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Collision Repair News

Your job requires that you keep on top of the latest in vehicle, tool, and equipment technology – I-CAR is committed to helping you do so in one convenient place. We regularly publish new articles highlighting the latest and greatest collision repair information.

So check back often and follow us on Twitter @Ask_ICAR to ensure you’re equipped with the most up-to-date collision repair technical information available in the industry.


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Collision Repair Industry News

Is There a Procedure for Disassembling a Service Assembly?

Posted on 19 June 2014

The fourth column in the OEM Technical Information Matrix, Partial Service Part/Assembly Replacement Procedures at Factory Seams, can get a little tricky without further clarification. For the most part, this is a column that I-CAR is still researching published OEM information to get the answers to. The question is: Does the vehicle maker have procedures for replacing a partial service part or assembly at factory seams?

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Didn't I Print That?

Posted on 12 June 2014

Have you ever printed a repair procedure only to find out that later on when you went to reference the information, it wasn't there? If so, most likely you discovered it the day after your short-term subscription expired, or it was for a procedure that was particularly difficult to find in the manual. You may have wondered if you did something wrong of if the procedure even exists.

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Product Maker Information On OEM Technical Information Matrix

Posted on 03 June 2014

There are an increasing number of materials being used in vehicles to help make them safer and create a quieter passenger compartment. Foam fillers, seam sealers, and adhesives often help accomplish this. It is impossible to see the location of all of these materials simply by looking at the outside of the vehicle. Not to mention, when you look at a product maker's catalog, there are many different options for replacement materials. So the question is: where do I find this information to repair the vehicle properly?

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MIG Brazing What Is It, Why Should I Use It?

Posted on 02 June 2014

Why MIG Brazing?

It is widely known that GMA welded; fully galvanized steel will lose some of its properties, including corrosion protection, due to the heat created during welding. OEMs are starting to counter this problem by using MIG brazing along with "stitch" and "skip" methods to control the heat. However, MIG brazing should only be done in areas specified by an OEM procedure. With MIG brazing, the lower heat input burns away a minimal amount of the zinc corrosion protection (galvanizing) adjacent to the weld (see Figure 1).

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Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - Identification

Posted on 26 May 2014

Knowing whether or not a part is made of boron-alloyed steel is important for repairs and replacement. OEM repair information is the best source to identify if a part is UHSS.decisions. The location of the part can be used to determine if the part is likely to be an ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) part. However, part location is not definitive, the part could be boron-alloyed steel or it could be a part that is below 600MPa steel. The location will help to prompt further research into straightening, sectioning, or replacing at factory seams. Steel identification may also help determine removal and attachment methods.

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Weld Bonding Required on FCA/Stellantis Vehicles

Posted on 20 May 2014

So you've got a Chrysler sitting in your repair facility and a service part, but no installation procedure. What do you do? On any other steel vehicle, you would duplicate the original attachment method and plug welds are ok, but not a Chrysler. A while ago (August 14, 2013 to be exact) FCA/Stellantis released the collision bulletin, Welded Sheet Metal Repairs and Replacements, that changed the way that their vehicles should be repaired. In this bulletin it states that: "weld bonding of replacement panels is the recommended installation method to utilize when repairing Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, or Ram vehicles."

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Cosmetic Repairs To Aluminum Exterior Panels

Posted on 20 May 2014

Repairing mild steel body panels with collision damage is nothing new. Using hammers, dollies, and picks when access to the backside is obtainable is a very common practice for straightening. With areas of limited access to the backside, using a weld-on dent puller for straightening is also quite common. So why does this change when dealing with an aluminum exterior panel?

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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?