s Director of Platform Solutions Joe Fabbre with “Building Automotive Security from the Inside Out.” Attendees took a lunch break before learning about Cities and Mobility in 8-10. First, Tina Quigley, General Manager, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada; Sinan Yordem, Global Ecosystem Manager for 3M Connected Roads; Uri Tamir, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives at Mobileye; Kurt Hoppe, GM’s Connect Car Global Head of Innovation; and ABI Research B2B Managing Director and Vice President Dominique Bonte presented “Auto & Cities - The Perfect Pairing?” The “Driving the New Mobility Experience: Front-Line Perspectives from Battle-
gift cards to ensure these families can have a beautiful holiday meal together on Christmas Day.” Finally, for New Year’s Eve G & C partnered with the Coffee Park New Year’s Eve Event in Santa Rosa, CA, to secure live music, hot chocolate, cider and more than 300 pocket warmers to attendees to benefit the survivors of Coffee Park, one of the most affected areas in the North Bay Area fires.
24 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Tested Ridesharing Veterans Behind the Wheel” discussion included feedback from a selection of Uber and Lyft drivers as well as Jeffrey Hannah, Director of North America, SBD. After Vulog’s North America General Manager Alex Thibault covered “The Rise of Hybrid Mobility Services,” a discussion was held on “A Connected, Autonomous, Electrified Future for Mobility” with Martin Rosell, Managing Director for WirelessCar; CEO & Co-Founder of Tesloop Rahul Sonnad; Cletus Nunes, Director of Sales at Octo Telematics North America; John Bukowicz, Managing Director for The Americas & Board Member, LIASE Group; Silvercar’s EVP of Mobility, Russ Lemmer; and Roger Lanctot of Automotive Connected Mobility. The last topic of the conference, following the afternoon’s networking coffee break, was the Next Generation Automotive UX. David Lukens, Director of Telematics at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, began the conversation with “How to Positively Leverage Shifts in the Telematics Ecosystem,” and was followed by a discussion on “AR + Digital Assistants + Voice =
The New Automotive Experience” which was led by what3words CCO Clare Jones; Mapbox CEO Eric Gundersen; Rightware’s Marketing Director, Derek Sellin; and Jeremy Kaplan, Chief Editor at Digital Trends. The final education segment was “A Network of Networks” which was facilitated by Ken Stewart, Chief Strategy Officer of Karma Automotive; Lars Shultheiss, Head of Sales & Portfolio in the Business Unit Infotainment & Connectivity for Continental; Land Mobile, Kymeta’s Senior Vice President, Tom Freeman; AnneLise Thieblemont, Senior Director of Global Technology Policy at Qualcomm/5G Americas; and SFB Consulting’s President and CEO, Scott Belcher. The evening ended with networking and drinks. This year’s Gold Sponsors were Green Hills Software, Wireless Car, Vulog, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Mojio, while the event’s Co-Sponsors were Zuora, Liase Group, Rightware, and Kymeta. Wejo was the Innovation sponsor, the Slido sponsor was Mapbox, and Octo Telematics was this year’s Badge sponsor.
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Repair Data
only in locations not accessible by a spot welder.
Figure 8
• To assure adequate weld tensile strength, always manually set the spot welder to the specifications provided in the body repair manual
• Never do MAG welding on 1,500
MPa steel (there is a change in 2018— more on this near the end of this article). The heat generated during MAG welding will significantly reduce the strength and structural integrity of 1,500 MPa steel parts. Think about this scenario. Two weeks ago, your tech replaced a “B” post on a 2012 Honda Accord and now you have a 2013 Accord with the same damage and repair. Your tech does not have 2013 repair procedures and MIG/MAG welds the reinforcement and sections the part. The vehicle is involved in another side impact, the repair gives way and the safety of the occupants is compromised. What is your response going to be if you are sued?
Let’s move on to another example. You are replacing a left quarter panel on a 2015 Toyota Camry. You request the OE data—for example, ALLDATA. They send you the repair procedures. See Fig 6, 7 and 8. Did you know that Toyota has
eight collision repair information bulletins that need to be viewed when re-
Figure 10
placing a quarter panel? Unless you specifically ask for the “library,” you will be missing a lot of additional repair information.
the outer wheelhouse assembly, but does not recommend panel bonding (substitute for welds) unless it is a documented procedure (weld bonding is permitted) published in model-specific repair manuals for collision damage. The circle in Fig 8 is what? Toyota wants two areas of the quarter panel attached using MIG Brazing, as shown in Fig 8. One of the CRIBs discusses the use of epoxy primer on the glass pinch weld in Fig 8.
Figure 11
Figure 9
For example, at position 1 on Fig 7, CRIB 2018 states that Toyota wants adhesive between the quarter panel lip and
Moving on! What you are seeing is a front frame extension replacement on a 2013 Ford F150 (See Fig 9). What you cannot see is the weld penetration. See See Repair Data, Page 32
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 25
OR Audit Targets DEQ’s Air Quality Permit Backlog by Staff, KTVZ NewsChannel 21
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson released an audit Jan. 3 of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Permitting Program, finding a “significant” processing backlog that needs addressing. Here’s his news release on the audit: Air quality permits regulate the types and amounts of air pollution businesses are allowed to emit based on federal and state pollution limits. The audit found a significant backlog in air quality permits. Untimely permits, combined with a current backlog of inspections, endanger the health of Oregonians and the state’s environment. DEQ should evaluate staffing and workloads among air quality permit writers and provide better guidance to both staff and businesses. The findings are outlined in the audit report titled “DEQ Should Improve the Air Quality Permitting Process to Reduce Its Permit Backlog and Better Safeguard Oregon’s Air.” “Maintaining Oregon’s air quality is crucial for protecting the health of Oregonians throughout the state,” Richardson said. “DEQ’s tracking and inspections are insufficient. The agency must take immediate action to reduce their backlog and preserve the quality of Oregonians’ health and the state’s environment.” The Clean Air Act and DEQ rules and guidelines establish timeframes for issuing new permits, renewing existing permits and conducting inspections. Approximately 9 percent of permit renewals take more than five years and are actually issued after the point when the next renewal should have been done. Auditors found that 43 percent (106 out of 246) of DEQ’s largest and most complex air quality permits are overdue for renewal. Some inspections are also overdue. Additionally, more than 40 percent of the most complex permits issued from 2007 to 2017 exceeded established timeframes—some by several years. DEQ struggles to issue timely air quality permits due to a variety of factors:
• The air quality permitting process is not fully or consistently documented. When processes are not documented, controlling and improving them is challenging, making it difficult to find
more efficient ways to issue permits.
• Inadequate staffing is impairing the ability of DEQ to provide permitting services and is impacting their ability to perform critical investigations. Vacancies and position cuts create unmanageable and unrealistic workloads. Of 28 permit writing positions, seven (25 percent) were vacant as of August 2017.
• Timekeeping data from 2015 to 2016 indicated that permit writers spent only an average of 49 percent of their time on permitting activities.
• A lack of consistent guidance and support for staff slows the permitting process. Federal and state air quality rules are getting more complex, but permit writers are receiving less guidance and support from operational staff at DEQ headquarters.
• Clear and accessible guidance to permit applicants is lacking, increasing the time permit writers spend on technical assistance.
• Lack of adequate permit and inspection tracking.
company with numerous compliance violations was required to apply for a stricter permit. In 2012, they submitted a Standard ACDP, which is the highest level of ACDP. However, as of November 2017, DEQ still had not issued the permit, which means the company has been allowed to operate under lower standards for years and has not been inspected since 2011. Drawing on examples from other states, the audit recommends that DEQ evaluate permit writer workloads and staffing, improve permit and inspection tracking, provide better guidance to permit writers and businesses, and conduct a process improvement effort. “Timely permits not only help protect Oregon’s air quality, but provide much-needed certainty to businesses trying to comply with complicated federal regulations,” said Richardson. “Improving the permitting process and reducing the backlog will make it easier for businesses to comply with their permits and help Oregon remain competitive with other states.” Read the full audit on the Secretary of State’s website or highlights on the Audits Division blog.
• DEQ has diverted key staff to other projects such as the Governor’s Cleaner Air Oregon initiative.
Air quality permit renewals incorporate new and updated federal and state rules. However, while DEQ evaluates permit renewals, businesses continue operating under their old permits. When permits are not renewed on time, businesses may not have to provide DEQ with data showing they are complying with these new rules. These delays create a “gray area” that is hard to enforce, should a facility violate a new standard that is not yet incorporated into the permits. Combined with the current backlog of inspections, delayed permit issuance endangers the health of Oregonians and the state’s environment. For example, there are approximately 150 auto body shops in the Portland area that opted out of a General ACDP permit, which are still in need of a Basic ACDP seven years later. Some of these businesses have likely been emitting volatile organic compounds that contribute to smog for seven years due to DEQ’s delays. In an extreme example, an asphalt
26 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Here’s DEQ’s statement in response to the audit’s findings:
Today, Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson released a performance audit of Oregon’s programs for controlling air pollution from factories and other businesses. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality welcomes the audit, and agrees with the audit findings and recommendations. DEQ’s specific responses to the audit are available here: http://www.oregon .gov/deq/FilterDocs/aqpermitsaudit .pdf The audit identifies a significant backlog in DEQ’s work to renew air quality permits and carry out inspections as a result of limited resources, increased demands and needed process improvements. Another external review of DEQ’s water quality permitting program—completed a year ago—found similar issues. With direction from the Secretary of State’s Audit Division—as well as an independent consultant’s report on the Water Quality program—DEQ is implementing a strategic approach to See Permit Backlog, Page 30
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Truck Hits Herd of Elk on U.S. 26 Near North Plains, OR the impact. The driver is OK, according to Deputy Shannon Wilde. Crews used large equipment and chains to lift the dead elk. Deputy Wilde said the driver was very lucky, and if he were in a smaller car, this could have been a very different story. “It sounds like it was very sudden,” Wilde said. “I don’t know if the elk were standing in the roadway, or if they were migrating across the road, but again, we did get several calls on it, so it’s amazing, too, that only one car was involved, because it sounds like other people witnessed it or were in the area when the crash happened.” The road was re-opened around 6:30 a.m. Deputy Wilde also said Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife helped at the scene. She said if any of the animals are able to be salvaged, OSP has a program where that elk meat can be processed and donated to families in need. OSP said three of the elk will be taken to Astoria, two elk will be taken to Tillamook for distribution, and the
by Rachael Rafanelli and Christine Pitawanich, KGW
The driver of a pickup truck hit a herd of elk the morning of Jan. 4 near North Plains, OR, on U.S. 26. The driver was eastbound approaching North Plains, when he hit the elk. They either died on impact or had to be euthanized. Oregon State Police say 13 elk were hit by at least one, possibly more cars. Six died on impact and six had to be put down, as their injuries were too severe. The 13th one survived.
Eleven elk died or had to be euthanized after struck by a pickup Jan. 4, 2018 on U.S. 26 near North Plains. Credit: Washington County Sheriff’s Office
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office tweeted a photo of the vehicle, showing the entire front mangled from
state wildlife officials would have done something to move the elk back to where they typically graze. “They could have called some experts to say, ‘OK, how do we herd them over the freeway? How do we spare them so that both humans and animals are not getting injured or killed?’” said Sweedler. She said it’s a miracle the driver walked away from the crash without any injuries. “Thank goodness, but it could have been a family in a minivan. It could have been really disastrous,” Sweedler said. Rick Swart, a spokesperson with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said shutting down the highway to get the elk to cross may not be a good option. He said elk will go where they want to go. Swart also said ODFW staff members are talking to land owners about what to do in the immediate future regarding elk grazing on their farmland. He said the area where the crash happened isn’t known for crashes involving elk. Grant McOmie, who produces
remaining elk will be distributed locally. People who live in the area said it’s a miracle the driver was not injured. They said the herd is well-known in the area. Mitch Kolodziejczak, who hunts and lives nearby, said there
are about 80 elk in the herd. Typically they stay on the north side of Highway 26, but he said this year they started migrating to the other side of the highway. “I was kind of worried about it. I knew eventually they were going to try to get across and something was going to happen,” Kolodziejczak said. His wife, AJ Sweedler, said the elk have been wandering around on the southern side of the highway for weeks, eating plants and crops on land maintained by farmers. She wishes
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Tri County Auto Dismantlers Santa Paula (877) 667-2787 www.tricountyautoparts.com
World Auto Parts Dismantling Glendale (888) 782-8781 www.worldautodismantling.com
VADA Celebrates 37 Years Representing Dismantling and Recycling Businesses in Antelope Valley, Glendale, San Fernando, Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Clarita Counties. 28 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
segments for KGW News, is also familiar with the area. He lives and hunts nearby. McOmie said the ample amount of food, as well as hunting restrictions due to homes, have helped the elk herd grow. Like Kolodziejczak, he has also noticed the herd’s growth. “What’s most unusual is how fast this particular herd of elk has grown in the last decade. I can remember counting them on one or two hands, and now I’ve seen upwards of 70 or 80 of these elk,” said McOmie. Auto body shops in the area regularly fix cars with damage from elk. Zach Pierson, owner of Hillsboro Body & Paint, said last year his shop fixed 10—12 cars that were damaged from running into elk. He said that often, even if the body of the car seems OK, it’s a good idea to get the car checked out. Swart said typically, elk are more active in the early morning hours or at night, so drivers should be more cautious during those times. According to Oregon Department of Transportation data from 2015, there were 1,364 accidents involving wildlife. We thank KGW for reprint permission.
Continued from Page 22
Continued from Cover
as billing and marketing. “But it really comes down to safety,” he said. “What do you do if you’re driving down the road, and all your lights go off suddenly? Or you’re out of cell phone range and you get a flat tire? What’s required to maintain your vehicle? These are things everyone should know.” John Chocolak, who taught high school auto shop for 40 years and now works for the Small Manufacturers Institute, which promotes workforce training, said that students need to have non-college options after graduation. “Students need to be able to make informed decisions about what they want to do with their lives, and by only offering college prep classes, schools are making that decision for them,” he said. “Not all students want to go to college, and we’re denying them the chance to learn about other opportunities. … Auto shop, wood shop, metal shop—these can lead to great careers.” We thank EdSource for reprint permission.
ferent types of metals to foams, adhesives, even structural glass, the student will learn how these materials are used in vehicle construction and how they impact collision repair.” In addition I-CAR is offering its “2018 Expedition and Navigator Aluminum Body Repair.” This Ford-developed 1-hour online course provides an overview of the Expedition and Navigator and the collision repair procedures. It is designed to educate technicians on repair and/or replacement procedures for exterior panels and frame components. The goal of the 2018 Expedition and Navigator Aluminum Body Repair Course is to give Ford- and Lincoln-trained body technicians the information needed to repair these all-aluminum vehicles. In October 2017, I-CAR introduced nine Vehicle and Technology Specific Training courses: - Camera Calibration, Inspection, and Initialization Requirements - Calibration Requirements for Blind Spot and Parking Assist Systems - Vehicle Technology and Trends
Role in Math
New I-CAR Courses
2018 - General Motors (GM) Company Collision Repair Overview - Understanding Volkswagen Collision Repair - Steering Angle Sensor Overview and Diagnostics - Understanding Volvo Collision Repair - Using Vehicle Maker Repair Procedures - Windshields and Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) For a limited time, I-CAR is offering three convenient packages of these Vehicle and Technology Specific Training courses. For more information and to register using I-CAR’s new National Scheduling, launched in January 2018, go to I-CAR.com. Courses will be offered based upon the specific demand in each market. Courses in larger markets will be offered several times annually, while those in rural markets will be offered on a more limited basis.
www.autobodynews.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 29
Continued from Page 26
Permit Backlog
rebuild its core programs. Governor Brown, the Environmental Quality Commission, and the legislature support this effort and are confident we will restore Oregon’s place as a national leader in environmental quality. Director Richard Whitman is implementing the following steps as part of a comprehensive effort to restore clarity of leadership and accountability in the agency. ● First, DEQ is returning to a structure with clear agency leads for Water, Air and Land Quality. These three administrators will set annual performContinued from Cover
ADAS
that with an ADAS system, the number of vehicles that were non-drivable after an accident decreased 31.5 percent. A lot more people drove home with their ADAS-equipped Civics than they did with the ones without ADAS.” They also studied how ADAS affects frequency—the percentage of time the vehicles were involved in an accident. “We found that the vehicles equipped with ADAS systems had a frequency rate of 12 percent. Those without ADAS had a frequency of 17 percent,” said Kaboos. “That’s a decrease of nearly 30 percent in frequency, which means drivers are 30 percent less likely to get into a collision at all with ADAS systems vs. without them.” Then they looked at severity. The average claim for a 2016 Civic vehicle without ADAS was $3,002. The average with ADAS was $2,769. “It was a surprise when we found out that the ADAS-equipped vehicles were less expensive to fix as a whole by about seven percent,” said Kaboos. “Our assumption is that it is because they may have needed to do some calibration and extra work, but the damage didn’t go as deep into the car.” Kaboos used the example of repairers needing to aim a radar rather than replacing a rail. As part of Honda’s 2030 vision, Kaboos said the OEM’s goal is to have a zero-collision society at some point in the future. An important aspect of this is incorporating ADAS technology. The ADAS systems on Honda and
ance expectations for each of the programs. ● Second, DEQ’s Implementation Administrator will track performance in each of the three regions that the agency works in, and adjust resources and priorities as necessary for core permitting and compliance work to stay on track. ● Third, DEQ’s clean water permitting program (which has suffered from a backlog of overdue permit renewals similar to that found in the air quality program) is launching a major initiative based on significant process improvements, eight dedicated permit writers working under central supervision, and a commitment to issuing at least 40 updated permits in 2018. View the Water Quality permit issuance
plan here: http://www.oregon.gov/deq /FilterPermitsDocs/wqstatepip2018.pdf ● Fourth, DEQ has agreed to work with EPA Region 10 and other states to improve our procedures for both air permitting and inspections – keeping permits up to date and assuring the public that we are meeting our targets for inspections. ● Fifth, one cause of the backlog in air quality work identified by the Secretary of State is the time spent responding to public concerns about air toxics that may be associated with particular companies. Completing the work to develop and implement the Cleaner Air Oregon program will allow staff to return to their regular duties. ● Finally, DEQ is working with its
partners to explore further changes to how we update water and air permits. It should be in everyone’s interest that permits are up-to-date. Making that happen likely will require action by the Oregon legislature in 2019. Director Richard Whitman said, “These changes will put us in the best possible position to protect Oregonians and their environment. While, ultimately, we will need Oregon’s legislature to decide what funding is appropriate for clean air and clean water, we understand that we must first demonstrate that we have done everything possible with existing resources.”
Acura vehicles are called Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch. The OEM’s use of ADAS dates back to 2011 when the company used its first system on a Honda Odyssey. Up until 2016, ADAS systems were offered a la carte. Over the last two years, consumers had the opportunity to order Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch as a full suite of products. With the release of the 2018 Accord, Honda introduced its first mass production vehicle to include the Honda Sensing Suite as standard equipment on all trim levels. This is regardless if it is the base model or the touring edition. “I do believe that’s probably going to continue as we release new models; we are going to see this become standard,” said Kaboos. “By 2022, we want to have our entire fleet equipped with this equipment.”
Collision Mitigation Braking Systems and Road Departure Mitigation The 2018 Acura RLX will be released in November and include a new ADAS feature—Traffic Jam Assist. “This is the first time Honda has equipped a vehicle with level 2 autonomous features,” said Kaboos. “This car will go from a complete stop and then accelerate and follow the car in front of it at a safe distance and keep
you in the lane without any input from the driver.” Honda is targeting 2025 for the introduction of vehicles with level 4 automation, which Kaboos said is nearly autonomous but includes a steering wheel and can be operated manually. Kaboos discussed four ADAS systems and when it is necessary to calibrate them:
Levels of Automation The Society of Automotive Engineers explains the five different levels of automation ranging from level 0 to 1— which includes some driver assist capabilities—to level 5 where the vehicle will be fully autonomous and have no steering wheel. Currently, the majority of Honda vehicles utilize level 1.
Three categories of level 1 ADAS: 1. Driver Information Systems: Blind Spot Information, Lane Watch and Cross Traffic Monitor 2. Preventative Measure Systems: Adaptive Cruise Control, ACC with Low Speed Follow, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist System 3. Avoidance Assistance Systems:
30 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
We thank KTVZ NewsChannel 21 for reprint permission.
See ADAS, Page 66
We’re Looking for a Few Old Shops! Do you think you have the oldest, continuously-operated body shop in your area? Would you like to see your shop’s colorful history in print? If so, we want to hear from you. A Autobody News and collision industry journalist Gary Ledoux are working on a joint project to find, and highlight the oldest continuously operated body shops in America. Some shops may have sstarted out in the early 1900’s as a blacksmith or carriage shop. Some may have started as a mechanical repair service at a parking garage in New York or San Francisco during the 1920’s, and then turned to body work. In the latter part of the 1940’s, many ex-servicemen started body shops with skills they learned working on GI trucks and equipment. There are so many unique and interesting stories out there that should be recorded and preserved for posterity. Each qualifying shop submitted will be highlighted in Ledoux’ forthcoming book; YesterWreck: The History of Collision Repair in America. The estimated publishing date is the first quarter of 2019. No book of this sort has ever been published for the collision industry. This is a unique opportunity to be part of something special. Ledoux will provide a signed, first-edition copy of the book, upon its publishing, to any shop whose photos are used in the book. In addition, Ledoux will contact one shop from each of the five regions served by Autobody News for a complete interview and a feature story to be run in that region’s edition of the magazine. What To Send If you think you have the oldest continuously-operated body shop in your state please send us: • Shop’s Name • Address / City State and Zip • Phone number • Email address • Current owner’s name • A brief history of the shop, most importantly what year the shop was founded. Include the month if you know it. • Two to three photos of the shop, especially from its earliest days with any recognizable persons identified. These could be a picture of the front of the building, a group shot of everyone that worked in the shop at the time, people working on cars in the shop, etc. All photos should be scanned as a JPG with a minimum of 300 DPI. (Please do not take a telephone picture of a photo. The quality of such a photo cannot be satisfactorily reproduced.) All people in the photos should be identified if possible. Please send all information via email to yesterwreck@yahoo.com. For any questions, please contact Gary Ledoux @ yesterwreck@yahoo.com
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Parts Dept. 510-372-2800 Hours: M-F 7:30-6 / Sat 9-4 24644 Mission Blvd., Hayward, CA 94544 www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 31
Continued from Page 24
Repair Data
Fig 10 for example of the weld penetration. The body shop welded two frame extensions using .024 welding wire and 120 volt MIG welder (See Fig 11).
Figure 12
The other frame extension fell off after two days. Did the shop pull down the data? What you see in Fig 12 is the lack of penetration (red circle) on 3/16
wrong wire and wrong welder. What would your defense be if you had to go to court? What you are looking at is a 2009 Honda CRV in Fig 13. The body shop glued the replacement roof without reviewing the Honda OEM repair data (same scenario as the John Eagle Collision case). The OE procedures called for welding the roof. What you see is the roof separating from the side aperture. The body shop said that there was an adhesive failure, but when confronted with the OE repair data, the owner took full responsibility for repairs (had to buy another new roof). What do all three of the vehicles have in common? (See Fig 14). They are all 2017 Chevrolet models (Traverse, Volt and Malibu). All three have different procedures for replacing a damaged roof panel.
leaves you with your butt hanging in the wind. I want to look a little closer at
Figure 13
Honda and its latest information. Do you know if Honda has a position statement on windshields?
The answer is yes. In December 2016, Honda issued a service news release article titled Aftermarket Replacement Windshields. It starts with the header “Affected Vehicles.” It then states “All models with Honda sensing systems.” “Replacing a windshield on a vehicle equipped with any of these Honda Sensing Systems:
• Chevrolet Malibu—OEM procedures call for STRSW, MIG plug and MIG weld brazing for the roof installation • Chevrolet Volt—OEM procedures call for STRSW, MIG plug welds and qdhesive • Chevrolet TraverseOEM procedures call for STRSW & MIG Figure 12a. Weld the joint completely around the perimeter, plug if fit and alignment are correct, using a Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding machine capable of producing a minimum of Yes, you could use 200 amps. Use 0.9-1.1 mm (0.035-0.045 in) ER70S-3 or any method of at- Figure 14 equivalent weld wire that is compatible with mild (Society tachment that you of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 1010) steel deem fit, but remember, you mild steel using a .024 wire with 120 will have to live with the repairs for volt welder. Now let’s see what Ford years to come and you could be held
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) • Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
Figure 14a
Figure 16. 2 Door Honda Civic
repair information has to say. You can see where the shop failed. They did not weld completely, used the
liable for injuries that may result in a future accident. Not following and/or documenting the repair procedures
32 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW) • Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) • Road Departure Mitigation (RDM)
Make sure it’s an OEM replacement windshield. Depending on the model and trim level, these systems either use a camera that’s mounted behind the rearview mirror, or a combination of that camera and a radar unit mounted behind the front bumper or grille. Installing an aftermarket windshield may cause these systems to work abnormally (the camera won’t aim. We also point this out in the owner’s manual).” Scott Kaboos, American Honda collision manager, sent me this docu-
Figure 15
ment from the 2018 Honda Accord repair manual. The most important part to you, as an owner, manager and/or estimator, is the first bullet point. No repairs to the bumper in the area in front of the rear radar units. You may also want to consider not using an aftermarket bumper cover (could be thicker than the original part) or an exchange cover from a bumper recycler (again, you do not know what is underneath the primed repair bumper
cover). It should be noted that there are similar statements by other OEMs. In the 2018 Accord body repair
information, Honda states that the hood is made from aluminum. “To prevent galvanic corrosion, some fasteners for aluminum parts are considered one-time use and must be replaced if removed as specified in the elec-
Figure 17. 4 Door Honda Civic
tronic service manual or body repair manual.” Again, you will need to read the OEM repair data prior to writing an estimate. Fig 15 shows MIG/MAG welding only at approved locations as specified
in the BRM (Body Repair Manual). Again, you need to print out the documentation and make sure that your tech is following the OEM printed instructions. Also in the welding specifications, Honda states, “The welding wire
steel parts”. Repeating myself, you will need to go to the Honda website and determine which parts are equal to or less than 440 MPa steel. Scott Kaboos also gave me a heads up on 2015 Honda Civic rear rails. The rear frame rail on the 2-door is 590 MPa steel, whereas the rail on the 4-door is 1500 MPa steel. The five-door hatch is a whole other animal. You will need different welders, wire and repair procedures for all three vehicles. It is imperative that you have the repair procedures before writing an estimate and that your technician understands the procedures before beginning the repair process. All I can say is that you need to obtain and review repair data every time you repair a vehicle that has been in an accident. Protect yourself, and more importantly, protect your customer.
used must have a tensile strength equal to or greater than the lowest tensile strength of the parts being welded. Typically, ER70S-6 wire has the minimum tensile strength of 483 MPa. It can be used when welding 440 MPa
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Major Car Companies Settle Takata Airbag Lawsuit for $553 Million
Legal-Bay, The Pre Settlement Funding Company, reported that four major car manufacturers have resolved a class action lawsuit with more than $550 million in payouts. The settlement was resolved last spring, but additional lawsuits are currently being filed. Most recently, a $68.2 million settlement has been proposed with the Subaru Corporation. The plaintiffs claim that the automotive giant manufactured, distributed or sold certain vehicles containing allegedly defective air bags manufactured by the Takata Corporation. The faulty devices could allegedly rupture upon inflation, causing damage to the vehicle’s occupant compartment and/or affect deployment altogether. Chris Janish, CEO of LegalBay, says, “The Takata Airbag cases have been lingering for some time. It is tragic that some of the car and truck accidents resulted in wrongful death cases, and it seems Takata is starting to take some responsibility. However, many personal injury cases are still moving through the court system throughout the country.”
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 33
ASA-Northwest’s 2018 ATE Set To Be Another Success by Chasidy Rae Sisk
ASA-Northwest will be holding its 11th annual Automotive Training Expo (ATE) on March 16—18 at the SeaTac Doubletree Hotel in SeaTac, WA. Known as the West Coast’s largest event of its kind, this year’s ATE will feature up-to-date training, keynote speakers, the industry’s latest technology, unparalleled networking opportunities and several exhibitors. According to Jeff Lovell, President and Executive Director for ASANorthwest, “Our annual ATE is one of our association’s most rewarding events, and the response we’ve received from the industry has been amazing. Our ATE has been nationally recognized as one of the best training events in the country! Our 2017 event was the fourth sold-out ATE in a row with more than 650 attendees going through three days of training and more than 900 industry professionals attending, and the 2018 ATE is shaping up to be just as successful. “This event is run by ASA-Northwest members, and without their support, it would never happen. The education committee, headed by Brian Smith and Butch Jobst, has been setting up another great year of training with the likes of Richard Flint, Jeremy O’Neal, Cecil Bullard, Gary Smith and Scott Brown, just to name a few.” ATE 2018 will feature more than 60 management and technical courses taught by the industry’s leading instructors. Friday morning’s offerings include “13 Advanced Sales Strategies” by Cecil Bullard, “6 Steps to Embracing Change” with Richard Flint, John Burkhauser’s “Leveraging Technology to Boost Your Bottom Line,” “Avoid Expensive Diagnostic Mistakes” from Gary Smith, Barry Barrett’s “Selling Needed Maintenance Service,” and “BMW Valvetronic Variable Valve Life” from Scott Manna. The morning classes will also provide the options of Bob Pattengale’s “Bosch Common Rail Diesel,” Rick Kelley’s “Duramax LML and LGH Diesel,” Greg Courter’s “EVAP Diagnostics,” Brent Deffel’s “Fluid Leaks and Sealing Solutions,” Brian Chaffe’s “Simplifying Electronics and Bus System Operation,” and “Mode $06 Diagnostics Beyond DTCs” by Scott Shotton. Following Friday’s lunch keynote presentation on “Personal Responsibility” by Dan Gilley, attendees will have
12 options for their afternoon training. Danny Sanchez will teach “Building a Winning Culture,” Barry Barrett will focus on “Communication Wins for the Shop and the Customer,” and “Digital Tools for Automotive Professionals” will be taught by Scott Brown. Jeremy O’Neal will discuss “Sales, Profits and Your Effective Labor Rate,” while Randy Briggs covers “Advanced Driver Assistance Systems,” Scot Manna presents on “BMW Driveability Diagnostics,” and Donny Seyfer lectures on “Creation of the Modern Engine.” Additional offerings include Rick Kelley’s “Cummins 5.9L & 6.7L Theory and Diagnostics,” Eric Ziegler’s “Immobilizer and Anti-Theft System Diagnosis,” Scott Shotton’s “Introduction to Digital Storage Oscilloscopes,” Ken Zanders’ “Introduction to Ford Hybrids,” and Bob Pattengale’s “Unlock the Power of Global 0BD2 for European Vehicles.” Friday’s training will conclude with ATE’s annual “Fred Says— Roundtable Meeting for Educators,” providing a forum for automotive educators to share their thoughts and ideas as well as updates in NATEF, ASE and AYES. Richard Flint will begin Saturday morning with his breakfast keynote, titled “Your Future Belongs to You!” A dozen training classes will be held on Saturday morning, including Flint’s “Finding the Right People for Your Company,” Cecil Bullard’s “Marketing for Today,” Barry Barrett’s “Team Building Between Advisors and Techs,” and Dan Gilley’s “Understanding Financials.” Dave Scaler will teach “AC Comeback Analysis,” Gary Smith will cover “Advanced GCI Diagnosis and Theory,” Brian Chaffe will look at “BMW M57 Diesel Engine Technology,” and Craig Shippy will present “Introduction to 0DIS for VM/Audi.” Courses will also be held by Scot Manna on “Logical Diagnostics 3,” Scott Shotton on “Scan Data Analysis for Drivability Diagnosis,” Adam Robertson on “Scan Tool Modern Air/Fuel Management,” and Eric Ziegler on “U Codes and Network Diagnostics.” During lunch on Saturday, a panel of industry experts will discuss the industry’s future. This panel consists of Carm Capriotto, Jerry Smith, Donny Seyfer, and Scott Brown. Another dozen training sessions will be available on Saturday afternoon: “Continuing on the
34 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Power of Working Together,” Bob Pattengale’s “Advanced/Essential Skills for Sensors & Actuator Diagnosis,” Ken Zanders’ “GM Network Communications,” Adam Robertson’s “Hybrid Motor and Diagnostics,” Eric Ziegler’s “Leveraging Technologies to Streamline Diagnosis & Repair,” Dave Scaler’s “Practical Mechanical Engine Diagnosis—Using Tools You Already Own,” Greg Couter’s “Refrigeration Diagnostics and Service Procedures,” Scott Shotton’s “Transmission Diagnostics for the Non-Trans Tech,” and Craig Shippy’s “Volkswagen/Audi 1.8 & 2.0 New Engines.” The expo floor at ATE 2018 will be open on Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 17 from 4—8 p.m. with more than 50 vendors offering the year’s best deals and the industry’s foremost consultants, products and suppliers showcasing. Attendees will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar, plus they’ll be eligible for thousands of dollars in gifts and prizes. This year’s confirmed exhibitors include AESWave.com, ATI, Electude USA, Fast Undercar, Jasper
Path to Earning 20%+/-“ by Cecil Bullard, “Measure, Manage, Market” by Dan Gilley, “The Profitable Service Advisor” by Jeremy O’Neal, “The Telephone—Lifeline or Distraction” by Barry Barrett, “6.7 Ford Powerstroke Diesel” by Brent Delfel, “Engine Mechanical Diagnosis with Electronic Equipment” with Eric Ziegler, “Essential Skills in Electrical Diagnostics” by Bob Pattengale, “GM Chassis System” with Gregory Couter, “GM MOST Protocol” by Ken Zanders, “Start/Stop Technologies” with Randy Briggs, “Technical Business Class” by Dave Scaler, and “Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems” from Adam Robertson. The final day of ASA-Northwest’s 2018 ATE will commence with Gary Smith’s breakfast keynote on “Diagnostic Prowess: How Insane is YOUR Brain?” The morning will offer 13 training sessions. Gary Smith will teach “Diagnostic Sales & Technical Stuff – What You Need to Know,” Rena Reenebohm will present “Fishing for Millennials,” and Jeremy O’Neal will cover “Hi 5’s and Hugs.” Classes will also include Rod Stephen’s “HR Danger Zones,” Richard Flint’s “The
See ASA-Northwest, Page 60
The right part makes the difference.
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 35
H OND A C AL I FO RN I A
AutoNation Honda Co sta M es a
866-411-4759 714-434-5270 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-7; Sat 8-5 kleines@autonation.com
AutoNation Honda Roseville Ro se vi l l e
800-262-3201 916-783-5628 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5:30 autonationhondaparts@hotmail.com
Barber Honda Ba ke rs fie l d
661-396-4235 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30 bestchoice@barberhonda.com
First Honda Si m i Va l l e y
888-523-0698 805-584-6646 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-5 hondaparts@firstautogroup.com
Galpin Honda M i ssi o n H i l ls
800-GO GALPIN 818-778-2005 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-2 mteeman@galpin.com
Honda Cars of Corona Co ro n a
800-557-3652 951-734-9045 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 7-5 terry.love@pscauto.com
AC U RA C AL I FO RN I A
Acura of Fremont F rem o n t
888-435-0504 510-431-2560 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-5 mike.ohare@acuraoffremont.com
Acura of Pleasanton Pl e a sa n to n
888-985-6342 925-251-7126 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-6 mitch.cash@hendrickauto.com
36 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Please contact these dealers for your Honda or Acura Genuine parts needs. C AL IFOR N I A
CAL IFO RNIA
C ALIF OR N IA
WASH I NG TO N
Honda of Hollywood
Pacific Honda
University Honda
Ho llywo o d
S an Die go
D av i s
Au b ur n
800-371-3719 323-466-3205
858-565-9402
253-288-1069
jgardiner@pacifichonda.com
800-585-8648 530-758-8770
Robertson Honda
Dept. Hours: M-Sat 8-6; Sun 8-5 dfortier@uhdavis.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6 parts@hondaofhollywood.com
Nor t h Ho lly wo od
Honda of Oakland Oa kl a nd
510-547-8047
800-508-3894 818-301-3511 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-8; Sat 7-6
Honda of Pasadena Pa sa de na
800-433-0676 626-683-5880 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4
Larry H. Miller Honda B o is e
888-941-2218 208-947-6060
S an Fra nc is co
415-913-5125 Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5 partsws@sfhonda.com
Scott Robinson Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-4:30 rickb@hinshaws.com
Honda of Fife
IDAH O
San Francisco Honda
Hinshaw’s Honda
F i fe
888-229-2956 253-922-3331 Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6 Sat 8-5; Sun 8-4 parts@hondaoffife.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5
McCurley Integrity Honda
N EVAD A
Findlay Honda
Ri ch l a nd
Honda of the Desert
To rra nc e
Ca the dra l City
310-371-8320
760-770-0828
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6:30; Sat 7-5 mluna@scottrobinson.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 8-5 fsanchez@findlayauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 8-5:30; Sat 8-4 hondaparts@mccurley.net
Selma Honda
Findlay Honda Henderson
South Tacoma Honda
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7-5 mpartridge@honda111.com
Larry Hopkins Honda
S el m a
Su nnyva le
800-717-3562 559-891-5111
408-720-0221 408-736-2608 Dept. Hours: M-Sat 8-5 parts1@hopkinsdirect.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 7:30-4:30 hondapartsmgr@selmaautomall.com
Sierra Honda
Metro Honda
Mo nrov i a
M ontcl a ir
800-322-8540 626-932-5614
800-446-5697 909-625-8960 Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30; Sat 7:30-4 wholesaleparts@metrohonda.com
Ocean Honda
South Bay Honda Mi lpit as
877-475-1142 408-324-7460
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-4:30 mickw@oceanhondasantacruz.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5 parts@southbayhonda.com
C AL IFOR N I A
CAL IFO RNIA
H e nd e r so n
Tac o ma
888-234-4498 702-568-3531
888-497-2410 253-474-7541
Dept. Hours: M-F 7-6; Sat 8-5 fhhparts@findlayauto.com
Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-6; Sat 8-5 bgregory@southtacomahonda.com
ORE GON
Lithia Honda of Medford
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Dept. Hours: M-F 7:30-5:30 wholesaleparts@metrohonda.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 37
OE Shop Certification
OE Certification Programs — Ford with Gary Ledoux
For this month’s OE certification profile, we spoke with Ford’s Lisa Fournier, Collision Product Manager, and Dean Bruce, Collision Marketing Manager. ABN: Does your program have a specific name? When was it started?
Ford: Our program started in 2014 as, more or less, an internal program for Ford and Lincoln dealers only. We wanted our dealers with body shops to be “aluminum-capable” with the proper tools, equipment, a separate area for aluminum repair and so forth. This was all handled internally with our national staff and our own field personnel. Eventually, we knew we had to expand it, so in 2015 it became the Ford National Body Shop Network. This gave us a more public presence.
ABN: What is the main purpose of the program?
Ford: The main purpose is to assist consumers with the ability to identify a Certified Repair Provider that possesses the proper tools, equipment, facilities and trained staff required to repair automobiles to manufacturers’ specifications ensuring the fit, finish, durability, value and safety of the vehicle. ABN: What are the program requirements?
Ford: There is a comprehensive list of requirements. For space and brevity, we will highlight some of the most important [ones]. First, the shop must meet certain business requirements, like being in business for at least five years or having a valid credit rating. They must also have Garage Keepers Insurance, have an electronic p-pages estimating system and offer customers a limited lifetime warranty on their work. The shop must be customercentric, use a third-party CSI system and utilize a rental car provider. The shop must be I-CAR Gold Class or equivalent, have a frame rack, spray booth and the ability to access OE repair procedures and document the same. The shop must have a couple of specific welders and must be able to document that someone is trained on
Gary Ledoux is an industry veteran with 48 years’ experience in the automotive and OEM collision parts industry. His column appears exclusively in Autobody News. He can be reached at YesterWreck@yahoo.com
their use. There is an additional list of requirements for those shops that wish to be approved for aluminum repair. ABN: What are the program benefits?
Ford: Ford’s national network of certified dealer-owned and independent body shops helps ensure that consumers have a certified choice should they need to get their Ford vehicle repaired. The consumer still has a choice, but now
they have a complete national blanket of certified body shops to choose from. This coverage creates the basis for a Consumer Referral Program (CRP). With national coverage, Ford can promote collision care providers based upon quality, safety and proper repairs. This is especially critical with the introduction of the F150 and Super Duties; built with an innovative, high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body. Shops with the right tools, equipment, training and modified facilities can distinguish themselves from those that do not have what it takes. Some of the benefits for Ford-certified dealerowned and independent body shops are: • Leverage Ford Brand: Official Ford-Certified signage • Official Ford Certification badges to promote and market the shop through use in marketing, advertising, social media, online and recruiting. • Collision Care Marketing Tools: Access to a suite of Collision Care marketing materials to differentiate Certified Collision Repair Business from local competition, including press releases and Official Ford Certification signage. • Online Shop Locators & Appointment Requests: Benefit from being listed on multiple locators, including: Ford’s Consumer & Owner-Certified Shop Locators, Assured Performance’s Consumer & Insurance-Certified Shop Locators, Ford’s & Assured Performance’s Consumer Collision Care Smartphone Apps. • Ford Owner Marketing: Your Cer-
38 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
tified Collision Repair Business will be marketed as a preferred repair provider by Ford Motor Company to its consumers. This includes: Digital Display, Online Videos, 1:1 Owner Communications. • Ford Vehicle Owner Referrals: On-Demand Marketing, new vehicle owner referrals, insurer referrals, etc. • Ford Collision Consumer Education: Ford’s consumer education marketing highlights the importance of using OEM parts and a Ford-Certified Collision Repair location. • Business Improvement: Process and feedback to ensure your shop continues to have what it takes to properly repair the new generation of Ford and Lincoln vehicles. ABN: What shops are eligible?
Ford: Any Ford dealer-owned or independent body shop that meets the general certification requirements and the Ford aluminum-specific requirements are eligible. ABN: Are any shops specifically ineligible?
Ford: Dealer body shops that are nonFord branded that are on non-Ford dealer sites are not eligible to be in the Ford National Body Shop Network. Any shop that does not meet the general certification requirements or the additional Ford aluminum requirements will not be eligible for the Ford National Body Shop Network.
ABN: Must an independent shop be sponsored by a dealer? (If so, has that caused any problems?) Ford: Yes, all body shops that want to enroll in the Ford National Body Shop Network must have a Ford dealer sponsor. This requirement has not caused any issues to date.
ABN: Do you have any program partners such as Axalta, VeriFacts, Summit, Assured Performance or other? If so, what role do they play? Ford: Yes, Assured Performance is our partner and they handle all the shop
audits and the logistics. Once an audit has been completed and any gaps identified, Assured Performance follows up with the shop until the gaps have been satisfied.
ABN: Besides Assured Performance, do you have your own Ford field personnel to help drive the program?
Ford: We have our own Zone Managers that primarily call on our dealers and then another set of wholesale specialist representatives who call on the large wholesaling dealers. But neither of them work specifically on the certification program.
ABN: Do you have a magazine or some sort of periodical you share with your network shops? Ford: Yes, we send out a newsletter to all our network shops.
ABN: What is the fee for the program? Does the program run on an annual basis?
Ford: There is a $2,950 base certification fee for independent shops with an additional $500 marketing fee specifically for Ford. There is a $1,950 base certification fee for Ford dealer-owned body shops. There is no applicable Ford marketing fee for this group of shops and yes, the program runs on an annual basis. ABN: Do you inspect every shop and if so, who does the inspections?
Ford: Every shop is inspected once a year by Assured Performance people.
ABN: Is there an optimum number of shops you want to have and if so, how close are you to reaching that number?
Ford: Yes, we would like to have 100 percent coverage in every rural and suburban major market area and build a sustainable national network with complete demographic and geographic coverage. We plan to be at 100 percent penetration in 2018. Right now, the network is growing well organically because shops are inquiring about it on
their own, or the dealers are pushing it or Assured Performance is pushing it. With that said, we would like to see a few more dealers step up. ABN: Have you had any shops drop out, and if so, why?
Ford: A few have dropped out since inception. Most have continued in the program because they find value in the network and have already made the investment. ABN: What has been the biggest challenge in establishing the network?
Ford: The biggest opportunity, for our or any OE certification program, is overcoming apathy within the industry. While approximately 10–15 percent of the industry is well on its way to becoming OEM-certified (3,500 to 5,000 shops), the rest remain fixed on the past. Many shops claim they have a great reputation in their market and generate plenty of work without the cost of compliance and certification credentials. Many operate outside of the mainstream and don’t feel they’re part of the equation. A massive percentage of the market
focuses on cosmetic repairs and/or low-cost, consumer-paid repairs and wrongly assume they don’t have to have the OEM-required tools, equipment and training to still be able to repair the next generation of vehicles. In addition, many shop owners see OE certification as another form of a DRP program. They want to see a return on their investment right away. They not only spent the money for the cost of the program, but may have spent thousands in equipment [costs]— and now they want to see truckloads of damaged Fords showing up at their door. The challenge is in getting the shops to understand that this is a longterm commitment. Over time, there will be plenty of aluminum Ford trucks to repair, and because they got in on the program now, they will be in the best position to make those repairs and will be established as the go-to shop in their town. They are building today for a better future tomorrow. Unfortunately, not all shops can see that.
ABN: What is your biggest challenge in maintaining the network? Ford: The aluminum F-150 launched in 2015, so for the first year or so, shops
were not seeing an abundance of these aluminum trucks coming through their shops. So, it was a major challenge for the shops to see value in making an aluminum tool and equipment investment as part of the requirements to be Fordcertified (in addition to the general certification requirements). Most shops thought the Ford National Body Shop Network was valuable and wanted to enroll and be a part of the network, but they were “waiting” to get Ford-certified until they saw more F-150s coming through. Fast-forward to today—Shops are starting to see a rise in the number of aluminum vehicles coming through shops for repairs. We are also starting to see a rise in shops enrolling in the Ford National Body Shop Program. This only strengthens the importance of having a Ford National Body Shop Network. Shops see the value of being aluminum-capable. ABN: What do you see for the future of OE certification programs?
Ford: Some shops don’t see the value of Ford’s, or others’ certification programs because they may not bring immediate results. We started our programs the year the aluminum F150s came out,
and of course it took a while for shops to start seeing them. Now, our Super Duty models are aluminum. Moving forward, other models in the Ford truck line will have high aluminum content. So for us, the future will bring more models, advancing technology, new repair procedures and more reason to be part of a certified program. The future of the OE certification programs will be stronger and, more than ever, the backbone to ensuring vehicles are properly repaired to protect the consumers. With vehicles becoming more advanced in material and technology, coupled with the introduction of telematics, the OEM is going to be playing a bigger role in the collision business. Author’s Note: In June 2015, Waikem Auto Body in Massillon, OH, reportedly received the first heavily damaged aluminum 2016 F150 truck in the country. The truck was a highline, King Ranch model—about a $70,000 truck. The truck’s owner tried to drive the truck into a car wash that was not high enough, shearing off the roof, the rear of the uniside and the inner structure. The truck had only 4,000 miles on it. The repairs came to around $17,000.
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Historical Snapshot
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
Industry Foundation Helped Storm Victims 5 Years Ago, Continues Today with John Yoswick
20 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 1998) A new Collision Industry Conference (CIC) committee has been established to consider alternatives to the current method of calculating refinish materials. The committee, which will include representatives of all segments of the industry, was proposed by California shop owner Al Estorga. Estorga said that late last year he attended a two-day meeting on the issue organized by Motor Information Systems. “At the end of the (meeting), it was evident to everyone in the room that we needed to try to find an industry solution,” Estorga said.
In 1998, California shop owner Al Estorga proposed that the industry develop an alterative to the existing method of calculating refinish materials, and was involved at CIC in developing some industry best practices for estimating
Motor’s Phil Cunningham said his company hopes to avoid the confusion that could result from the development of multiple refinish materials calculation methodologies. “You’d have Mitchell’s solution and Motor’s, and I’m sure that ADP will jump into the fray and they will develop their own,” Cunningham said. “So then you’d have three solutions out there and a lot of confusion. What we thought would be prudent is if before we take off down the road to develop our own solution, we should have a dialogue that says, ‘Can we have an industry solution that everyone can work with and avoid the confusion?’” The committee will have to address several concerns raised by CIC participants before moving further. First, any antitrust or other legal issues involved in such an undertaking will have to be reviewed. Second, CIC participants questioned whether the methodology can change without changing the bottom line dollar figure, something that is
likely to be opposed by either shops or insurers. “But if we don’t do it, we’re going to end up with three systems,” CIC Chairman Erick Bickett said. – As reported in The Golden Eagle. A wide variety of alternative methods of calculating refinish materials have been proposed over the years, but no single one has gained widespread usage. Only about 1-in-5 shops, for example, report using an alternative materials calculator / invoicing system.
15 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2003) Collision repair shops are being asked to review their sales records for all non-OEM hoods manufactured by Jui Li for the 1995–2000 Toyota Tacoma and purchased between August 1997 and last March, and to notify those vehicle owners that the hood, which was CAPA-certified, is being recalled. About 5,000 of the hoods could be involved in the voluntary recall, which is the first formal recall of a non-OEM crash part. It was found that if the primary hood latch is not engaged, the secondary latch on the part may not be positioned properly to prevent the hood from flying up. The look into the part was launched last spring after it was reported that the secondary safety latch on one such hood failed during a shop test drive of a vehicle. Investigation by CAPA and the distributor found the distance between the striker and the secondary hood latch was off by about one-tenth of an inch, enough to keep the latch from catching sufficiently to hold. – As reported in Northwest Automotive Journal. Both CAPA and parts certifier NSF have developed partstracking mechanisms for the nonOEM parts they certify to assist in any recall of such parts.
10 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2008) A U.S. House subcommittee held a hearing last week on whether patent law changes are needed to protect certain industries. A coalition of insurers and non-OEM parts makers and sellers is calling for a change to allow use of a matching exterior part to repair a vehi-
40 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
cle without infringing on patents the automakers hold on particular OEM parts. Speaking at the hearing on behalf of several consumer groups, Jack Gillis told lawmakers the change is
In 2008, non-OEM parts proponent Jack Gillis testified at a Congressional hearing on legislation that would have reduced automakers’ ability to use design patents to restrict competition from non-OEM versions of crash parts
needed to maintain competition in the face of increasing patent filings by automakers, which, if allowed to stand, will drive up parts prices and the number of vehicles declared totals.
“Ford charges the same price for a fender as Dell charges for a high speed computer, flat screen monitor and color printer,” Gillis told lawmakers. “A simple grill for your Toyota costs the same as a combination flat screen TV and DVD player. A Sears refrigerator-freezer with an icemaker is the same price as an unpainted door skin from Chrysler.” – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), February 18, 2008. The non-OEM parts industry has continued to fight for federal legislation that would slash design patent protection automakers’ hold on crash parts; the legislation was most recently the subject of a Congressional hearing in early 2016. Contrary to concerns raised by Gillis, however, the percentage of vehicles declared a total loss has remained fairly steady—between 14 percent and 17 percent throughout the last decade.
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 41
Product Innovation The Legend of Lavell Chisum, Creator of the Chief EZ Liner with Ed Attanasio
If there were a Hall of Fame for the inventors of collision repair equipment, there would be a whole wing named after Lavell Chisum, 92, the creator of the Chief EZ Liner. With rudimentary tools and a lot of common sense coupled with a burning passion to create things, Chisum’s frame machine is being used in body shops all over the planet. 2018 marks the 50th anniversary of Lavell taking the legendary original EZ Liner frame machine to market. The story all began when Chisum’s scholastic career ended at fifth grade because of his father’s travels throughout Texas to fix cars in the 1940s, which wasn’t ideal for his school schedule, he recalled. “I must have changed schools 13 times, which sure didn’t help anything. My dad was going around to small towns and fixing their wrecks,” Chisum said. “But there weren’t many cars in
age, Alaska in the 1960s, Chisum began to see a definite need for straightening frames precisely and quickly, so he started looking around for a viable solution. “I had it all in my head for several years before I invented it,” he said. “One day, I thought if this thing works, boy, it would help me. I was not doing the kind of quality work that I wanted to, so I started coming in on weekends and designing the machine.” At first, Chisum drew lines on the floor of his shop to lay out the machine and then began experimenting with different set-ups and configurations. Then he ordered some metal and a hydraulic pump and began using it in the shop. Rather quickly, Glacier Lincoln Mercury in Anchorage brought him pickups to straighten and soon, they wanted one of his machines for themselves. “The people at the dealership hired me to operate the machine at their shop, and that was a great place to test it and develop it even more,” he said. “I did that there for a full year, and then started looking around for a facility where I could mass produce them. I made the first few in my front yard and my neighbors weren’t real happy about that, so I began looking Chisum manufactured the EZ Liner for many years before for somewhere else to build selling the patent to Chief Automotive in 1972 them.” each little town, so he’d have to drive To show the world his new invento the next one and fix their wrecks.” tion, Chisum decided to crash the party Chisum’s journey took him at an automotive equipment show in through a handful of states as a youth, Los Angeles in 1968. including Alabama, Texas, New Mex“There were six or seven frame ico, Oklahoma, Colorado and even machine companies there, so I talked Alaska, among others. At age 18, he to all of them, including Bear, Marwas working for body shops during quette, Whitney and Guy Chart,” the week while competing in rodeos Chisum said. “Nobody got excited on the weekends, he said. about it, except for one guy from Min“I would go to shops to get work neapolis who understood what I was and they would tell me that I wasn’t old doing. They had a machine that was enough,” he said. “Age doesn’t have too big and it required a pit in the anything to do with it, I told them, and ground. He took me up to his suite at pretty quick they could see I knew what the trade show and showed me what I was doing. For nine years, I was a bull they were doing with the Marquette rider on the rodeo circuit and I got machine, and I thought, ‘Mine is betgood. After working with all of those ter!’ So, I began working with a combody shop owners, those bulls never pany that started making the machines scared me at all.” for me.” While running a shop in AnchorSo, after selling everything that
42 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
he owned in Alaska and relocating to Minneapolis, Chisum hit the road to see if shops were actually using the EZ Liner. When he discovered that shops didn’t even know about the ma-
Lavelle Chisum invented the Chief EZ Liner in 1968, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year
chine, he realized that the company in Oklahoma building his machines wasn’t out there selling them. So, he went to a series of banks trying to get enough money to make them himself, and finally got lucky at the First National Bank in Claymore, OK, which gave him $5,000. Once he got his funding in place and took responsibility for the manufacturing, Chisum’s EZ Liner took off, and today is one of the most popular frame repair systems ever made. Chisum was honored as the Inventor of the Year in 1982 by the Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association, in addition to winning other awards for his invention. Today, it is used in body shops in all 50 states and throughout the world. In 1972, he sold the EZ Liner’s patent to Chief Automotive, and two years later the company wanted to reSee Lavell Chisum, Page 50
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 43
Industry Insight with John Yoswick
—John Yoswick is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988. He is the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (for a free 4-week trial subscription, visit www.CrashNetwork.com). Contact him by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.
CCC Drops Proposed Charges, Makes Other ‘Secure Share’ Changes Following months of industry criticism as well as recent strategic announcements from its competitors, CCC Information Services said in late December that it was making significant changes to its new “Secure Share” data exchange requirements scheduled to go into effect in April.
ago, elements of “Secure Share” drew vowing to continue to support data and CDK Global—that dominate the fire from various segments of the inexchanges using EMS (while also market for dealership management sysdustry, often voiced at the quarterly moving toward using BMS) with no tems. In recent years, both Reynolds Collision Industry Conference (CIC) additional fees. and CDK implemented technology to meetings. “We see no compelling reason at block data scraping. The two compaCCC’s support for use of BMS this moment to stop supporting EMS,” nies, Authenticom’s antitrust suit al(rather than EMS) was widely praised, Rozint said at CIC in November. leges, also formed agreements to allow because the newer standard gives the “There is somewhere between 100 each other’s own data analytics subuser more control over which portions and 200 different services and appli- sidiaries—which compete with Auof the data from an estimate are shared. cations that consume EMS data today. thenticom—to access the data from the It can limit a parts vendor’s access, for Those applications and services are other company’s system, while pledgexample, to only the portions of the esfundamental to processing claims, re- ing not to help any other business gain timate needed to accurately fill the pairing cars and ensuring that our in- access to one another’s systems. CCC had said that beginning next parts order (while not including, as an dustry is operating efficiently without Those who had previously purspring, all CCC ONE collision repair EMS file does, data relative to the custhe need to rekey data. EMS can be chased compiled data from Authentishop estimate data transfers to third- tomer and labor times). communicated securely, as com said they have seen their monthly parties—such as shop management But critics felt CCC’s can BMS. Neither one of bill for such data rise from the $35 systems, rental car companies or CSI scheduled elimination of the them has inerrant security they had been paying Authenticom to providers—would have to go through option to use EMS as of built within. We don’t see any more than $700 to receive the data Secure Share (rather than shops sharApril 2018 was arbitrary and reason at this time to cut off from Reynolds or CDK. ing the data directly as they do now), unnecessary. Some thirdEMS, and so we won’t.” Authenticom’s lawsuit was the and those third-parties would have to party vendors not set up to reSecure Share was also facfirst, but not the only, related to data pay CCC $0.50 for each estimate they ceive data via BMS said that ing push-back from a variety sharing by CDK and Reynolds. Cox Jack Rozint received. CCC has now halted plans that change alone, even aside of segments of the industry. Automotive, the parent company of of Mitchell for the $0.50 toll. from the $0.50 fee they would General Motors’ John Eck, Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader and International said his company will The company also said that con- have to pay CCC for each esfor example, said his company Manheim, filed suit in December continue to support was concerned about the “imtrary to its announced plans, it will timate data file received, was against CDK, saying the company is the “EMS” data still allow such data transfers to be an undue expense. pact on the [parts] procurecolluding to eliminate competition in export file rather done via the commonly used “EstiOthers felt the mandatory ment process for our dealer the market for compiled data from than requiring the mate Management Standard (EMS)” transfer of data files through network.” Dan Friedman of dealership management systems. Other use of the newer “BMS” data data export file rather than requiring CCC gave the company too Enterprise said his company dealership groups and businesses that export file the use of the newer “Business Mesmuch control, in theory enwouldn’t participate in Secure rely on dealership data from those syssage Suite (BMS)” data export file. abling CCC to decide which third-party Share and vowed instead to “keep coltems also have filed similar suits This will allow third-party vendors or “applications” are laborating and partnering with busiagainst CDK or Reynolds. vendors more flexibility in in the system and able to renesses that believe in open technology implementing systems to acceive a shop’s data, as well as platforms.” CCC Moving Forward cept BMS files. which portions of the estimate Whether those lawsuits played into CCC also said it has they receive. Secure Share, Other Data-Sharing Lawsuits CCC’s decision is unclear. For its made changes to its terms of critics said, also gave CCC CCC’s about-face may also have been part, CCC is working to put a posiagreement in an effort to alunprecedented access to what influenced by some lawsuits related to tive spin on the changes it has made leviate some of the other information is being sent to data-sharing arrangements in another to the Secure Share program as the Mark Fincher of concerns voiced by industry which vendors, including automotive industry segment. AuthenApril deadline for its required use apCCC Information vendors. some CCC competitors. ticom is a “data scraper” that collects, proaches. Services said the company was “CCC is committed to “They will know which compiles and sells information from “Repairers and application dropping its plans facilitating efficient, collaboCSI companies are successdealership management systems, with providers will now have more choice for added fees and rative and secure communi- making changes to ful, and they will know who the permission of the dealers whose and flexibility in how they work with cation between our customers [those companies’] customers data it gathers. It is now suing two one another,” CCC’s Fincher said in other elements of and the business partners,” its “Secure Share” are,” Jack Rozint of Mitchell companies—Reynolds and Reynolds, announcing the company’s changes. data exchange CCC’s Mark Fincher said in International cited as an exsystem a written statement announcample, noting that CCC coming the changes. “We’ve had ongoing petes for business with other CSI Advertise in our CLASSIFIED SECTION discussions with customers and indusproviders in the industry. “And if they for $50 per column inch! try stakeholders on the best ways to do want to target those products and cusPlace an ad in our AUTOBODY MARKETPLACE that, and [this] announcement is in retomers, they now have a perfect platsection of Autobody News. sponse to that feedback.” form to do it.” Mitchell and AudaExplore also ltedesco@autobodynews.com added to the pressure on CCC to Change Faces Criticism Since first announced more than a year amend its plans for Secure Share by
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 45
The Sad Pathway to Airbag Injury by Gordon Gibb, LawyersandSettlements
As Takata Corp. and its creditors continue to grapple with bankruptcy proceedings in tandem with a continuation of the supply chain for badly needed replacement airbag inflators, it’s instructive to look back from whence we came with regard to airbag injuries, lawsuits and recalls. A lot has happened in three years. In November 2014, Bloomberg News (11/14/17) undertook an exhaustive investigation of defective airbags associated with the Takata airbag recall. At the time, about 11 million vehicles had been recalled in the US over exploding Takata airbags and the sometimes catastrophic injuries that occurred in association with airbag failure. Globally, the recall count was 17 million in November 2014. Just over three years later, that number has jumped to nearly 70 million. Hundreds have been injured. As for loss of life, there had been a handful of deaths reported globally in 2014. That number has jumped to 16 as of today. When compared to the massive
recall of vehicles that carry the potential for danger, 16 appears to be a statistically low number. However, safety advocates correctly say that even one death is one death too many—especially in view of the events that led to how we got here. In the last year or two, in the face of increasing incidents and press reports associated with the alleged (at the time) Takata wrongdoing, public awareness over the defective airbag issues has intensified in kind. However, in 2014 Bloomberg reported that Takata and some of its automotive clients were doing everything in their power to keep things under the radar. Bloomberg found that five out of 12 lawsuits reviewed by the news agency were settled out of court. “It’s very murky,” said Ralph Nader, who has been advocating for auto safety since the mid-1960s. “There’s a lot there that escapes NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), escapes Congress, escapes the media, escapes the consumer groups. The best information is usually coming out of product-liability suits, but they’re settling out. There haven’t been any public trials
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yet.” That was in 2014. Today, the lawsuits are mounting, Takata is a disgraced corporation and both vehicle owners and their manufacturers continue to scramble over replacing defective airbags in millions of vehicles before there are any additional injuries or deaths. As Takata goes through the various motions and machinations of bankruptcy, the focus is also on maintaining the capacity to manufacture replacement airbag inflators for those millions of recalled vehicles. It’s a ticking time bomb for anyone who drives or rides in a recalled vehicle. Back in 2014, when the issue broke wide open, The New York Times (11/19/14) detailed the circumstances that saw Takata favor the much less-expensive, but more volatile ammonium nitrate. “It shouldn’t be used in airbags,” said Paul Worsey, an expert in explosives engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, in comments to The New York Times in 2014. The compound, he said, is more suitable for large demolitions in mining and construction.
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“But it’s cheap, unbelievably cheap,” he added. The New York Times articulated the concerns of two former Takata engineers, who told the newspaper in 2014 that they, together with some other employees of Takata, had reservations about the use of ammonium nitrate. “It’s a basic design flaw that predisposes this propellant to break apart, and therefore risk catastrophic failure,” said Mark Lillie, a former senior engineer with Takata at its propellant plant in Moses Lake, Washington. “It was a question that came up: Ammonium nitrate propellant, won’t that blow up?” said Michael Britton, a chemical engineer who worked with Lillie at the Moses Lake plant. “The answer was: not if it stays in the right phase.” That reference to “the right phase” is telling, which we’ll get to in a moment. But first, as the Takata airbag injury issue continues to heat up, it’s instructive to drill down to the point at which Takata began to venture down the wrong path. Back in the day, airbag manufacSee Airbag Injury Path, Page 50
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Management Success Teaches Shops to Attract Business Using Social Media by Chasidy Rae Sisk
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, Management Success hosted a webinar titled “How to Use Social Media to Drive Traffic to Your Shop,” presented by Jim Saeli, Senior Consultant and Trainer, and Andre Darville, Senior Consultant specializing in social media and digital marketing. Saeli began by observing that the internet is so integrated in our daily lives that we can’t ignore it. Darville then pointed out that it has been made portable, so information can travel around with people everywhere they go. “With businesses, it’s about utilizing that information and maximizing your space to cast the widest possible net so people can find you. There’s much more opportunity these days,” Darville said. Social media and a strong online presence can help shops with car count, customer retention, public relations, becoming a DRP and finding employees. According to Darville, the two biggest reasons social media is ignored are a lack of knowledge and a lack of
time. The most popular social media sites are Facebook, Yelp, Google+ and Twitter. The Management Success team explored each site’s benefits for webinar attendees. Facebook boasts 214 million U.S. users, with the average adult spending more than 55 minutes per day on its website. Facebook allows shops to stay in contact with their customers, engaging them and “reminding them that you’re there for them. The more you work it, the more it works for you,” Darville said. “Getting your page claimed, properly set up and maintained is the solution,” Darville recounted. “Post something every single day. It only takes two to three minutes and can be related to anything. You can see what people like based on their feedback.” Some people love Yelp, while others hate it, but it has 84 million desktop visitors and 104 million mobile visitors, 80 percent of whom intend to make a purchase, and 98 percent of whom make purchases from Yelp businesses. However, “most businesses aren’t getting their fair share of this traffic,” Darville noted.
While there are 27.9 million small businesses in the U.S., Yelp only has 12 million small business listings, and only 2.1 million small business listings have been claimed, meaning nearly 10 million listings may not have accurate information. According to Darville, iPhone maps and Siri pull Yelp reviews so “it’s important to claim your page and ensure the information is correct, because customers are agitated when the information provided is wrong. Yelp also allows businesses to verify the services they offer, which is more effective.” Google+ has 300 million worldwide users and is ever-evolving, along with Google My Business. “Google+ is in the shadow of Yelp, but Google Maps and Android users use Google listings,” Darville said, and he also pointed out, “People use Google to search for things constantly, so claim your page to ensure they find your business. Google also takes related ratings into account and shares ratings from other sites, so it’s important to review and confirm your listing.” Social media is the modern version
of word-of-mouth, so it is imperative that businesses check their reviews regularly and calm angry customers who want to be heard in order to control the outside view of the shop. Darville advised against soliciting reviews since that can lead to being banned from the site. Saeli said, “The key thing is to deliver great customer service. Then, inform customers that you have social media and value their opinions, but don’t ask for a review if they had a bad experience until you fix it.” Darville added, “Don’t stress about negative reviews. Don’t respond publicly as the first course of action. Calm down and then figure out the best response. Sometimes, it works to apologize and offer to help, so attempt to resolve the situation directly with the customer in private. Sometimes, you can resolve the issue, and the customer will change their negative review to a positive review. “If that fails, respond publicly with an apology for the misunderstanding. Remember that the world is watching, so NEVER argue with the customer. See Management Success, Page 50
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Industry Training
Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
How an AMi-Accredited Designation Can Help Industry Professionals With Essential Skills with Stacey Phillips
When talking about industry training, most collision repairers typically assume such training is technically oriented. However, a survey conducted late last year by the Automotive Management Institute (AMi) found that more than 30 percent of the essential skills a technician should have includes listening, communication and interpersonal skills. The remaining 70 percent was shown to be technical knowledge and know-how. AMi President Jeff Peevy said AMi has found that most technicians tend to stay at the same shop longer if they don’t struggle with listening, communication and interpersonal skills. “If they lack developed skills in these areas, they tend to leave a shop in order to try to improve their environment because they don’t have the skills to talk or negotiate,” Peevy said. To address this widespread issue, AMi offers industry professionals the opportunity to receive certificates and designations in management, leadership and customer service. “We are working to become the overarching nonprofit that helps organize non-technical training for the industry,” said Peevy. Currently, there are approximately 2,200 AMi-designated professionals and 2,000 pursuing a certificate or designation. Whether an individual is looking to gain knowledge about customer service or become an accredited automotive manager or master-level estimator, a variety of AMi-accredited live courses are offered throughout the year at tradeshows such as NACE Automechanika and SEMA, as well as through associations. In addition, online training courses are available from industry experts such as Mike Anderson, Mike Cassatta, Frank Terlep and more. “We’re experiencing tremendous growth right now,” said Peevy. “Online alone is growing over 250 percent a year.” AMi was established in 1989. At the time, many business owners in the collision repair industry didn’t have experience in business administration and management. Leaders from the
Automotive Services Association (ASA) were looking for a way to formalize the training available. As a result, AMi was set up to be an industry collaborator and supporter of training
said Peevy. “We now have the ability to offer training providers their own branded learning portals to help them get their training to the market. The system works as a learning portal that trainers can use to advertise to their clientele as well as those who are working toward AMi credit.” Recently, the organization began awarding students credit for articles, videos and podcasts though the Alternate Methods of Learning (AML) After completing their credit hours, individuals may program. participate in an AMi cap-and-gown graduation ceremony “A lot professionals are readand are given a university-quality diploma ing, listening and watching providers and manage industry-recog- things they are learning from,” said nized, role-based verifiable profes- Peevy. “We created a program we refer sional designations. to as Alternative Methods of Learning Peevy, a prior senior director at I- to recognize all of the different ways CAR for 16 years, joined the national that professionals learn.” 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organOver the last couple of years, ization in 2015 as president, charged AMi designations have been divided with growing AMi’s offerings and relinto mechanical service repair and evance to the industry. “Hiring someone is risky,” said Peevy. “You can invest a lot in the wrong person and they can hinder or really hurt the culture in your business and its reputation.” He said that AMi seeks to minimize that risk and offer a way to give For Your Collision Job. better insight into the person being hired, their overall philosophy about Visit these Genuine being a professional and what they are Hyundai Parts Dealers: likely to know. “AMi provides verifiable, rolebased credentials for customer service reps, office managers, general manSo. California agers and estimators that you can actually confirm,” explained Peevy. RUSSELL WESTBROOK Rather than create its own HYUNDAI courses, AMi works closely with trainAnaheim ing providers to standardize their edu1271 S. Auto Center Dr. cation. 714-678-2049 “We’re a support mechanism for 714-533-1355 Fax them to help organize their training, so www.russellwestbrook it becomes meaningful and relevant hyundaiofanaheim.com education,” said Peevy. Training providers submit their course information to AMi, which then goes through a review process for approval. A learning management system was recently created by AMi to organize all of the courses offered. “Building content, especially online courses, can be very expensive, “
48 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
collision repair. The typical timeline to receive a designation varies from several months to several years. When individuals complete their credit hours, they may participate in a cap-andgown graduation ceremony and are given a university-quality diploma. By earning a professional designation, Peevy said it demonstrates that an individual is a continual learner, cares about maintaining his or her profession and has a way to verify it. “We can impact a lot of people’s lives who maybe didn’t go to college or have a certain level of education,” he said. After going through training and receiving a designation, Peevy said many professionals have found they have not only improved their skills, but have also grown their businesses. “The education I received through AMi helped me transition from a technician to [a] management [position],” See AMi-Accredited, Page 58
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Continued from Page 46
Airbag Injury Path
turers based their airbags on a propellant called sodium azide, which was volatile and toxic. Airbag manufacturers, including Takata, were looking for a safer alternative. They found it in a compound known as tetrazole, which was safer and environmentally friendly as well. Engineers at Takata saw it as the breakthrough they had been looking for, and they readied the updated product for their automotive manufacturing clients for the 1998 model year. But then, economics began to conflict with sound engineering principles. Tetrazole could only be manufactured in limited quantities, and tended to be expensive. Using tetrazole as an inflator compound may have met with a sound engineering profile. In the face of increasing competition for market share, Takata resumed the search for an alternative to sodium azide that would be less expensive than tetrazole and found one in ammonium nitrate. Engineers at Takata, however, Continued from Page 42
Lavell Chisum
turn it back to Chisum, he said. “They were having some trouble marketing it, but then they went out and hired a fella named Dick Mullen, who was a great sales rep and really
Little Lavelle (right) started out helping his father as he traveled throughout the Midwest to body shops fixing cars
turned it around. Pretty soon, the EZ Liners started selling like flapjacks,” Chisum said. The following year, Chisum
raised red flags, and they only had to go so far as to quote explosives manuals and journals to make their point as to the volatility of ammonium nitrate, which “tended to disintegrate on storage under widely varying temperature conditions” with “irregular ballistic” consequences said Lillie, the former Takata engineer. According to The New York Times in its report three years ago, ammonium nitrate cycles through five solid states. As the vehicle goes from receiving the heat of sunshine to the cold of night, the temperature swing is large enough for the ammonium nitrate to change from one phase to another. Remember Lillie’s earlier comment above, with regard to the acceptability of ammonium nitrate provided it stayed in the same phase? As it turns out, that’s doubtful—especially in areas of high humidity. [Which is] why the defective airbag injury recalls have been focused on areas such as Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Southern California and other areas with a similar climatic profile. Other airbag manufacturers stayed away from ammonium nitrate amidst
the compound’s risk for volatility. Takata, however, allegedly saw dollar signs with this cheap compound, and ran with it. The cheaper airbags powered by ammonium nitrate were a hit economically with automotive manufacturers, and Takata’s market share for airbags quickly grew, eventually helping Takata to become the largest single supplier to the automotive industry. It is alleged, however, that Takata never shared with anyone the reason as to why its airbags were less expensive, and no one apparently bothered to ask. The reservations of those engineers who spoke out against the use of ammonium nitrate were ignored. The sheer success of Takata supplying what turned out to be defective airbags that could lead to airbag failure, has contributed to the size and depth of the massive recall, as well as the near-impossible task of replacing millions of defective and potentially dangerous ammonium nitrate inflators. Until those inflators are replaced, the risks for airbag injuries will only continue—as well airbag lawsuits. We thank LawyersandSettlements .com for reprint permission.
Continued from Page 47
opened Leo’s Paint, Frame & Body in Alabama, where it was so successful that he started thinking about franchising the business. He eventually sold the shop to his manager, Joe Hudson, who went on to own 85 shops in five states within a 20-year period. In the 1980s, Chisum took part in establishing two MSOs, including Collision Automotive Repair Services with approximately 400 shops and later, Collision Center International with 500-plus shops, both of which lasted 5–6 years. Chisum’s good friend, Greg Marion, is an industry veteran who believes that Chisum hasn’t received enough credit for his role in the history of collision repair. “He was way ahead of everyone else in this industry in more ways than most people know, especially the younger people in the industry now,” Marion said. “His early visionary ideas of franchising multiple body shops and uniting collision repair organizations etched the template for today’s industry standards. Today, he lives on his social security in McAlester, OK. He would have made a lot more money, but he trusted some of the wrong people, in-
cluding a patent attorney. If every technician who ever used an EZ Liner gave Lavell $5, he would be a millionaire many times over again.” Looking back, Chisum is proud of the EZ Liner, even though he isn’t a millionaire today. “No one understood what I was doing with this machine, but I never gave up, because I believed in it and knew it would work real good,” he said. “They still sell well today, and I’m not sure how many of them out there are in use right now, but I’m guessing 15,000 or more. I got royalties on it for 22 years and it was a great run, so I can look back and say, ‘Hey—I made this!’” Special thanks for Greg Marion for providing useful information for this article.
Continued from Page 40
50 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Your leading source for WESTERN Collision Repair News! western.autobodynews.com
Management Success
Instead, ask if there’s anything you can do. Take the customer experience into consideration and remember that sometimes people just have a bad day. Once you respond publicly, the review is permanent.” Management Success offers business analyses to help shops evaluate key points in their business, including their website, social media, finances, marketing, sales and production. Saeli closed with, “You care about what you do, and you all deserve to do well.” Management Success will hold its next webinar on “Setting Shop Resolutions,” scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 at 3 p.m. PST. Registration is available at https://register .gotowebinar.com/register/164628 4853950135555. For more information on Management Success, visit www.management success.com or call 818-500-9631.
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Industry Foundation
5 Years Ago in the Collision Repair Industry (February 2013) The Collision Industry Foundation is seeking donations to assist shops devastated last October by Superstorm Sandy. PPG’s Bill Shaw, president of the Foundation, said some shops were
In 2013, Bill Shaw was president of the Collision Industry Foundation and seeking donations to help those in the industry impacted by Superstorm Sandy
without power for up to three weeks, and some were closed for up to seven weeks. Some were inundated with up to 6 feet of water, a combination of storm surge and sewer back-up, destroying equipment and resulting in all the vehicles on their property being See Industry Foundation, Page 56
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Stacey Phillips is a freelance writer and editor for the automotive industry. She has 20 years of experience writing for a variety of publications, and is co-author of “The Secrets of America’s Greatest Body Shops.” She can be reached at sphillips.autobodynews@gmail.com.
Product and Process with Stacey Phillips
Model Vehicles With Emerging Technology Will Rely on Pre- and Post-Scanning, Recalibration As new vehicles are introduced to the Many body shops across the counmarket, often equipped with complex try wonder what new technologies their technology, the collision industry is employees should be aware of and how challenged with keeping up-to-date to work them into their daily workflow. with repair procedures. “There is a lot of buzz out there As a result, Jake Rodenroth, di- right now about emerging technolorector of industry relations for asTech, gies—not just on the electronic side, said that staying current as but on the metal and submuch as possible is crucial to strate side,” he said. “From a the success of a collision reprocess perspective, it starts pairer’s business. with identification. As re“Collision repairers are pairers, we can’t get on the facing brand new models, same page with identificasometimes on the first tank of tion until we have product gas,” he said. “I think every knowledge and stay up-toJake Rodenroth shop needs to have some path date with modern vehicles.” to resolution. We’re the first line of deRodenroth said that identification fense.” can include ADAS and frequency-reRodenroth and Doug Kelly, CEO ducing technology, which can be hidof Repairify, spoke about the imporden behind windshields, glass, mirrors tance of pre- and post-scanning and reand grills; structural identification calibration during a Guild 21 podcast maps of the different substrates on a sponsored by Verifacts Automotive in vehicle; hybrid and EV powertrains; January. Repairify is the company that and special tool requirements. created the asTech device. Throughout the Guild 21 call, at-
tendees were asked to give feedback. they did so by looking up build data, When asked how many of their cus- and the remainder said they use antomers know what equipment options other method. are on their vehicles, 87 percent anDuring the presentation, Kelly swered “no.” stressed the importance of obtaining “I think you will see a shift in authorization from customers to perthose responses in the coming years as form work diagnostics, road tests and more millennials enter the potentially conduct off-site workplace and start buying calibrations. cars,” said Rodenroth. “They “It’s important that conare not intimidated by techsumers understand what innology. In fact, they embrace formation is being pulled and it.” how it might be shared,” said As a result, they are Kelly. “When doing diagnosknown to buy vehicles that tics, whether it’s with a thirdDoug Kelly contain an abundance of techparty or your own diagnostic nology and spend time understanding tool, you’re not pulling crash data. how every feature operates. You’re pulling all of the stored trouThose who participated in the call ble codes.” were also asked how their staff stays This includes the possibility of up-to-speed on current model vehi- revealing things that are wrong with cles. The majority (75 percent) said the vehicle unrelated to the accident. they did so through secondary sources Many consumers are concerned such as the Internet, OEM sites and about the information shared with dealers. Only 15 percent answered their insurance company.
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“Consumers don’t intentionally misrepresent loss, but they are not always aware of when certain systems go offline or how,” said Kelly. “It’s good housekeeping to let consumers know what you are doing, explain the process to them and get their permission.” A sample authorization form is available on the SCRS website, www .scrs.com, and asTech website at: https://astech.com/resources. A document is also available for repairers to hand out to customers to educate them about some of the systems available on today’s vehicles. This not only reminds them how complex vehicles are, but Kelly said it also reinforces why diagnostic services, such as preand post-scanning and recalibration are important. “If you don’t know what’s on the car, you can misdiagnose certain issues,” he said. “Sometimes false positives indicate an issue when in fact that vehicle didn’t come equipped with that item in the first place.” Knowing the build data, understanding the tools and services being used, and ensuring they are up-to-date will all help in the repair of the vehicle.
• Airbag deployments are unique and can depend on many factors such as the number of occupants, their seat position, weight and if they were wearing seatbelts • Specialized concerns with hybrid and EV vehicles • Repair procedures that require scanning based on an operation being performed • Scheduling off-site ADAS calibration requirements proactively
Pre-scanning Rodenroth said that some parties don’t think pre-scanning a vehicle is necessary, and suggested that those shops consider the following: • The role that trim levels can play
• How a pre-scan can help determine damage to the electronic components • Potential unrelated electronic issues like maintenance and warranty concerns
Repair planning Rodenroth recommended addressing the vehicle owner’s expectations up front so he or she understands how the vehicle is equipped and what’s required to make it whole again. “Consider repair vs. replace decisions very carefully, as many modern vehicles are constructed of non-repairable substrates and there is often limited reparability around ADAS components,” he said. When it comes to parts utilization and the decision to purchase OEM or aftermarket, he advised listeners to watch bumpers and windshields very carefully. “A lot of aftermarket windshields See Model Vehicles, Page 56
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54 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
Contact These Dealers For Your Kia Genuine Parts Needs Car Pros Kia
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www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 55
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Model Vehicles
will have a plastic bracket that comes on that glass that is not serviced and can’t be transferred,” said Rodenroth. “If you are going to use aftermarket glass, you’ll want to confirm all things are in place.” During the call, attendees were asked if a shop should interpret, implement and audit OEM repair procedures into ALL repair activity on a damage report. Nearly 90 percent answered yes. “The key words are ‘all repair activity,’” said Rodenroth. “Some shops will look up structural procedures and airbag procedures, but won’t look up how to take a fender, hood or bumper cover off.” Recently, General Motors surveyed 827 collision repair shops and found that 80 percent didn’t pull repair information on every vehicle. Those who attended the Guild 21 call were asked why. Almost 45 percent said they rely on technician experience, 20 percent said the damage was minor, 15 percent said the information was hard to find/interpret, 10 percent answered that they didn’t have the time, and 10 percent answered other. In the field, Rodenroth said he has observed that shops don’t have time to pull the repair information for a variety of reasons—including having too much work or insurers putting pressure on them to get vehicles uploaded in a certain amount of time. “We always have time when something is wrong, whether it’s when the customer comes back and pays for a rental, or you have to deal with them when they are upset. Let’s take the time up front and make a good repair Continued from Page 50
Industry Foundation
declared total losses. “So just think of the effect on your business if you took out all the work-inprogress you had and all the vehicles that were sitting in your lot, and you lost all that revenue, plus weeks of production,” Shaw said. “And because it was a natural storm, guess what? Insurance claims were denied. Two of the shops said they were denied within hours of the storm. These businesses had to take cash out of their pocket to just rebuild.” Funds donated will be used to help
plan and communicate efficiently,” Rodenroth said. In addition, he said information is often hard to find and interpret. “I think that is mission number one for OEMs—to try and make that a little easier to find and even offer day passes to the repair info that a shop can purchase,” he said.
Post-scanning and calibration When it comes to post-scans and calibration, Kelly said, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” “What we’re going to enter into with this calibration piece will dwarf any sort of discussion you’ve had to date on a pre- and post-scan.” Kelly used the example of a Toyota Camry, reportedly the best-selling passenger vehicle. The 2018 model comes standard with an auto breaking feature. With the vehicle’s front-facing camera, any time a windshield is replaced or work is being done on the front of the Camry, a calibration is required. “It’s doubtful to me that many in the industry really fully understand the full scope of this,” said Kelly. “Our defense as an industry is partly that the OEs themselves haven’t really come to terms with how it is to be done.” Kelly recommended reading through the calibration repair procedures from each of the manufacturers to understand their differences and procedures. He noted that they are all “wildly different” and the recommended procedures sound like something from the Stone Age with plumb lines, string and measuring tapes. “Add to that the space requirements, and you set yourself up for a pretty complicated process,” said Kelly.“I know there are a lot of people in the industry, and certainly the
these shops replace computer systems or spray guns or whatever they lost, as well as buy replacement tools for technicians, Shaw said Those seeking assistance or wishing to make a donation can visit the Foundation’s website. “The time is now for the industry to help those in need,” Shaw said. – As reported in CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com), February 11, 2013. The Collision Industry Foundation (http://collisionindustry foundation.org/) continues to help those in need within the industry, most recently providing assistance to Texas shops impacted by Hurricane Harvey last August.
56 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
dealer network who are trying their hardest to do their best to recalibrate these cars after an accident. Many, if not most, are not doing it correctly and they don’t even know it.” He said it isn’t an issue of people being mischievous or doing anything fraudulent. “They just don’t know,” he said. In addition, some of the repair procedures for today’s systems that are coming on vehicles are still being written while the cars are on the road. “There are certain safety systems out there that have a certain progression to them that the OEs themselves haven’t quite figured out how to test in real-world circumstances,” said Kelly. “As you go forward and you think about pre- and post-scans and where it fits in the continuum of us having to evolve as an industry, that’s just the table stakes—that’s just to understand what’s going on with the vehicle.” Kelly cautioned shops about what could happen if instructions aren’t followed. “My concern is that you’re going to be misrepresenting and potentially delivering back to the customer a car that’s not safe for the road,” he said. “At the end of the day, we all have the
same goal in mind: to return back to the consumer a vehicle that is fit for use and is going to perform as planned. And heaven forbid, if it gets in a second accident, those systems will operate as designed. “The problem with the collision segment is that we get the newest cars in the worst possible condition. With the advent of all of the new electronics on cars and safety systems on cars, it’s hitting us harder than it is the general population.” Kelly encouraged collision repairers to talk to peers and local associations to help get the word out. “We owe it to our trading partners [insurers and vendors] and consumers to educate them on what car they have, what they bought, what the technology is, how it works and how it has to be repaired in the process of fixing those cars,” said Kelly. “If we don’t spend time educating folks, we are going to continue having these difficult conversations about who will or won’t pay and who will and won’t recognize certain repair procedures. Once we can have an open dialogue and talk to people about what’s involved in fixing a car, I think a lot of friction and issues [will] tend to go away.”
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The following dealerships are eager to serve your needs. Call your local Subaru collision parts specialist today! SO. CALIFORNIA
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San Bernardino (909) 888-8686 (909) 571-5483 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat 7:30-5 parts@lovesubaruparts.com www.sbsubaru.com
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Subaru of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz (888) 844-7131 (831) 420-1402 (831) 420-1923 Fax Mon.-Fri. 7:30-6; Sat. 8-5 parts@santacruzsubaru.com www.santacruzsubaru.com
www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 57
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AMi-Accredited
said Anthony B. Brooks, the collision center manager at Heritage Collision Center in Joppa, MD. “I found the training helped me navigate through each step of my career path. I would strongly recommend that anyone in the automotive industry look to AMi for future training opportunities.” Maria H. Carrillo, owner of Carrillo & Sons Collision Center in San Diego, CA, also shared her positive experience. “AMi courses have increased my knowledge and expertise as an owner. Attending AMi courses have given me more confidence in my leadership position.” Daniel Schnepper, general manager of Butler’s Collision in Roseville, MI, said he has improved his knowledge in customer service. “Through the different AMi courses I have taken, I have learned different ways to handle different customers, [and learned] not all customers are the same. Every customer has different characteristics and needs, [and I learned] how to handle all the different customer needs to provide them with a great experience.
I have seen and taken great marketing ideas that help sell my business and boost our sales. I have learned how to deal with employees and help them feel needed, wanted and appreciated, creating a good, friendly work environment.” AMi accepts tax deductible donations from the industry through its Learning Foundation Program. “We’ve found that vendors and manufacturers really care about the sustainability of their customers,” said Peevy. “They are helping us offer education and designations to increase the professionalism of our industry, so they’ve supported AMi with donations to keep the cost of training as low as possible.” More information about AMi certificates, designations and the industry training offered can be found online: https://www.amionline.org/. To get started, Peevy recommends setting up a professional profile under the myAMI LOGIN link. After choosing the segment of the industry you are part of, the system will ask for your interests and what you would like to pursue, then will populate the required core competency courses that are required as well as the electives.
Progressive Evolves its Service Centers for Customers Progressive is making some changes to improve the convenience of its claims experience while supporting the double-digit growth in its personal auto business. In the coming months, Progressive will change the way it uses its Service Center facilities. The company’s 68 Service Centers will stop being a drop-off/pick-up point for customer vehicles. Current shops that support their local Service Cen-
ters will be invited to transition to the Progressive network of approved repair facilities. This decision to evolve the Service Centers is in response to shifting customer preferences and fast-paced environmental changes. This evolution will give customers choosing to have their vehicle repairs managed through Progressive the option of dropping off their vehicle at one of nearly 3,000 Progressive-approved shops that deliver customer service and repair quality consistent with the Service
Center experience. “I’m proud of our Service Center history and the millions of customers we served through that process. We’ve evolved our Service Center model over the years to make sure we’re doing the best job we can to meet our customers’ needs, and that evolution continues with this most recent change,” said Mike Sieger, Progressive Claims President. “We’ll have an even broader network of shops in more locations for customers to choose from, and we’ll continue to provide high-quality customer service and claims handling experiences.” Thanks to continued significant growth of Progressive’s business, all Service Center employees will be offered claims jobs, and most Service Centers will remain regional claims offices. This will enable Progressive to continue maintaining a local presence in the communities where it does business. Progressive’s limited lifetime guarantee, offered on all covered repairs completed through Network shops, will continue to apply.
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Urgent.ly Announces Collaboration With CCC
Urgent.ly, the only global, digital roadside assistance platform, announced it is working with CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) to contribute roadside assistance data and services to CCC’s recently launched connected data exchange. That exchange, CCC™ X, helps convert connected data into actionable experiences for consumers, insurers, OEMs and others. CCC X will integrate Urgent.ly data into software-driven services to enable the automatic dispatch of the company’s more than 39,000 connected roadside assistance vehicles to the scene of accidents to ease, speed and drive new efficiencies into collision and claims management. Powered by the CCC ONE™ platform, CCC X is the gateway for leveraging connected car data within the broader CCC network to drive a new era of connected car programs. The integration of Urgent.ly’s Intelligent Towing Solution™ will enable automated dispatch of Urgent.ly’s connected towing vehicles to accident scenes. Insurers will understand when a collision has occurred, quickly engage policyholders at the accident scene, determine the likelihood a vehicle is a total loss or repairable, auto-
matically dispatch towing services, and route the vehicle to the appropriate location for total loss processing or repair; which can help curb unnecessary tows, storage fees and rental car costs, slash cycle times and increase customer satisfaction. “We’re excited to work on innovative new solutions with great technology providers like Urgent.ly,” said Mac Fraser, General Manager of Telematics, CCC. “The goal is to drive value back to consumers and business partners alike.” Urgent.ly CEO & Co-Founder Chris Spanos said, “The combination of the Urgent.ly and CCC ONE platforms will help deliver significant value, cost savings and superior customer experience to CCC’s insurance, automotive and repair facility customers as a powerful solution to help reduce claims expense, provide faster service and increase customer loyalty.” The CCC network includes more than 350 insurance companies, dozens of automotive OEMs and more than 24,000 repair facilities, making it easy for them to tap Urgent.ly’s network of more than 39,000 digitally connected service vehicles for roadside services and collision solutions.
CARSTAR North America Names Jeff Labanovich as Associate VP, Operations for CARSTAR Canada
CARSTAR North America announced that longtime CARSTAR franchise partner Jeff Labanovich has joined the corporate team as Associate Vice President of Operations for CARSTAR Canada.
Jeff Labanovich
Labanovich spent years as a successful CARSTAR multi-store operator in Oshawa, Ontario, having joined the network in 2005. He served as co-Chair of the CARSTAR Canada Advisory Council, and earned the Canadian Franchisee of the Year Award at the 2017 CARSTAR Conference. Selling his interests in the CARSTAR Oshawa facilities, Labanovich is fully invested in his new role. As Associate Vice President of
Operations, Labanovich will oversee operations across Canada, with a focus on key performance indicator (KPI) performance and franchise profitability. In addition, Labanovich will work with the executive team on developing and implementing new operation initiatives across the country, including the execution of the EDGE Performance Platform. “We are honored and very fortunate to have someone of Jeff Labanovich’s experience join our corporate team,” said Michael Macaluso, President, CARSTAR North America. “His decades of insight and understanding as a successful CARSTAR store owner will make him a vital member of our team and a fantastic resource for our CARSTAR franchise partners. We look forward to his many contributions to our brand and our success in the future.” A native of Ontario, Labanovich began his career in sales at Whitby Auto Wreckers, then worked as a manager at Clarington RPM and Copart before opening his CARSTAR location. He attended Carleton University.
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5445 Gasoline Alley Drive // Bakersfield, CA 93313 www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 59
Skill-Loan Helps Auto Techs Find Supplementary Work Skill-Loan LLC, a San Carlos-based Software as a Service (SaaS) company, announced the availability of Mechanics & Body Shops Marketplace V2.0 with a Premium Membership service for auto repair and body shops looking for full-time employees and a service for auto technicians looking to supplement their incomes with temporary or part-time work. Premium members can post jobs and find technicians, service advisors and service writers free of charge as part of their Premium Membership subscription. Auto technicians can be notified of short-term assignments posted by local auto repair and body shops or post their availability for work. The new release of the application ensures best fit between the employee’s skills and qualifications and what the shop owners are looking for. “On average, every auto repair employee is out of the shop four weeks of the year for vacation, sick days, jury and military duty and personal time off,” said Elie Massabki, founder and CEO of Skill-Loan. “With technicians contributing $1,000–$2,000/day in gross profits to a shop, shop owners are missing out on $10,000 to $20,000 in gross profits each year for each technician they employ. At the same time,
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ASA-Northwest
Engines & Transmissions, NAPA Seattle, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Olympic Brake Supply, RepairPal, Shop-Ware, and many more. Exhibitor booths start at $550, and interested companies should contact Lovell at 253473-6970 or jeff@asanorthwest.com. ASA-Northwest is also grateful to the sponsors that make the ATE possible. This year’s sponsors include ACDelco, Autologic Diagnostics, Bolt On Technology, Bosch, Carquest, Kukui Corporation, RLO Training, the ACT Group, WORLDPAC, Autoshop Solutions and IATN, among others. Lovell notes, “Thank you to the industry sponsors who have been supporting ATE for many years.” All-inclusive registration for ATE 2018 is available for ASA members at $425 and for non-members at $525. Educators can receive a discounted rate of $350, and course-only registration options are also available at various rates. For more information or to register, visit ATETrainingExpo.com or call 877-257-2100.
many technicians are looking for opportunities to supplement their incomes during their time off. Mechanics Marketplace helps auto repair shops put significant profits back in their pockets by having borrowed technicians and freelancers cover for their absent workers while helping technicians increase their incomes.” Skill-Loan had its first Northern California mid-Peninsula kick-off meeting on Dec. 19, 2017 with local members to learn how to best make use of the Mechanics & Body Shops Marketplace application and discuss common issues they would like to tackle as a group. While many collaboration ideas were discussed, shop owners unanimously confirmed the need for temporary and full-time technicians. Other regional networks are now being formed in various US cities and technicians are being introduced to the app. “The number one issue that keeps me and my general manager up at night is the availability of reliable and experienced technicians,” said Mark Schwartz, CEO and owner at Holland Car Care (www.hollandcarcare.com) in San Carlos, CA. “I think this is a nationwide problem and especially in the California Bay Area. I am pleased to fi-
nally find a company that is focused on our industry and where I can go to find full-time employees, as well as technicians, to cover for my absent ones.” “As an 18-year independent, highend and European car service, repair shop and used car dealer, we do share employees and knowledge frequently from shop to shop. We work closely with factory dealers as well, especially for newer cars and more complicated programing. Mechanics Marketplace is an ideal platform to help me with both,” commented Zim Gwee, owner of Topline Automobile Inc. (www .toplineautos.com) in San Mateo, CA. “I have 28 years’ technician experience. I have invested heavily in high-end diagnostics equipment and I am excited about the opportunity to sublet services to and from other shops and recoup my investment faster.” The website name and logo have been changed to Mechanics & Body Shops Marketplace to better represent the businesses in the network. Technicians and auto repair and body shop owners can also find the company at www.autorepairjobs.net and www.car repairjobs.com. More than 100 body shops and 300 general auto repair shops are members of Mechanics & Body Shops Marketplace today.
Auto Care Association Promotes Joe Register to Vice President, Emerging Technologies
The Auto Care Association announced the promotion of Joe Register to Vice President, Emerging Technologies. He will be instrumental in changing the association’s profile in setting vehicle technology standards by working with his global
counterparts in industry standardssetting organizations, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and SAE International. Register joined the Auto Care Association’s Technology department in 2016, serving as director, technology solutions, and brings more than two decades of experience in data and information technologies to the association.
Service King Apprentice Program Registered by US Department of Labor On Dec. 21, Service King Collision Repair Centers announced its fastgrowing Apprentice Development Program has officially received certification from the U.S. Department of Labor. Officials from the Department of Labor, Texas State Representatives and Service King teammates held an official signing ceremony commemorating the milestone on Dec. 21 at Service King’s National Support Center in Richardson, TX. “This is certainly a proud moment for the Service King family as we continue investing in the development and training of the next generation of skilled automotive technicians,” said Chris Abraham, Service King CEO. “The Apprentice Development Program has long been a vision of our company and we couldn’t be more proud to see its growth across the country. It’s our mission to equip aspiring technicians with a firm foundation of quality training, hands-on experience and ultimately a long, rewarding career as a Service King teammate.” The company’s certification comes on the heels of the White House Executive Order signed in June promoting the growth of apprenticeship programs across the U.S. Furthermore,
60 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
the Service King program was instituted to proactively combat a reported 13 percent decline in the population of automotive repair and maintenance workers between 2002—2014, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“I am so happy to have Service King operate in North Texas,” said State Representative Angie Chen Button. “Creating a skilled workforce is vital to our state’s economy and providing opportunities for job seekers.” As a certified apprenticeship program, Service King’s Apprentice Development Program positions itself to become eligible to receive federal workforce and education funds to reinvest into the growth of the program. Aspiring auto body technicians interested in Service
King’s Apprentice Development Program are encouraged to learn more by visiting ServiceKing.com/careers. According to the Department of Labor, certified apprenticeships help businesses develop highly skilled employees, increase productivity, reduce turnover and lower the cost of recruitment. Furthermore, apprenticeships provide customized training, safer workplaces as well as a stable and reliable pipeline of qualified talent. The Service King Apprentice Development Program provides incoming technicians with a hands-on training program featuring personalized instruction from an Apprentice Supervisor solely dedicated to the program. The program features an immersive and proprietary curriculum that promotes a focused learning environment. To achieve this, each class is capped at four apprentices per instructor. To ensure a real-world environment, all apprenticeships are hosted inside Service King Collision Repair Centers across the country. The program has been widely heralded in the media, and across the industry, for its success in attracting and training young talent, including recent coverage by Dallas CBS affiliate KTVT and the Dallas Morning News.
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Audi of Oakland Oakland 510.893.7282 510.786.0193 Fax M-F 8am-5pm oakaudiparts@yahoo.com
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Keyes Audi Van Nuys 818.907.4482 818.907.4405 Fax M-F 7:30am-5:30pm wholesale@keyesaudi.com www.autobodynews.com | FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS 61
GM To Make Autonomous Car Without Steering Wheel, Pedals by Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge
General Motors plans to mass-produce self-driving cars that lack traditional controls such as steering wheels and pedals by 2019, the company announced Jan. 12. It’s a bold declaration for the future of driving from one of the country’s Big Three automakers, and one that is sure to shake things up for the industry as the annual Detroit Auto Show kicks off. The car will be the fourth generation of its driverless, all-electric Chevy Bolts, which are currently being tested on public roads in San Francisco and Phoenix. And when they roll off the assembly line of GM’s manufacturing plant in Orion, MI, they’ll be deployed as ride-hailing vehicles in a number of cities. “It’s a pretty exciting moment in the history of the path to wide-scale [autonomous vehicle] deployment and having the first production car with no driver controls,” GM President Dan Ammann told The Verge. “And it’s an interesting thing to share with everybody.” The announcement coincides with the tail end of CES, where a number of big companies announced their own plans to deploy autonomous vehicles, and right before the Detroit Auto Show, where the industry will have on display all the trucks and SUVs that make its profits. By committing to rolling out fully driverless cars in a shortened timeframe, GM is seeking to outmaneuver rivals both old and new in the increasingly hyper-competitive race to build and deploy robot cars. Ford has said it will build a steering-wheel-and-pedalless autonomous car by 2021, while Waymo, the self-driving unit of Google parent Alphabet, is preparing to launch its first commercial ride-hailing service in Phoenix featuring fully driverless minivans (though still with traditional controls). Unlike those other companies, GM provided a sneak peek at how its new, futuristic cars will look on the inside. In some ways, it’s the vehicular version of a Rorsharch inkblot test. The bilateral symmetry of the interior looks both unnerving and yet completely normal at the same time. Instead of a steering wheel, in its place is blank real estate. Under the dash, more empty space.
The automaker submitted a petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for permission to deploy a car that doesn’t comply with all federal safety standards. Am-
ing; consumer education and training; and federal, state and local laws. It’s a detailed, sometimes boring, sometimes fascinating look at how GM designs and programs its cars to handle all the mundane and insane things that happen on US roads. There are some standout elements in the announcement, such as GM’s argument as to why its testing in San Francisco is exponentially more important than its suburban testing. (Emphasis ours.) While we also test vehicles in Phoenix, our San Francisco GM and Cruise plan to deploy autonomous vehicles by vehicles predict an average of 2019 32 times as many possible inmann said the company wasn’t seeking teractions as those in Phoenix. Thus, an exemption from the Federal Motor San Francisco challenges our self-driVehicle Safety Standards—something ving system more because, as the numthe government caps at 2,500—just a ber of objects increase, there are new way around a few of the requireexponentially more possible interacments. tions with objects that the self- driving GM is proposing to “meet that system must consider. standard in a different kind of way,” For example, GM’s self-driving Ammann said. “A car without a steerChevy Bolts encounter 270 emering wheel can’t have a steering wheel gency vehicles for every 1,000 miles airbag. What we can do is put the driven in San Francisco, compared to equivalent of the passenger side airbag on that side as well. So it’s to meet the standards, but meet them in a way that’s different than what’s exactly prescribed, and that’s what the petition seeks to get approval for.” (Of course, the issue of exempGenuine Mitsubishi tions from federal safety standards Replacement Crash may become moot if Congress passes Parts are close at hand a bill to lift the cap from 2,500 to from the following 100,000. But as of now, the legislation quality dealerships: is stalled.) GM made this announcement to herald the release of its first 33-page safety report to the US Department of Transportation. The feds suggested in CALIFORNIA 2016, and again last year, that tech companies and automakers working Glendale Mitsubishi on self-driving cars voluntarily subGLENDALE mit a safety checklist to the govern800-424-7884 ment in order to help keep tabs on this (818) 549-3850 Fax fast-moving technology. GM is only M-F 7:00-6:00 / Sat 8:00-4:00 the second company working on auparts@glendalemitsubishi.com tonomous vehicles to have submitted its report, with Waymo being the first. GM breaks its safety assessment into 12 sections: safety system; operational design domain; object and event detection and response; fallback (minimal risk condition); validation methods; human machine interface; vehicle cybersecurity; crash worthiness; post-crash behavior; data record-
62 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
just six in Phoenix. The safety report excludes certain information, such as the number of times that human safety drivers were forced to take control of their driverless vehicles, or the number of accidents in which GM’s cars were involved. (Cruise Automation, GM’s self-driving unit, told California regulators that its cars were in six crashes in September 2017 alone. Under state law, companies with a license to test autonomous vehicles are required to disclose all accidents, even when they are not at fault.) Speaking of accidents, GM has not one, but two data recorders in each of its autonomous vehicles to store and protect information in the event of a crash. The collected data includes information from the car’s sensors, vehicle actions, and any malfunctions that occur. Like a black box recorder on an airplane, the data logging machine is designed to withstand catastrophic accidents. The report and the announcement about GM’s first fully driverless vehicle are sure to impress investors, See GM to Make, Page 64
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Elon Musk Promises Tesla Pickup Truck in Tweet by Ethan Baron, The Mercury News
Even as Tesla struggles to deliver its entry-level Model 3 sedan to consumers amid plans to produce a compact SUV, an electric semi and a new Roadster, CEO Elon Musk is adding yet another vehicle to the company’s promised lineup. Responding to a wishful tweet from a Canadian marijuana-seed vendor who said, “Need an electric pickup truck please,” Musk pledged on Twitter that his Palo Alto electric car company would grant the Vancouver Seed Bank’s wish. “I promise that we will make a pickup truck,” Musk tweeted Dec. 26. “Have had the core design/engineering elements in my mind for almost 5 years. Am dying to build it.” Musk said in his tweet that the pickup would come “right after” the Model Y, which is to be a compact electric SUV, and is tentatively scheduled to go into production in mid-2019. The flamboyant CEO’s pickup truck confirmation follows his teaser from a July 2016 “master plan” document, in which he referred to a “new kind of pickup truck.” In April, Musk had tweeted that the pickup would be unveiled within 18 to 24 months.
Continued from Page 62
After responding to the Vancouver Seed Bank—a company managed by a former would-be socialist politician who quit his Canadian federal candidacy over a video showing him dropping LSD—Musk gave some good news to a Twitter user who asked him if the pickup would be as large as, or larger than, the ubiquitous Ford F150 truck. “Similar total size,” Musk tweeted. “Maybe slightly bigger to account for a really gamechanging (I think) feature I’d like to add.” According to Ford, a standard F150 is about 18 feet long, 7 feet wide and about 6 feet tall. Another Twitter user chimed in with hopes that the Tesla pickup’s purported game-changing feature would be a toilet. Revelation of the apparently concrete plans for the pickup came soon after Tesla was roiled by another round of trouble. With every vehicle model so far plagued by production delays, Musk in November announced the entry-level Model 3 had been delayed as well, and was three months behind on its target delivery date. Coming after hundreds of job losses—described by Musk as performance-related layoffs and by some critics as retaliation for attempted
unionization—the Model 3 delay was bad news for the closely watched firm, which in November also announced a $619 million quarterly loss, far higher than Wall Street had expected. The company is also facing three lawsuits alleging it ignored racism against black workers on its Fremont factory floor. But Tesla and Musk received a welcome boost later in November after announcing Tesla would make an electric semi-truck, leading a number of major companies, including Walmart and Pepsi, to put down deposits for the potentially revolutionary transport vehicles. In a surprise announcement during the semi-truck launch, Musk also revealed a prototype of a new Roadster, which he said would be the fastest production car in the world, going from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds and hitting a top speed of more than 250 miles per hour. Tesla is taking reservations for that road rocket, which is to sell for $200,000, or $250,000 for one of the 1,000 “Founders Series” vehicles. Musk said the Roadster would be available in 2020. We thank The Mercury News for reprint permission.
which have been bullish on the company thanks to its unique ability to scale its product. The automaker has been on a buying spree, acquiring both Cruise and LIDAR startup Strobe to help it become a “full-stack” autonomous car company. It also plans to roll out at least 20 new electric cars by 2023, a goal that puts it in a position to bring battery-powered driving to the mainstream. Ammann says it’s what gives GM a leg up over its rivals. “We believe this technology will change the world,” he said. “And we’re doing everything we can to get it out there at scale as fast as we can.” We thank The Verge for reprint permission.
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AGRR Survey: What’s the Cost of Doing Business?
Applications Open fpr 2018 University of the Aftermarket Foundation Scholarships
by Katherine Coig, glassBYTEs.com
Not getting paid in full for parts, time and labor is easily one of auto glass shops’ biggest grievances when it comes to working with insurers and Third Party Administrators (TPAs). This, at least, is according to a recent survey conducted by AGRR magazine. The cost of living varies greatly across the U.S., and for some rural or
Applications are being accepted online for the 2018 University of the Aftermarket Foundation scholarships, which are awarded to students planning automotive aftermarket careers. The application process is entirely electronic through the UAF scholarship website, www.automotive scholarships.com. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2018. The University of the Aftermarket Foundation and more than 30 additional organizations award automotive scholarships. Your one complete online application will automatically be considered by every organization for which you meet their qualifications. More than 2,500 scholarships have been awarded by UAF and all the collaborating organizations since 1998. Students will be considered for UAF scholarships, and students from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia will be considered for the AAACT Scholarship Fund scholarships as well, in any course of study. AAACT scholarships are open to any AAACT member in good standing, member’s employees or immediate family.
small-town auto glass shops, what TPAs are willing to pay doesn’t cover all of the costs associated with operating a business. “Most TPAs do not take into consideration the higher expenses of the more rural shops, travel time and expenses,” one survey respondent
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termine the market labor price. However, the document states it is unclear how the method defines a market area. “All TPAs treat those of us who are serving outlying rural communities as if we are in the city,” said another auto glass shop respondent, “rarely taking into account increased cost of doing business due to distance from suppliers.” Another commented, “Insurance companies say they have surveyed the labor and material rates in our area. They are not the least bit accurate. We operate in rural Colorado, and they try to classify us with the front-range rates. They need to be more accurate on their surveys.” We thank GlassBYTEs.com for reprint permission.
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Continued from Page 30
ADAS
Collision Mitigating Braking System The Collision Mitigating Braking System (CMBS) on the 2018 Accord uses radar, a camera, control modules and an electric brake booster. “As you approach a vehicle in front of you, CMBS turns a dash light on and says, ‘Brake.” Shortly after that, it will send a buzzer. As a driver moves closer to the vehicle, it will start putting breaking force on. “It helps keeps you from rear-ending the car in front of you and uses what is called ‘millimeter wave radar,” said Kaboos.
When to calibrate: If the radar is removed, installed or replaced If the ACC warning light is illuminated After collision damage to front end After structural damage anywhere on the vehicle After SRS deployment
Other considerations: Do not repair bumper cover near radar May require “special” grill or emblem Wheel alignment should be checked/adjusted prior to calibration Aiming should be performed after wheel alignment if needed Requires check of mounting position before aiming after a collision, especially with front end Kaboos said one of the big concerns is how much space is required to aim the millimeter wave radar. “Targets have to be set up at a predetermined distance from the vehicle and the area has to be clean, clear and flat,” he explained. It is necessary to have a level ground area with 33 feet in front of the car and 16 feet on either side. Kaboos asked Guild 21 attendees how many have a large enough space available to complete a millimeter wave radar. About 68 percent answered they do not have sufficient space requirements and the remainder said they do.
Adaptive Cruise Control Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses many of the same systems as the millimeter wave radar, the multi-purpose camera and other modules. “With ACC, drivers can set cruise control and follow the car in front of you,” explained Kaboos.
When to calibrate: If camera unit is removed/installed or replaced If windshield is removed/installed or replaced If LKAS or ACC lamps indicate a potential problem If DTCs indicate a problem with system If vehicle is involved in a collision If SRS is deployed
Other considerations: Only use OEM glass for replacement in vehicles equipped with multi-purpose cameras Should be performed after wheel alignment if needed
Blind Spot Information The Blind Spot Information (BSI) system uses a pair of radars on either side of the quarter panel mounted behind the bumper cover of the vehicle. It turns a light on in the mirror when someone is in the driver’s blind spot. Kaboos said the informative system is meant to detect vehicles that move at a speed relatively close to the driver’s speed and cannot detect things on the side of the road such as signs and trees.
When to calibrate: After removing/installing or replacing a BSI radar unit After repairing or replacing body panels where BSI radar unit mounts If BSI warning light is illuminated
Other considerations: Requires wheel alignment check/adjustment prior to calibration Do not repair bumper cover near BSI radar units
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The BSI camera aiming requires about 13 feet to the side of each corner of the rear bumper; therefore, Kaboos said repairers need a 36-feet-wide space to work.
Lane Watch System The Lane Watch System (LWS) is a camera that is placed in the right-hand mirror. When the right-hand turn signal is on, it allows the navigation unit to show drivers what is being seen by the camera. It can also be turned on manually. “A normal person has about 20 degrees of visibility in a rear-view mirror and with the LWS, this increases to 80 degrees,” said Kaboos.
When to calibrate: LaneWatch camera is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side rear view mirror is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side rear view mirror cover is removed/installed or replaced Passenger side door position is adjusted Passenger side door is removed/installed or replaced In terms of space requirements, LWS requires much less than other ADAS systems. Kaboos said to expect about a 21.3 depth off the left front of
the car and an 11.5 feet width. The tools needed for these systems can be purchased directly from Honda dealers. “Any competent technician can probably perform these calibrations and have pretty good success,” said Kaboos. Guild 21 attendees were asked how many had already done a calibration on an ADAS system; only 12 percent said they had in the field. Those who were part of the call were also asked if they plan to embrace calibrations in the near future. About 70 percent said they are ready to do it right now or in the near future; 23 percent said they are not quite ready but will probably do it in the next two to three years; and the remaining seven percent said they were never going to do it. Kaboos said recalibrations can be a new income stream for shops. “Shops performing their own ADAS calibration will most likely have tighter control of cycle time on this part of the repair process,” said Kaboos. “It also allows you to take control of the safety features of cars. You’ll know that the repair is taken care of and the vehicle is going to perform the same way that it did prior to the accident.”
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Auto World Goes ‘Back to the Future’ With VW Microbus Design by Daron Gifford, Automotive News
Many baby boomers felt a flashback in August when Volkswagen announced plans to start building a ‘60s-style microbus, called the I.D. Buzz, for delivery in 2022. The auto industry, however, is looking at the move as another small step into the future, as the vehicle’s electric-modular structure is becoming a popular prototype these days. Manufacturers and suppliers will need to monitor this possible paradigm shift closely; it could be a serious threat or a huge opportunity. How big of a shift? Imagine cars that are little more than a flatbed battery on wheels (think skateboard) with a variety of Legolike modules—pickup truck, minibus, luxury limo, camper, recreation vehicle or even air transport. (Airbus is working on the latter, believe it or not.)
Longer life That means instead of buying different vehicles, consumers can buy one cab-and-chassis battery and then snap on (or, more likely, bolt on) different top hats and modules. Such a system could increase the price of
one vehicle, but reduce the cost of two or more. The vehicles could also last longer than cars and trucks today. A battery should run for 10 years (and
commodate unused modules. For auto makers, part of what’s attractive about modular is that if they can get more vehicles off of a single platform or architecture, it drives down their amortized cost per unit, which helps improve their capital return on investment. For VW, because it’s trying to shrink its numbered platforms globally, modular also fits into its plans well, as they can have this one larger platform, on which they can stick a box, or a truck, or a passenger vehicle on top. (Tesla Inc., unThe I.D. Buzz, shown as a concept, is part of VW's battery surprisingly, perhaps, also electric lineup is working on a modular can be used by utilities for storage af- minibus.) terward); fewer moving parts mean it could run well past 200,000 miles. Commercial use Someday, a million miles might be Manufacturers seem especially keen possible. Given the growing preva- to develop commercial uses. The I.D. lence of ride-sharing, miles will be- Buzz, for instance, comes in two come much more important to users models—one for cargo and the other than years on the road. for passengers, aimed at the ride-sharThe economic disruption from ing market. Amazon and UPS also are modular cars could be enormous for exploring the concept for freight and everyone—auto manufacturers, sup- container shipping, as are startups, pliers, even home builders; garages such as NEXT in Silicon Valley. might have to be built larger to acIn the past, some auto makers
Uptick in Domestic Auto Sales; Vehicle Repair, Insurance Prices Also Increase by Katherine Coig, glassBYTEs.com
Domestic sales for new autos experienced an uptick November to December. According to the latest
figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. automotive unit retail sales increased by 6 percent, or 20,900 units, on a month-over-month basis.
Year over year, domestic auto sales dropped 18.2 percent—to 366.6 thousand in December 2017 from 448.0 thousand in December 2016. Here are the BEA’s latest figures: The Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) also updated the consumer price index for November 2017. The index for motor vehicle maintenance and repair increased year over year by 1.3 percent, while month-over-month figures remained stagnant. The index for insurance continues an upward trajectory, increasing by 8 percent on a year-over-year basis. October to November also increased, up 0.8 percent. Consumer Price Index: Insurance and Repairs The index for motor vehicle repairs and insurance. We thank GlassBYTEs for reprint permission.
68 FEBRUARY 2018 AUTOBODY NEWS | www.autobodynews.com
used common platform architectures to achieve a degree of limited modularity. The RV customization industry has been utilizing Ford Econoline vans for years. And if you remember it, General Motors tried with the Pontiac Aztek and its optional camper pop-up. Then there is the Chrysler minivan, which has folding seats for cargo space and has spawned numerous imitators, as well as a devoted following. What’s novel about the I.D. Buzz, specifically, may be the ability to efficiently use space with a common unibody vehicle architecture for a variety of configurations, which should expand the utility of the modular concept well beyond what has been seen before. And who knows? Much the way VW’s Bug and Microbus changed the automotive world 50 years ago, the company’s I.D. Buzz could do the same in the 21st century. We thank Automotive News for reprint permission.
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Driverless Car ‘Guidelines’ Allegedly Not Working by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
Auto safety organization Consumer Watchdog says self-driving car companies are taking advantage of the government’s hands-off approach to matters of safety by failing to provide reports about the safety of the technology. Since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created its 12-point safety “voluntary guidelines” for autonomous companies, only Waymo (Google) has published a safety report. And even with that, Consumer Watchdog says Waymo’s report reads more like a marketing brochure than a detailed safety report of self-driving car technology. Instead of doing its job by creating and enforcing safety regulations that must be met by driverless car companies, NHTSA is allowing manufacturers to provide safety reports when they feel like doing it. Consumer Watchdog says this has made public highways nothing more than laboratories where humans are guinea pigs—proof that NHTSA’s voluntary guidelines don’t work. When a company doesn’t publish details about its autonomous technology because it doesn’t have
to, the public is left in the dark about what is taking place on local roads and highways. Consumer Watchdog says if it wasn’t for California, the driving public would know nothing about how self-driving technology is working. Driverless car companies in California require permits from the Department of Motor Vehicles and crash reports must be filed within 10 days of an incident. Additionally, yearly “disengagement reports” must be provided that explain when the autonomous technology failed. Seven companies were approved for testing of driverless cars in 2014, which required those companies to file disengagement reports with the California DMV by Jan. 1, 2016. However, today there are 19 companies that are required to provide reports. The DMV says it expects to release those reports in January 2018. Previous data indicates why human drivers are monitoring the skills of the computerized cars. For example, Mercedes-Benz drivers had to take control of the driverless cars 1,051 times out of 1,739 miles driven. We thank CarComplaints.com for reprint permission.
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The Future of Takata Airbag Claims by Jane Mundy, LawyersandSettlements.com
At the beginning of last year, Takata—the automotive parts company behind the largest automotive recall in the nation’s history—entered into a plea agreement with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). The company then declared bankruptcy a few months later, setting off an avalanche of legal filings throughout the world, with an international corporate restructuring effort continuing to this day. “It’s critical to remember that as this process plays out, consumers have and will continue to be hurt and killed by rupturing airbags,” says attorney Frank Melton of Newsome Melton, PA. Unfortunately, things will continue to grow more complicated for those consumers in the months and years to come. “We are at a critical juncture in the Takata airbag litigation,” says Melton. “Over the next few weeks, the Delaware Court presiding over the Takata bankruptcy proceeding will review and rule upon Takata’s proposed reorganization plan; that ruling will have permanent ramifications for current and future Takata
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airbag victims.” Melton explains that while the Takata-DOJ plea deal set aside a fund of money for current and future Takata airbag injury victims, that pot is very limited. “The headlines stated that Takata agreed to establish a $1 billion restitution fund. But only $125 million of
into a bankruptcy trust for compensation. “Channeling injunctions have been used in the past, but only rarely, and typically in the asbestos context,” explains Melton. “What is rather unique, and I think unheard of, in this case is that the proposed injunction would extend beyond just
that fund was set aside for consumers. The rest was earmarked for the auto manufacturers.” So where can consumers look for relief in the years to follow? The answer to that question is currently up in the air, and may very well be determined by the Delaware bankruptcy court. Back in November, Takata filed its proposed reorganization plan. Part of that plan calls for the imposition of a so-called “channeling injunction,” which would funnel current and future injury and death claims
Takata—the debtor—and would include third-party automakers that used Takata’s airbags in their vehicles.” The Bankruptcy Code only references channeling injunctions in one place—Section 524(g). This section was enacted back in the 1990s, and essentially acted to retroactively bless a bankruptcy court’s action in an asbestos proceeding. Notably, Section 524(g) is specific to asbestos, and contains several specific constraints on the use of a channeling injunction, including the require-
“It’s critical to remember that as this process plays out, consumers have and will continue to be hurt and killed by rupturing airbags,” —Frank Melton
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Meet Hundreds of Entry-Level Candidates at CREF’s Career Fairs
If you are an industry member facing an aging workforce or in need of additional entry-level staff, “you need to connect with the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) in 2018 to
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ment that 75 percent of the current asbestos claimants vote in favor of the injunction. “The procedural mechanisms for asbestos channeling injunctions—including the notice and voting requirements—in Section 524(g) clearly do not apply to non-asbestos cases. So it’s not clear what procedures would have to be observed in the Takata bankruptcy proceeding, or whether such an injunction could or would ultimately withstand appellate review,” says Melton. The proposed Takata reorganization plan states that the channeling injunction will be subject to a separate vote. “The vote will take place in the next few weeks. That’s why it’s critical for consumers to contact an attorney immediately if they or a loved one may have a Takata airbag injury or death claim,” explains Melton. “The time for their voice to be heard is now; if they wait, it will likely to be too late to do what is necessary to protect their rights.” We thank LawyersandSettlements .com for reprint permission.
Students at past career fairs connect with industry companies looking to hire new talent
participate in one of our scheduled career fairs and/or get involved with local schools,” says Brandon Eckenrode, Director of Development for CREF. As 2018 begins, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is gearing up for its next round of career fairs, which will be a bit different from how they’ve been in the past.
According to Eckenrode, “We are collaborating with TechForce Foundation to make these transportation career fairs, allowing us to invite participation from a wide variety of programs (collision, automotive service, heavy duty, diesel, etc.) Business students will also be invited to participate, and these events continue to be available to all collision repair industry members.” The first career fair in 2018 will take place in Tampa, FL, on Feb. 14, followed by the event in Miami, FL, on Feb. 16. On March 1, a career fair will be held in San Antonio, TX, while the career fair on March 16 will be held in Los Angeles, CA. Six career fairs are currently scheduled for April: Chicago, IL, on April 6; Phoenix, AZ, on April 7; Denver, CO, on April 12; Greensboro, NC, on April 18–19; Atlanta, GA, on April 24; and Boston, MA, on April 26. CREF and TechForce Foundation also hope to hold career fairs in Dallas, Houston and Nashville this spring, but dates have not yet been confirmed. To get more information on participation in these career fairs, contact Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode @ed-foundation.org.
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