When it comes to choosing the right catalytic converter for your vehicle, there are several important factors to consider. These factors will help ensure that you’re not only selecting the correct part but also staying compliant with local emissions laws. Let’s break down the process, so you know exactly what to look for when you’re ready to make a purchase.

Universal vs. Direct Fit: What’s the Difference?

The first decision you’ll need to make is whether you need a universal or direct-fit catalytic converter. A direct-fit converter is exactly what it sounds like—it’s designed to fit directly into your vehicle without any additional fabrication. It has interfaces on either end, which makes installation relatively easy and can usually be done with basic hand tools. This is perfect for those who want a straightforward installation process.

A universal converter, on the other hand, requires some level of customization. It comes with a straight-through design, meaning you’ll need to cut and possibly weld parts of your exhaust system. While universal converters offer flexibility, they are often best suited for those with more advanced mechanical skills or access to a professional shop.

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California vs. 49-State Cars

Another critical consideration is whether your vehicle is classified as a California car or a 49-State car. A California car is one registered and operated in California, which has stricter emissions standards compared to the rest of the United States. If your vehicle falls into this category, you’ll need a catalytic converter that is California ARB approved. These converters are specifically designed to meet California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards.

For those with a 49-State car (vehicles registered outside of California), the requirements are less stringent, and you’ll be looking for a converter that meets federal EPA standards. It’s important to check the emissions tag located in your engine compartment. This tag will indicate whether your vehicle is California-compliant or follows 49-State standards. Knowing this detail is essential before you choose the right catalytic converter.

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Choosing the Right Grade

Once you’ve determined the type of converter and the applicable emissions standards, the next step is choosing the right grade of converter. There are typically two options for 49-State vehicles: heavy metal (HM) and OEM-grade converters.

• Heavy Metal (HM) Converters are designed for 49-State applications and meet EPA certification requirements. They are ideal for most vehicles and are usually more affordable.
• OEM-grade Converters are for vehicles that require a higher level of emissions control, often necessary for vehicles operating in more regulated states like California.

For pre-OBD2 vehicles, the process involves referencing the emissions tag to determine the exact converter type (e.g., two-way, three-way, or three-way plus air). You’ll also need to know your vehicle’s engine size and gross weight to match the converter properly.

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Why Quality Matters

Quality should always be a top priority when selecting a catalytic converter. Premium materials like stainless steel ensure durability, especially in parts that are constantly exposed to high heat and corrosive gases. Key features like lap joints, which provide extra material for stronger welds, and comprehensive warranties also separate top-tier converters from the rest. Look for converters that offer a minimum of a 5-year for peace of mind, especially if you’re operating in California.

In conclusion, choosing the right catalytic converter involves understanding your vehicle’s needs, emissions requirements, and the level of fabrication you’re comfortable with. Whether you’re installing a direct-fit converter or tackling a universal model, make sure you’re selecting a product that meets all legal requirements and offers long-term reliability.

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As distracted and drug-impaired driving fatalities climb, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) is sounding the alarm on urgent road safety challenges in two revealing new reports.

In Distraction-Related Fatal Collisions, 2000-2021 and Drug Use in Fatal Collisions, 2000-2021, funded by Desjardins Insurance, findings from TIRF’s National Fatality Database emphasize the urgent need to tackle these road safety issues.

“Although distracted driving-related fatalities have declined over the years, the percentage of all fatalities attributed to distraction has increased,” said Steve Brown, TIRF research associate. “The data also highlights a troubling rise in drug-related road deaths, with a significant increase in fatalities where at least one driver tested positive for drugs.”

The data showed that distraction-related fatalities rose to 28.8 per cent in 2021 from 19.1 per cent in 2000. Younger drivers (16-19 years old) and older drivers (65 and older) were the most likely to have been distracted, with percentages at 20.6 per cent and 20.4 per cent, respectively. During the same period, commercial vehicle drivers were nearly twice as likely to be distracted compared to motorcyclists (25.6 per cent vs. 13.1 per cent) and more so than drivers of automobiles (16.5 per cent) and light trucks (17.5 per cent).

In 2021, there were 359 fatalities in crashes where at least one driver was distracted, down from 458 in 2000. Despite the decrease in absolute numbers, the proportion of road fatalities due to distraction rose to 28.8 per cent in 2021 from 19.1 per cent in 2000. This indicates that while overall road safety may have improved, distracted driving remains a persistent issue, requiring targeted interventions.

Drug-related fatalities have also seen a dramatic increase. In 2021, there were 496 fatalities in crashes where at least one driver tested positive for drugs, compared to 230 in 2000. The percentage of drug-related traffic fatalities jumped to 37 per cent in 2021 from 10.7 per cent in 2000. Since 2013, collisions involving a drug-impaired driver have surpassed those involving alcohol, distraction, or other factors. Drivers aged 20-34 had the highest percentage of positive drug tests at 61.1 per cent, highlighting the need for focused education and enforcement among this demographic.

Interestingly, drug-related fatalities were less common in vehicles with multiple occupants than those with a single occupant, suggesting that drivers with passengers might feel more responsible for their safety. Conversely, distraction-related fatalities were higher in crashes involving vehicles with multiple occupants, indicating a need for increased passenger education about the dangers of riding with distracted drivers.

“Understanding the nuances of distracted and drug-impaired driving can help tailor enforcement and education efforts to better reach target audiences,” says Ward Vanlaar, TIRF’s chief operating officer. “General messages may not be effective, especially if people don’t recognize their distraction or impairment. Additionally, educating passengers about the risks of riding with distracted or impaired drivers needs more emphasis and reinforcement.”

The post The rising threats of distracted, drug-impaired driving appeared first on Auto Service World.

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Human error is the number one cause of vehicle collisions. However, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) can significantly decrease the risks of human error.

Sales of cars equipped with ADAS features have risen dramatically in the last few years, and Statista predicts that the market will reach $125 billion by 2029. In the U.S. alone, market penetration hit 80 per cent in 2023 and continues to rise.

ADAS is not a one-size-fits-all solution. The systems are categorized according to their functionality and capability. Currently, the most common ADAS level is L2, as fully autonomous vehicles have yet to become mainstream.

The categories are segregated as follows:

• L1 – Level 1 (Driver Assistance)
• L2 – Level 2 (Partial Driving Automation)
• L3 – Level 3 (Conditional Driving Automation)
• L4 – Level 4 (High Driving Automation)
• L5 – Level 5 (Fully Automated Driving)

But even with any level of ADAS in use, accidents still happen. So, for those driving an ADAS-equipped car who have a collision, where is the line drawn between personal accountability and the automatic, pre-programmed impulses of ADAS? And, more importantly, where does the law draw the line?

Understanding the legal implications of ADAS in car accidents and the technology and liability surrounding these systems is important for everyone on the road.

Some of the most significant features of ADAS include the following applications:

Navigation system: The navigation system provided by an ADAS is like a super-advanced GPS tracker. It provides numerous on-screen directions and voice prompts to help drivers identify the best route forward while still concentrating on driving.

Some navigation systems integrated with an ADAS can also receive traffic alerts, accident reports, and other notable road-relevant data to ensure the safest possible drive.

Night vision: The night vision feature allows drivers access to infrared screens that can highlight objects that are otherwise very difficult to see in the dark. This helps drivers avoid pedestrians, animals, or objects of any kind that may be ahead of them at night, thus preventing them from being hit.

Automatic emergency braking: AEB, or autonomous emergency braking, automatically takes over from the driver when it detects an obstruction, such as a slow-moving vehicle or pedestrian. It applies the brakes based on the vehicle speed and the distance to the obstruction to prevent a collision.

Driver drowsiness detection: Drowsy drivers contribute to over 100,000 road accidents, 70,000 injuries, and 1,500 fatalities every year. Fortunately, the sensors in ADAS technology can detect the signs of an unfocused, drowsy driver and issue alerts to wake them up and correct the potential problem.

Unseen area monitoring: This is one of the more common ADAS features and can be as simple as a rearview camera to facilitate safer reversing. By offering a clear screen visualization of unseen areas around the vehicle, drivers can gain a more accurate perspective of their position, helping them navigate parking and driving more safely.

Collision Detection: Similar to unseen area monitoring, collision detection warns drivers if a car, pedestrian, or other object is too close to them. This can reduce the chances of a high-speed collision or a fender bender, depending on the hazard.

Lane departure warning: Designed to prevent accidents due to drifting or departing from a lane, the system detects lane markers and alerts the driver when their tire touches a marker.

Adaptive cruise control: Adaptive cruise control utilizes sensors to adjust a car’s speed based on the vehicle in front of it. First debuted by Mercedes in its C-Class limousine in 1999, adaptive cruise control has gone on to become one of the more common ADAS and is now available as an after-market add-on in some makes and models of car.

V2X and 5G: By far one of the most cutting-edge features of current ADAS technology is the integration of 5G networks and V2X connectivity.

While 5G takes care of regular connectivity such as internet access, live notifications, and GPS updates, V2X connects your vehicle to others around it, enabling a higher level of sensitivity between cars on the road and allowing for more proactive road safety measures to be activated.

Legal implications

When it comes to ADAS and road accidents, there is a common question of ethics. In the event of a crash, who is the real “driver” of the vehicle? Is it the person driving the car or the technology that automatically takes action under certain circumstances?

In 2017, the Self Drive Act was proposed in the U.S. but this bill has yet to be passed, despite 42 states agreeing to universal type approval rules for these systems. To date, the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards have also not mandated or controlled any ADAS technology. This means that states and districts in the US have had to step in to determine their own standpoint, which the Supreme Court then acts upon accordingly.

It can be very difficult to decipher whether a person is fully responsible for the outcome of an accident. In most situations, the court will aim to determine who (either the driver or the vehicle) exercised the most control over the vehicle’s motion at the critical point of the accident. This can include steering, acceleration, or deceleration. From that point, the court will reach a decision about where the responsibility for lack of control stems from.

However, it’s important to note that even with ADAS in use, a driver can still be considered criminally negligent for driving their vehicle or disobeying the rules of the road. This means they can be held liable for damage in the event of a collision, and a lawyer with experience in these matters will be required to defend them.

For example, if a driver intentionally drives faster than the speed limit to avoid traffic, and the speeding results in a car accident, that decision would indicate willful or criminal negligence and could result in serious charges. Tesla has faced several lawsuits of this nature, where vehicles have crashed while in Autopilot. However, they have repeatedly been found not guilty as the courts ruled that the collisions were due to human error.

Overall, ADAS technology has had a revolutionary effect on driving laws and culture. While it has the potential to help keep drivers, passengers, and pedestrians safe, it can also make it difficult for the government to understand where the driver’s control ends and the vehicle’s begins.

From auto shops to automation, Christina Lambert bridges the gap between the automotive industry and the future of logistics. Her background in both fields grants her unique insights into the ever-evolving landscape, where cutting-edge technology is transforming how we move people and goods.

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2024 Wagoneer

Large sport utility vehicles are often seen as the embodiment of road safety due to their imposing size, but new ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal significant differences in safety performance among popular models.

The Jeep Wagoneer emerged as the only tested SUV to earn a Top Safety Pick award, while the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition lagged behind due to various safety shortcomings.

The Wagoneer stood out for its performance in the small overlap front crash test, which evaluates how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a collision that impacts the front corner of the vehicle. The Wagoneer maintained good survival space for both the driver and front passenger.

The Chevrolet Tahoe received an acceptable rating in the driver-side small overlap test, with sufficient survival space for the driver. However, significant footwell intrusion increased the risk of lower leg injuries.

The Ford Expedition, rated marginal, struggled in both driver- and passenger-side tests. In the driver-side test, the steering column partially detached from the instrument panel, and in both tests, the A-pillar separated from the rocker panel. Excessive footwell intrusion led to a high risk of injury to the driver’s right leg and a moderate risk to the left.

When an additional dummy was placed in the second row to evaluate updated moderate overlap ratings, none of the vehicles performed well. High seat belt forces indicated a high risk of chest injuries for rear-seat passengers in all three SUVs.

The Tahoe, rated poor, showed a high risk of head or neck injuries for rear-seat passengers, along with chest injury risks. Its second-row lap belt also slid onto the dummy’s abdomen, increasing the risk of abdominal injuries.

“These discouraging results show that some popular vehicles still lag behind in meeting the most advanced safety standards,” said Raul Arbelaez, vice president of the IIHS Vehicle Research Center. “The good news is that the top performer in this class proves that automakers can readily address these problems.”

In the updated side test, all three SUVs earned good ratings, although the Expedition’s rear dummy’s head struck the side curtain airbag hard.

For pedestrian crash avoidance, the Expedition and Wagoneer’s standard front crash prevention systems earned good ratings, successfully avoiding collisions with pedestrian dummies in most tests. The Wagoneer’s headlights also performed well, earning acceptable or good ratings. However, the Expedition’s headlights were rated marginal due to inadequate illumination and excessive glare.

The Tahoe, however, earned a marginal rating in the pedestrian test. Its standard system performed well in daylight but faltered in the dark. In specific nighttime scenarios, the Tahoe’s high beams only reduced speed by 3 mph, and its low beams failed to slow down at all, indicating poor performance.

The safety of seat belt reminders also varied among the models. The Expedition earned a good rating, the Tahoe an acceptable rating due to the lack of a reminder for the second row, and the Wagoneer a marginal rating because of a delayed unbelted occupant alert and the absence of a second-row reminder.

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While automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems have provided benefits to drivers, they’re not foolproof, the American Automobile Association is warning.

Recent research from AAA put the spotlight on the performance of reverse AEB systems, specifically those equipped with rear cross-traffic mitigation, in the latest 2023 model-year vehicles.

The study aimed to determine the efficacy of these systems in preventing collisions under two common scenarios: Reversing from a parking space with an obstructed view and encountering a stationary child behind the vehicle.

The findings revealed that while reverse AEB systems engaged brakes automatically in 65 per cent of simulations involving an oncoming vehicle during a backing-up maneuver, they only prevented a collision in 2.5 per cent of cases. However, the systems showed greater effectiveness with a stationary child target, initiating brakes in 75 per cent of instances and averting a collision in half of the test runs.

You can see examples of the test here and here.

AAA has issued recommendations urging drivers not to solely depend on reverse AEB systems for avoiding collisions. Instead, they should complement these systems with backup cameras and other sensors to enhance situational awareness. The association also emphasizes cautious backing up, especially when the view is obstructed, to allow ample time for the system to detect potential hazards.

The report also calls for standardized testing criteria within the United States to ensure the reliability and real-world applicability of these safety systems.

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Test results found that four large pickups offer strong side protection but raise concerns around backseat protection for passengers.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s updated side crash test  gave good ratings to the 2023 Ram 1500 crew cab, Ford F-150 crew cab and Toyota Tundra crew cab, while the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab is rated acceptable.

But when including the back seat as part if updated testing, only the Tundra is marginal while the rest are poor.

“Like most other vehicle classes, large pickups don’t perform as well in the new moderate overlap evaluation as they do in the updated side test, which is now a requirement for our Top Safety Pick awards,” said IIHS president David Harkey.

In the updated test, a second dummy is positioned in the second row behind the driver. The driver dummy is the size of an average adult man. The rear dummy is the size of a small woman or 12-year-old child. IIHS researchers also developed new metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in backseat passengers.

For a vehicle to earn a “good” rating, there can’t be an excessive risk of injury to the head, neck, chest or thigh, as recorded by the second-row dummy. The dummy should remain correctly positioned during the crash without “submarining” — sliding forward beneath the lap belt, which increases the risk of abdominal injuries.

The head should also remain a safe distance from the front seatback and the rest of the vehicle interior, and the shoulder belt should remain on the shoulder, where it is most effective. A pressure sensor on the rear dummy’s torso is used to check the shoulder belt position during the crash.

“Submarining was a problem for all four pickups, and belt forces were too high in all but the Tundra,” Harkey said.

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Vehicle owners in Prince Edward Island may soon have to get vehicle inspections every two years instead of one.

Reports indicate that the provincial government is considering changing the frequency requirement of motor vehicle inspections.

“I think the other thing we have to look at is insurance rates” and any impact MVI frequency would have on them, said provincial transportation minister Ernie Hudson, according to the CBC.

The push seems to have come after Green Party MLA Peter Bevan-Baker asked the government why safety inspections are done annually. He suggested the province consider the move to ease the financial burden on vehicle owners.

Inspections are done every two years in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Other provinces only require inspections when vehicles are sold from one owner to another.

“A car that passes inspection with no issues this year, there can be many issues that go wrong within a year: brake work, bodywork, many things,” Ernie Stanley, who manages Coast Tire in Charlottetown, told the CBC.

Doug Burke, a service advisor at Wendell Taylor’s Garage, told the CBC that an MVI in the province Island costs $30.

“[We] don’t really make money on MVIs from what I am aware,” he said. “I’m safety first. You have to make sure it is safe whether it is one-year-old, 10-years-old.”

The review is expected to be done by mid-December.

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Minivans are getting marginal and poor ratings in crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The group specifically looked at rear-seat safety. None of the four minivans tested earned a good or acceptable rating. Rather than boasting top-notch second-row seat safety — especially as a family vehicle — they’re falling behind, the group said.

The Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna were rated marginal, while the Honda Odyssey was rated poor. Only the Sienna has seat belt reminders for the second-row seats.

“Back seat safety is important for all vehicles, but it’s especially vital for those, like minivans, that customers are choosing specifically to transport their families,” said IIHS president David Harkey. “It’s disappointing that automakers haven’t acted faster to apply the best available technology to the second row in this vehicle class.”

The IIHS pointed out that it’s not that the rear seats have become less safe but the front seat has become safer thanks to improved airbags and advanced seat belts — features not available in the back.

Still, the IIHS noted that the back seat is the safest place for children — who can be injured by an inflating front airbag — and the rating does not apply to children secured properly in child safety seats.

“The restraint systems in all four vehicles leave the second-row occupant vulnerable to chest injuries, either because of excessive belt forces or poor belt positioning,” said Jessica Jermakian, IIHS vice president of vehicle research. “That’s concerning because those injuries can be life-threatening.”

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Many midsize SUVs are not offering enough front crash protection for passengers in the backseats, new findings have shown.

Crash test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are raising concerns over the safety of passengers in the rear of these vehicles.

“All these vehicles provide excellent protection for the driver,” said IIHS president David Harkey, “but only a handful extend that level of safety to the back seat.”

Past crash tests have centred around the driver. New tests have been updated to include rear passengers. Those tests gave only four out of 13 tested midsize SUVs tested — the Ford Explorer, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Subaru Ascent and Tesla Model Y — a “good” rating.

The Chevrolet Traverse, Toyota Highlander and Volkswagen Atlas earned “marginal” ratings. Six others — the Honda Pilot, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler 4-door, Mazda CX-9 and Nissan Murano — are rated “poor.”

“Zeroing in on weaknesses in rear seat safety is an opportunity to make big gains in a short time, since solutions that are already proven to work in the front can successfully be adapted for the rear,” said IIHS senior research engineer Marcy Edwards, who led the development of the updated test. “The four good ratings in this round of testing show that some automakers are already doing it.”

IIHS’s tests used a dummy representing a small woman or 12-year-old child positioned in the second row behind the driver and uses specific metrics that focus on the injuries most frequently seen in rear-seat occupants.

In the poor-rated vehicles, measurements taken from the rear dummy pointed to a high risk of head or neck injuries to the rear passenger in the CX-9, Grand Cherokee, Murano, Palisade and Pilot. It also indicated a significant risk of head or neck injuries in the Wrangler, which lacks a side curtain airbag in the rear.

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Photo credit: Glenn Lindberg/Vi Bilägare

A Swedish car magazine has found a gap in safety when comparing touchscreen buttons to the old-school alternative.

Newer vehicles are seeing touchpads replacing knobs in everything from controlling the radio to the air conditioning.

Tests conducted by Vi Bilägare found that the driver in the worst-performing car needed four times longer to perform simple tasks than in the best-performing car.

“The screens in modern cars keep getting bigger. Design teams at most car manufacturers love to ditch physical buttons and switches, although they are far superior safety-wise,” was the conclusion of the magazine’s testing.

Vi Bilägare tested the HMI system (Human-Machine Interface) of 12 vehicles, trying out changing radio stations to adjusting climate control all while the vehicle was driven at 110 km/h. A 17-year-old Volvo V70 was used for comparison.

The four tests conducted were:

• Activate the heated seat, increase temperature by two degrees, and start the defroster.
• Power on the radio and adjust the station to a specific channel (Sweden’s Program 1).
• Reset the trip computer.
• Lower the instrument lighting to the lowest level and turn off the center display.

Tesla vehicles, for example, have the biggest touchscreens, in which most of the vehicle’s feature controls are housed, even the wipers. The BMW iX also offers a touchscreen, though not as big as Tesla’s, while also providing physical buttons. The research found that even so, that’s no guarantee for easier use.

“The BMW’s infotainment system has lots of features, but it also has one of the most complex and complicated user interfaces ever designed,” Vi Bilägare reported.

It also noted that carmakers like Volkswagen place touch-sensitive climate controls below the screen in the ID.3 to save money. These are not backlit which makes them completely invisible at night.

At the end of the day, the group found one vehicle that stood out from the rest.

“The easiest car to understand and operate, by a large margin, is the 2005 Volvo V70,” Vi Bilägare said. “The four tasks is handled within 10 seconds flat, during which the car is driven 306 meters at 110 km/h.”

To compare against some notable names, the BMW iX took 30.4 seconds, the Volkswagen ID.3 took 25.7 seconds, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 took 26.7 seconds, the Tesla Model 3 took 23.5 and the Subaru Outback took 19.4 seconds.

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Despite tests that show a significant reduction in collisions, pickup trucks are less likely to be equipped with crash avoidance technology.

A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that Automatic emergency braking (AEB) reduces rear-end crash rates for pickups dramatically. But you’re more likely to find the feature on cars and SUVs.

Study author Jessica Cicchino, vice president of research at IIHS, noted that pickups make up 20 per cent of passenger vehicles. With their large size, they can be dangerous to people in smaller vehicles and pedestrians.

“Nevertheless, manufacturers have been slow to equip them with AEB and other crash avoidance systems,” she said.

AEB systems use sensors to detect when a vehicle is getting too close when trailing another. Typically, a warning alerts the driver while the vehicle pre-charges the brakes to maximize their effect. It will apply the brakes automatically if the driver doesn’t respond.

Police-reported crashes from 25 states from 2017-2020 were examined. It was found that the rate at which pickups rear-ended other vehicles was 43 per cent lower for pickups equipped with AEB than for those without it. Rear-end injury crash rates were 42 per cent lower.

“These numbers confirm that AEB is reducing crashes for pickups, just as it is for cars, SUVs and large trucks,” said Cicchino. “The faster automakers can make sure that every pickup they sell has this important safety feature, the better.”

IIHS noted the importance of AEB on pickups because of their popularity and size — pickups can weigh almost 5,000 pounds on average. An SUV is about 4,100 pounds while a car is just 3,200 pounds.

AEV was standard on 5 per cent of the registered pickups on U.S. roads in 2021, compared with 10 per cent of cars and 18 per cent of SUVs, IIHS reported. The feature was optional on 10 per cent of pickups, 15 per cent of cars and 22 per cent of SUVs.

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To improve driver focus and safety, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are improving to the point where they can pick up traffic signs and relay information to drivers.

Signs like “do not enter,” stop and speed limits can be delivered to the driver through its heads-up display, the infotainment console or instrument cluster, according to a report from J.D. Power. More sophisticated systems could pick up other signs as well.

If a driver misses a sign, the traffic-sign recognition (TSR) safety tech system would alert the driver so they can react accordingly. In other words, it can act as a second set of eyes to road signs.

The system uses advanced forward-facing cameras positioned high on the windshield — generally next to the rearview mirror unit — where it is aimed to view traffic signs. The cameras scan the side of the road relative to the vehicle.

Once the camera recognizes a sign, the TSR system’s software processes the image to establish its classification and meaning. It then relays the information to the driver almost right away with a representation of the sign, be it an icon or graphic.

“However, TSR’s ability to accurately identify a sign depends on the speed of the vehicle and its distance to the sign,” J.D. Power noted.

Other limitations include poor weather (such as fog or heavy rain causing low visibility), a foggy or otherwise blocked windshield, damaged signs, a titled vehicle due to a heavy load or modifications, and more.

“While TSR and similar camera- and sensor-based technologies are potentially significant to moving us toward an autonomous driving future, there is still a long way to go,” J.D. Power observed. “At this point, TSR is still primarily a driver-assistance system meant only to assist. Drivers cannot rely solely on this system to make steering or braking maneuvers/adjustments.”

Watch for automakers to add TSR to ADAS offerings soon, it added.

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Sheridan College and Rogers Communications will partner for the next two years on 5G autonomous vehicle research and development.

The program will run through the GTA-area school’s Centre for Mobile Innovation (CMI). Rogers and Sheridan study the potential of integrating navigation, diagnostics and infotainment systems into autonomous vehicles over new 5G wireless technologies and networks. The partnership will also include research into the areas of intelligent transport systems in a multi-user environment.

Researchers and students will use machine learning techniques combined with traffic modelling and simulations to generate insights into how Rogers can deliver services to drivers and prepare a roadmap for autonomous vehicles operating on its 5G networks, the joint announcement said.

Research will focus on in-car non-driving systems in autonomous vehicles like navigation, diagnostics and infotainment. It will also explore connectivity with Intelligent transport systems using cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X).

The announcement noted that 5G research will focus on autonomous public transportation systems, driverless taxis, autonomous delivery systems and assisted driving for seniors and people with disabilities.

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Noelsch/Pixbay

There’s a lack of regulatory oversight into onboard vehicle technology and industry advocates want to see better guidance and consumer awareness.

There are many risks around increasingly complex vehicle controls. Concerns have been raised by several advocacy groups over the years. For example, the American Automobile Association released a report in 2017 that said that automakers are cramming so much infotainment technology into the dashboard of new vehicles is making drivers take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel for dangerously long periods of time.

The “explosion of technology” is complicated to use and putting drivers at risk, wrote University of Utah professor David Straye in the report.

“This is a major and an increasing issue,” Ian Jack, head of public affairs at the Canadian Automobile Association told The Canadian Press recently. “It’s becoming increasingly challenging for people to manage these things inside their vehicle.”

He, too, complained about the overload of distractions available to drivers. CP reported that CAA will be launching a public awareness campaign to better inform drivers of the risks of distracted driving with a focus on so-called infotainment systems.

In a recent CAA study, the group found that distracted driving is a major concern for drivers. More than 90 per cent reported that distraction — such as people using their phones while driving — is a top threat while on the road.

“This is a major and an increasing issue. It’s becoming increasingly challenging for people to manage these things inside their vehicle.”

Recent data from Transport Canada shows that distracted drivers are at fault in more than 1 in 5 fatal collisions.

“Distracted driving is really even more of a concern because it’s other people who are at risk, other road users who are at risk, and more likely to be killed and injured,” CP quoted Robyn Robertson, chief executive of the Traffic Injury Research Foundation, as saying.

Guidelines around limited distraction from displays were introduced in Canada in 2019. However, they’re not enforceable.

Transport Canada spokeswoman Sau Sau Liu told CP in a statement that the agency “encourages vehicle and electronics manufacturers to design devices that are compatible with safe driving and to follow all relevant safety guidelines and best practices.”

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A video still of a demonstration of BlackBerry’s QNX operating system

Blackberry has signed a multi-year agreement with BMW to collaborate and develop technology for the automotive manufacturer’s driver assistance systems.

The Waterloo, Ontario-based software company will licence its QNX technology and have a team of engineers working to support developing SAE Level 2/2+ driving automation functions to be deployed across a number of BMW makes and models.

BlackBerry’s QNX technology is in production programs with 45 different original equipment manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Ford, General Motors and Honda, and Tier 1 suppliers like Aptiv and Bosch.

The software works with a number of safety-related systems, such as advanced driver assistance systems, digital cockpits and secure data gateways.

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A series of North America-wide safety recalls were issued by Ford last week. They target issues around steering control, weld issues in the rear wheel axle and battery cable wire harnesses.

The recalls affect 850,000 vehicles in North American, including 42,000 here in Canada.

2017 Ford Explorer

The biggest notice affects 2013-2017 Ford Explorers — 33,000 in Canada and 775,000 vehicles in all. The vehicles may experience a seized cross-axis ball joint. This can significantly reduce steering control and lead to the increased risk of a crash.

Affected vehicles were found in high-corrosion states with cold winter weather, high humidity and high usage of road salt in the U.S. The company said it was aware of six allegations of injury related to the issue in North America.

A second recall notice was issued for 35,000 F-350 Super Duty vehicles, with 7,300 of them in Canada. These 2020-2021 models have a 6.7-litre engine. A single rear wheel axle could experience a weld issue. This could lead to a rear driveline disconnection in affected vehicles. This could lead to a disconnected driveshaft resulting in a loss of power or loss of the transmission park function if the parking brake isn’t applied.

Ford, however, said it’s not aware of any collisions or injuries as a result of this issue.

The third recall affects 2,600 Canadian 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviators (41,000 in North America) with 3.0-litre gas engines. For reported that an improperly secured battery cable wire harnesses could result in a short circuit and potential fire.

The post Ford issues three safety recalls appeared first on Auto Service World.

Canadian chassis manufacturer Mevotech is offering a free webinar looking at the overlooked impacts on aged, overloaded, and modified suspensions.

The webinar will be held at 1 p.m. EDT on Oct. 28.

The company says aged, overloaded and modified suspensions cause changes to the entire vehicle’s geometry. These vehicles need the right aftermarket parts to ensure a smooth, safe and stable ride – and a happy customer.

The webinar will focus on

– How aged, overloaded and modified suspensions can cause premature suspension, steering and driveline component failure

– When you diagnose worn parts, addressing other components that should be checked to ensure a successful repair

– Why aftermarket parts that are not subject to CAFE regulations can be the best choice

To Register, click HERE.

www.mevotech.com

The post Mevotech to host suspension webinar Oct. 28 appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Allan Haberman

It’s hard to believe that some provinces still do not require automotive service technicians to be certified.

Despite the growing complexity of modern vehicles and the potential for road carnage due to poor maintenance, some provinces, like B.C., Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, have not mandated certification for service technicians.

They have deemed auto repair to be a “voluntary” trade, where a certificate of qualification is available but is not required to work in the trade. Aspiring technicians can complete a series of tests to prove their competence… but they don’t have to.

In other Canadian provinces, including P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Alberta, auto service is a compulsory trade, meaning technicians require a certificate of qualification or registration in an apprenticeship program in order to work in the trade.

This is as it should be.

With something
as important to public safety
as vehicle maintenance,
is it wise to eliminate
trade standards
altogether?

Unfortunately, it is not the case right across Canada. Perhaps some provincial governments are loath to introduce any career roadblocks that would discourage people from entering a trade that already suffers from a shortage of qualified technicians. But with something as important to public safety as vehicle maintenance, is it wise to eliminate trade standards altogether?

Servicing today’s vehicles requires more than a mechanical aptitude and a passion for cars. There isn’t a system on a modern automobile that doesn’t involve some form of electronics. Even a simple oil and filter service will likely require a maintenance reminder reset procedure. Some of these resets may even require the use of a scan tool – not an easy tool to master without adequate training.

Diagnosing most problems on today’s vehicles requires access to an information system with complex wiring diagrams and system operation descriptions. Without this information and the proper equipment, solving even simple problems is next to impossible.

Technicians must have a working knowledge of electrical systems and electronic theory. Without this base of knowledge and above-average reading comprehension skills, diagnosing a system fault can become a guessing game.

Can we all agree that throwing parts at a problem has never been an acceptable repair procedure? This destroys consumer confidence in the repair industry.

In the United States, a voluntary testing and certification system is available through the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The general consensus is that this system, while not nearly as comprehensive as the Canadian apprenticeship program, offers consumers some assurance of technician skill.

Perhaps the provinces that haven’t designated auto service as a compulsory trade should adopt this system. At the very least, a well-recognized logo would give consumers some confidence in their service providers.

Today’s technicians need to constantly upgrade their skills to keep up with the rapid change in vehicle technology. As vehicles become more electronic than mechanical with each passing year, the people who service them will also have to change. Certification would be a good start.

The time may come when automotive service is a degree program rather than a vocational one. Perhaps that time is already here, and we just have to recognize that fact.

Allan Haberman is an automotive trainer based in Winnipeg, Man.

The post Commentary: Should techs HAVE to be certified? appeared first on Auto Service World.

Wix Filters has launched a new, version of its Filtration eLearning Center, providing multiple curriculum levels specific to the world of filtration, in a convenient online training center.

The free online courses, available at WIX eLearning Center, provide intensive, specialized training about filtration, including filter construction, system functions and performance dynamics.

“Launched in 2005, the WIX eLearning program has been a cornerstone of our technician education support program for over a decade,” said Mike Lerch, brand manager for Wix Filters. “We have taken that successful platform, and given it a whole new life, including creative animations, new diagrams, and updated product information. It all comes together under a modernized user interface, designed for simple navigation and clear demonstration of complex filtration concepts.”

Founded as an offshoot of the Wix Institute of Filtration Technology, the eLearning Center is available online to audiences near and far. The platform is currently provided in English, Spanish and French, with additional language capabilities planned for future expansion.

The Wix Filters eLearning Center provides insight into oil, fuel and air filtration, coolant and hydraulic filtration systems, as well as specialty topics. Participants earning 80 percent or better on course-ending quizzes throughout the seven modules will earn the title of WIX Filters Certified Filtration Specialist, distinguishing them as a provider of excellent filtration knowledge and customer service.

Wix Filters is a member of the MANN+HUMMEL Group.

www.wixfilters.com

The post Wix Filters launches refreshed eLearning Center appeared first on Auto Service World.

Technology company Carma Project has launched a reward program designed to get vehicle owners to replace their defective Takata airbags.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that there are more than 12 million potentially defective Takata airbags across 19 manufacturers still in daily use.

The program will reward vehicle owners who take action to replace the bags with a $50 Amazon gift card.

“People are taking extraordinary measures to keep themselves and their families safe during this pandemic, both at home and on the road,” said Carma Project co-founder and CEO Fabio Gratton. “What they may not be considering is that they could be putting themselves in harm’s way if they are driving a vehicle with a potentially deadly airbag. This program is designed to specifically address this concern while simultaneously offering a financial reward.”

This all-new program — which includes the reward of a $50 Amazon gift card—will further help address the recall of deadly Takata airbags, which is labeled “the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history” by NHTSA. In the face of more than a dozen deaths and hundreds of alleged injuries industry-wide, millions of drivers and passengers continue to be at risk.

Approximately 63 million Takata airbags across 19 manufacturers have been recalled because of the potential to explode when deployed, causing serious injury or even death. Despite extensive efforts by manufacturers, such as recall letters, public service announcements and dealer interventions, consumer response to fixing these potentially life-threatening airbags continues to be lower than hoped. Over 12.5 million defective Takata airbags are still on the road today.

The new Carma Project program will help the surging number of Americans facing unprecedented economic hardship by offering a much-needed financial incentive. Additionally, the program benefits dealer service centers by generating business at a time when many vehicle owners assume they are closed, according to a recent online survey commissioned by Carma Project. The survey also found that 67% of consumers living in metropolitan suburbs and small towns considered it “critical” to get their car repaired and addressing life-threatening safety recalls now, even during the pandemic.

Both federal and state governments have determined that car repair facilities qualify as “essential businesses,” with most dealer service centers having remained open throughout the duration of the Coronavirus crisis. To ease concerns of service center customers, dealers have implemented strict and extensive safety procedures that include social distancing, wearing protective gear such as masks and gloves, and thoroughly sanitizing vehicles after a repair has been completed.

“Many dealer repair centers are actually taking it a step further to accommodate customers during this period, by not only providing those safety measures, but also offering a suite of ‘concierge’ services,” Mr. Gratton further stated. “This includes home pick-up and delivery, repair, and cleaning. These contact-less services allow vehicle owners to get their repairs facilitated for free while maintaining their social distance.”

Carma Project’s COVID-19 airbag recall program will stay in effect while supplies last. To participate, people can visit www.carmaproject.com/covid19 to download the Carma Project app and check their car.

The post Rewards for replacing outstanding Takata airbags appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Allan Janssen

In the era of high-tech motoring, potential dangerous vehicle components, and advanced driver assist systems, technician certification is key to public safety, says the president and CEO of British Columbia’s Automotive Retailers Association (ARA).

Adrian Scovell said the days where anyone can charge money to fix vehicles — without first obtaining the proper training, tools, and equipment — are over.

British Columbia is currently the only one that does not require mandatory certification for automotive technicians. ARA has launched a campaign to convince government that anyone who works on a modern vehicle should require certification. Scovell said the argument is all the more compelling because British Columbia has mandated that 30% of all new vehicles sold by 2030 must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). By 2040, all new vehicle sold in B.C. must be ZEVs.

“We’re telling government that we need a robust functioning aftermarket industry in order to make this successful,” he said.

“If we want the adoption of ZEVs to be successful, we need to have an infrastructure that supports that. It’s no good just selling these vehicles and then finding out that no one wants to tow them because they’re dangerous, no one can fix them properly when they’ve been in a collision because they don’t have the data or the equipment, and no one can fix them when they break down because they don’t know how to handle the electronics.”

Scovell believes the automotive industry is at the most important juncture since the introduction of the gas engine.

“The vehicle is changing rapidly. The standard mechanic of the past is no longer suited to that task. There is new training, new things that has to be thought about,” he said. “We are the only province that has no mandatory trades [where tradespeople must be certified in order to do that particular job]. None. You can get certified if you want to, but you don’t have to.”

He points out that modern ADAS systems affect all aspects of the aftermarket, from collision, to glass, to mechanical repair, to towing, to recycling. ARA represents more than 1,000 automotive-related businesses in B.C., in all of these disciplines. He’d like to see a roll-in program which requires certification to work on certain models or model years. Requirements should steadily expand until all vehicles are covered. It could even be patterned after the certification requires to work on air conditioning systems. Technicians don’t have to be certified for general repairs but to work on AC systems, they do.

“Nobody can say their business relies on the repair of ZEVs right now,” he said. “We recognize that we can’t expect that by Monday morning all automotive businesses have to be certified. There are people whose livelihood relies on the ability to continue fixing cars as they have. But they can’t argue that they should be charging money to repair vehicles if they don’t have the training or proper equipment to do so.”

He said he has not encountered push-back from technicians who do not want to be forced to be certified. And he says the association’s letter-writing campaign is gaining steam.

The post Tech certification critical to public safety, ARA says appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Allan Janssen

Ontario is moving to an OBD-based inspection program in an effort to put an end to fraudulent safety certificates and pull dangerous vehicles off the road

The new program is expected to be in effect for all vehicles – from motorcycles to heavy trucks – by July 1, 2021.

Jennifer Elliott of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation addresses Ontario shop owners at the annual AARO symposium.

Jennifer Elliott, of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation, said the program will start this summer with medium- and heavy trucks as the province consolidate its safety inspections and emissions testing into a single program.

The decision to revamp the heavy duty programs followed a scathing report late last year from the province’s auditor general, Bonnie Lysyk, who said not enough was being done to ensure road safety, and get unsafe commercial vehicles and drivers off the roads.

Elliott was one of the speakers at an annual symposium run by the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO) earlier this year. She told shop owners and technicians that a program governing emissions and safety inspections for light-duty vehicles will follow next year.

“We will be strengthening emissions testing, looking for emissions overrides, and strengthening enforcement,” she said. “And it will be digital. The province is making a real push to go digital.”

She said the new tablet-based program would go a long way to solving the problem of fake safeties, often sold by crooks in cash transactions.

“When we started talking about merging emissions testing with commercial safety inspections, we recognized an opportunity to go digital like our light-duty emissions program,” she said. “Our motor vehicle inspection standard program which has been in place since 1974, has not evolved at all. It is still a paper-based program, which has significant challenges. By going digital we’re going to be able to address some of those concerns.”

Starting next year, safety inspections on light vehicles that are imported into the province or are being sold will go directly to the Ministry of Transportation.

“It will mirror exactly what you did for light-vehicle emissions,” she said.

The new system will allow ministry officials to intervene in real time when it sees suspicious behaviour, asking the tester to confirm information or submit additional photographs.

Furthermore, if pattern failures are detected, the province will be in a better position to look for dangerous conditions on particular vehicles or press carmakers for recalls.

There are no plans to make safety inspections more frequent – something which many in the room objected to. But Elliott said this is a first step in making a case for more comprehensive testing.

“We are starting to collect data. And from that data, we will be able to make changes in the future,” she explained.

“This is a huge win for our industry,” said Toronto shop owner John Cochrane, a member of the AARO board of directors. “Everyone in this room would like to see mandatory inspections every year, because we see the unsafe vehicles. But we have to prove the data. The politicians want to see that data before they’ll approve anything.”

He said the move to electronic records is long overdue.

“We’ve been living in a paper society with paper records, and the data has gone nowhere,” he said. “Now we’re going to have data going to the Ministry and we can start to build a case for regular inspections.”

The post Vehicle inspections to go digital in Ontario appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has decided against proceeding with new legislation that would exempt vehicles eight years and newer from the state’s emissions inspection program.

Lawmakers decided instead to commission a study, reviewing the program with input from consumers and small businesses.”

The Automotive Service Association’s Washington, D.C. representative, Bob Redding, described the step as a matter of “taking a more reasonable approach” to potential changes to the state’s vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program.

The proposed law, he said, “would have eviscerated the state I/M program, impacting Pennsylvania’s air quality and small businesses.”

“We think a study is important to ensure that the emissions program enables us to meet air quality standards,” said Ron Turner, ASA Pennsylvania’s mechanical division director.

www.ASAshop.org

The post Pennsylvania to review emissions test exemptions appeared first on Auto Service World.

Steve Hackett, owner of Paragon Auto Service in Saskatoon, Sask. sent in this scathing indictment of the lack of mandatory safety inspections. “Unfortunately, this is what is on the roads without inspections,” he wrote. The 1979 Cordoba was towed in for an overheating issue (on a day when temperatures outside never got above minus 25 C!) but the overheating issue was far from its only problem. Corrosion had completely eaten away much of the back end and left many substantial holes in the floor of the vehicle. “We explained to him the issue but I don’t think he understood how bad it is,” Steve said. “So we called Vehicle Safety Standards and they pulled the insurance. He can no longer drive it.  Thank god!”

The post EYE SPY: Hole-y unfit for the roads! appeared first on Auto Service World.

Fleet management revolves around three key challenges: cost efficiency, vehicle reliability, and road safety.

One of the best ways to tick all three boxes is by specifying quality replacement parts.

This is especially true when it comes to brake pads. There are a lot of aftermarket options out there… and some of them are completely wrong for the fleet world.

Technicians instinctively understand the value of galvanization. They’ve worked with brake parts enough to know what will last and what won’t. In a recent survey, 92% of technicians identified galvanization as the best protection against rust and corrosion.

Brake pads are exposed to harsh road conditions and the most challenging environmental extremes, from thermal variation to contaminants like sand, salt, water, and ice. Winter is especially tough on brakes. According to Environment Canada, up to nine million tons of salt are deposited on Canadian roads every winter. The result for painted brake pads is predictable: corrosion and premature failure. The steel backing plate rusts, the paint that is meant to protect it chips off, and the adhesive that is meant to bond the friction material fails.

As the part deteriorates, operational challenges arise, including vibration, pulsation, and noise. Ultimately uneven wear, hairline fractures, material loss, edge lifting, and delamination increase stopping distances, and jeopardize road safety.

Check the heap of discarded brake pads from coast to coast to coast: most pads fail long before the friction material is worn down. Corrosion can take root and destroy brake components in a matter of months. That means fleet vehicles are routinely pulled off the road for repairs at very short intervals and valuable payloads are held up unnecessarily.

And it’s not just passenger vehicles. Earlier this year, nearly 1,600 commercial motor vehicles in the U.S. and Canada—approximately 13.8 percent of vehicles examined—were removed from roadways on an unannounced Brake Safety Day for brake violations.

Frequent brake service is an inconvenience that costs fleets money, time, and efficiency, reducing profits and compromising customer satisfaction scores.

But there is a solution.

Galvanized steel brake pads meet the challenge of the road, preventing corrosion, retaining structural integrity throughout the life of the friction, and remaining fully functional until the friction material has given up its last millimeter of useful life. Notably, throughout their life, galvanized brake pads require only a quarter of the time in the bay for repair or replacement – particularly for vehicles that face high-shear and high-load situations. That’s four times as much time on the road.

For fleet managers, that’s a very attractive prospect indeed.

NRS Brakes is a world leader in galvanized brake pads, offering premium products that eliminate the destructive effects of corrosion. NRS brake pads are fully protected against the elements, which means they last longer, there’s less downtime, and maintenance costs are dramatically reduced.

Furthermore, NRS brake pads feature an award-winning mechanical attachment system that affixes friction material permanently onto the backing plate, offering next-level quality, safety, reliability, and performance. Imagine shark teeth with a bite that doesn’t let go. The patented technology is far superior to adhesives which cannot withstand high operating temperatures.

Even under extreme loads, friction material held by the shark teeth remains firmly affixed to the backing plate through the entire life of the pad. The galvanized steel teeth embedded directly into the friction material simply will not let go, eliminating vibration, a leading cause of brake noise.

To further combat unwanted operational noise, NRS Brakes has created a revolutionary noise-cancelling piston insert that reduces noisy stops by over 90%. The unique device has a free-floating design to absorb vibration for quieter braking. It snaps easily into place, and it comes standard with every set of NRS Brakes.

Research and development

NRS Brakes’ patented mechanical attachment system is a product of unparalleled commitment to research and development. Its pads are computer-designed, lab tested, and road proven.

NRS Brakes technology is changing the disc brake friction replacement industry and has become the top choice for quality-conscious professionals.

With zero attachment failures, NRS Brakes offers a unique warranty: a free replacement for any brake that fails due to delamination or friction separation.

Even under extreme loads,
friction material held by the
shark teeth remains firmly affixed
to the backing plate through 
the entire life of the pad.

Return on investment

Researchers have found that the costs associated with vehicle downtime are typically higher than what fleets anticipate. In fact, some estimate that the yearly cost of downtime is as much as eight times what management tends to forecast.

The obvious cost is the repair necessary to get the vehicle back on the road again. But the loss of productivity and reputation is harder to measure. Suffice to say that when you can’t meet your targets and deadlines, your entire business suffers.

Fleet managers and operators, responsible for safe and efficient transportation, understand the value of achieving return-on-investment targets. Keeping vehicles on the road, where they can make money, is a key objective.

NRS Brakes is part of that solution.

Galvanized steel brake pads with mechanical attachments offer fleet managers a clear path to improved ROI.

And NRS Brakes is a true partner to fleets, with preferential pricing, volume discounts, and annual rebates.

Poor quality brake pads result in profitability issues for fleets. They can’t afford safety concerns, increased time off road, frequent replacement intervals, and higher repair bills.

Inconsistent performance is every fleet manager’s nightmare. Don’t let it happen to you!

Visit us at www.nrsbrakes.com

The post Taking Brake Safety to the Next Level appeared first on Auto Service World.

It’s Your Turn

By Les Dobos

Sometimes you encounter a situation that is not only a thorn in your own side, but seems to bug everyone that you know – your friends, family, peers, and customers alike!

The best example of this that I can think of is the problem of people driving around with only their daytime running lights on! It happens all the time on highways, roads, and lanes all over the country.

As a Canadian who drives to work early in the morning, I can’t count the number of cars I pass that are virtually invisible to everyone else – especially when it’s rainy, snowy, or foggy out. Not only are their lights not on, but the colour of their cars blends into the background. You can’t see them until you’re right on top of them.

I can’t help but wonder if these people are stupid or suicidal! With the push of a button or a turn of the ignition, they start driving without even thinking about whether they can be seen by other drivers. For heaven’s sake, you’d think they’d want to be seen!

Modern technology has made much of the vehicle goof-proof. But even with all the fancy electronics, they still have to turn on the lights… and many of them don’t. Forget the technology, they could prevent a dangerous situation by using one of the most powerful computers in the universe, the human mind. And there’s at least one of those in the car with them every time they drive somewhere.

The brilliant engineers who designed the vehicle decided that the lights in the instrument cluster should come on automatically when it’s dark. This seems to fool some drivers into thinking that their external lights are on. And indeed they might be. But if they’re not, they are in grave danger as they hurtle down the highway, especially in dark or earth-toned cars.

I can’t see you!
And if I can’t, that
 means that other
 drivers can’t see you
 either – unless
 they have
Superman’s X-ray
 vision!

This has been a sore subject for me for quite some time. I even sent the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration a letter saying that visual safety is a major concern. In the ensuing exchange of emails I asked the individual I was talking with if she’d ever been frustrated by a no-lights-on vehicle. She said yes, but she stuck to her talking points that “at this time we do not see it as a problem.”

I live in Calgary where the weather can and does change frequently from nice to terrible. One night, while my wife and I were on our way to a party, a sudden snow storm rendered anyone who was driving without their lights on completely invisible. We made it to the party but guess what dominated the conversation all night long. There were plenty of very upset people talking about the danger on our roadways.

Why hasn’t this problem been legislated away years ago? Why haven’t vehicle manufacturers and engineers figured out that having lights come on automatically will not only save lives but save them lots of money too, on unnecessary wiring, switches, space, and weight.

It makes perfect sense to me. Technology can solve this problem easily. We just need to start making some noise about it and insist on some changes!

Les Dobos is manager and service manager at Minit-Tune & Brake Auto Centre in Calgary Alta.

The post Commentary: Invisible cars just asking for an accident! appeared first on Auto Service World.

A new survey shows that winter tire use in Canada has risen sharply over the past five years, but driver education about safety benefits remains essential to wintertime road safety.

The Tire and Rubber Association of Canada’s 2019 Canadian Consumer Winter Tire Study, conducted by Leger, finds that 69 per cent of Canadian drivers outside Quebec, where winter tires are mandated by law, now ride on winter tires – up from 51 per cent in 2014.

One reason for this jump is driver experience: 80 per cent of Canadian drivers with winter tires say their tires have saved them from a hazardous driving situation such as loss of control or a collision.

Among those not using winter tires,

* 51 per cent believe all-seasons are “good enough”

* 18 per cent say they do not use winter tires because they do not drive much in winter

* 17 per cent say cost is their reason for not using winter tires

“The millions of Canadian drivers who have adopted winter tires should be credited with preventing countless collisions and saving lives,” says Glenn Maidment, president of TRAC. “But more education is needed to convince the remaining 30 per cent of drivers outside of Quebec to seriously consider changing over to winter tires for cold-weather driving. The superior grip and shorter stopping distances provided by winter tires are simply too important to the road safety of all traffic participants to ignore. The fact that 80 per cent of winter tire users believe their tires have saved them from loss of control or a collision speaks for itself.”

Regionally, the 2019 study found:

*  68 per cent of British Columbia drivers use winter tires

*  Alberta’s usage rate is 63 per cent

*  In Manitoba and Saskatchewan usage stands at 59 per cent

*  69 per cent of Ontario drivers now use winter tires

*  In Atlantic Canada, where winter tire usage is surpassed only by Quebec, winter tire usage stands at 91 per cent

The most common reasons why nearly a third of drivers still resist winter tires are the belief that all-season tires are good enough (51 per cent), reduced driving in winter (18 per cent) and cost (17 per cent).

TRAC has just released a new report detailing winter tire use in Canada and the latest market data. It is available HERE.

The superior performance of winter tires is the result of advanced tread designs and rubber compounds. Winter tires feature softer tread compounds that retain flexibility even in extremely cold conditions. At temperatures at or below 7 degrees Celsius, the traction capabilities of winter tires provide greater grip on all cold-weather road surfaces and significantly shorter stopping distances.

www.tracanada.ca

The post Winter tire use rising dramatically: study appeared first on Auto Service World.

The tragic limo crash in upstate New York that caused 20 fatalities last year stands as one of the most compelling case studies about brake safety on public roads.

The details of the crash are painful to read, but it culminates in the horror of an extraordinarily heavy vehicle descending a steep hill leading to a dead end, without functioning brakes.

The average consumer
 could learn a lesson
 from fleet operators
 who set a high bar
 for the brake components
 that they purchase.

In a panic situation, with the brake pedal all the way to the floor, a driver needs to know that the vehicle will stop.

Unfortunately, poor quality brake parts that don’t fit as they should, succumb to early corrosion, or literally break apart in critical situations, are still being made around the world and are routinely selected by service providers as a cheap alternative for cost-conscious customers.

Only the tiniest fraction of a fraction of these brakes will contribute to a collision of any sort – much less to a tragedy like the Schoharie, N.Y. crash – but why take the chance?

Next time you’re asked for a cheap alternative, here are some talking points that could convince your customers to specify top-quality brake parts.

Brakes aren’t just any part

North Americans are really good at delaying vehicle maintenance. And among the oft-neglected automotive systems, are brakes – despite their special status as a safety-critical component. According to the U.S.-based Auto Care Factbook 2020 and IMR Inc., there are at least five million cars in need of brake jobs on American roads.

That’s five million vehicles that might have trouble stopping in a panic.

The Global Brake Safety Council, comprised of senior automotive experts promoting brake innovation and safety, have issued warnings that brake failure is an increasingly dangerous problem especially in critical road situations. The reason? The majority of North American cars and trucks have been equipped with cheap imported aftermarket brakes made of black steel prone to rust and premature failure.

The council points out that aftermarket brake pads are not covered by government safety standards, yet comprise the vast majority of brakes on roads today.

While original equipment manufacturers insist on extremely stringent manufacturing processes for their brake components, the aftermarket is not bound by such standards, which opens the door to unscrupulous players to offer deficient quality for the sake of profits.

Informed consumers are demanding quality

The average consumer could learn a lesson from fleet operators who set a high bar for the brake components they purchase. In particular, many police and fire departments will only purchase products that can meet the most stringent tests. Same goes for school buses, heavy commercial vehicles, government utility trucks, and municipal fleets.

Their maintenance programs are geared to safety, yes, but also value. Quality brakes last longer and cost less per kilometers than cheap offshore parts.

Early corrosion is a huge problem

There’s a reason galvanized brake pads make so much sense. Galvanization is a sure-fire remedy for corrosion, which can destroy brake components in a matter of months if left unchecked.

Galvanized pads need to be attached to the backing plate by mechanical means (using hooks, embedded mesh, or spot welds) because glue won’t work. The added expense of the mechanical attachment is worth the cost, though, because it affords greater product durability and longevity.

Galvanization also removes the need for a painted rust-protecting finish, which can be damaged during installation and use. As the coating is chipped or braised, the pad becomes vulnerable to corrosion.

Fit and tolerance really matters

Everyone talks about fit and function… but there’s no function if it doesn’t fit.

Fit issues are a growing challenge as vehicle manufacturers embrace a proliferation of shapes and sizes. Fly-by-night brake companies cannot keep up.

The last thing a technician wants to do, when he gets brake pads that don’t quite fit, is to rebox them and send them back. The delay will end up costing everyone money, so he might be tempted to take a file and “fix” the pad himself. This is a mistake.

Brake pads need to fit snugly or they lose a degree of effectiveness. In addition to inviting corrosion, filing or chipping away a part of the pad introduces performance uncertainties.

Brake tolerances are incredibly tight and they’re calculated to accommodate the expansion and contraction due to thermal changes. Changing the shape of the pad, you don’t know if the part will seize, rattle, or shift. You’re making a very rough calculation that can have deadly repercussions. The simple solution is to put it back in the box, send it back, and ask for a reputable manufacturer’s product.

Quality is worth the extra cost

Measured against the full cost of a brake job, the incremental cost of good quality brake pads is minimal.

On a typical $200 to $350 brake job, few consumers will quibble about the extra $20 or $30 it costs for pads which will perform as intended.

There’s a stand to be taken here. If you care about your customer’s safety, you’ll recommend quality parts that will build trust and that you can stand behind.

If you tell the story correctly, no one’s ever going to buy a cheap brake pad again.

The post What should be done about cheap brakes parts? appeared first on Auto Service World.

NRS Brakes has added 57 new SKUs to its North American-made galvanized brake pad line-up, with coverage for an additional 1,600 vehicle applications. The offering covers vehicles including Honda, BMW, Ford, GMC Trucks, Nissan, and more.

NRS Brakes include ground-breaking technology such as the Noise Cancelling Piston Insert. In addition to the Electronic Wear Sensor (where applicable) which gives the most accurate gauge on how much brake pad life is left.

www.nrsbrakes.com

The post NRS Brakes adds to its line of galvanized brake pads appeared first on Auto Service World.

A General Motors recall that hit Canada in late June, affecting some 310,000 vehicles has now hit the U.S.

General Motors last week recalled 3.46 million U.S. pickup trucks and SUVs to address the same problem – a vacuum pump issue that could make braking more difficult and that has been linked to 113 accidents and 13 injuries.

The recall covers certain Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Sierra, and GMC Yukon vehicles from the 2014-18 model years.

GM did not immediately explain why the Canadian recall occurred more than two months before it called back the vehicles in the United States.

The recall was triggered because the amount of vacuum created by the vacuum pump may decrease over time, GM told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in documents posted Wednesday.

NHTSA opened a preliminary investigation into the issue in November 2018, and said it had reports of nine related crashes and two injuries. It provided GM in July with additional field reports that prompted the automaker to open an investigation. GM said it could affect braking in “rare circumstances.”

NHTSA said in a statement the “vehicles may experience brake boost failure, which would require increased brake pedal effort, leading to a hard brake pedal feel, and potentially increased stopping distance.”

GM said dealers will reprogram the electronic brake control module to improve how the system utilizes the hydraulic brake boost assist function when vacuum assist is depleted.

GM also said the vacuum assist pump, which is lubricated with engine oil that flows into the pump through a filter screen, can in some cases lose effectiveness over time, as debris such as oil sludge can accumulate on the filter screen.

GM told NHTSA that prior model years used a different brake assist system design, and vehicles manufactured after 2018 were not equipped with the affected pump design.

Separately, GM said Wednesday is recalling 270,000 U.S. additional vehicles in three smaller recalls, including 177,000 2018 Chevrolet Malibu cars with 1.5L turbo engines because an error in the engine control module software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

It is also recalling 91,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles from model year 2019 because the seatbelt-unfastened warning light will not illuminate for approximately five seconds after the ignition is moved to the “on” or “start” position, which means they are not in compliance with federal motor safety regulations.

The post GM’s Canadian recall spreads to U.S. appeared first on Auto Service World.

Brian F. Chase, the lead forensics investigator and expert witness in the Oct. 2018 New York limousine crash, has joined the Global Brake Safety Council.

The case he is still involved in, the New York limo crash, was the deadliest vehicle crash in the United States over the past decade.

Several investigations have shown that it was a direct result of catastrophic brake failure.

Chase has been recurrently qualified as an expert in the sciences of motor vehicle crash reconstruction and automotive technology at state and federal court levels. He serves as the vehicle forensics expert for the Office of the United States Attorney and FBI out of the Washington D.C. Field Office and is the retained leading expert nationally for high profile criminal cases inclusive of felony murder.

He has also served as the FBI Vehicle Forensics Expert for three murder trials out of Baghdad, Iraq.

“Given my truly unique fields of professional expertise and experience, I am excited to provide a critically new realm to the Global Brake Safety Council,” he said. “Indeed, I assess the first hand, real world results of deficient brake system components of which innocent people are seriously or fatally injured. I look forward to working together with this elite team of experts to promote worldwide safety of the motoring public.”

GBSC Executive director Mike Sucharda it is the perfect time for Chase to come on board.

“We are excited to have this strong individual join the GBSC as our organization gains momentum as a recognized authority on brake safety,” he said.

Chase is the founder of Comprehensive Motor Vehicle Services & Consulting (CMVSC) and is an internationally recognized expert in the science of motor vehicle crash reconstruction and the science of automotive technology, vehicle forensics, and the related analyses of vehicle component systems to establish pre-crash deficiencies which may have contributed to the cause of the vehicle dynamics prior to and during the crash sequence events.

The post Forensics investigator joins Global Brake Safety Council appeared first on Auto Service World.

Think aluminum is still the hottest new trend in vehicle lightweighting?

A recent article in Advanced Manufacturing magazine suggests aluminum still faces substantial competition from high-strength, ultra-high-strength steels, and composite materials.

The article suggests automakers are keeping their options open, depending on the particular needs of their vehicles.

Meanwhile, simplified part designs are also creating weight savings.

For a good look at where the auto industry stands to gain competitive advantages as it sheds weight, check out Lightweighting’s New Phase.

https://advancedmanufacturing.org/lightweightings-new-phase/

The post Gaining market advantage by losing weight appeared first on Auto Service World.

If your customers ask you what you think about knee air bags offered in some vehicles, you may want to temper your enthusiasm.

 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) points out that the technology that is growing in popularity still hasn’t had much testing in real-world scenarios, and some analysis suggests they may do more to harm passengers than protect them.

The organization found that not only did knee airbags not reduce bodily injury by any significant margin, it actually could elevate the injury risk. Unlike curtain airbags or those in steering wheels, knee airbags aren’t thought of as lifesaving.

 “Leg injuries in a car crash may be debilitating but don’t often kill people. So even as we’re looking at the real-world data and saying, ‘What kind of benefit do these knee airbags have?’ we’re not going to be seeing those dramatic differences,” Becky Mueller, IIHS senior research engineer in Virginia, told Canadian Underwriter.

 “The big assumption is that people think more [airbags] is better. This study is indicating in this case more may not necessarily provide you with additional benefits.”

 The IIHS took data from 414 front-end crash tests to figure out injury probability for 12 body regions.

 Researchers then looked at data from police-reported crash information compiled from more than a dozen states in the U.S. to compare injury risks between vehicles that were equipped with knee airbags and those that weren’t.

 In testing, researchers found that the airbags actually played a role in increased risk for lower leg injuries and right femur injuries.

 Head injury risk, however, was reduced slightly, they noted.

 In real-world analysis, injury risk was reduced by just half a percentage point to 7.4%, something the IIHS called a statistically insignificant result.

 The knee airbag deploys from the lower part of the dashboard, below the steering wheel. It’s intended to distribute impact forces to reduce leg injuries.

 It is also believed that the airbags could help reduce the force on an occupant’s chest and abdomen by controlling movement of the lower body.

 Mueller did note that more study is needed to figure out exactly what kind of injuries could be caused by knee airbags.

 “There may be other technology like redesigning the shape and how soft the instrument panel is that may be just as effective at reducing leg injuries as putting an airbag in that position,” she added.

So why have knee airbags?

Carmakers have installed them in order to pass safety testing with unbelted crash test dummies.

As the IIHS always tests crashes with fully belted dummies, it couldn’t confirm whether or not someone without their seatbelt buckled would actually benefit from a knee airbag in the event of a crash.

www.canadianunderwriter.ca 

The post Knee airbags could elevate risk of bodily injury: report appeared first on Auto Service World.

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Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than 14,000 of its 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles in the U.S. and Canada that are at risk of moving unintentionally due to potentially missing a federally required manual park-release cover.

The company said Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards require the manual park release cover be firmly in place and only removable with a tool.

“If the cover is not installed, the manual park release lever may be inadvertently activated, which could result in unintended vehicle movement if the electronic park brake is not applied, increasing the risk of crash,” Ford said.

Ford said the affected vehicles may also have instrument cluster vehicles that are in factory mode, which disables warning alerts and chimes, and does not display gear positions to let drivers know which gear is selected.

Ford is aware of one report of an accident occurring during the transportation of a vehicle that was still within the production process. The company said the incident resulted in only vehicle damage.

Ford said its dealers will inspect for the manual park release cover for free and install one, if necessary. The company said its dealers will also verify the instrument cluster is out of factory mode and clear any diagnostic codes.

For the recall notice click HERE.

To see if your vehicle is affected click HERE.

The post 14,000 Ford Explorers, Lincoln Aviators recalled appeared first on Auto Service World.

California-based ATSS Training will hold a weekend of training in September on Ford Powerstroke Diesel Auto & Truck Electrical Diagnostics in Calgary, Alta.

Instructor Mike Cleary, an eight-time award winning Ford Motor Company certified senior master technician, and a Powerstroke diesel engine specialist, will lead the classes Sept. 27-29, at Hampton Inn, Calgary Airport (2420 – 37th Avenue NE).

He says there are many misconceptions about the systems, operations, diagnostics procedures, and specifications on 7.3L, 6.0L, 6.4L, and 6.7L Ford Powerstroke Diesel Electronic Engine Control Systems.

“This interactive class will both inform you and either dispel or support some of the more commonly held ‘myths’ regarding these engine systems,” he says. “Come to class and be challenged.”

Topic to be covered include:

To register, contact ATSS at P.O. Box 27522; Fresno, CA 93729 or phone: (559) 307-7349.

mclearyatss@yahoo.com

Details are available at:

www.atsstraining.com

The post Ford Powerstroke Diesel training class coming to Calgary appeared first on Auto Service World.

Brake pads, tire changes and oil changes rank at the top of the list of unperformed maintenance work in the U.S., according to the Auto Care Association’s latest Factbook.

The annual report on the health of the aftermarket pegs the value of delayed auto maintenance at $24.9 billion.

In a survey of 100,000 American households, the reports authors found Americans know repairs need to be performed on their car but have chosen to delay the work.

“We found that a surprising amount of households are knowingly delaying vehicle maintenance and that the primary reasons are economic, convenience and a perception that delaying the maintenance isn’t quite effecting vehicle performance. Ultimately, servicing your vehicle at the recommended service intervals can keep money in your pocket by avoiding more unintentional wear, a catastrophic failure or worse case, an accident,” said Bill Thompson, CEO, IMR, Inc.

The Auto Care Association agreed that vehicles are not repaired on a routine schedule and offer a Car Care Guide.

“Not all repairs are made equal, and not all of them set off a check engine light. That’s why even if you’re not checking your owner’s manual, it’s important to get your car serviced on a regular basis,” said Behzad Rassuli, senior vice president, strategic development, Auto Care Association.

For more information, including the Car Care Guide go to www.carcare.org.

The post Americans delaying maintenance to the tune of nearly $25 billion a year appeared first on Auto Service World.

Note: This article has been updated with the correct image.

Bruce Silverson of Hilltop Autopro in White Rock, B.C. had to use his diplomatic skills when a customer brought in a 2002 Mazda Protege with a complaint of “spongey brake pedal.” When they lifted the car, they found out there was good reason for the sponginess, as this shot shows.

“The car required pads, callipers, and rotors on all four corners. It also had two blown struts,” he says.

That, combined with other damage and the age of the vehicle, left little hope for the vehicle.

“We convinced the customer to crush the car!” he writes.

Seen anything worth sharing?  Send a high-res image and a detailed explanation to allan@newcom.ca and we’ll add it to our EyeSpy collection.

The post Sometimes it’s beyond repair! appeared first on Auto Service World.

Craig Van Batenburg, founder of Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) in Worcester, Mass., addresses an AIA event in North York, Ont.

By Allan Janssen

If your future includes servicing and maintaining hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, you need to start getting ready for it now.

And step one is making sure you have the knowledge to keep you safe when you start working with high-voltage batteries.

As you can imagine, the stakes are high.

Craig Van Batenburg, founder of Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) in Worcester, Mass., is one of the best-known aftermarket trainers on alternative-powered vehicles. He says the potential dangers of plug-in electric vehicles are such that he won’t even allow techs to take a class with him until they’ve passed an online safety course.

“If you want to learn with us, you have to pass a safety course first,” he said. “If you fail it, we’ll send you some books and resources – and not for free either – that will give you the basics. But until you can pass that test, you’re not coming.”

He’s not out to scare anyone. The dangers are manageable, he insists, but technicians need to be aware of the additional hazards they will be exposed to when working with high-voltage systems.

They will also have to develop a wider range of skills and knowledge and have access to specialized tools and equipment in order to be able to work safely.

Like it or not, servicing electric vehicles and hybrids can be a life-threatening undertaking if you’re not prepared for what you’ll find.

There’s a growing range of hand tools specially designed for use in high-voltage environments. These insulated tools have been commonplace in industrial settings, but more and more auto repair shops are investing in tooling with the distinctive fluorescent orange that indicates they won’t conduct electricity.

The line of insulated screwdrivers and plyers will undoubtedly continue to grow as more shops expand their services to include hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles.

Techs will also require special test equipment, like multimeters that are higher voltage, and better isolation properties.

“They’re not going to need a whole new set of tools,” says Van Batenburg. “Many of the tools they have are adequate for a lot of situations, especially with hybrids. But they’re going to need some insulated tools. And for sure they’re going to want to invest in high-quality insulated gloves.

These gloves come in a range of voltage ratings, including the 1000-volt rating recommended for auto service. The thicker the rubber, the less prone it will be to damage, but the more difficult it will be to work in. The protection they offer is worth every penny they cost.

These gloves will require a higher level of car than you may be used to, however. You can’t just leave them around, where solvents and chemicals could be spilled on them and degrade their usefulness, and where debris could fall into them to act as a kind of lightning rod.

“Think about the shop environment. You can compromise your gloves quite easily if you’re not careful,” Van Batenburg said. “There’s a lot of stuff happening. If you leave them on the bench and another guy comes over and starts grinding a piece of metal, you can’t be sure little fragments haven’t gone into the glove. They’re complete junk now. They’re ruined.”

Similarly, a single pinhole will render a glove useless. Checking for holes should be done every time you’re going to put them on. Just cuff the end and squeeze to increase the pressure inside the glove. If air escapes, they’ll allow a current leak.

When it comes to your preparation for work on hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, nothing comes ahead of proper education about how to avoid fatal risks.

“What techs need is safety training. Without that, they can get themselves in a lot of trouble. There’s a lot of stuff you can do wrong,” said Van Batenburg. “People don’t like to be told not to do something. A good bunch of techs will do it simply because they were told not to. You have to educate them into how their actions have consequences.”

He doesn’t want his students to be afraid. He wants them to be confident around electricity.

“You have to get them over their fear. People can’t learn when they’re afraid.”

He says the aftermarket is waking up to the inevitability of an electric future… but they can start their training now, and ease into the complex work.

“If you stay away from cars that plug in the wall, the repair work is easier, safer, simpler, and more cost-effective. That’s where the money is right now. The cars are all around you. They need work,” he said. “Once you’ve gained the hybrid market and you feel you’re really good at that, then add cars that plug into the wall. That’s the next step in both complexity and expense.”

Potential hazards of working
 with electric vehicles

* the presence of high voltage
   components and cabling capable
   of delivering a fatal electric shock.

* the storage of electrical energy
   with the potential to cause
   explosion or fire.

* components that may retain
    a dangerous voltage even when
    a vehicle is switched off.

* electric motors or the
    vehicle itself that may move
    unexpectedly due to magnetic
    forces within the motors.

* the potential for the release of
   explosive gases and harmful
   liquids if batteries are damaged
    or incorrectly modified.

* the possibility of people being
    unaware of vehicles moving as
    when electrically driven they
    are silent in operation.

* the potential for the electrical
   systems on the vehicle to affect
   medical devices such as
   pacemakers.

The post Hybrids in the repair bay: Putting safety first appeared first on Auto Service World.

Volvo will be contacting over 507,000 Volvo owners letting them know their vehicles is being recalled due to a risk of engine fire.

No injuries nor accidents have been linked to the fault yet, but Volvo said its own investigations have identified that “in very rare cases the plastic engine intake manifold may melt and deform.”

The recall affects cars produced between 2014 and 2019 and have a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine in S60, S80, S90, V40, V60, V70, V90, XC60 and XC90 models.

“The company is keen to fix the faulty vehicles as fast as possible and customers will not incur any costs related to addressing the error,” Stefan Elfstrom, Volvo spokesman said.

The letters from Volvo warns owners of the engine fire risk, lets them know it is safe to continue using their cars but to be aware of the “symptoms” of problems, including a lack of power, warning lights or an “unusual smell”.

Once Volvo has found a fix to the issue owners will be informed how and where to bring their vehicles to be serviced.

Volvo says, “We are taking full responsibility to ensure the highest quality and safety standards of our cars. We will do our utmost to perform this action without any unnecessary inconvenience to our customers and we apologize for the inconvenience caused and are grateful for our customers’ cooperation.”

For more information click HERE.

The post Volvo informs owners about risk of engine fires appeared first on Auto Service World.

What is Ontario’s worst and best city for avoiding tickets and collisions? You would be surprised.

Orangeville, Bradford and Woodstock, Sault Ste Marie, and Brantford ranked the top five worst cities for tickets and accidents, while North York, Toronto and East York, Etobicoke, and Mississauga were ranked top five best cities to avoid those driving pitfalls, according to InsuranceHotline.com.

InsuranceHotline.com used the data received from shoppers looking for insurance quotes on their collision and ticket history, and to be included in the study a minimum of 1,000 quotes for each community were required.

The Ontario average of drivers involved in an at-fault collision in the last 10 years was 8.9%, but in Woodstock it was 13.6%.

The Ontario average of drivers that had received a ticket in the last three years was 6.9%, but in Caledon it was 15%.

The Ontario average of drivers that had a ticket and a collision on their record was 3.5%, but for Orangeville it was 9.4%.

The study was meant to remind drivers that their driving record is a significant factor in determining insurance premiums.

For more information on the study, click HERE.

The post What is Ontario’s worst (and best) city for driving? appeared first on Auto Service World.

Craig Van Batenburg, founder of Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) in Worcester, Mass., addresses an AIA event in North York, Ont.

By Allan Janssen

If your future includes servicing and maintaining hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, you need to start getting ready for it now.

And step one is making sure you have the knowledge to keep you safe when you start working with high-voltage batteries.

As you can imagine, the stakes are high.

Craig Van Batenburg, founder of Automotive Career Development Center (ACDC) in Worcester, Mass., is one of the best-known aftermarket trainers on alternative-powered vehicles. He says the potential dangers of plug-in electric vehicles are such that he won’t even allow techs to take a class with him until they’ve passed an online safety course.

“If you want to learn with us, you have to pass a safety course first,” he said. “If you fail it, we’ll send you some books and resources – and not for free either – that will give you the basics. But until you can pass that test, you’re not coming.”

He’s not out to scare anyone. The dangers are manageable, he insists, but technicians need to be aware of the additional hazards they will be exposed to when working with high-voltage systems.

They will also have to develop a wider range of skills and knowledge and have access to specialized tools and equipment in order to be able to work safely.

Like it or not, servicing electric vehicles and hybrids can be a life-threatening undertaking if you’re not prepared for what you’ll find.

There’s a growing range of hand tools specially designed for use in high-voltage environments. These insulated tools have been commonplace in industrial settings, but more and more auto repair shops are investing in tooling with the distinctive fluorescent orange that indicates they won’t conduct electricity.

The line of insulated screwdrivers and plyers will undoubtedly continue to grow as more shops expand their services to include hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles.

Techs will also require special test equipment, like multimeters that are higher voltage, and better isolation properties.

“They’re not going to need a whole new set of tools,” says Van Batenburg. “Many of the tools they have are adequate for a lot of situations, especially with hybrids. But they’re going to need some insulated tools. And for sure they’re going to want to invest in high-quality insulated gloves.

These gloves come in a range of voltage ratings, including the 1000-volt rating recommended for auto service. The thicker the rubber, the less prone it will be to damage, but the more difficult it will be to work in. The protection they offer is worth every penny they cost.

These gloves will require a higher level of car than you may be used to, however. You can’t just leave them around, where solvents and chemicals could be spilled on them and degrade their usefulness, and where debris could fall into them to act as a kind of lightning rod.

“Think about the shop environment. You can compromise your gloves quite easily if you’re not careful,” Van Batenburg said. “There’s a lot of stuff happening. If you leave them on the bench and another guy comes over and starts grinding a piece of metal, you can’t be sure little fragments haven’t gone into the glove. They’re complete junk now. They’re ruined.”

Similarly, a single pinhole will render a glove useless. Checking for holes should be done every time you’re going to put them on. Just cuff the end and squeeze to increase the pressure inside the glove. If air escapes, they’ll allow a current leak.

When it comes to your preparation for work on hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles, nothing comes ahead of proper education about how to avoid fatal risks.

“What techs need is safety training. Without that, they can get themselves in a lot of trouble. There’s a lot of stuff you can do wrong,” said Van Batenburg. “People don’t like to be told not to do something. A good bunch of techs will do it simply because they were told not to. You have to educate them into how their actions have consequences.”

He doesn’t want his students to be afraid. He wants them to be confident around electricity.

“You have to get them over their fear. People can’t learn when they’re afraid.”

He says the aftermarket is waking up to the inevitability of an electric future… but they can start their training now, and ease into the complex work.

“If you stay away from cars that plug in the wall, the repair work is easier, safer, simpler, and more cost-effective. That’s where the money is right now. The cars are all around you. They need work,” he said. “Once you’ve gained the hybrid market and you feel you’re really good at that, then add cars that plug into the wall. That’s the next step in both complexity and expense.”

Potential hazards of working
 with electric vehicles

* the presence of high voltage
   components and cabling capable
   of delivering a fatal electric shock.

* the storage of electrical energy
   with the potential to cause
   explosion or fire.

* components that may retain
    a dangerous voltage even when
    a vehicle is switched off.

* electric motors or the
    vehicle itself that may move
    unexpectedly due to magnetic
    forces within the motors.

* the potential for the release of
   explosive gases and harmful
   liquids if batteries are damaged
    or incorrectly modified.

* the possibility of people being
    unaware of vehicles moving as
    when electrically driven they
    are silent in operation.

* the potential for the electrical
   systems on the vehicle to affect
   medical devices such as
   pacemakers.

The post Hybrids in the repair bay: Putting safety first appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Adam Malik

A number of high-profile crashes involving autonomous technology have pumped the brakes on excitement levels for such vehicles.

Support for autonomous vehicles has stalled around the world. According to the 2019 Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study, opinion is split right down the middle in the United States with 50 per cent believing autonomous vehicles are not safe. The same goes for Japan, with similar numbers in Korea (49 per cent), India (48 per cent) and Germany (47 per cent).

One year ago, the same survey showed that fewer people (47 per cent) in the U.S. had concerns. In 2017, 74 per cent felt AVs were not safe – so, despite a significant drop from 2017 to 2018, the number of people who were skeptical of AVs went up in 2019. Germany and India saw similar patterns. While concern did fall in Japan, Korea and China – where only 25 per cent feel AVs are not safe – the year over year drop was nowhere close to the huge drops seen previously.

In March 2018, an Arizona woman was killed after she was struck by a self-driving Uber vehicle – 65 per cent of Americans said media reports of incidents like that made them more cautious of the technology, second to Koreans where 68 per cent said the same.

Trust is also a question. In all almost major markets, faith in traditional automakers to bring fully autonomous technology to market was down. And only in Japan (68 per cent) do a majority trust them to follow through successfully. The U.S. (39 per cent), Korea (37 per cent) and Germany (33 per cent) followed.

“There are a lot of problems that they do have to get over,” said Toronto-based James Carter, principal consultant at Vision Mobility, of autonomous vehicles.

Issues around legislation and who is liable in the event of a collision are just two concerns. Figuring out the logistics of making autonomous technology work together is another. There’s a bigger picture that developers need to be looking at.

“One of our firm beliefs is that our focus is far too great on isolated technologies and not great enough on ecosystems,” said the 2019 Global Automotive Executive Survey, put out by KPMG.

The implementation of an ecosystem able to handle autonomous technology may be the biggest delay of seeing self-driving vehicles on our roads. The challenge remains on how to integrate the needs of those in cities, suburban areas and rural communities with CASE (connected, autonomous, shared and electric) technology and the infrastructure needed (5G connectivity, electricity grid and traffic infrastructure) to make it work.

“What they’re trying to do is really a very complicated system,” Carter said. “So there’s a lot of research and development that’s needed to make it happen.”

But that doesn’t mean these issues are insurmountable either. In fact, when weighing the cost vs. benefit, the latter comes out way ahead in many of the experts’ minds. For society, there’s the ultimate goal of zero vehicle collisions thanks to self-driving cars. For corporations, there’s the reduced costs of having to pay a driver for deliveries, hence the push from Uber and Lyft to develop an autonomous ride-hailing fleet.

“It’s going to take a little while for things to come into play,” Carter said. “All of those things are really worth putting tons of money into development and moving forward. Things will take a while to fall into place, but it will certainly happen.”

Carter forecasted that by 2040, Level 4 or 5 autonomous driving technology will be in 55 per cent of all vehicles sold.

Paths to autonomy

Strategies for having an autonomous driving society is being tackled from different directions. Google, for instance, is looking to achieve Level 5 automation first and then work its way down.

“This way, by entering the market, they will be able to dictate the right sensors, the right electronic architecture, the right redundancies, the right hard points required for the vehicle manufacturers in order to achieve each level of automation,” said Franck Leveque, business unit leader and partner with Frost & Sullivan.

Carmakers are generally taking an incremental approach where they are starting on the opposite end and building up towards Level 5.

“[They’re] improving driver assistance to achieve a higher level of automation,” Leveque said. “This process is the most cost-effective way currently to develop autonomous driving technology but one that has limitations in terms of scale.”

It also doesn’t help that different regions have different rules, opinions and approaches to autonomy. For example, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative government allowed for a wider range of autonomous vehicles testing in the province on public roadways as of Jan. 1. Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to allow such testing.

That doesn’t mean Ontario will have legalized autonomous vehicles on its roads while, say, neighbouring Quebec does not. Differences are likely to be country to country rather than province to province. Yet, that raises another problem. With disparate technologies, rules and ecosystems in different regions – creating ‘islands of autonomy,’ as KPMG puts it – how do we come together to create a global standard?

“Connect the islands,” said Dieter Becker, Germany-based global automotive head for KPMG. “We must become aware that there is simply not only one single global answer and that the connection of islands will therefore be one of the main tasks of the automotive industry in the future.”

The car as a marketplace

Until such advanced technology is sorted out, there are a few advancements that are expected to take control in the near future. One of them being the ability to turn a vehicle into a marketplace for the driver and the vehicle’s passengers.

“The concept of this is to bring in retail capabilities for vehicle occupants that are available directly from the vehicle,” Leveque said.

Consumers can do things like buy fuel, pay for parking, order and pay for food, book hotels and navigate while behind the wheel.

“This marketplace provides extra features in the sense that it also limits options to reduce driver distraction,” Leveque said. “For instance, a Starbucks customer can order from the car while it is being driven but only with a few choices based on previous orders that will be displayed.”

Actions that require more involvement or concentration can be performed when the vehicle is in park or through the use of a virtual personal assistant. IHS Markit expects nearly 700 million virtual personal assistants will be enabled in vehicles – whether embedded, through mobile devices or connection via home devices – by 2024.

Biggest trend

Tied into the marketplace inside the car is the biggest trend automotive executive see going to 2030: connectivity and digitization.

Nearly 60 per cent of auto execs worldwide – including 86 per cent in Canada – told KPMG that they see the need for seamless, individualized, safe and on-demand technology in the future mobility ecosystem. In order for consumers to order coffee or book a hotel from their vehicles, connectivity and digitization are essential.

“The automotive industry is heading into a restructuring phase in which it becomes steadily more important to build on the core competencies and expertise developed over the last decades, while simultaneously defining the role in the new ecosystem that secures future revenue streams,” KPMG’s report said.

The post FEATURE: What will the driverless future look like? appeared first on Auto Service World.

Ever wonder what your customers were thinking when they decided to try to fix their vehicles? Working without training, experience, or the proper tools, they manage only to make other people scratch their heads in wonder.

Check out the latest in our series of EyeSpy videos, with picture sent in by our readers.

The post EyeSpy Video #9: Creative DIY Repairs… the sequel! appeared first on Auto Service World.

Missed an episode? Go to the EyeSpy homepage to get caught up.

DO YOU HAVE EYESPY WORTHY PICTURES?

If you have pictures of unbelievably creative DIY repairs that had you instantly reaching for your camera [or phone] and you’d like to share it with the country, we’d love to help you do that. We’ll upload your picture to our EyeSpy gallery. And, if it’s creative enough, it just may end up in a future EyeSpy webisode.

To submit your pictures for consideration, simply email CARS Magazine editor, Allan Janssen, and explain why you think your DIY repair is EyeSpy material. But if you do, please include the following details:

1. your name
2. shop name
3. shop location
4. vehicle make, model and year
5. a description of what made this repair stand out as particularly creative

The post EyeSpy | Creative DIY repairs… the sequel! appeared first on Auto Service World.

Mazda is recalling almost 8,000 vehicles due to wiring harness issues that could cause malfunctions in passenger frontal air bag system, turn signals, false instrument cluster warnings, and the engine starting system.

Mazda North American Operations filed a Part 574 notification with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on July 1 for a safety defect on certain 2018 Mazda CX-9 crossovers, produced from Sept. 12, 2017, through Nov. 9, 2017.

Although there have been no reports of accidents or injuries, a weak retention force of the wiring harness connector terminals could result in an electrical communication disruption and cause passenger frontal air bags to fail to deploy in a crash, turn signal lights to become inoperable, or the engine unable to restart.

Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the wiring harnesses. The recall is expected to begin on or before July 29.

See Mazda announcement HERE.

This comes on the heels of an announcement by Mazda on June 28 that wheel lug nuts may loosen and fall off during normal driving on certain 2019 Mazda3 vehicles. That recall affects 25,000 vehicles.

See that Mazda announcement HERE.

The post Wiring harness defects cause new Mazda recall appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Adam Malik

It’s enough to make some people want to pull their hair out.

Lighting up support lines at tire pressure monitoring system manufacturers is the confusion around programming and relearning sensors to vehicles. It can be confusing to set up a vehicle’s TPMS, but there are many ways jobbers can help technicians make the process run smoother.

First, when a shop calls its jobber for TPMS sensors, counterstaff should be asking a few key questions: Is their programming tool up to date? Do they know the model year of the vehicle? Do they know all the steps required for a relearn? Do they even know what a relearn is?

Understanding terminology is a crucial first step.

“I was in four shops yesterday. Two of those four shops referenced programming when they were actually talking about relearn,” said Sean Lannoo, sales technical training specialist at Continental in Allentown, Penn., which makes the VDO Redi-Sensor brand. “These are two terms that are highly mixed up in the industry all the time.

“I think it was just misused in the beginning and it just avalanched since.”

Understanding terminology is also critical to having a successful phone call with a support line. Technician calling about programing problems when they really mean relearning creates frustrations on all sides.

A sensor that comes blank needs to be programmed to the specific make, model and year of the vehicle using a properly up-to-date tool. Once that’s done, the sensor has a new ID and the vehicle needs to relearn it so it knows which sensor is where, along with tire pressure.

Whether it’s a programmable sensor or one that is already programmed to the vehicle out of the box – all vehicles need to be relearned.

“I think it goes back to education in the marketplace,” said W Rippetoe, Troy, Mich.-based team leader for technical support in North America at Schrader Performance Sensors, which makes the EZ-sensor.

There’s a lot of confusion out there. Jobbers can help make sure technicians know what to look for. Having a tool with the latest software is essential. It may seem obvious, but it’s not.

“I walked into a shop yesterday and the last update for the tool was a release from 2013,” Lannoo said. “And this is this is a major tire [company]. It’s so critical that they keep their tool updated.”

Since time is money, a lot of both is wasted by missing this critical step.

“Keeping the tools charged with up to date software will dramatically increase the success of TPMS service,” said Lindsay Smith, Continental’s TPMS product manager.

If programming is required, knowing the correct make, model and year of the vehicle is a must. But it’s where most technicians trip up.

Carmakers can introduce split model years; sometimes a 2011 vehicle is actually a 2012. Small changes mean big problems. A technician may swear up and down that a vehicle is a certain year when in fact it’s not.

What they have to do is check the 10th character of the VIN for the vehicle’s model year. It’s a simple task but too many technicians ignore it. Then they end up calling a support line to find out why they can’t get the sensors to work.

“We’ve had some heated arguments over the phone,” Rippetoe said. “And I say, ‘I’m not asking for the world, man, just go check the VIN.’”

After the technician has checked for the correct model year – along with make and specific model – the sensor can be properly programmed.

But that’s not the end of the fun. The relearning can also be a tricky process. There can often be a lot of steps and each one must be followed in order to have the system working properly.

There are three types of relearn – OBD, auto and stationary – and technicians may need to do a combination of all three to complete the relearn of the vehicle. The first two are fairly simple. After IDs are created for the sensors, technicians write them to the vehicle through the OBD-II port. For auto relearn, the sensor is installed and the vehicle is driven at highway speed for 10-15 minutes until the light on the dashboard goes off. This method is falling out of favour since it takes up a lot of time for techs to get far enough out of the city where they can get to the required speed.

“Then there’s a stationary relearn which you have to pretty much do the hokey pokey to get the vehicle in to relearn mode,” Rippetoe said.

This involves taking the vehicle through a series of steps that includes cycling the ignition between on and off, pressing brake pedals, cycling again and waiting for the horn to honk. If it does, success. But that also only indicates the front left one is done. The processmust be repeated for the front right, rear right then rear left. And don’t forget about the spare if it’s equipped with sensors.

“Just GM alone at last count was about 21 different relearn procedures. Ford has about two or three, Chrysler has two or three. So that’s just the Big 3. Then you add in all the imports, which are confusing, to say the least,” Rippetoe said. “Unfortunately, I’ve managed to memorize most of them and I’ve kicked out my child’s first name from my memory. There’s a lot of stuff to remember.”

That still seems to be the easier part of the whole process. It all comes back to getting past the first issue of programming and relearning.

“Getting them to understand relearn vs. program is something that I present on all the time. I even talked about it yesterday. I know on our tech line, we get it all the time. We have done a video on our website to explain the difference between the two. Other companies have done the same thing. Tool manufacturers have done the same thing and we still hear it out there today,” Lannoo said. “I never thought when I started doing TPMS many years ago that you’d still walk into shops and hear the term misused.”

But that doesn’t mean techs should be afraid to call when stuck.

“If you’re standing there looking at a vehicle with a TPMS problem for 10 minutes, standing there for another 10 minutes probably isn’t going to fix the problem – give us a call and we’ll help you out,” Rippetoe said.

The post Better Selling: Ending the confusion about TPMS appeared first on Auto Service World.

More than 55 percent of Canadians believe autonomous vehicles have benefits but the vast majority harbour deep-seated fears and confusion about the technology, according to the Canadian Automobile Association.

A recent CAA poll shows that 83% of Canadians have only a vague knowledge of autonomous technology and have concerns that range from accountability in the event of an accident (61%), to vehicle hacking (59%), to the potential for third-party access to driver-generated data (53 percent).

CAA says that points to a need for more consumer-friendly information.

“New vehicles today contain some form of connected or automated vehicle technology, whether that’s Bluetooth connectivity, lane assist or another feature,” said Jeff Walker, chief strategy officer at CAA National. “These are the building blocks that will lead to fully autonomous vehicles one day, yet the vast majority of Canadians are not familiar with the technology – and that leads naturally to them having concerns.”

CAA has launched an online portal called Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, aimed at helping Canadians better understand connected and autonomous vehicles.

The tool explains the levels of autonomous vehicles, timelines for adoption and the risks of the technology and concludes in the long run, AVs should be a boon for road safety and mobility.

“The transition to autonomous vehicles will likely happen gradually,” Walker said. “In the long run, AVs will save lives since collisions will be much fewer and far between, and they will allow seniors or others with limited mobility the opportunity to regain independence.”

Learn more about connected and autonomous vehicles HERE.

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Missed an episode? Go to the EyeSpy homepage to get caught up.

DO YOU HAVE EYESPY WORTHY PICTURES?

If you have pictures of unbelievably creative DIY repairs that had you instantly reaching for your camera [or phone] and you’d like to share it with the country, we’d love to help you do that. We’ll upload your picture to our EyeSpy gallery. And, if it’s creative enough, it just may end up in a future EyeSpy webisode.

To submit your pictures for consideration, simply email CARS Magazine editor, Allan Janssen, and explain why you think your DIY repair is EyeSpy material. But if you do, please include the following details:

1. your name
2. shop name
3. shop location
4. vehicle make, model and year
5. a description of what made this repair stand out as particularly creative

The post EyeSpy 8 | Father Time appeared first on Auto Service World.

One out of six Uber and Lyft drivers in the New York City and Seattle areas are driving vehicles with outstanding recalls, according to Consumer Reports.

But taking a taxi or limousine isn’t necessarily a safer option: nearly a quarter of traditional for-hire vehicles in New York City such as taxis, limousines and livery cabs also need repairs due to outstanding recalls, the consumer watchdog is reporting.

That means that many of the cars people jump into using the most popular ride-hailing apps have outstanding issues that they haven’t repaired such as faulty air bags, possible engine failure and potential car fires.

Consumer Reports analyzed nearly 94,000 ride-hailing vehicles in the New York City and Seattle areas and about 30,000 traditional for-hire vehicles including taxis and limousines in New York City. They took vehicle identification numbers which were publicly available in those markets and ran them through a Carfax tool that checks if they have open recalls.

“The fact is, the recalls inherently by law are issued when they present an unreasonable safety risk,” said Ryan Felton, investigative reporter for Consumer Reports. And the tens of millions of people who actively use Uber and Lyft services “may not realize that in some of these cars, that the companies are not requiring the cars to be fixed.”

When an Uber driver has an outstanding recall that’s serious enough to prompt a “do not drive” warning, that driver is deactivated, Uber said. The company initiated the practice last June, a spokeswoman said.

Lyft drivers’ cars in those markets are inspected before they hit the road, and drivers are responsible for making sure their vehicle meets industry safety standards, Lyft said.

“Lyft drivers use their personal vehicles to drive on the platform — the same car they use in their daily lives, driving their kids to school or friends around town,” Lyft said in a statement.

The outstanding recall rate for ride-hailing vehicles — one in six — is similar to the rate for private vehicles, Consumer Reports said.

“These companies have billion-dollar valuations and their rate, nonetheless, despite their technological prowess and the amount of money that they’re raised, their fleets still have an open recall rate that is on par with the national average for private vehicles,” Felton said.

The Taxi and Limousine Commission, which regulates the for-hire vehicle industry in New York City, said it checks whether its licensees — including drivers for Uber, Lyft, taxis and limousines — have outstanding recalls. It sends reminders to the vehicle owners, but because it relies on outside data, it does not currently take enforcement actions against those who have missed recall repairs.

“We have to be iron clad sure of the veracity of the data in order for it to legally stand up,” said Allan Fromberg, spokesman for the commission. “One of a number of challenges, however, is that we cannot issue summonses when the vehicles owners are getting six-month recall appointments from the dealers due to either a lack of parts, or scheduling issues.”

The post For-hire drivers fail to respond to vehicle recalls: Consumer Reports appeared first on Auto Service World.

There’s a new episode in our popular series of Eye Spy videos, sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts. Our readers have sent us pictures detailing the cruel price that vehicles pay as they get older. Owners who don’t keep up with proper preventive maintenance are doomed to experience problems like these! Check out the latest EYE SPY video, only at Auto Service World.

The post EYE SPY: The ravages of time appeared first on Auto Service World.