Can You Section A General Motors Vehicle Without A Procedure?

Posted on 28 March 2014

Did you know that in 2013, General Motors published a position statement that identifies that sectioning should only be performed in recommended areas? This warning is applicable to all GM lines including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC.

Continue Reading...

Working With Boron-Alloyed Steel - What's In A Name? (UHSS)

Posted on 26 March 2014

Vehicle makers each have their own way of organizing their repair information. The names of the materials and even the names of different parts of vehicles may vary.

Continue Reading...

Can Damaged Cab Mount Brackets Be Repaired?

Posted on 24 March 2014

When determining repair vs. replace options for damaged cab-mounting areas, determine if the vehicle maker providesa service part and written replacement procedures. If there is no replacement procedure, but the service part is available, duplicate the original factory attachment method. If the part is not available as a separate service part, replacement of a major part of the frame, or the entire frame, may be the only option (See Figure 1).

Continue Reading...

Subaru Collision Repair Information Is Available

Posted on 20 March 2014

Subaru has been growing in market share over the past few years. With more and more Subarus on the road everyday, what is the collision repair industry going to do about repairing these vehicles that are being seen with more regularity?

Continue Reading...

OEM Linking Pin: Nissan 370Z Roof Panel Replacement

Posted on 19 March 2014

The roof panel on the 2013 Nissan 370Z is laser-welded along the roof-to-side panel mating flange from the factory. Through a routine technical inquiry from a collision repair facility, the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support team was asked if a Nissan procedure existed for replacing the roof panel.

Continue Reading...

OEM Linking Pin: Subaru Clarifies Airbag Replacement

Posted on 18 March 2014

As part of the I-CAR Repairability Technical Support (RTS) initiative's 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, "Do you have to replace a front passenger airbag on a Subaru even if only the driver's airbag deployed? The repair information seems to indicate that it should."

Continue Reading...

Carbon Fiber Why Does It Matter?

Posted on 05 February 2014

Carbon fiber is being used on many late-model vehicles and has become a buzzword in the industry. This article answers some questions you may have been wondering about on the use and repair of carbon fiber.

Continue Reading...

Mazda I-ELOOP Overview

Posted on 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 generated during deceleration. In a conventional system when the vehicle slows or stops, energy is wasted. The i-ELOOP system uses a unique variable voltage alternator that can produce up to 25 volts during deceleration. The electricity that is generated during deceleration is not sent directly to the vehicle's battery, because the battery cannot store more than 12 volts. Instead, the capacitor stores the electricity, up to the 25 volts produced by the alternator. The capacitor then readily discharges it through a voltage reduction circuit to power vehicle accessories.

Continue Reading...

Kia Motors Releases Soul Collision Repair Manual

Posted on 10 January 2014

Kia Motors has released a comprehensive collision repair manual for the Kia Soul, in the United States!

Continue Reading...

The Aluminum Difference

Posted on 09 December 2013

What's Iowa Got To Do With It?

by Jason Bartanen

We've seen a lot of changes in vehicle technology over the years. With each of these changes come new challenges and new opportunities. When the unibody vehicle was introduced, repair professionals were required to change their approach to collision repair, from damage analysis through the repair process. With the introduction of GMA (MIG) welding, additional requirements for repairs included new training and equipment. And passive restraints systems presented a completely different type of challenge, involving electronics and diagnostics.

Continue Reading...

I-CAR Training and Certification: Steel Sectioning Course Updated

Posted on 07 November 2013

To help the industry be better prepared for repairing new vehicles, I-CAR has updated the Training and Certification: Steel Sectioning. With the changes to vehicles happening daily from new materials, thinner materials, new technologies, and new repair procedures, collision repair technicians have had to update their skills to repair the new vehicles.

Continue Reading...

New Honda "Body Repair News" Publication

Posted on 16 August 2013

A new free publication from Honda features body repair information on their new models. The first two editions of Body Repair News are now available on Honda's Service Express website. The premier publication in the series focuses on new model body repair information for the 2014 Acura MDX and the second edition covers the 2013 Honda Accord. Subsequent Body Repair News editions will be created, or updated, for each new model and any minor model change where significant body design changes are made.

Continue Reading...

MIG Brazing on the 2013 Honda Accord

Posted on 17 July 2013

If you haven't been exposed to MIG brazing yet, it's likely that you will be in the not-too-distant future. More and more popular vehicles are requiring MIG brazing for attaching certain high-strength steel (HSS) parts when making collision repairs. An example of this is on the 2013 Honda Accord.

Continue Reading...

OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Revision

Posted on 09 May 2013

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requiring that all employees be trained, by December 1st of 2013, on the revision to its Hazard Communication Standard. The revision to the 1994 standard more closely aligns with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), an international approach to labeling and classifying hazardous products.

Continue Reading...

Dressing GMA Welds

Posted on 03 April 2013

There's a lot of information in the field on making and testing GMA welds, but not too much on dressing the welds after they're made on a vehicle. Any GMA weld usually requires dressing the top surface of the weld.

Continue Reading...