Unless specifically recommended by the vehicle maker, parts with a tensile strength over 600 MPa should only be replaced at factory seams. This is just one of the "best practices" identified at a Repairability Summit hosted by I-CAR. Summit attendees consisted of subject matter experts from vehicle makers, tool and equipment makers, collision repair facilities, insurance companies, and the American Iron and Steel Institute.
I-CAR has been emphasizing the importance of three-dimensional measuring since its founding in 1979, but is it really required to repair a vehicle? After all, three-dimensional measuring systems are considerably more expensive compared to the much more affordable tape measure or tram gauge (see Figure 1).
There has been a longstanding recommendation to apply epoxy primer, as well as anti-corrosion compound, on the inside of rails and pillars and rocker panels as a last step for structural repairs. Going back as far as the July/August 1988 I-CAR Advantage, in the article "Restoring Corrosion Protection," is the following step for providing corrosion protection to enclosed interior surfaces: "Apply primer. Two-part epoxy recommended. Then apply anti-corrosion compound." The reason given, is that on areas where the coatings have been entirely removed, this is a two-step process that is replacing the two original coatings, zinc and E-coat.
When making collision repairs to the 2012 Ford Focus, be aware that the vehicle may be equipped with an active grille shutter system (see Figure 1). This motorized system is located in front of the radiator, which places it in a vulnerable position during front-end collisions.
If you were asked for a short description for anti-corrosion compound, the material that is sprayed onto the backside of panels and inside rails after repairs, it is likely that "thin film" and "fine mist" would not be included in the wording. However, that is exactly the description given to a new type of anti-corrosion compound now available that uses what is collectively called thin-film technology.
Hot air welders have been around for a number of years and used mostly in bumper remanufacturing facilities. A hot air welder works by passing compressed air over a heating element and heating the air to around 345°C (650°F) to melt the base plastic and filler rod/ribbon together. This type of welder does not use a flat shoe or feeder tube-type tip. A V-groove is cut into the part, the rod is laid into the V-groove, and the two are melted together. Whenever using this type of welder, it is important to have airflow over the element at all times no matter if it is preheating, welding, or cooling.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta is a complete reintroduction of the model name, and one glance will tell you the new Fiesta bears hardly any resemblance to its earlier 1978 namesake (see Figure 1). The Fiesta is based on Ford's new global B-platform, which is planned for use on more vehicles in the next few years. It's available in a four- and five-door body style. Both of the styles are classified as a mini-car. The 2011 Ford Fiesta is the first mini-car to earn a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety since the introduction of a new roof strength test.
There are times when collision repairs on Honda and Acura vehicles will include replacing tires. If tires need to be replaced, it is important that the appropriate size and model number tires are installed. Some replacement tires may have the same manufacturer, be the same size and model name, and look identical, but may not be the recommended replacement. Similar tires may be engineered for two entirely different types of vehicles. When replacing tires, always verify the manufacturer part number for the replacement tires (see Figure 1).
Quality repairs are essential for customer safety and satisfaction, not to mention the time saved preventing rework and comebacks. Ensuring quality repairs are completed on each and every vehicle requires a commitment from the entire team. However, the manager is primarily responsible for making sure everyone is aware of the level of quality that is expected and verifying only high-quality repairs are being completed. This will require knowing how to identify high quality repairs and ensuring that poor repairs are corrected before the vehicle is returned to the customer, or before the vehicle is moved to the next phase of the repair process.
The use of dissimilar metals together in one area of the vehicle structure, and the attachment methods used with those materials, can affect damage analysis and repair versus replace decisions. Two models from Mitsubishi that require these considerations are the Lancer Evolution and Outlander.
Ever since the requirement of wearing insulated rubber gloves, or lineman's gloves, when working on hybrid electric vehicles was introduced in vehicle service information, there have been questions. Are these really the same gloves worn by those who work with high-voltage power lines? Are these gloves necessary or are they overkill? Are these gloves only used for disabling and enabling the high-voltage? What does the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) say about the use of these gloves?
This article is designed to answer these questions.
-
Pre- and Post-Repair System Scanning Position Statements
Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Are you wondering if a particular OEM or organization has a published position statement on pre-repair and post-repair scanning? We have compiled a list of most of the position statements…
-
Toyota/Lexus/Scion Position Statement: Pre- and Post-Repair System Scanning
Thursday, 28 July 2016
As the industry continues to ask if pre- and post-repair system scanning is necessary, Toyota/Lexus/Scion provides their answer.
-
Typical Calibration Requirements For Blind Spot Sensors
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
-
ADAS, Calibration, And Scanning Article Hotspot
Monday, 14 January 2019
Since advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), scanning, and calibration first started becoming relevant, members of the collision repair industry have required as much knowledge as possible on these subjects. I-CAR’s…
-
Restraints Wiring Repairs
Monday, 23 May 2016
Over the past few months, we've been sharing OEM position statements on restraints wiring repairs. Now we're bringing them all together in one place for easy reference.
-
MIG Brazing What Is It, Why Should I Use It?
Monday, 02 June 2014
Why MIG Brazing? It is widely known that GMA (MIG) welded; fully galvanized steel will lose some of its properties, including corrosion protection, due to the heat created during welding.…
-
Typical Calibration Requirements For Forward Radar Sensors
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
-
Typical Calibration Requirements For Park Assist Sensors
Monday, 31 October 2016
Technicians should be aware of what’s required to keep advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) running safely after a collision. Whether that be aiming a camera, which can cause a system…
-
Mazda I-ELOOP Overview
Monday, 27 January 2014
Beginning model year 2014, Mazda has introduced a regenerative engine braking system called i-ELOOP, short for "Intelligent Energy Loop." In this system, a capacitor is used to store electrical energy…
-
New Calibration Requirement From General Motors
Thursday, 18 May 2017
There is new information available when it comes to windshield replacement on General Motors (GM) vehicles. In the past, forward facing camera calibration was not required when replacing the windshield.…
-
2022 SkillsUSA National Competition Results
Monday, 27 June 2022
The 2022 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference took place on June 23rd, 2022. Every year I-CAR sends volunteers (virtually in 2021) to judge the collision repair technology competition. Let’s…
-
Weld-Through Primer Guidelines: Tesla - UPDATE
Friday, 24 June 2022
Weld-through primers are generally a zinc-based product that is applied to the mating surfaces prior to welding. Corroding zinc forms zinc oxide, which protects the steel. This is called sacrificial…
-
Repairing A Vehicle With Vinyl Wrap Or Paint Protection Film
Thursday, 23 June 2022
Vinyl wraps and paint protection film (PPF) are becoming increasingly popular. These products are going to influence the overall repair planning and process. Let’s take a look at some considerations…
-
Calibration Research Tips: Nissan/INFINITI Module Programming
Monday, 20 June 2022
While searching for information on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on an OEM repair information site, you may come across unique calibration procedures or events. These events can vary by…
-
Locating OEM-Approved HV Tools: Hyundai
Friday, 17 June 2022
When researching procedures for disabling a high-voltage (HV) vehicle, you may notice that many of the procedures require the use of specific tools. Some of them are OEM-specific tools or…
-
Non-SRS Wiring Repairs: Jaguar Land Rover
Friday, 17 June 2022
What is a non-SRS wiring repair? It is the repairing of an electrical component that is not part of the supplemental restraints system circuit (usually identified by yellow wire looms).…
-
Refinishing Park Assist Sensors: Tesla
Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Park assist sensors are part of the park assist system, just one of many advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) found on vehicles today. Damaged sensors are typically replaced and may…
-
I-CAR Repairers Realm: Plastic Bumper Repair – Coming Soon
Friday, 10 June 2022
Join I-CAR Repairers Realm for a discussion in a three-part series on plastic repair. Next in the series is plastic bumper repair.
-
Calibration Research Tips: Ford/Lincoln ADAS Suites
Thursday, 09 June 2022
While searching for information on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on an OEM repair information site, you may come across unique calibration procedures or events. These events can vary by…
-
GM Repair Insights: Spring 2022
Wednesday, 08 June 2022
A spring edition of the General Motors (GM) Repair Insights magazine is now available.
- 2022
- June 2022 (13)
- May 2022 (11)
- April 2022 (12)
- March 2022 (12)
- February 2022 (12)
- January 2022 (13)
- 2021
- December 2021 (15)
- November 2021 (12)
- October 2021 (13)
- September 2021 (15)
- August 2021 (13)
- July 2021 (16)
- June 2021 (17)
- May 2021 (14)
- April 2021 (16)
- March 2021 (21)
- February 2021 (15)
- January 2021 (14)
- 2020
- December 2020 (14)
- November 2020 (17)
- October 2020 (13)
- September 2020 (14)
- August 2020 (12)
- July 2020 (19)
- June 2020 (16)
- May 2020 (14)
- April 2020 (20)
- March 2020 (12)
- February 2020 (14)
- January 2020 (14)
- 2019
- December 2019 (14)
- November 2019 (20)
- October 2019 (25)
- September 2019 (20)
- August 2019 (22)
- July 2019 (23)
- June 2019 (21)
- May 2019 (19)
- April 2019 (21)
- March 2019 (21)
- February 2019 (21)
- January 2019 (18)
- 2018
- December 2018 (19)
- November 2018 (19)
- October 2018 (17)
- September 2018 (16)
- August 2018 (23)
- July 2018 (21)
- June 2018 (21)
- May 2018 (19)
- April 2018 (19)
- March 2018 (22)
- February 2018 (17)
- January 2018 (21)
- 2017
- December 2017 (15)
- November 2017 (15)
- October 2017 (19)
- September 2017 (20)
- August 2017 (21)
- July 2017 (18)
- June 2017 (23)
- May 2017 (21)
- April 2017 (15)
- March 2017 (19)
- February 2017 (11)
- January 2017 (13)
- 2016
- December 2016 (9)
- November 2016 (14)
- October 2016 (21)
- September 2016 (11)
- August 2016 (11)
- July 2016 (8)
- June 2016 (13)
- May 2016 (11)
- April 2016 (12)
- March 2016 (13)
- February 2016 (11)
- January 2016 (5)
- 2015
- December 2015 (10)
- November 2015 (8)
- October 2015 (11)
- September 2015 (8)
- August 2015 (12)
- July 2015 (10)
- June 2015 (10)
- May 2015 (8)
- April 2015 (10)
- March 2015 (9)
- February 2015 (9)
- January 2015 (11)
- 2014
- December 2014 (15)
- November 2014 (9)
- October 2014 (12)
- September 2014 (10)
- August 2014 (10)
- July 2014 (12)
- June 2014 (9)
- May 2014 (14)
- April 2014 (9)
- March 2014 (6)
- February 2014 (1)
- January 2014 (27)