Scheduled Maintenance

The site may be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance from Wednesday, May 8th starting at 7 PM - 9 PM CDT.
During this time, the website may not be available. If you experience issues, please check back later.
Thank you for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Close
MENU

Follow us on @Ask_ICAR for daily updates.

Home / Collision Repair News / High-Voltage Vehicle Special Tools And Equipment

High-Voltage Vehicle Special Tools And Equipment

Posted on 14 January 2022 | Share: | Print Print

When repairing high-voltage (HV) vehicles, many OEMs specify the use of special tools and equipment when handling and repairing these vehicles. There are also some specialized tools that are variations of everyday tools that we find in the repair facility. These tool variations are there to keep the technician safe during the repair process.

First and foremost, anytime a technician is working around the HV system, personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used. Many OEMs provide PPE guidelines and requirements when it comes to these vehicles. Some examples of PPE that are typically required are:

  • HV dedicated leather gloves
  • Rubber lineman's gloves (non-expired and tested before each use)
  • Safety glasses/goggles
  • Arc flash face shield
  • Overalls designed for HV
  • Insulated footwear

Special tools and testing equipment are also something that may be required when repairing and HV vehicle. Some examples of these tools include:

  • Insulated hand tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, picks, etc.)
  • Battery lifts (with the appropriate weight rating)
  • HV DVOM (minimum CAT 3)
  • Insulation tester
  • Milliohm meter
  • Two-pole voltage tester (minimum CAT 3)

Many OEMs specify what tools are needed on their service site, in vehicle-specific repair manuals, and sometimes on their tool and equipment website. It is important to always follow OEM procedures when repairing HV vehicles to help ensure a complete, safe, and quality repair.

Additional I-CAR Collision Repair News you may find helpful:

Related I-CAR Courses

Course I-CAR Hybrid And Electric Vehicle Courses

Top Ten Vehicle Specific Questions

Hyundai Does Hyundai have a sectioning procedure available?
Kia Does Kia have a sectioning procedure available?
Chevrolet Does Chevrolet have a warning against sectioning when there is no procedure?
BMW Can I-CAR send me BMW repair procedures?
Hyundai Does Hyundai have part replacement procedures available?
Honda What does Honda say about repairing damaged airbag system wiring harnesses?
Mercedes-Benz Can I-CAR send me Mercedes-Benz repair procedures?
Honda What does Honda say about straightening front lower rails?
Subaru Do you have to replace a front passenger airbag on a Subaru even if the airbag did not deploy? The repair information seems to indicate that it should.
Nissan Is there a wiring repair procedure for the airbag connector?

Top Ten I-CAR Specific Questions

What does I-CAR say about using a recycled quarter panel assembly that includes the inner, outer, and reinforcements?
What does I-CAR say about straightening a kink?
Can I-CAR General Sectioning Guidelines be used?
What does I-CAR say about repairing damaged door intrusion beams?
What does I-CAR say about the decision to use recycled parts?
What does I-CAR say about replacing suspension parts in pairs?
What does I-CAR say about repairing damaged bumper reinforcements?
What does I-CAR say about repair tolerances?
What does I-CAR say about using recycled airbags?
What does I-CAR say about repairing damaged crush boxes?