Did you know that Volkswagen provides a build guide for their vehicles, 1999 to present? This guide is an invaluable resource in aiding you make sure you find the correct body repair manual.

Did you know that Audi provides a build guide for their vehicles, 1999 to present? This guide is an invaluable resource in aiding you make sure you find the correct body repair manual.

Traditional transmissions have two major categories, manual(standard) and automatic. Manual transmissions have the driver change the gears, whereas automatics shift on their own without driver input. Manual transmissions have always been known for their faster acceleration and better fuel economy. Well to much surprise, today's automatic transmission outperforms the manual transmission on almost all fronts. It gets consistently better fuel economy, has faster acceleration, and even smoother shifts than ever before. If that’s not enough, many automatic transmissions can also be manually shifted if you want to reminisce about the good old days every now and then. For this reason, you may have noticed the decline in manual transmissions. With the new high-tech automatics there can be special considerations for repairers.

Repairer Driven News released an article on the 2020 Corvette Stingray, which outlines the variety of materials used in the light-weight construction of the vehicle. The mid-engine vehicle has been called “a smart mixed-materials strategy” by Chevrolet.

Automotive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are well known and are frequently discussed. These systems bring safety advancements that are unprecedented, and until recently, were just the subject of science fiction.

One of the top technical inquiries received at Ask I-CAR is, “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 2019 Lexus UX 200.

Sometimes going back-to-basics can make the difference between a quality repair and a failed repair. When it comes to headlamp aiming, there are a few things to keep in mind.

The ninth installment of the I-CAR Collision Reporter – The Vision Issue, has been released. This issue focuses on the latest technology that is helping keep motorists safe during collisions and avoid collisions entirely.

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 Mazda say on the subject?

It seems in this life, you can never have too much space for storage. Whether that be in your home, place of work, or your vehicle. Consumers are looking for more and more storage on their vehicles, driving OEMs to get creative with creating this storage space. To meet consumer demand, OEMs have been taking almost every empty space on vehicles and created a storage compartment out of it. While some of these spaces are obvious, others may be harder to see or even disguised in an effort to create a secret storage compartment. So, how do these additional storage spaces affect the collision repair industry.

Ford’s redesigned 2020 Escape utilizes much more boron steel in the structure, it has been described as a "plentiful" amount. In addition to the boron usage, a long martensitic ultra-high strength steel tube goes from the A-pillar to the C-pillar. An article published by Repairer Driven News goes into more detail.

Repairer Driven News recently released an article on how the plastics industry has an interest in the discarded bumper fascias from body shops. The idea isn’t to refurbish the damaged fascias, but rather to use the thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) from the bumpers.

The I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) team recently developed a new I-CAR 360 video on the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra light duty. The video provides a 360 tour around the new Silverado/Sierra, and the body in white.

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. Recently, we had a technical inquiry that asked for clarification on the difference between the Kia Optima JF and the Optima JFA.

One of the top technical inquiries received at Ask I-CAR is, “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 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan.