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 X @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

2018 Great Designs in Steel

Posted on 23 April 2018

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.

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Where Do I Find Other Types Of Information In Volkswagen?

Posted on 18 April 2018

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 restraints 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.

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Bumper Cover Repair With ADAS: Volvo

Posted on 17 April 2018

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?

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Collision Hub - Repair University Live: Blueprinting 101

Posted on 13 April 2018

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.

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What Is Programming?

Posted on 13 April 2018

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 a 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?

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Panel Layering Considerations

Posted on 12 April 2018

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.

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Locating ADAS Information: Ford/Lincoln

Posted on 09 April 2018

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.

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Repairer Driven News: Pulling and Repair Tolerances

Posted on 05 April 2018

An important part of collision repair is set up, measuring, and pulling on vehicles. Many technicians are either not comfortable with these steps, or simply don't know how to do it. Going hand-in-hand with this topic is repair tolerances, what is acceptable and what isn't. Repairer Driven News (RDN) has published several articles that helps to shed light on these topics.

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Appearance Isn't Everything

Posted on 02 April 2018

Normally the quality of a collision repair technician can be measured by whether or not you can tell they were ever there. Meaning that the damaged vehicle was returned to pre-collision condition. You shouldn’t be able to see welds, mismatched paint, or parts that don’t fit. We want to hide the fact that someone was there. However, sometimes the OEM does not make that possible.

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