One of the top technical inquires received at Ask I-CAR, “Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?” To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial Part Replacement Search available. Here you will find information on if these procedures are available on a specific vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at the 2017 BMW X5.

Does Honda/Acura have procedures for replacing a partial service part or assembly at factory seams?

While Honda/Acura vehicles may not have a replacement procedure for every part of every vehicle, they provide documentation on how parts can be replaced at a factory seam. However, certain requirements need to be met before replacing parts as a partial part or disassembling a service part at factory seams.

As part of the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) OEM Linking Pin activity, we are helping to connect the collision repair industry to the vehicle makers. We recently noticed that the Dodge Dart body repair manual (BRM) was missing from the free site and that front upper rail sectioning procedures had been missing on certain RAM pickups. We reached out to Fiat Chrysler Automotive (FCA) for clarification.

Navigating OEM websites can be challenging when searching for collision repair procedures, especially as no two OEM websites are alike. What happens when you need to find other types of repair information, such as "what needs to be inspected after a supplemental restraint system (SRS) deployment" or "does the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) require a scan tool or specialty tool?" Let's take a closer look at the Audi website.

Did you miss the registration deadline for the 2018 Great Designs in Steel conference? Don't worry, we'll be there covering the presentations that are important to the collision industry.

When it comes to making sectioning joints on any part, there are some common mistakes that are easily avoidable and can have a huge effect on cycle time.

One of the top technical inquires received at Ask I-CAR, “Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?” To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial Part Replacement Search available. Here you will find information on if these procedures are available on a specific vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at the 2017 Audi Q3.

Navigating OEM websites can be challenging when searching for collision repair procedures, especially as no two OEM websites are alike. What happens when you need to find other types of repair information, such as "what needs to be inspected after a supplemental restraint system (SRS) deployment" or "does the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) require a scan tool or specialty tool?" Let's take a closer look at the Volkswagen website.

A simple bumper repair on a modern vehicle may not be as simple as it seems. New technologies like blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and other advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) utilize sensors behind the bumper covers. The ability for these sensors to be able to see clearly, normally requires special caution when considering a bumper repair. Many OEMs have different levels of warnings when it comes to repairing bumper covers with ADAS. So, what does Volvo say on the subject?

The fourth installment of the I-CAR Collision Reporter has been released, focusing on Materials. In this era of advanced and complex materials, are you staying up-to-date with the changes?

Properly blueprinting vehicles before starting repairs is key to smooth, efficient, and quality repairs. Knowing what you are dealing with at the beginning eliminates the risk of costly delays when you’re trying to deliver the vehicle by the promised deadline. To help educate you on this process, Collision Hub’s Repair University Live is focusing next week’s episode on blueprinting. Let’s see when we can tune in.

Believe it or not, programming has been done now for decades. When On Board Diagnostics (OBD) became the standard, it brought along a lot of processes that had not previously been needed. Even though many collision repairers have been around this technology for a long time, many still don’t understand what programming is or what it is doing. Often times, programming can only be done with a high-level aftermarket scan tool or by a dealer with a factory scan tool. For the most part, when a module was replaced, a technician’s involvement was to send the vehicle to the dealer with an SRS light on, and it came back without the light on. However, there are more components than ever on vehicles that require programming. For example, you may not be able to change a tail lamp without having to program it. What does it mean to program something?

Panel layering often comes up in the collision repair process. The order that overlapping panels were put on at the factory may affect how parts are replaced during the repair process. The build sequence may also affect access to the joints that require separation for replacement parts.

One of the top technical inquires received at Ask I-CAR, “Is there a sectioning or partial replacement procedure available?” To help answer this question, RTS has an OEM Partial Part Replacement Search available. Here you will find information on if these procedures are available on a specific vehicle. Let’s take a closer look at the 2017 Volkswagen Jetta.

As a collision repair technician, there is one part of a service manual that houses all of the information you would ever need…right? This is not the case with modern vehicles. You may be required to look in numerous manuals to find the information required to safely repair the vehicle.

The Repairability Technical Support Portal (RTS) has videos posted to show you how to navigate specific OEM Body Repair Manuals (BRMs), but this sometimes just gets you in the door. If you are looking for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) information in the BRM, you may not find any information at all. ADAS information is not normally located in the body repair manual. You may have to go into the service manual to find ADAS or a separate manual altogether. Luckily, the RTS team has already navigated most of the OEM repair manuals and we’ve found the ADAS information. Let’s see where to find ADAS information from Ford/Lincoln.