The 2021 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference took place on June 10th, 2021. Every year I-CAR sends volunteers (virtually in 2021) to judge the collision repair technology competition. Let’s take a look at this year’s results.

While looking at repair procedures in a body repair manual (BRM) you may notice that symbols are used to indicate specific operations or parts to be used during the repair process. Most BRMs provide a glossary or a chart that explains these symbols.

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.

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 corrosion. For a quality weld to be made it’s required that the weld-through primer be removed from the direct weld zone before welding the joint, when MIG welding. Many OEMs have a position on when and how to use weld-through primer or when it shouldn’t be utilized. Let’s see what Hyundai recommends and where this information can be found.

While looking at repair procedures in a body repair manual (BRM) you may notice that symbols are used to indicate specific operations or parts to be used during the repair process. Most BRMs provide a glossary or a chart that explains these symbols.

While looking at repair procedures in a body repair manual (BRM) you may notice that symbols are used to indicate specific operations or parts to be used during the repair process. Most BRMs provide a glossary or a chart that explains these symbols.

The sixteenth installment of the I-CAR Collision Reporter - The Disruptor Issue has been released. This issue focuses on changes that disrupt and challenge the industry and the world we live in.

Toyota/Lexus released information on the www.pressroom.toyota.com website about the Teammate® advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technology that debuts on select 2022 Lexus LS 500H models which should be in U.S. dealerships in the fall.

Repairer Driven News (RDN) released an article on General Motors (GM) post-crash inspections and repair requirements document.

With so many events and activities being cancelled due to Covid-19, you may not know it, but the national SkillsUSA is still happening this year. This event will be in a virtual format. It's been an amazing journey to see how the industry has come together to make this happen.

Repairer Driven News (RDN) released an article on the Ford Maverick truck that is to go on sale fall of 2021. The truck comes standard as a hybrid but can be upgraded to a gasoline engine only powertrain.

Did you know that many OEMs specify nugget size for spot and plug welds? This information is typically found within vehicle-specific repair procedures or can be found under general welding guidelines. Let’s see what Tesla has to say.

What is a one-time-use part, and how do you determine if a fastener, clip, or part can be reused? These are questions that we are confronted with in the collision industry quite a lot. The other big question is "Where do I find this information"?

What is a one-time-use part, and how do you determine if a fastener, clip, or part can be reused? These are questions that we are confronted with in the collision industry quite a lot. The other big question is "Where do I find this information"?

When researching calibration procedures for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), you may notice that many of the procedures require the use of specific tools. Some tools may be everyday items like string, tape, levels, paper, etc. However, many of them are OEM-specific tools or scan tools. Often identifying and locating where to purchase these specific tools can be difficult.