Today’s vehicles aren’t necessarily going be enough to attract young people into this industry and so a different kind of approach is needed, a shop coach recently advised.

Rather than trying to rely on young people developing a passion for automotive repair on their own, explain to them—and their parents—that a career in the trade is viable and stable while showing them just how they can be successful.

As the automotive industry grapples with attracting new talent, Jeff Furrow, owner of Wellsboro Automotive, addressed the challenges and solutions during a training session on apprenticeships at the Worldpac Supplier and Training Expo.

He highlighted the disconnect young people feel with modern vehicles compared to older generations and emphasized the need for structured career plans to draw them into the trade.

What’s shifted young people from coming to work on cars? Furrow suggested looking at what’s in a school parking lot.

Older generations had hot rods, Camaros or Mustangs that were easier to understand once you popped the hood.

“We worked on him at night, on weekends. But we can do that ourselves — we have the tools, we can find the knowledge,” he said.

Today, however, the complexity of new vehicles like the modern-day Mustang or offerings from Lexus, Tesla and BMW makes them inaccessible for DIY enthusiasts.

“They can’t work on this. There’s no way they can work on them,” Furrow explained. “So how do they fall in love with something they can’t do? How can they fall in love with an industry when they’re not able to be a part of it?”

So it means taking a different approach with young kids and their families. He offered a blueprint to show that there’s a viable, structured career path in auto care. By providing a clear plan the industry can begin to attract and retain the next generation of automotive technicians, he said.

Furrow noted that many parents are focused on the four-year university path without a clear plan, but they feel that a piece of paper after that time is nevertheless worthwhile. Suppose you go to those parents with a specific career path that you’ve created for their child that shows how they will progress and the career they will have once they get the education and training. In that case, you’re making a real difference to attract young people to the automotive service trade.

“Once I told them, ‘I have a plan for your child,’ they started listening to us,” Furrow said. He stressed that the plan must demonstrate structure and a real pathway to a career, and it must be in writing.

Luke Murray, a Worldpac Training Institute instructor, agreed.

“The attrition rate is terrible,” he said in the same session. “And when polled why [apprentices] left, the top two reasons [were] lack of a mentor … and lack of a career path.”

The post How to rev the passion for automotive trades careers appeared first on Auto Service World.

As business evolves, shop members of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario got up close to the latest changes and challenges taking place.

They gathered in Mississauga, Ontario, at the Hilton Garden Inn Toronto Airport West for the AARO Trade Show & Training Event to hear from industry leaders and get both business management and technical training.

The three-day event starting on Sept. 12 kicked off with Alan Beech from Beech Consulting and an occasional contributor to CARS magazine. He gave a training course on handling the busy season and the chaos that comes with it. He dove into strategies to improve your business and be better prepared for the fall and winter by offering strategies for better inspections, tire sales, customer service, labour rate and more.

After lunch, Murray Voth from RPM Training talked about the management process shop owners need to undertake. He gave insights during the program into how to take a measured approach and ensure processes are in place to meet customer expectations, including 14 points for management to run the business successfully. He outlined expectations for techs and service advisors — but also what they expect from their boss.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cars Magazine & Jobber News (@autoserviceworld)

Once that wrapped up, it was on to the tradeshow, which featured Cam Capriotto of Remarkable Results Radio as the opening speaker. Attendees then got to visit the booths exhibiting and take in the latest in products and offers.

The next two days featured Lindertech training. Scott Shotten gave two sessions, one on engine mechanical diagnosis with electronic equipment and a second on efficient and effective network diagnosis.

The final day on Sept. 14 featured Brenden Steckler, whose presentations included a focus on a streamlined approach to diagnostic dilemmas.

Many attendees commended the training program with some noting it was some of the best they’ve received in some time.

Check out the Instagram reel highlight above and the photo gallery below.

AARO Training & Trade Show 2024

The post Management, technical training top focus at AARO show appeared first on Auto Service World.

Despite a growing demand for skilled trades, Generation Z remains hesitant to pursue blue-collar careers due to societal stigmas and misconceptions, according to a new report.

As the U.S. grapples with an aging workforce and increasing labor shortages, the report, The Annual Blue-Collar Report: Gen Z and the Trades Need Each Other, reveals that Gen Z is wary of blue-collar careers, even as these jobs offer stability and growth. It looked into how Gen Z navigates education and career decisions, highlighting the need to overcome stigmas associated with blue-collar careers.

According to the report, 76 per cent of Gen Z respondents agreed that a stigma exists around attending vocational schools instead of pursuing a traditional four-year university degree.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment demands in trade industries are often outpacing the 3 per cent average growth rate of all occupations, signaling a widening gap in the workforce. Despite this, the report found that many Gen Z members are interested in blue-collar careers but they just don’t realize it yet.

The traditional and so-called “American Dream” is being reevaluated by Gen Z, especially as concerns about the economy, job stability and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) grow. One-third of respondents believe white-collar jobs are less stable today compared to their parents’ generation, and 41 per cent worry that AI will reduce future job opportunities.

Despite these concerns, Gen Z identified attributes commonly associated with blue-collar jobs, such as flexible work hours (73 per cent), job stability (61 per cent), and overtime pay (58 per cent), as appealing.

The report also highlights the influence of parents, schools and media on Gen Z’s career choices. More than half (51 per cent) of respondents cited family as the most significant influence on their career decisions, yet 61 per cent said their parents have not discussed vocational school as an option. Furthermore, only 17 per cent reported receiving education on the benefits of vocational training, a figure significantly lower than for bachelor’s degrees, community colleges, military service, and entrepreneurship.

Media portrayals also play a role in shaping perceptions, with 35 per cent of respondents saying television shows and movies influence their career interests. Nearly half (47 per cent) believe that trade professionals are generally depicted negatively in these media portrayals.

The report also noted the need for greater gender balance in blue-collar careers. Nearly half (48 per cent) of respondents agree that women are discouraged from pursuing trade careers from a young age, and 58 per cent believe that women face more discrimination in these fields compared to other professions.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The post Trades stigma strong among young workers appeared first on Auto Service World.

It can oftentimes be a struggle for shop owners and technicians to get the management and technical training they need. But two shop owners made the trek to Nashville this spring in search of the latest education to stay on top of the ever-evolving landscape.

Rob Lang from Richmond Motorworks in Richmond, B.C., and Louie Solarino from Sam Garage in Markham, Ontario, attended the Worldpac Supplier Training and Expo in the Music City where hundreds of training classes were held, ranging from business management to technical.

During the event, they sat down with Auto Service World Conversations host Adam Malik to discuss the importance of ongoing training to stay up to date on the latest repair techniques for increasingly complex vehicles.

The owners also share the challenges they face running busy shops, including managing workload efficiency and accessing the correct technical information needed to diagnose problems.

It’s an interesting discussion that explores the evolution of selling techniques, the challenges of selling to different generations and the need for adapting to change in the industry.

Tune into the conversation by clicking the banner above or choose your platform of choice below to hear this episode and find the full Auto Service World Conversations library:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music
• Google Podcasts
• iHeartRadio
• Buzzsprout
• Deezer

The post ASW Conversations: Shop owners talk training appeared first on Auto Service World.

The full training schedule at Joe’s Garage during AAPEX has been announced.

It will feature technical and management training, led by leading instructors ready to equip shop owners, service advisors and technicians with essential skills

AAPEX will be held November 5-7 at The Venetian Expo and Caesars Forum in Las Vegas. The full training schedule can be found here.

Technical training topics will range from advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibration to high voltage vehicle technology to ultrasonic diagnostics to fixing the no start.

Business management sessions will include discussions on driving shop profit through shop production, revolutionizing service advising, what Gen Y and Z are looking for in the workplace and more.

Many of the industry’s top trainers will lead the training, including Eric Ziegler of EZ Diagnostic Solutions Inc.; Greg Bunch from Transformers Institute, Rick White of 180BIZ; Cecil Bullard from The Institute for Automotive Business Excellence; Bill Haas and Sara Fraser of Haas Performance Consulting; Keith Perkins from L1 Automotive Training and more.

A panel of shop owners reviewed more than 400 submissions to pick beginner, intermediate and advanced-level training.

There will also be Live Car Training with sessions including Everything EV, Tesla drivetrain problem solving, plus an overview of Tesla Information Resources and factory scan tools. New this year, WorldPac/WTI will offer 12 training sessions, including Audi and VW diagnostic strategies, Mercedes-Benz diagnostics and how to become an exceptional leader.

This year, many training topics align with ASE Certification tests.

Sessions range in length from one to four hours, depending on the topic. Individual sessions cost USD$150 or a package of five will cost USD$400. Sign up for sessions when registering for AAPEX. Those who have already registered can log in to their account and select the courses.

The post AAPEX announces training schedule appeared first on Auto Service World.

Indigenous students in Canada and the U.S. with an interest in becoming automotive service technicians now have a new opportunity to break into the industry.

Stellantis announced that it’s collaborating with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to provide three scholarships to Native American students in the U.S. and Canada aiming to become automotive service technicians.

Each scholarship, worth up to USD$20,000, will cover tool costs and two years of tuition at a Mopar Career Automotive Program (CAP) institution.

Lottie Holland, Stellantis’ VP of Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement, and EEO Compliance, emphasized the importance of engaging diverse talent.

“Our Indigenous employees and the Indigenous Cultural Opportunity Network business resource group are strong role models promoting the vast opportunities available to the talented Indigenous students who will benefit from these scholarships,” she said.

AISES has been advocating STEM careers among Indigenous people and offering scholarships since 1981. Membership in AISES, free for students, is a requirement for scholarship eligibility.

Detailed scholarship information and application instructions are available online, with applications accepted until June 1, 2024, at 1:59 a.m. EDT.

The post Stellantis providing technician scholarships for Indigenous students appeared first on Auto Service World.

For three full days, shop owners, advisors and technicians gathered in Nashville for training of all varieties.

The Worldpac Supplier and Training Expo was held at the Gaylord Opry in Nashville April 24-28, offering plenty of educational opportunities, from technical knowledge to business management to customer service and more.

There were more than 400 hundred classes, of which nearly 2,400 attendees took part. In all, 3,355 people took part in the event, from service professionals to vendors representing about 400 companies in the two-day expo.

There were 211 attendees who made the trip to the show from Canada. Another 138 attendees were made up of students from Lincoln Tech in Nashville and multiple schools from the Metro Nashville Public School system, all of whom had their attendance sponsored by Worldpac.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cars Magazine & Jobber News (@autoserviceworld)

The event officially kicked off on April 25 with a morning keynote from executive vice president Bob Cushing, who highlighted the vast changes taking place in the industry, economic pressures on consumers, challenges to the industry and where the growth opportunities are.

Attendees then headed to training for the day, able to choose from a variety of classes that ran the gamut from the technical, such as specific vehicle issues, electric vehicle education, ADAS and more, to shop management, such as managing financials, marketing, social media marketing and more, to service advisor training that touched on various front-end customer issues and strategies. In all, there were 392 training classes — 80 business management classes, 52 hands-on classes with full vehicles or portions of vehicles in class and 203 classes focused on emerging technologies — led by almost 180 instructors.

Day 1 was highlighted by a dinner and keynote from retired Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell — whose story of serving overseas was turned into the movie Lone Survivor, starring Mark Wahlberg. He gave a passionate talk with Cushing in a fireside chat-style conversation.

The next two days were focused on more training. The nights featured the supplier expo where parts manufacturers, tool suppliers and shop management companies were able to meet directly with attendees.

A special lunch on April 27 focused on women in the aftermarket. Celebration Night featured a performance by Little Nog Town at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Walk of Fame Park.

The STX will take place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside of Washington, D.C., in National Harbor, Md., from Aug. 19-23, 2026.

View a quick highlight reel on our Instagram page and the photo gallery below.

Worldpac STX 2024

The post Training, training and more training at Worldpac STX appeared first on Auto Service World.

Out of all ASE-certified techs, only 1.4 per cent are also certified in EV repair. This need for safe and hands-on educational resources to ensure shops are ready for the EV transition is the impetus behind a new training tour focused on EVs.

Bosch has partnered with technician training group AVI to launch the Bosch EV Training Tour. This program, started with a “Breakfast with Bosch” event in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 21 and is set to roll out across the United States starting in early July.

“This course is designed for technicians with an intermediate skill level in EV repair — giving them more hands-on experience to expand their understanding and skill set,” said Daniel Angelo, director of technical services at Bosch.

Scheduled in various cities, the EV Training Tour will offer three one-day, eight-hour courses, each accommodating up to 20 participants. A Bosch-certified AVI professional trainer will deliver the company-crafted curriculum, covering a wide range of EV repair topics, including vehicle fundamentals, electric motor concepts, power electronics, and maintenance and troubleshooting.

Participants will benefit from an interactive learning environment, utilizing training aids developed by AVI to simulate EV and hybrid vehicle systems. This hands-on approach will allow for safe practice on key components such as batteries and motors without the risks associated with live high-voltage systems. Training aids include a cutaway Toyota Gen III Prius, an electric vehicle training aid cart (EVA), and an AC Cart, each designed to demonstrate the workings of different EV systems in a practical, understandable manner.

“Many EV models are well past their warranty – creating an opportunity for independent repair shops to open their business to EV owners. However, without firsthand experience and training, many technicians will be unable to provide these services safely and successfully, and could potentially lose business,” said Tom Rayk, director of training at AVI. “Our technical aids, combined with the Bosch EV repair curriculum, will arm technicians and shop owners with the real-world experience they will need to prepare for the electric vehicle transition.”

The post Bosch launching EV training tour appeared first on Auto Service World.

While misfire codes have certainly made our job easier, it is important to remember that misfires don’t always set code and that not all misfire codes are accurate for the source cylinder.

Misfire codes are based on crankshaft velocity changes. When a cylinder misfires, the crankshaft will slow down due to the non-contribution to rotational speed. Cylinder misidentification can sometimes occur, especially when the misfire is inconsistent. This is why it is important to verify the misfiring cylinder even with a DTC present, instead of just trusting the scan tool.

Sometimes the PCM is unable to determine which cylinder is causing the issue, so a P0300 random misfire code will be set. A P0300 really doesn’t tell us much about the problem; we know there’s a misfire and we can feel it.

Image 1

The difficulty in finding the misfiring cylinder will depend on the type of vehicle you are working on and the tools you have at your disposal. Years ago, before the days of OBD2 and misfire codes, we had to determine the misfiring cylinder by using a variety of testing methods.

Cylinder balance testing has been a tried-and-true method of misfire detection for decades. With distributor-style ignition systems, it was simply a matter of pulling each spark plug wire off the spark plug and noting RPM change. The cylinder with little or no change was the culprit. When waste-spark ignition systems came out, shorting cylinders using a test light and short lengths of vacuum tubing between the wire and coil tower was also a common method.

Neither of these techniques however are very catalytic converter-friendly, as fuel is sprayed into the non-firing cylinders and will end up in the crankcase and the converter. Disabling fuel injectors is a much safer method of performing a cylinder balance test and some modern scan tools will still allow the technician to perform it using the active test or bi-directional control function. However, when it comes to intermittent or partial misfires, sometimes killing cylinders and noting RPM change can be inconclusive.

There are other methods of determining which cylinder is misfiring, which require the use of an oscilloscope. One method uses crankshaft sensor data and math calculations to determine the frequency change of the crankshaft when the misfire occurs. This method is limited to higher-end scopes that have this capability built in. That is a topic for another article. You can usually hear a misfire occurring when putting an ear next to the tailpipe. Pressure changes in the exhaust due to the misfire will make a popping sound.

An old method that I was taught early in my career is the paper test. This is an old-school trick that can give you an indication of a misfiring cylinder. You hold a slip of paper in front of the tailpipe and observe if it is being pushed away or pulled into the pipe. Pulled into the pipe indicates vacuum present. This rudimentary method will not allow you to pinpoint which cylinder is misfiring, though. For that, we will need an oscilloscope and a pressure sensor.

Image 2

When a cylinder misfire occurs, a low pressure is created in the cylinder as the piston approaches BDC of the power stroke. When the exhaust valve opens, this low pressure is transferred to the exhaust stream. The pressure change can be observed on an oscilloscope with a Delta pressure sensor placed in the tailpipe (see Images 1 and 2 — click on all images to expand).

A Delta pressure sensor is an extremely sensitive piezoelectric device that detects a change in pressure. This type of sensor doesn’t show the amount of change as a measurement value, it simply reacts to pressure changes and creates a voltage when pressure changes occur. If pressure pulses remain constant, the waveform will also remain uniform. If the pressure increases or decreases as in the case of a misfire, the voltage will also change accordingly.

By synchronizing the scope on a second channel to the cylinder 1 ignition coil control wire and knowing the engine’s firing order, the misfiring cylinder is easily identified. It is important to remember when doing this type of waveform analysis that the exhaust stroke will occur 180 degrees after the coil firing event. Once this has been established, it is simply a matter of following the firing order.

There are different methods of establishing where the exhaust stroke is occurring on the waveform, which will depend on the type of scope you are using. Some scopes like the Pico, will have built-in phase rulers that can be set up showing 180-degree stroke intervals between them (Image 3). Other scopes will require the use of a stroke overlay software that will also allow phase rulers to be set up and added to the waveform after it is saved (Image 4). The technician will have to copy and paste the waveform into the overlay software. Once it is copied into the software, it can be manipulated using phase rulers, measurement cursors and a piston chart which is set up based on engine size, firing order and the cylinder used to synchronize the waveform. This stroke overlay software can be found online and downloaded free of charge.

Let’s do some testing

The test vehicle used for these images is a 2009 Suzuki Swift+ with a 1.6L Ecotec engine. This vehicle has no misfire issues and is simply being used to illustrate how simple and effective the exhaust pressure pulse method can be at determining which cylinder is misfiring.

A Delta pressure sensor is installed in the tailpipe and the engine is started and allowed to idle. The resulting waveform is captured on the oscilloscope so we have a “normal” or “known good” waveform for comparison (Image 5). The scope is set up with a very slow time base (1 second/division) in order to capture a large amount of data. The waveform in image 6 is the same waveform ‘zoomed-in’ which gives a clear image of each cylinder pressure pulse.

The engine was then given a misfire: A spark plug was removed and the gap was closed to .005”. The plug was reinstalled and the engine was started. The closed gap has resulted in an intermittent misfire. The waveform clearly indicates downward spikes occurring every time the cylinder misfires (Image 7). Again, the waveform is ‘zoomed-in’ in to get a better picture of what is occurring (Image 8).

In order to determine which cylinder the misfire is occurring on, a second channel is synced to the coil 1 control wire (Image 9). The image zoomed in gives us a clear indication of when the misfire is happening in relation to the coil 1 firing event (Image 10). This engine uses a “cassette” style of coil, which has a separate COP coil built into the cassette for each cylinder. These are “smart” coils that have the switching transistor built into them. This is why the waveform we get when back-probing the control wire is a square wave signal. It is simply a trigger signal from the PCM which turns on the base of the switching transistor in the coil. The width of the square wave is the charge period or “dwell” period of the coil.

With the Pico phase rulers applied to the diagram, the misfiring cylinder is easily identified (Image 11). As mentioned earlier, when there is no combustion in a cylinder, a low-pressure ‘vacuum’ is created in the cylinder as the piston moves down the cylinder bore with both valves closed. The exhaust valve opens about 40 degrees before BDC and the low pressure is transferred to the exhaust stream, creating the downward spike in the waveform.

Image 12 shows the same waveform copied and pasted into the online stroke overlay software which can be used with any scope capture, including the Pico scope. Sometimes the online software is more useful for diagnosis as the phase rulers offer more measurement markers than those offered in Pico scope. The ability to also add a piston chart to the waveform is a great diagnostic tool, especially when working on V6 or V8 engines.

This is just one of many different methods that can be used and it’s a very quick and easy method of determining which cylinder is misfiring. One of the great advantages of this test is that it’s completely non-intrusive and can be used on any vehicle. Obviously, further testing must be done to determine the cause of the misfire, this test is simply to correctly identify the misfiring cylinder.

John Post has been an automotive service technician in the Ontario aftermarket for more than 30 years. He has been teaching electrical, fuel systems and drivability diagnostics at Centennial College since 2015

This article originally appeared in the December 2023 issue of CARS magazine.

The post From the Magazine: Misfire diagnosis appeared first on Auto Service World.

Lucy and John Del Vasto

Following a generous donation, Lucy and John Del Vasto are now lifetime trustees of the University of the Aftermarket Foundation.

The foundation is committed to expanding educational opportunities for the benefit of the automotive aftermarket industry.

An announcement from Groupe Del Vasto noted the couple’s commitment to social responsibility and their dedication to the future of the automotive aftermarket is demonstrated by the donation.

“We are extremely happy to give back to an industry that has been so good to us,” they said in a statement. “We are very proud of our long-term commitment to the University of the Aftermarket Foundation and the numerous recipients who will benefit from its scholarship program. Our participation will help feed our industry’s success for the foreseeable future by strengthening our aftermarket workforce.”

Since 1986, the foundation has provided funding for aftermarket education programs and research. It awards grants throughout each year, financially supporting the continued development and distribution of courses in ever-broadening areas. Last year, the Foundation awarded 461 scholarships worth $731,000.

Lucy and John were formally recognized for their role in the foundation during Industry Week in Las Vegas.

The post Del Vasto family lifetime trustees of university foundation appeared first on Auto Service World.

Much has changed in the way automotive aftermarket service and repair shops are run. From the way shop owners should be running their day-to-day operations to the way they manage staff, it’s different from even just a few days ago.

But the amount of adaptation doesn’t stop with the owner. The way service advisors work the front of the shop and the way they work with customers and ensure the smooth flow of everything behind them has changed.

And for technicians, the skills they need to be successful in the bays call for attention in areas they may have never given a moment’s consideration.

Expectations have changed as well for those working in shops. Employees, including technicians and service advisors, want more out of their careers and their time in the shop. They are turning to their shop owner to help provide those missing links.

Shop coaches, industry leaders, observers and experts have shared their thoughts on how everyone under the roof of the shop can be successful. Their thoughts have been collected and are presented here…

Shop owner

For Rick White, founder and president of shop management consultancy 180Biz, everything in a shop starts with trust.

Shop owners need to trust their employees. Employees need to trust their boss. And everyone needs to trust each other.

“If you don’t have trust, you don’t make sales. If you don’t have trust, you don’t have a team. So it makes it harder to work with people,” White said during the Midwest Auto Care Alliance’s Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo 2023.

There are two types of trust: Practical and emotional. The former is relatively straightforward — it’s earned by doing what you say you’re going to do and being dependable, competent and consistent while exceeding expectations.

Emotional trust, on the other hand, is more difficult to achieve. It’s more personal. You treat those around you with dignity and respect.

The biggest difference between practical and emotional trust is that the former is the feeling of being safe. “Emotional trust is safe,” according to White. “Your goal is emotional trust. It’s also the hardest trust to build.”

He also urged shop owners to shy away from phrases like, “Just trust me.” That’s demanding the trust of someone. It can’t be demanded and staff won’t give it to you. Unfortunately, many have had bosses and owners lie to them or fail to come through when giving them their trust.

“We sit down to talk with somebody and we expect trust,” he said. “But we don’t understand the experiences they’ve gone through. And we don’t understand why they’re skeptical. It also isn’t something you earn.”

Remember: Trust isn’t affirmation. It’s not about developing a yes-man culture. You want to develop an environment where people feel comfortable holding you accountable. That’s your goal, White said.

“The reality is there’s going to be crap going on in your day. Make room for it.”

Accountability

Accountability is crucial for a shop owner. Just as a shop owner would expect their technicians and service advisor to hold up to their promises, staff are expecting the same of the owner. The owner needs to hold themselves accountable.

But what will often happen is that the shop owner will rationalize and excuse their mistake, saying they got distracted to help up by other things, White pointed out.

“How many have done that? We all have,” White said. “So what I want you to start to do is hold yourself to the same standard as you do other people.”

And the more you miss your promises, the more that’s withdrawn from your staff’s trust account. Do it often enough and there’s nothing left, leaving your staff unable to trust you for anything.

Here’s a tip from White: Promise less. If you’re saying yes to something, make sure you mean it and can back it up. If not, don’t.

He’s seen shop owners come up with a huge list of their plans. They say they’re going to get so much done. But at the end of the day, they hang their head because they got nothing off that list done or barely made a dent.

“The reality is there’s going to be crap going on in your day. Make room for it,” White said.

He doesn’t make more than three commitments a day. Those commitments centre around deliverables, like ensuring a document is completed, not meeting with clients.

“I can’t do everything my mind thinks I can. It doesn’t work that way,” White said.

Arm around the shoulder

Technicians and service advisors are feeling the pinch these days. With the typical shop short-staffed — the auto repair industry is 3,000 technicians short these days, double from a few years ago. So more work is falling on fewer hands.

So when a technician makes a mistake, say forgetting to put oil in the vehicle and the engine blows shortly after the customer leaves the shop, owners need to resist the urge to march out in the bays and yell at them.

But that’s different from what you should do. Take a step back. Consider how the tech is feeling, knowing his blunder just cost a customer their vehicle and the shop a wad of cash.

“He’s feeling horrible, would you agree? I mean, he’s going to look up to see the top of the curb,” White said.

A strong reaction — the wrong kind — will only bring conflict. Only the owner will feel good after reading him the Riot Act. Not only is the tech feeling terrible but now he’s been pushed away and is less engaged with the business than before.

So think about your approach before you go out there, White advised.

“The first thing I’m going to do is get him to understand that he’s a good tech,” he said. “We’re not going to let one event define how he sees himself. We are all bigger than one event.”

What caused the issue? Was he interrupted and that’s why he forgot? That could be a teachable moment for the team to not interrupt someone while doing critical tasks.

“Confronting behaviour is something you want to do immediately and without reserve,” White added.

Service advisor

Customers these days are different. They are expecting a distinct experience when they call or walk into an auto repair shop than they did before. And if the service advisor — the first line of customer service — can’t deliver what they expect, then that customer is out the door.

“If you treat people like they’re human beings, if you actually care for them, they can feel it,” Darrin Barney, president of Elite Worldwide, a training company for the automotive aftermarket.

Shops and their service advisors who can really get to know their customers will easily stand out. A good hairdresser, dentist, banking rep and so on knows their clients — it’s crucial to developing a trusting and long-lasting relationship.

It starts with knowing your customers’ names when they walk through the door.

“When they come in and you don’t you don’t know their first name and they’ve been coming to you for a couple years, you got an issue,” Barney said at the Expo. “Learn their names. Watch what happens when they walk in the door and you’re like, ‘Hey, Steve, how’s it going?’ All of a sudden, he’s beaming because you knew his name.”

Remember, said Tom Amero, Elite’s director of operations, the customer is buying from you, not the shop.

“So you have to realize the influence and the impact that you have and how you treat them has everything to do with that decision,” he said

Have a conversation while they’re on the phone or standing in front of you. Avoid any dead air. Have questions lined up. Amero loves Mondays, Fridays and holidays. It’s easy to get the conversation started based on what someone did over the weekend or what their holidays plans are.

“Then when they start sharing and answer those questions with some personal stuff, you capitalize on it,” Amero said.

You’re almost a detective. You want to be on the lookout for things to talk about.

“Your job is to be the credible expert to teach people and educate people of what’s going on and help them make the best decision that’s right.”

Staying upbeat

It’s critical to always have an upbeat demeanour when answering the phone — you never know what state of mind the person on the other end of the phone is in.

Part of the service advisor’s job is to sell themselves. The customer wants to know you have their back.

“Your job is to be the credible expert to teach people and educate people of what’s going on and help them make the best decision that’s right,” Amero said.

Furthermore, customers need to figure out a time to see you in between work and their kids’ dance recitals and soccer practice. They’re anxious before they even pick up the phone, Barney pointed out.

“Do you really think they want to be calling you? No. So we got to answer it nicely. We got to smile when we answer the phone,” he said.

Speeding up the process

Slow productivity will drive a shop owner crazy. If a service advisor can find ways to speed things up, the shop as a whole will benefit.

Find efficiencies, urged Bill Haas, president and Owner of Haas Performance Consulting. Techs can’t be waiting around on parts — so if a customer calls in advance to make an appointment for brake service, you generally know what parts are needed. Order them ahead of time so they’re ready to go.

“If a customer calls in complaining about a noise every time they hit the brakes, the shop should order everything they may need, from caliper to rotors. So when the tech gets the wheels off and finds the issue, they have everything that’s needed.

“I’ve got the parts there, I fix it, bang, it’s out the door,” Haas said.

Waiting for work authorization is another peeve for Haas. Learn how your customers prefer to communicate. Ask them how they want to be contacted.

“I can sit and call people all day long but if they’re in a meeting, they can’t answer the phone,” Hass explained. But they’ll probably take a look at their phone during their meeting and see a text or email come in from you.

“If somebody’s absolutely unavailable, why don’t you get a pre-authorization that says, ‘If I can fix your car today, for less than $800, will it be okay to just go ahead? Do I have your permission?’” Haas added.

“Get rid of the word ‘critical.’ Just think. We are a process-driven industry. We follow process, we have repair manuals that start at A and end at Z. We train everybody to follow that process.”

Technicians

There are whole new sets of skills technicians need going forward.

The hard, technical skills will always be there. But it’s the softer ones that will take technicians farther in their careers.

One is a positive attitude and willingness to embrace new technology. Pierre-Hugues Comiré, regional field technical manager at Hyundai Canada, can easily tell which technicians have embraced new technology and those who haven’t.

“If you embrace it, you’re going to read up about it, you’re going to watch [what’s coming]. There’s so much available information online,” he said, adding that information can be had just by asking for it.

“So what we need are critical thinking men and women with a passion for this work,” Comiré said during Centennial College’s Driving the Future 2.0 event.

Being able to work as a team is a critical skill for technicians. No one works in a shop alone, noted Chris Chinn, network operations manager at Consolidated Collision Services. Someone is taking in that customer, work is being built, someone is working on the car, the customer is being contacted and the vehicle is being returned to them.

“Everybody needs to communicate. So you need those skills of communication,” Chinn said.

He added problem-solving skills to the list. “There’s no one way to fix a car, other than properly and safely. But you need that problem-solving skill because every shop is different. You may not have all the same equipment; you may need to think outside of the box to be able to repair that vehicle.”

David Cochrane, regional sales manager at Delphi, pointed to critical thinking and reasoning skills.

He referenced an old adage that you need to be good with your hands to get involved in the trades and that simply being good with your hands was enough to move you forward. But now diagnosing skills are necessary.

That calls for technicians to be thinking more about what’s happening under the hood.

“So critical thinking and reasoning skills, knowing what’s in front of you, and knowing how to be able to take it to the next level, and to work your way through it are very important,” he said.

Rob Morrison, Canadian fixed operations manager at Phaff/Lithia, agreed but even urged technicians to just flat-out think.

“Get rid of the word ‘critical.’ Just think. We are a process-driven industry. We follow process, we have repair manuals that start at A and end at Z. We train everybody to follow that process,” he said.

To just “think” is “the ability to go, ‘Wait a minute, Step B doesn’t make sense. What’s another step that could go into it?” Morrison said.

This article originally appeared in the October issue of CARS magazine.

The post From the Magazine: The 2023 Training Report appeared first on Auto Service World.

Automotive service technicians can upgrade their skills and earn a micro-credential from Mohawk College related to electric vehicle and hybrid training.

The Mohawk College Electric and Hybrid Service micro-credential is one of the first of its kind in the area — it’s being offered for free to qualified learners for a limited time.

According to the course description, topics covered include high-voltage safety procedures, high-voltage vehicles, battery systems, motors, inverters and control systems, charging systems, hybrid and electric powertrains and HVAC systems specific to high-voltage vehicles.

“As interest and adoption for electrified vehicles continues to rise, the automotive industry will grow an even larger demand for skilled workers in all areas of transportation,” said an announcement from the school. “Our network of repair shops must employ professionally trained technicians, and licensed 310S Automotive Service Technicians can now earn a micro-credential for developing specialized hands-on skills for electric and hybrid vehicle service.

The training is offered as a one-week condensed delivery to accommodate those working full time in industry. Intakes will start each month. Spots are limited.

To reserve your spot or to have any questions answered, contact Mohamed Mohamed at Mohamed.mohamed18@Mohawkcollege.ca with the intake you are interested in taking part in.

The post Mohawk College offering free EV, hybrid training appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

Popular technician and reality television personality Bogi Lateiner shared insights on how the automotive aftermarket can make the industry more welcoming for women.

In an industry looking to draw talent, making women more comfortable was the focus of Lateiner’s talk at the ASE Education Foundation instructor’s conference. In front of a standing-room only audience, she explored how to develop new initiatives to create a culture of inclusiveness in schools and the workplace.

When working with both male and female students, her tips included:

• Treat them the same. Have the same expectations of work to be accomplished and knowledge to be gained. Don’t “dumb down” skills for female students because of perceived strength or knowledge differences. A set of brakes doesn’t care what gender is changing them.
• Don’t compare. Don’t tell the male students that the female students are showing them up. Comments like that create more of a distance between male and female students and places unreasonable expectations on the female students.
• Create an inviting environment for everyone. Lateiner’s impressed upon the “automotive club.” As she explained it, “We are the club,” and then said, “that nobody wants to be a part of it. That needs to change if we want to solve the technician shortage.”

Furthermore, she observed that while the younger generation may be viewed as sensitive, that’s not a fair representation. But they’re not afraid to ask for what they need and want.

“In this hiring environment, employees have more power. Asking to be treated with respect, to be trained and provided with a career path while working in a collaborative environment isn’t being sensitive,” Lateiner said. “It’s what every employee should have. Change starts with the instructors. They have the power to create and set the expectation of a good work environment that their students can then take to the workplace.”

The post Tips on making the aftermarket more comfortable for women appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

Gino Amador doesn’t appear to be a fan of The Game of Life. The president of Snap-on Equipment’s sticking point is when the player decides early in the game if they’re going to take the route of university or vocational education. Choosing the former pays you more than the latter.

“And we’ve been teaching our children for generations now that the path to success was going to be university,” he said at this year’s MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers Vision Conference. “We’ve been telling our children that university was the path and for some sort of life that had worth.”

He pointed to a common scenario to highlight the value and importance of a tradesperson, be it automotive or any other: Never has anyone late at night been in desperate need to get a political scientist or historian on the phone.

“At 9:15 on a Thursday night, what you want to get on the phone is somebody that either has trauma skills, somebody that has a coronary skill or somebody that has the mechanical parts,” he said during the session, Supplier Pain Points: A CEO Panel.

He leaned forward in his chair on the stage and impressed upon the audience to back up the trades and push forward the fact that there’s a fulfilling and lucrative career in the trades, especially automotive.

“If the people in this room do not champion the worth of the makers and the fixers, the people that actually keep our economy going, we are going to be actually in trouble,” he said. “That’s a pain point. It’s getting people to want to turn a wrench; getting people to want to be technicians. That’s my pain point.”

Sheri Hamilton, executive director of the Midwest Auto Care Alliance, called the need to bring in techs a “pending crisis” during the same conference.

“Sourcing technicians, the next generation of technicians, there is a pending crisis looking for that next generation. And they’re no longer coming,” she said during the session New Technologies: The future of the repair shop and how suppliers must adapt.

What once was a natural progression of technicians through schools or having worked with their parents side-by-side in the garage at home and developing a passion is no longer there. Other interests and passions have taken over.

“And so we are now dealing with trying to help create an apprenticeship program, trying to address the challenges of how we can bring a workforce, Number 1, and a brighter workforce that can handle today’s technology and tomorrow’s technology,” Hamilton said.

The post Overcoming deep-rooted biases of the trades appeared first on Auto Service World.

Hundreds of high school and college instructors from auto, truck and collision repair programs took part in the 2023 ASE Instructor Training Conference last month in Concord, North Carolina

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in a wide array of sessions conducted by the transportation industry’s leading trainers and instructors.

“This year’s instructor training conference was a huge success, from the instructional sessions to the networking opportunities to the informational resources that instructors can integrate into their automotive programs,” said Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, which hosts the four-day conference. “The attendees heard from experienced OE and aftermarket trainers.”

In addition to training and motivational sessions, attendees were able to network with peers from across the industry and share best practices.

“Being together under one roof gave the attendees the opportunity to learn, interact and focus on the future,” said Coley. “We want to thank the subject matter experts who shared their knowledge and expertise with the instructors and the conference sponsors who helped make this exceptional educational event possible.”

The post Highlights from ASE instructor conference appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

While there are hard, technical skills technicians of today and tomorrow will need as vehicle technology advances, soft skills will also be important, attendees of a recent automotive event heard.

What Pierre-Hugues Comiré, regional field technical manager at Hyundai Canada wants to see is a positive attitude and willingness to embrace new technology.

He can easily tell who the technicians are that have embraced new technology and those who haven’t.

“If you embrace it, you’re going to read up about it, you’re going to watch [what’s coming]. There’s so much available information online,” he said, adding that information can be had just by asking for it.

“So what we need are critical thinking men and women with a passion for this work,” Comiré said during Centennial College’s recent Driving the Future 2.0 event.

No one works in a shop alone, noted Chris Chinn, network operations manager at Consolidated Collision Services. Being able to work as a team is a critical skill for technicians. Someone is intaking that customer, work is being built, someone is working on the car, the customer is being contacted and the vehicle is being returned to them.

“Everybody needs to communicate. So you need those skills of communication,” Chinn said.

He added problem-solving skills to the list. “There’s no one way to fix a car, other than properly and safely. But you need that problem-solving skill because every shop is different. You may not have all the same equipment, you may need to think outside of the box to be able to repair that vehicle.”

Then there’s also critical thinking and reasoning skills, said David Cochrane, regional sales manager at Delphi. He referenced an old adage used to be you need to be good with your hands to get involved in the trades and that simply being good with your hands was enough to move you forward.

But now there are diagnosing skills. That calls for technicians to be thinking more about what’s happening under the hood.

“So critical thinking and reasoning skills, knowing what’s in front of you, and knowing how to be able to take it to the next level, and to work your way through it are very important,” he said.

Rob Morrison, Canadian fixed operations manager at Phaff/Lithia, agreed but even urged technicians to just flat-out think.

“Get rid of the word critical. Just think. We are a process-driven industry. We follow process; we have repair manuals that start at A and end at Z. We train everybody to follow that process,” he said.

To just “think” is “the ability to go, ‘Wait a minute, Step B doesn’t make sense. What’s another step that could go into it?” Morrison said.

The post The new skillsets technicians will need appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The engine is the heart of any vehicle. Its health matters the most if a vehicle owner wants to get the longest lifespan out of it. More often than not, they forget to have their automotive service professional give a full inspection.

Service advisors should recommend their clients have their team of experts review the engine to help them avoid future, expensive issues or catastrophic failures that could leave them stranded on the side of the road.

Still, engine diagnostics is not an easy task. It takes diligence and long-term practice to hone the skills.

While there are more than five ways to diagnose your car engine, these are the most common ones.

Onboard diagnostic system

The OBD-II system is maybe the most significant part in helping diagnose a customer’s engine and in a way that’s more intuitive than others. It consists of a computer system that continuously monitors and detects potential issues related to engine performance and emissions.

You can expect the system to reveal many things about the engine just by reviewing error codes, real-time data and much more. Now, let’s check how OBD can be used for engine diagnostics.

First of all, use the OBD-II system to look for DTC, or diagnostic trouble codes. DTCs are certain codes assigned to specific car components like your car engine, sensors, fuel pumps and so on.

Those codes can help you to check whether your engine has any issues. For example, P0300 indicates that your engine has misfired, and P0401 shows insufficient EGR flow.

It’s always best and easier to check the OBD system. This makes it easier for you to troubleshoot those particular problems accordingly.

Air intake system

The air intake system in a car provides clean and properly metered air to the engine. It plays a crucial role in engine performance and efficiency. During engine diagnostics, the air intake system inspection can be a great factor to tell you about the problems of your car.

To start the troubleshooting process, look for any physical damage, like dirt and debris. If everything looks clean, then move on to checking the valves and airflow. If the airflow seems restricted, then look for any clogs or restrictions on the air intake system.

Inspect the air intake hose and throttle body. These are also responsible for passing air smoothly from your car engine system. Lastly, observe the mass airflow sensor closely. A malfunctioning MAF sensor can provide inaccurate readings, leading to incorrect fuel-air mixture and engine performance issues.

Exhaust gas recirculation system

The EGR is a crucial component when you’re diagnosing the engine. It is a valve that can help you to control the combustion chamber and flame temperature. While some older models might have a vacuum-controlled system, newer models come with an electric solenoid pressure system.

You can check for issues with your engine via the EGR by checking the carbon buildup. If you observe carbon buildup in the lower side of your EGR valve, then there’s definitely some problem with your engine. This issue can not only reduce the efficiency and performance of your car engine but also make the car stall.

However, you can easily fix this EGR valve conundrum.

First, make sure to wear insulated gloves and take necessary precautions. Then identify the carbon-laden passage and then reach the underside of the valve. Push the diaphragm with the engine turned on. If you notice the engine is stalling, start cleaning the carbon clog.

If that’s not the case, you need to dismount the valve and inspect it thoroughly. You can try using WD-40 or a similar liquid to check for any leaking of the valve while you’re at it.

Fuel Injectors

The most obvious symptoms conveying the problem with fuel injectors are rough idle position, poor performance and engine mileage. While you can be aware of many other similar symptoms, these are the most common ones.

Any electric fuel injector resides under extreme heat and unbreathable conditions. So, it’s obvious enough that if not maintained properly, it’ll fall under a severe meltdown. That’s why you should know how to diagnose your fuel injectors thoroughly.

For electric fuel injectors, it’s imperative that you use an in-tank fuel injector cleaner every now and then — that’s the most efficient way to avoid any problem with your car EFI. However, you need to understand the condition of those EFIs carefully.

IT won’t last a lifetime. When it’s not possible to chemically clean, then it’s time to replace it. There are only a few methods that could work to troubleshoot your fuel injectors so it’s better if you can take care of it.

Ignition control module

As the name suggests, these modules mainly work closely with the ignition process of your car. Now, if the module is damaged then the engine will have no spark or start.

To check and solve what’s wrong with your HEI (high energy ignition) module, take a dwell meter and connect it to the TACH terminal on the distributor cap. The idle temperature should be around 5-10 degrees, which can go up to 30-35 degrees when the engine reaches 2,000 RPM. If the temperature rises beyond that, then you definitely have a defective HEI module.

Minhaj Ahmed is a former chemical student and automotive enthusiast. He launched a website to help readers and fellow truck enthusiasts. Now, it has become a large community where he finds peace and connects with his peers to create awareness about anything related to automotive.

The post Mastering the art of engine diagnostics appeared first on Auto Service World.

Autel is launching the Autel Training Academy next month at its U.S.-headquarters in New York to give technicians and shop owners hands-on single-day and two-day training courses.

The first set of classes will be an intensive two-day course focusing on diagnostics, alignment and ADAS calibration.

Current and potential owners of Autel ADAS calibration equipment can attend classes.

The academy’s first onsite training is scheduled for July 24 and 25, 2023. It will offer comprehensive education and instruction on ADAS calibration. The two-day, 16-hour course will give attendees a thorough understanding of the technology and functionality of these safety systems. The training comprises classroom lectures in Autel’s 30-seat classroom with hands-on instruction on Autel products in the newly constructed 2,800-square-foot demonstration and training facility featuring the new Autel ADAS Bay Max 14K flush-mounted alignment lift.

“ADAS calibration is the fastest-growing segment in automobile service and repair,” said George Lesniak, Autel’s vice president of training.

North America has more than 90 million ADAS-equipped vehicles with another 15 million coming this year, he noted.

“Today, nearly 100% of new passenger vehicles manufactured for the North American market are equipped with one or more ADAS features. With the rise in advanced driver assistance systems, learning how to calibrate these systems accurately is more important than ever,” Lesniak said.

In the training facility, students will be shown on a range of vehicle brands how to perform multiple types of calibrations, including camera and radar for numerous safety systems, including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and blind spot monitoring using Autel tablets, software, calibration frame systems and alignment and ADAS lift.

The class will also review calibration space requirements, technician skill set, the importance of vehicle preconditioning, producing insurer-ready documentation, and calibration troubleshooting.

Two-day courses cost $1,295, and the one-day course is $695.  Meals and hotel accommodations will be provided if needed.

Those interested can contact their authorized Autel dealer to purchase an Autel Training Academy (ATA) card at a discounted rate and register for the class online at autel.com/us/academy/. ADAS classes are currently available once a month through December 2023. Space is limited.

The post Autel opens new training centre appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

It has typically been the way of automotive repair shops to have apprentices ‘pay their dues’ before they get to do what they really want — work on cars.

And then shop owners wonder why the apprentice left them — and maybe the industry entirely.

So rather than handing them a broom and making sure they’re serving their time, try a different approach, a panel of experts recently said at Centennial College’s Driving the Future 2.0 event in March.

Darryl Croft, co-owner and vice president of OK Tire (Etobicoke), said he takes the time to talk to them. He stresses the importance of the career they’re moving towards.

“They don’t have a real appreciation of how important [it is to be a technician],” he said. “It’s life and death and there’s a responsibility that goes with that.”

Croft then explains the importance of their job to society. He tells them they’re a professional, like a doctor or a lawyer, and people rely on them to make their lives work.

“And their eyes lit up,” he said. “It’s like they haven’t heard that really that much before. And then their chest pumps up a little bit.”

When the shop owner or manager shows pride in what they do, it puts a different perspective on what the apprentice can do as a technician.

“It gives them a whole new enthusiasm towards approaching their continuous learning and development,” Croft said. “They should be very proud because it’s very important what this trade does. They should get that understanding before they even get into the workplace.”

Mark Halliday, president of the Automotive Transportation Service Superintendents’ Association, noted that he never gives an apprentice a broom. He throws them on the floor with an experienced tech to learn. But he also stresses to them that, while it’s a fun job, it’s important to stress the seriousness of what technicians do.

“It’s a high-stress job, if you think about it. You can have one mistake and the consequences can be detrimental,” he said. “Explaining that to apprentices, it’s a real eye opener to them. And they appreciate it.”

The post How to avoid scaring away apprentices appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Mobile Air Climate Systems Association (MACS) is adding several new seats to its board to signal its dedication to training.

Four education board member seats will be added to the MACS board of directors, the group recently announced. Two seats will be added in 2024 and two more in 2025. These seats will have a two-year term and are exclusively open to qualified MACS educational members.

The association’s bylaws were amended to accommodate the change.

“MACS recognizes the critical role that educators play in furthering its mission,” said Peter Coll, president and chief operating officer of MACS. By adding education member seats to the board of directors, the association aims to create a platform where the insights and perspectives of educators can be actively incorporated into the association’s strategic decisions and initiatives.”

The post MACS adds education members to board appeared first on Auto Service World.

We’re less than five months away from the biggest North American gathering for the automotive aftermarket and a slew of training opportunities have been announced.

Joe’s Garage will return to this year’s AAPEX show, featuring training for shop owners, service advisors and technicians. The area will take up an entire floor at The Venetian Expo during the show, which runs from Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.

Technical training topics will cover advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) calibration, battery electric and hybrid vehicle services, electronification of the chassis, EVAP diagnostics, J2534 module programming, deciphering gas turbo driveability and communication breakdown: communication issues, U-codes and network diagnostics.

Business management topics include AI language ChatGPT, dealing with overwhelm, executing successful acquisitions, superior service advising, understanding Gen Z and attracting, hiring and retaining employees.

Some familiar names will be at the front of the room for these sessions, such as Bill Haas of Haas Performance Consulting, Greg Bunch of Transformers Institute, Jeremy O’Neal from Advisorfix and more.

The full schedule can be found through this link.

Service professionals can sign up for training when registering for AAPEX. For those already registered, log in to your registration and add the training. The fee per session is US$50.

The post Here’s what shop training will be at AAPEX appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

As you know, the alternator plays a big part in the car’s overall performance. That’s why your customers will want to take care of a failing alternator before it leaves them in an unwanted situation. As an automotive service professional, this is one area that can help you stand out with your customers.

Here are signs of a failing alternator and how you should diagnose them.

Lights are dim or overly bright

This seems like a weird either/or scenario but both of these could indicate that there’s an issue with the alternator. What’s happening is that the alternator is not providing the same consistent level of voltage, so it could be underperforming or it could be overperforming. The lights could also flicker. Take a good look at the alternator if that is the case.

Battery is dead

A car battery can die for a variety of reasons. It could be old and at the end of its life or the driver could have accidentally left their headlights on all night. There are other times when the alternator could be the culprit, though.

Check if the alternator is charging the battery correctly while the car is in use. If it’s not, then the battery is going to die faster than normal. Have the car jump started and see if it keeps running. If it does, it’s the battery. If it dies soon afterwards, then that points to the alternator.

Accessories aren’t working properly

A correctly functioning alternator will be able to handle having other accessories run while someone is driving the car. That includes the windows, speedometer and even the seat warmer. If these things stop working right, then that could mean a problem with the alternator.

Check to see if the windows are rolling up and down smoothly, the display is correct and there are no issues with the speedometer. If there are any glitches, it create a dangerous situation, especially on a highway. Take a closer look at the alternator in this case.

The car is not starting or is stalling

There could be a variety of reasons why a car won’t start. One of them could be that the alternator isn’t charging the battery, which means that you’ll hear a clicking sound rather than the engine.

If it’s not the alternator and the battery, it could be the alternator and the spark plugs. The main sign here is having the car stall while out on the road.  In either case, you are going to have to fix the failing alternator situation.

Whining or growling noises

As a technician, you get used to hearing strange sounds coming out of a car.  Over time, you’ll develop an ear that can tell whether the sound is harmless or if it requires immediate attention. If you hear whining or growling noises from the hood, then that means you want to pop it open and look at the alternator.

One of the causes could be due to the belt that turns the pulley that the alternator uses has become misaligned. Also, you might want to make sure that the bearings have not gone bad. In either case, they could be the source of the whining or growling noises.

The smell of burning rubber or wires

Here’s a situation where your sense of smell can play a big part in determining if something is going on with a car’s alternator. It could very well be that the alternator’s drive belt has worn out due to being next to a hot engine all the time. The result will be something smelling like burning rubber combat the lingering smell with a customer air freshener for car.

An overworked alternator can have frayed wires, which will also result in a weird smell. If your customer comes in complaining of this, then you want to inspect the alternator.

There are a lot of different things to look out for when diagnosing a bad alternator. There could even be a battery warning on the car’s dashboard. it might mean something is wrong with the battery or it could be the whole electrical system. All roads almost always point to the alternator.

By checking on this, you can often fix the problem and have a happy customer back on the road again.

Steve Montano is acting president and general manager of operations at Tucson Alternator Exchange. He started as a rebuilder and has worked as a counter salesman and outside salesman.

The post Signs of a failing alternator and how to diagnose appeared first on Auto Service World.

AIA Canada president J.F. Champagne speaks with Ontario Premier Doug Ford looking on

A new automotive aftermarket industry training program has been announced to help address the industry’s workforce development challenges.

The Automotive Industries Association of Canada has partnered with the Government of Ontario, St. Lawrence College, Conestoga College, Fanshawe College and Plug ‘N Drive to deliver on two challenges facing Ontario’s auto care industry: A shortage of automotive tradespeople and the need for automotive tradespeople to be upskilled to be able to service technologically-advanced modern cars, including electric vehicles.

The partnership falls under the third round of the Ontario Skills Development Fund. It will build on the success of round two while being expanded to include new partners, new training locations and a new curriculum.

The project will centre around two training programs. One will focus on an EV, hybrid, and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) training program. The module-based program will provide employers with free training in modern vehicle technologies to offer workers. It is also open to high-level apprentices, the industry’s future workforce.

The second component will explore the automotive trades training program, open to job seekers without cost, and breaks the stigma by exposing participants to how technology has changed the type of work automotive tradespeople take on. When finished, participants can find an employer sponsor to pursue an apprenticeship.

“Getting working automotive tradespeople the skills that they need and getting more people into the automotive trades is essential,” said Jean-François Champagne, AIA Canada president, in a statement. “Without, car owners across Ontario, particularly those in small and remote communities, will have less access to, and will pay more for, essential auto care.”

The post AIA Canada, Ontario team up on new industry training program appeared first on Auto Service World.

Vancouver Community College’s Automotive Service Technician program has been certified by the ASE Education Foundation.

It is now an internationally accredited training program and is the first and only Canadian institution and school outside the United States to receive ASE accreditation.

“The Automotive Service department worked closely with the ASE to complete stringent program evaluations,” Michael Coard, department head of the school’s Automotive Service, said in a statement. “I’m pleased to see our commitment to quality training and education has resulted in this important achievement. The accreditation means better automotive technicians will join the workforce, which benefits vehicle owners.”

Students enrolling in VCC’s program will see strict industry standards but then earn a nationally and internationally recognized trade certificate.

“This is great news for automotive-minded young people and their parents,” said Michael Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation. “Because this program increases cooperation between local education and industry leaders, it gives added assurance that VCC’s graduates will be employable entry-level technicians.”

VCC has worked with the local automotive industry for nearly 70 years. With 32 hoists, its automotive service shop is one of the largest garages in B.C. and features the latest diagnostic equipment and training aids, the school said.

“We know that skilled trades training is in high demand in this province. It is estimated that there will be more than 6,600 job openings for automotive technicians in the next decade,” said Lucy Griffith, acting dean of VCC’s School of Trades, Technology & Design. “The ASE accreditation is another example of how VCC is actively supporting the career goals of our students and responding to current and future workforce needs.”

ASE was established in 1972 as a non-profit organization. It is an independent third party that upholds and promotes standards of service and repair through assessment certification and credentialing. Certified professionals earn the ASE Blue Seal logo to identify. There are about 220,000 ASE certified professionals, working in dealerships, independent shops, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges.

The post This Canadian school is the first to be ASE certified appeared first on Auto Service World.

Northwood University announced it received a $100,000 gift from Epicor to fund a new lab for students to learn leading automotive aftermarket software.

Epicor provides industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth. Northwood is the only school in the U.S. to offer an automotive aftermarket management major.

“The generous donation from Epicor has provided funding to establish this new lab, which will integrate Epicor Auto-based products into higher education courses,” said Dr. Kristin Stehouwer, academic vice president and provost for Northwood University. “The classes will be designed so students are educated in the use of Epicor Auto Product capabilities as they graduate and go into the marketplace, or in some cases, interview for employment at Epicor.”

It’s the school’s goal to have one upper-level and one lower-level course with an Epicor Lab each semester, Stehouwer noted.

Additionally, students who successfully complete the Epicor Lab series can apply and test for industry certification.  The lab coursework will correlate to the current undergraduate program to enhance and reinforce classroom learning.

The post Epicor gifts $100K to Northwood University appeared first on Auto Service World.

Tire wear: Shops can mark ‘wear history’ by chalking a tire with the amount of tread left

I remember once offering a customer a free courtesy check on their vehicle during an oil change. As he turned and walked to the waiting room his response was, “No, thank you. That free inspection always costs me lots of money.”

Back in the days when we used only paper inspections, every part of the inspection process was manually done. From the tech writing what they found on the inspection sheet, to the advisor interpreting the tech notes, building the estimate and then explaining everything that was needed to the customer.

Time being money, only the items that needed to be addressed were usually discussed with the customer.

Since no money could be made from items in good operating condition, they generally only mentioned if a customer asked about them. This led to courtesy inspections being disliked by much of the driving public.

Using digital inspections eliminates this impression through the ease of automation and with pictures or videos that add much more transparency to the process. Less time is needed to edit each inspection. This allows the advisor to take more time to discuss with the customer what was found — both the good and the bad.

At the same time, this process allows the customer to educate themselves thanks to the clear descriptions and photos sent to them via text message. This ultimately helps them make better and more informed decisions on servicing their vehicles.

Some digital inspection software packages will automatically add the technician recommendations directly into the repair order of the management system as they perform the inspection. This step not only saves the advisor the time of copying and retyping the findings into the repair order, but it also frees up the advisor to focus more on explaining and selling. Additionally, all this information is automatically archived for future reference with no dependency on the advisor filing it.

These and other options that are part of the digital inspection process allow shops to give the customer a more balanced report of their vehicle. Instead of presenting a customer with only the bad items that need to be addressed, the inspection can now be used to show what items are in good condition. No longer is the inspection all bad news — it’s now more balanced.

What I call a “wear history” can now be built into each inspection by showing good items. Tires, for example, can be shown that they have some wear, but that they still have 7mm of tread left on them. Marking the tire with chalk or writing a “7” on the picture on the tablet will help the customer to understand this. Over time this number will count down until it is time to replace the tires. Building a ‘wear history’ this way will help the customer prepare for upcoming expenditures.

Realize that this same method can be applied to brakes and other wear items on a vehicle.

Unlike paper inspections, which must be filed and accessed manually after the fact, previous digital inspections can be easily accessed through the software with just a few clicks or taps. They can even be reshared with customers who still might question how fast the tires or brakes wore out.

Another advantage for your shop when building a wear history is that the customers need to return to your shop regularly to get the inspections in order to document this wear. No other shop has this inspection history — only yours does. This documentation and regular visits will help build a new level of trust with each of your customers.

Keeping your bays full is good but keeping them full with repeat customers is better. The following statistics are just a few of many available online that show that repeat customers will lead to your shop’s success:

• Sixty-one percent of SMBs report that more than half of their revenue comes from repeat customers, rather than new business.
• A five percent increase in customer retention can increase a company’s profitability by 75 percent.
• Reducing your customer defection rate by five percent can increase your profitability by 25 to 125 percent.

Using balanced digital inspections that show a wear history can play a large part in getting customers to return.

Another advantage to documenting everything and building a balanced inspection is the ‘CYA’ factor that it gives you and your shop. Providing both written proof and photographic evidence that an item has not only been checked and was found to be in good condition at that time can go far in protecting your shop.

Take this example from a shop that performed safety inspections with a digital inspection. It shared with the customer that a vehicle was checked, documented and passed inspection. A week later the customer returned with one of their HID headlamps burned out and told the shop owner that that it was missed during the inspection. At any other shop this would be the shop’s word against the customer’s. But at this shop, they pulled up the digital inspection and were able to show all the lights working as they should. End of discussion.

I hope that you see the value and benefits of giving your customers balanced inspections. Using digital inspections not only makes this possible, but they also make the whole inspection process more efficient through ease of use and automation.

At the end of the day, this results in more educated customers returning to your shop, leading to its greater success.

John ‘JB’ Burkhauser was director of education at Bolt On Technology. He has more than 35 years of experience as an auto repair industry specialist with expertise ranging from A Level and ASE Certified Master Tech, shop advisor/manager, to automotive trade school instructor, and technical writer.

This article originally appeared in the February issue of CARS.

The post From the Magazine: Balanced inspections and wear history appeared first on Auto Service World.

Canadian high school seniors and college students interested in a career in the automotive aftermarket can now apply for the annual Mitchell 1 Automotive Technology Scholarship.

Applications are due March 31 and can be submitted at the Automotive Aftermarket Scholarship Central website at www.AutomotiveScholarships.com.

American students can also apply for the scholarship

The recipient will receive a $2,500 scholarship, a cheque for $500 and roundtrip airfare and accommodations for the winner and a guest to attend the North American Council of Automotive Teachers (NACAT) conference to be held July 10-13, 2023, in Houston, Texas.

To be eligible, the applicant must be a current student majoring in automotive technology or auto shop repair course work and meet the following criteria:

• Nomination from his/her NACAT instructor
• Minimum overall 3.0 grade point average
• Planning to attend an accredited college or university, or already enrolled in an accredited college or university
• A U.S. or Canadian citizen

By completing a single application online, students will be considered for multiple scholarships for which they are eligible, including the Mitchell 1 scholarship. Applicants can view the details of all scholarships available and continue to update their application until the March 31 deadline.

“We’re pleased to offer the Mitchell 1 Automotive Technology Scholarship to a deserving student to help pave their way to a fulfilling career servicing or supplying parts for vehicle maintenance and repair,” said Nick DiVerde, senior marketing director, Mitchell 1. “The scholarship will help students pay for their tuition so they can achieve the skills they need to succeed in this rewarding field.”

The post Mitchell 1 scholarship applications now open appeared first on Auto Service World.

Service technicians can attend a free webinar today from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) on the topic of “Modern Diagnostic Strategies.”

The hour-long session starts at 4 p.m. ET. A technical expert with DRiV/Garage Gurus will discuss modern diagnostic strategies.

This is a video-based presentation. ASE recommends attending this session on a desktop or laptop device for best results. The use of mobile devices is not recommended.

Click here for more information or to register.

A certificate of attendance for the live session live session will be provided to all attendees. ASE asks to please allow one week for automatic email delivery of the certificate.

The post Webinar on diag strategies from ASE appeared first on Auto Service World.

The AC temperature after repairs. This type of picture may be included in the inspections being sent to the customer

You should be paid for diagnostic time. You should be paid for your training, expertise and the tools needed to solve the issues presented by today’s complex vehicle systems.

Yet, many shops struggle with their customers over this resulting in lower margins and customer distrust.

Much of this situation is generated by the misinformed public believing that all a shop needs to do is pull a code that tells them exactly what needs to be fixed. Adding to this negative belief is the fact that some parts chains offer drivers free system tests just to sell them the part that is related to the code that they find. And of course, doing a quick search on the internet doesn’t help this situation either.

We need to take steps to educate our customers in order to overcome these beliefs. This education will not only apply to the diagnosis of drivability issues, but it will also need to apply to all needed diagnoses that we will run into on a day-to-day basis. Especially with the realization that almost no part of the vehicle is untouched by technology. We need to begin this change now for our shops to survive in the long run.

The first step in this process is that shops need to build trust with their customers. It’s been decades that this distrust has existed. Our industry is partially to blame for it. Don’t get me wrong here, it’s not like we all intentionally brought this upon ourselves. But it is something we all need to overcome.

Using a digital service process is one of the ways to overcome this distrust. The digital service process improves customer trust through text communications, both automatic and manual, and the transparency brought about by using digital inspections.

Clear and concise communication is the foundation of trust in everything we do. All it takes is just one misunderstanding to break trust. Texting helps overcome this by allowing quick and constant communication. Being able to keep a customer up to date on what is happening during a service visit can lower the level of anxiety, which is one of the main reasons vehicle owners put off repairs and services. Texting recommendations and reminders help keep due services in mind for the customers, helping eliminate the surprise of needed repair and service.

Digital inspections will also contribute to driver trust by providing transparency that could only previously be gained by walking a customer out to the bay and vehicle, educating them on the “why” of the repairs and recommendations. Pictures, videos and clear descriptions help drivers because “seeing is believing.”

The general trust that the digital service process brings between shop and customer can now be focused on diagnostics. Used properly, you can overcome the level of skepticism the driver has about the need for diagnostics. This same process can now be used to build value in what needs to be done, possibly eliminating any diagnostic fee pushback.

Many digital inspection software packages allow a shop to create its own inspections. This option allows a shop to build diagnostic routines that can show the customer some of what needs to be done to diagnose an issue. The diagnostic inspection can build value in the skills, tools and steps required to accurately identify the cause of the issue.

The first step in this process is that shops need to build trust with their customers. It’s been decades that this distrust has existed. Our industry is partially to blame for it.

Think about it: When you ask a customer for diagnostic time, all they currently get is an estimate with a bigger bill. There is nothing else to show for the money spent on getting to that point. Eliminating this uncomfortable situation will change everything about diagnostic fees.

Building a diagnostic inspection, each step can be set from verifying the issue, reading codes, and the testing that follows. Will the customer understand the steps and readings that the technician will take? Probably not. But for the first time, they will be getting something for their money. They will also learn about the steps required after the code is read. I expect that this will increase the level of trust between the shop and the driver.

Let us use an AC performance test as an example of how this works. Inspections are made of ‘points.’ Each point can represent a step in the diagnostic process. The required step or test is done and documented via text, photo, or video. The outcome of that point determines the next steps or points that a technician will follow.

During the process, the tech will document findings and readings for each test (point). Will the customer understand what the pressure readings (or fuel trim, oscilloscope readings and other tests) indicate? No. Just like they don’t fully understand when you walk them out to the vehicle in the bay and you point out the issue for them. A level of trust is built and more than likely they will authorize the repairs.

The diagnostic inspection can also be used to document the steps required to replace a component. This can show the customer why it takes eight hours to complete a task. Additionally, a picture can show the new part in place alleviating the common question, “Did they actually do anything?” Creating understanding results in trust.

Building value and transparency into what needs to be done to determine the cause of the concern will make it easier to sell diagnosis services. The fact that your shop probably is the only shop that offers this process with digital diagnostic results, sent straight to the customer, will make it not only easier to charge for diagnosis, but you should also be able to charge more.

John ‘JB’ Burkhauser is director of education at Bolt On Technology. He has more than 35 years of experience as an auto repair industry specialist with expertise ranging from A Level and ASE Certified Master Tech, shop advisor/manager, to automotive trade school instructor, and technical writer. For more information or to get in touch, visit www.boltontechnology.com.

This article originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2022 issue of CARS.

The post From the magazine: Digital diagnosis pays appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The old saying ‘use the right tool for the right job’ can be applied to your shop and its technicians: Have the right technician doing the right job.

A shop that doesn’t put its technicians in the best position to succeed will only drive up frustration and force them out of your business, an industry expert recently warned.

Nothing can be more frustrating to a tech and shop owner than when a technician is assigned a ticket beyond their skill level, explained Chris Chesney, vice president of training and organizational development at Repairify. This happens because most shops operate under a first-come-first-serve system — the next available tech grabs the next available ticket.

But if the ticket is a challenge beyond their skills, they can become frustrated by not knowing how to do the job — either they don’t have the experience or they haven’t been put on a path to develop those skills, he said during the recent Technology Conference hosted by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (now known as MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers).

So shop owners need to focus on the best use of the skills their techs have. “We need to take inventory of skills in the shop. You inventory the skills that are required by your organization to serve your customer, you inventory the skills of your people and you identify the gaps in skills that you have,” he said. “That’s where you need to hire to or educate or upskill people to.”

Rather than focusing on priority or why a customer came in, prioritize work orders based on skill and dispatch the orders to match up with the skills of the right technician. That doesn’t mean one tech needs to work on that vehicle the whole time — if something more complicated needs to be done, bring in the higher-skilled tech. Then when something else can be done by another tech with lower skills, move the vehicle over to them.

“We move the car to that skill,” Chesney said. “Don’t just leave the car in a bay and let it sit and make that one person work on it. I will assure you that moving the car to skill will absolutely improve your bottom line.”

Otherwise, you’re wasting the time of your more skilled techs — and that’s the biggest thing a shop needs to avoid.

“That skilled talent needs to be precious to us — we need to hold it tight. We need to make sure that we do whatever we need to do to keep them in our business because they’re few and far between,” Chesney said.

But don’t forget to keep your lower-skilled techs learning — even though you’re feeding them jobs matching their level, you need to ensure they’re upskilling.

“Life happens. One of [your top techs is ] going to come to you one morning and they’re going to say, ‘My wife has a job 1,000 miles away and we’re moving.’ You need to replace that person,” Chesney said. “If you continue to upskill your team using career pathways, you will have somebody on the bench ready to take their place. Nothing more expensive than trying to replace a skilled technician who leaves and you weren’t planning for it.”

The post Properly utilizing your techs’ skills appeared first on Auto Service World.

I’m hearing strange discussions at the moment regarding training. Some shop owners are questioning if it’s the right undertaking for their business at the moment — we’re coming out of the pandemic but heading into greater economic uncertainty.

It’s safe to say that the merits of great training are evident. It’s always the right time for training. The world doesn’t stop changing — certainly not the automotive aftermarket — so skills need to continuously be sharpened. This, of course, applies to both the non-technical and technical aspects of learning in your repair shop.

But here’s where there is some debate: Should I send my team to face-to-face training? Do I set aside time for online training? What about in-store coaching?

The correct answer is “all the above.” Not the answer you wanted to hear? Well, each option has its merits and advantages.

You should set time aside during regular working hours for a combination of online learning, toolbox talks and, where needed, in-person training off-site.

Shops should schedule toolbox talks and online learning programs as a part of the “normal week.” Toolbox talks are an excellent opportunity during a coffee break or natural pause during the workday. Topics would include specific news topics that you want your team to know about in the industry or even how your business is doing.

The online training courses can be scheduled according to your workload but it’s important to ensure that both you and your team understand that learning is part of their job and therefore a requirement of employment.

In-person learning is great to solidify the online training and to practise the skills picked up online. I have seen the best results come from a blend of online and in-class learning — ignoring one could cause you to unwittingly lose out on the full experience.

Remember, the practice of a new skill is also applicable in the workplace. For example, if you have a technician doing electrical online courses, make sure that they get the next electrical job that comes in the door. This will go a long way towards cementing the knowledge for them and helping your shop.

Though the focus is very much on technical training, it’s vital that we don’t forget about management training — developing your own skills and your managers’. Enhancing your skills to run the business and having managers who are on top of their own training is critical to the success of the business.

Greg Aguilera is a director of IAC Canada, an organization dedicated to the management development of repair shops in Canada.

This article originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2022 issue of CARS.

The post From the magazine: Training: Waste of time or a valuable tool? appeared first on Auto Service World.

The last issue of CARS for 2022 arrived in mailboxes just before the end of the year. If you haven’t had a chance to flip through it yet, here’s what you’re missing…

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cars Magazine & Jobber News (@autoserviceworld)

It’s our Shop of the Year issue where we profile Gustafson’s Auto Clinic in Athabasca, Alberta. They took home the honour with their industry leading business practices. You can read the full profile here.

We have Greg Aguilera’s column on the value of training; John JB Burkhauser from Bolt On looks at the value of digital diagnosis; and former muffler shop owner John Enemark explains the benefits of shops keeping stock on hand to better serve customers.

And of course, we have our usual departments like Letter, News, Class Act, By The Number and more.

You can also view the full digital edition here.

The post Check out the Nov/Dec 2022 issue of CARS appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The only province without skilled trade certification is moving closer to implementing a system.

British Columbia announced its plans to move forward on certification with a multi-phase approach that will give those in the automotive industry the most time to get certified.

In February, the province introduced the Skilled Trades Act that would support and train apprentices while also helping address labour shortages and support and recognize the work skilled tradespeople do in the province.

With a name change from Industry Training Authority to SkilledTradesBC, the agency will formally recognize the skills of trades workers, help them get standardized training, earn higher wages and better navigate through the industry’s evolving needs.

In all, 10 trades will be designated for skilled trades certification. The first seven will focus on the electrical and mechanical trades — ranging from commercial electrician to sheet metal worker — while phase two will focus on automotive.

Uncertified trade workers in phase one will be required to register as an apprentice or pass a certification exam before December 1, 2023.

The three automotive trades — heavy-duty equipment technician, automotive service technician and auto body and collision technician — will require certification in 2024 under phase two of the plan. No hard deadline has been set yet but tradespeople will have one year to make the transition once announced.

“We are excited by our expanded mandate to implement skilled trades certification, and our new name will make it easier for people to understand who we are and what we do,” Shelley Gray, CEO, SkilledTradesBC, said in an announcement.

The post B.C. announces certification plans appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has introduced a new Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Specialist Certification test (L4).

The group created the test to identify technicians who possess knowledge of the skills required to diagnose, service and calibrate ADAS on late-model automobiles, SUVs and light-duty trucks. The test also helps shops optimize repair opportunities on ADAS-equipped vehicles by employing L4 certified technicians.

“ASE Certifications are the industry’s leading way to recognize qualified technicians,” said Matt Klebeck of Harper Infiniti. “As ADAS systems become more complex, customers want to know who they can trust with their safety. Shop owners want to know the technicians they are hiring are qualified and experienced with ADAS systems. Obtaining the L4 ADAS cert is the best way to show that you have the knowledge and experience that employers and customers can trust.”

The new test covers content focused on the diagnosis, service and calibration of radar, camera, ultrasonic and other advanced driver assistance systems. Many questions relate to a sample vehicle with ADAS technology used by most manufacturers. This vehicle is described in the composite vehicle type 1 reference booklet provided as an electronic pop-up during the test.

Automotive service professionals must have passed either the Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) or Collision Mechanical and Electrical Components (B5) test to register for the ADAS specialist test.

A study guide is available to help with ASE L4 test preparation.

The post ASE adds new ADAS certification appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

A successful technician is always learning. But a successful profession is one where the learning is shared among the technicians, said a shop coach.

For technicians to be at the top of their game, they need to enjoy school — there’s a lot to learn and continue learning throughout your career. Technical training is a constant.

“Isn’t that also kind of ironic?” chucked Maylan Newton, a shop coach and chief executive officer of Educational Seminars Institute. “Because most of us were sent to a shop … because we weren’t just studious, right? Reading, writing, arithmetic wasn’t our thing, right? We were kind of pushed towards shop class because we weren’t going to be the literary geniuses.”

But a lot of learning happens in the shop as well, he pointed out during a session he hosted at the recent Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario Symposium, whether it comes from the shop owner or the lead technician. At least, it needs to happen there.

“Being a teacher is difficult. You got to have patience, you got to be a good communicator. You can’t point in grunt. And for a lot of these, a lot of us — the old guys — we’re not good at that. It’s a skill set that a lot of us don’t have,” Newton, a former shop owner, said.

And there’s a reluctance to pass on a lot of knowledge. “And we also have a lot of bias … [many technicians are not] very open; protecting [their] territory thinking that ‘I’m going to teach him everything I know [and] he’s going to take my job for me,’” Newton observed. “I might be a little hostile. And so that changes my willingness to teach.”

“They want to fix cars. They want to learn and apply what they’ve learned in school or their training and we’re going ‘No, you got to start like I did — you have to wash parts for 392 years — and then I’ll let you think about touching a car.’ And they don’t last.”

He acknowledged he was a little abnormal and wanted to see his colleagues excel. “I want you to be the smartest guy in the room and I want you to far exceed my expectations. But really, that’s not most of our industry, right?”

There are also issues around treating apprentices as cheap labour. They’re the ones sweeping floors. As one attendee pointed out, they could be shadowing a tech but the shop owner pulls them away to tidy up. They want to learn but are being sent away. They get frustrated and leave the industry. And it’s a wonder why it’s hard to attract and retain.

“They want to fix cars. They want to learn and apply what they’ve learned in school or their training and we’re going ‘No, you got to start like I did — you have to wash parts for 392 years — and then I’ll let you think about touching a car.’ And they don’t last,” Newton said.

His advice: when you find someone with the brains and the hands who wants to be part of an industry, do whatever you can to keep them. They can get a career anywhere — as a carpenter, a plumber or with NASA. So if they’re being pushed away, they’ll easily leave to those other industries that are also looking for the exact same person.

The post Why techs can’t be afraid to share knowledge appeared first on Auto Service World.

Attendees of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario Symposium got a front-row seat to learn about the upcoming changes to the province’s Motor Vehicle Inspection Station program.

That was just one of the benefits for attendees who attended the day on Sept. 22 at the Hilton Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga, Ont. Along with the informative session, attendees were able to meet with vendors and industry partners at the symposium’s trade show.

There were also a series of management training sessions, ranging from increasing your shop’s online presence to boost business, a discussion on digital versus paper inspections, a look at what customers demand and a roundtable on what keeps shop owners up at night. Speakers included coach Alan Beech and industry expert James Channer

The day before, management training was offered by Maylon Newton, an AMI-accredited instructor and CEO of the Educational Seminars Institute, and Mark Lemay, owner and primary instructor for Auto Aide Technical Training.

Following the symposium were two days of technical training, headed up by Scot Manna, owner and operator of MB Automotive near Chicago, and John Thornton, a mechanical engineer, electronics expert and trainer for the past 20 years.

Please see photos of the day below and a video recap above.

AARO Symposium & Lindertech

The post Aftermarket shops get front seat view of changes appeared first on Auto Service World.

A car AC not blowing cold air is one of the most common problems a driver will face. Some ACs blow warm air while others blow moderately cool air. Either way, the driver’s dealing with a malfunctioning AC.

A clogged filter, bad AC compressor or refrigerant leaks could be the problem. Hence, instead tolerating an uncomfortable car, it’s best to diagnose the issue and find a fix for your customer. Let’s go through the easiest methods of diagnosing a car AC that’s blowing warm air so you can repair it properly.

You could even save time and their money if you can figure out the proper fix.

Cooling Fan Problems

Vehicles use cooling fans to move cold air into the cabin. If you’ve set the air conditioning to the max and the fans are on the high setting, but the air is moderately cool, the cooling fans could be the culprit.

A vehicle has two cooling fans — one is the AC condenser fan, and the other is the radiator fan.

Here are some of the symptoms of a bad AC condenser fan:

• LUKEWARM AIR: The first symptom of a failing AC condenser fan is lukewarm air.
• BURNING SMELL: The vehicle has to release any hot air coming from the system. When it cannot remove the hot air, the AC parts become so hot that they burn and emit an acrid smell. This odor will be coming from the AC vents when you turn on the system. If you notice such a smell, turn the AC off immediately to prevent further damage to the parts.
• OVERHEATING WHEN IDLING: If the car is idling with the AC on and you notice the vehicle is overheating, the car’s condenser fan is not working correctly. It shows that the condenser fan is generating heat and causing the en­gine’s internal temperature to increase.

How do you diagnose a bad condenser fan? The condenser fan spins immediately after you turn on the AC. Locate this fan under the hood as it sits next to the radiator fan. Then, have someone turn on the AC and observe if it starts to spin.

If it does not begin to spin, you may want to identify the cause, as it could be a failed fan relay, blown-fuse, failed temp sensor, damaged wiring, or the ECU not commanding it to turn on.

To fix, you will need to fix the problem according to the cause. For example, a blown-fuse or wiring issue should be easy to do at home. In addition, you may need to change a faulty temperature sensor as it could be preventing the fan from coming on when it doesn’t relay the turn-on message to the ECU.

An auto mechanic can identify and fix all these problems, and most condenser fan problems don’t cost more than a few hundred dollars to fix.

The radiator fan cycles on and off with the engine warmed up or idling. Some of the symptoms of a failing radiator fan include:

• Whirring noises
• Overheating engine
• Fan won’t come on
• Blown radiator fuse
• Broken fan clutch
• Temperature warning light

Diagnose by locating the radiator fan on the radiator. Next, turn on the vehicle and let it get warm. Then, observe if the radiator fan starts to spin when the vehicle becomes warm. A radiator fan that does not spin could be a problem with the fan itself or its motor.

To fix, it’s always best for a technician to look at the radiator fan to determine the cause of the problem. Replacing a radiator fan costs between $550 to $650, while the radiator fan itself will cost around $400 to $450.

A bad AC compressor

The car’s AC is dependent on the compressor to keep the air circulating. If the compressor is in bad shape, the refrigerant will not move around and the AC will not produce cold air.

Here are some of the symptoms of a bad AC compressor:

• HOT AIR: If the AC is not well-maintained, hot air could indicate an AC com­pressor failure or low refrigerant. Hot air warns that the AC is about to go bad completely.
• ODD SOUNDS: An AC that’s working properly produces a clicking sound when you switch it on or off. Nevertheless, when the AC starts failing, parts may begin to grind, causing a whining sound when you turn it on or off. This sound could suggest the bearings or other components are failing.

• FLUID LEAKS: The internal bearings in an AC com­pressor prevent the pressurized refrigerant from leaking. When the bearings become worn out, they’ll cause the refrigerant to leak; hence you’ll encounter moisture leaks around the AC lines.
• STUCK COMPRESSOR CLUTCH: A car’s AC compressor has a clutch that connects to the engine to draw power. The com­pressor uses this power to turn with the help of a pulley. When the clutch breaks, the compressor cannot receive power from the engine. Determine whether or not it’s ide­al for replacing the clutch only or the whole compressor when you have a stuck compressor clutch.

After you notice signs of a bad compressor, the next thing will be to diagnose it.

• Check for temperature fluctuations when the AC is running.
• Visually inspect the AC compressor for rusts, oil leaks, and physical damage.
• Inspect the compressor clutch to see that it’s not hard to turn and not making a grinding noise as it turns.
• Listen for skipping or squealing noises when the engine is on, the AC is at its lowest setting, and the fan is on max.
• Check if you’re low on refrigerant using an AC refrigerant detector.

After concluding that the problem causing the AC to blow warm air is a bad air compressor, the best thing is to replace it. Consider replacing the O-rings, the accumulator, and the expansion device when replacing it.

Refrigerant Leak

The AC system is filled with refrigerant to work correctly. This refrigerant starts as a gas on the low-pressure side and is converted into a liquid on the high-pressure side. It’s this process that keeps the cabin cool when the AC is on.

Over time, leaks develop in the system, and the refrigerant level drops.

Here are some of the symptoms of refrigerant leaks:

• Sudden refrigerant loss: An abrupt change from cool to warm air when driving is a sign of a sudden loss of the refrigerant. After the level of Freon drops, you’ll see a white, cloud-like emission, and the smell of Freon fills up the cabin.
• Visible refrigerant leaks: Refrigerant contains some oil to lubricate the compressor when it’s in a liquid state. A Freon leak is similar to an oil leak, but it’s lighter than oil. You’ll find it on the front shaft, service ports, pressure lines, condens­er, fittings, and the accumulator.
• A clutch that does not engage: When you turn on the AC, there’s a click sound that indicates the clutch has en­gaged. The absence of this sound means the clutch failed to engage, probably because the refrigerant is too low.

It’s time to recharge the system, especially if you’ve never refilled it in the last six or seven years. Unfortunately, vehicle owners can’t recharge their AC at home because refrigerant needs proper handling by a licensed technician. Also look for leaks if the cause of the low refrigerant is a leak in the system.

Clogged or dirty filter

The AC filter removes contaminants from the air entering the vehicle’s air conditioning system. It removes impurities, allergens, and pollutants that make the cabin uncomfortable.

A cabin filter will become dirty and clogged over time. When it’s excessively dirty, it will show some symptoms such as:

• REDUCED AIRFLOW FROM THE VENTS: If you experience a reduced airflow from the vents, the cabin filter is likely clogged, and it’s preventing cold air from passing through.
• NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN EN­GINE POWER: A clogged air filter plac­es additional strain on the AC blower motor, which causes the blower motor to work harder. The extra stress passes on to the engine, which drives it to op­erate at lower power when the AC is on.
• INCREASED ALLERGENS AND DUST IN THE CABIN: If the customer notices that their allergies worsens when they’re driving, it’s a good sign that the cabin air filter is clogged.
• WHISTLING NOISE: Restricted air­flow can produce a whistling noise as it tries to pass through the filter.

To fix, there’s no way around a clogged or dirty air filter except to replace it. A standard particulate air filter needs replacing after every 50,000 km, while an activated charcoal cabin air filter should be replaced after 25,000 km or once a year.

Fixing the problem if a car’s AC not blowing cold air is not always easy. Remember, you can always check the car’s manual.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of CARS magazine

The post From the magazine: Car AC not blowing cold air: Diagnoses and fixes appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is celebrating 50 years in 2022 and it’s putting its focus on recognizing automotive service professionals.

Automotive technicians especially proved their importance after the global COVID-19 pandemic took shape. Though many were forced to stay home, automotive repair was deemed an essential service to ensure vehicles of essential workers, emergency vehicles and fleets that needed to keep running did so without an issue.

“They’re the ones that are out in the front line. When COVID hit and everything shut down, these guys were still working,” said Trish Serratore, senior vice president of communications for ASE. “They were out there trying to keep our cars running when they were sitting in the driveway, getting flat spots and dead batteries. They were out there trying to keep us going. So part of what we do is we want to be sure that they get the recognition they deserve.”

Operating since 1972, Serratore estimated that ASE is one of the oldest occupational credentialing organizations in both Canada and the United States.

“And we continue to be the only third-party independent credential for the automotive service and repair industry,” she explained. “The OEMs have theirs and some of the parts companies have theirs, but we’re the only international third party one. It’s the credential created by the industry for the industry. Our mission is really to serve the folks that take the ASE exams.”

She likes to compare ASE to Switzerland. It’s neutral. ASE serves all parts of the automotive industry, from the original equipment manufacturers to the aftermarket to the fleets. In all, the group provides 54 tests in 12 areas.

“We’re covering everybody except the marine guys and the motorcycle guys,” Sarreatore explained. “If you drive a bus or you drive a truck, we were there for you.”

But ASE doesn’t just cover the automotive technician. The organization offers support for those working the parts counter and service advisors.

“So we’re really covering a credential for all the people who are talking or working on behalf of the car owner,” Serratore told CARS. “You come in and you talk to the service guy, he talks to the technician, and the technician is talking to the parts guy. So what’s nice about this is — this credential ties everybody together. And I think that’s important for our industry since we’re all doing our own thing back there, if you will.”

“Our goal in the past has always been: What does the industry need and how can ASE support that?”

But as vehicle technology changes, the challenge grows for the organization to ensure service professionals are kept on top of their learning.

“Our goal in the past has always been: What does the industry need and how can ASE support that?” Sarreatore explained.

And so ASE recently released advanced level testing, identified as L1, L2 and L3. In L1, the focus is on diagnostics; L2 focuses on truck electronics; and L3 is the hybrid test.

“So we’re really trying to be available and be relevant for our folks,” Sarreatore said in an interview.

The group is looking at an ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) test that will probably come out in the summer. ASE is also exploring how to address high voltage in vehicles from a safety perspective.

“We want to be sure that anybody who’s working on those vehicles understands the safety aspects,” Sarreatore said.

Testing is also available in Spanish. For French- Canadian professionals, unfortunately, testing in their language isn’t available yet, though ASE has “dabbled” with it.

“I think we’ll probably have to address that again at some point,” Sarreatore noted.

“But somebody has got to come tell students and make it known to the students, the parents, the counsellors to say that we’ve got lots of opportunities in this training program over here that we support and we’re involved with, that’s the way into the industry.”

Going forward from an educational standpoint, ASE is working more on bridging the gap between what repair and service shops need and what schools are teaching students, explained Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president.

“One of the challenges that the local schools have, and I think this is true everywhere, is they need input and support from local employers — the dealers, the independent shops, the fleet shops — to come in and help them understand: What are the skills that are most critical for an entry-level student to have so they can come in?” he told CARS.

It’s part of a strategy to encourage more young people to take up the trades and work in the automotive industry. After all, maybe someone doesn’t want to turn a wrench for their whole life. But the industry has many other career opportunities, like service writers, managers, parts experts. Having an automotive education opens doors to those positions.

“But somebody has got to come tell students and make it known to the students, the parents, the counsellors to say that we’ve got lots of opportunities in this training program over here that we support and we’re involved with, that’s the way into the industry,” Coley said.

Whenever he has a chance, he presses the fact that the businesses in the automotive industry isn’t competing with each other to find talent.

“We’re competing with wind power, with welding, with advanced machining — all the other advanced skilled trades — for the same students that have good mechanical aptitude, enjoy working with their hands and enjoy solving problems for their customers,” Coley said. “So we’ve got to attract those students and show them the career opportunities that are available in our industry.”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of CARS magazine

The post From the magazine: ASE celebrates 50 years appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

George Brown College has launched an Electric Vehicle Technician Certificate Program.

It’s a self-paced distance education program — students can learn at their own pace from anywhere. It’s designed for automotive technicians interested in upping technical knowledge to diagnose, service and repair high voltage EVs. The Toronto school said it’s also open to other trades professionals, like electricians, to learn to install, design and maintain residential or commercial charging stations.

“Right now, the demand for electric vehicles is growing at unprecedented levels, but the infrastructure to support that growth with technicians that can service EVs or maintain charging stations isn’t there yet,” said Colin Simpson, the school’s centre for continuous learning dean. “The Electric Vehicle Technician Certificate Program will prove valuable in preparing the technicians needed to propel the EV industry forward.”

George Brown also offers an EV training program for automotive technicians who want to learn about servicing and repairing electric vehicles and electricians interested in installing and maintaining charging stations in commercial or residential areas — and any other tradespeople or professionals who want to learn more about EVs.

The school cited the International Engergy Agency (IEA), which said 1.3 million EVs were on roads in 2015, which jumped to 10 million by 2020. By 2030, the IEA said it expects 145 million EVs sold.

With this growth and the demands for infrastructure and technicians, the school sees the need to provide education in the area. It highlighted its simulation software to allow students the opportunity to safely perform lab experiments and further their understanding of electrical circuits. This gives students the ability to learn in a real-world environment without the inherent risks involved in working on “live” equipment.

The post Toronto college launches EV program appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum’s (CAF) National Leadership Program for Women in Skilled Trades kicked off with tis inaugural cohort this month — and another cohort will soon be funded for next year.

In the first cohort, 18 apprentice tradeswomen are the first participants in the program, which was developed and is being administered in partnership with the Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA).

With so much interest and demand for the program, a second cohort will be added in February. Partners will fund the second group at no cost. The CAF and OAWA will work with the industry, government, trades unions and training schools to support the future development and administration costs of the program.

While in the program, participants will be guided by subject matter experts to learn strategies and gain practical tips to empower them as leaders in their skilled trades workplaces and broader community.

Modules include principles of leadership, communicating with confidence, teamwork, mentoring and more. Those taking part are completing the program online through a learning management system. They can learn at a self-directed pace and an interactive forum with facilitators and tradeswomen coaches.

The post CAF women’s program kicks off, another to launch appeared first on Auto Service World.

A common phrase in the insurance industry is to ‘build back better.’ The phrase is meant to emphasize the need to — after a catastrophic loss, such as a home or building being completely destroyed — rebuild the structure with better fire or water resistance materials. The point is so that such a loss event doesn’t happen again, or damage is significantly reduced.

In an age where floodings are becoming more common and wildfires rage on with greater intensity, the process would guard against bigger losses, reducing claims and the amount insureds need to pay in premiums.

The automotive aftermarket could apply the same theory coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. While shops were still open and serving customers, business did change. From customer expectations to experience, it’s not business as usual. Things have changed.

While the pandemic isn’t over, things are certainly better than in 2020. Many industries are using this emergence of a new normal as the impetus to change the way they do business and explore ways to improve and adapt to new realities.

To help shop owners better run their business, service advisors better serve customers and technicians better work in the shop, here is a compilation of insights offered by shop coaches and aftermarket experts.

Service advisors

According to Bryan Stasch, vice president of product and content development at the Automotive Training Institute, the service advisor has the most important job in a shop. They’re the first person a customer sees when they walk in and are often the last person they deal with on the way out. And when a customer calls, it’s the service advisor who typically answers the phone.

“Your attitude, your character, your emotional state is going to have a huge impact on the result at the end of the day, week, month or year,” he said at this year’s Midwest Auto Care Alliance’s Vision Hi-Tech Training & Expo near Kansas City.

Service advisors are expected to be problem-solvers — for both customers and the shop’s technicians.

For any shop owner who disagrees, Stasch has a simple message: “Service advisors have more control over sales and profitability and the bottom line of that business than you ever do.”

As such, service advisors should view their role more in line with being a business manager. They manage workflow, car count, scheduling and profit margins. “If you’re the one that builds estimates, sells tickets and/or controls an effective labour rate, you’re a business manager,” Stasch said.

Not to mention a salesperson. They’re answering calls, building estimates, selling the service and more. “You guys are salespeople and you are directly responsible for sales making those sales profitable, keeping your customers happy and coming back for return visits,” Stasch said.

“Customers always assume that you have the tools that you need to do the job right every single time. No customer out there thinks, ‘I bet this shop has really good equipment to accurately diagnose my car on this one problem.’”

Shop owner

Customers are looking for shops that stand out. They know you offer great repairs — everyone does that.

Indeed, if your pitch to new customers is that you fix cars right the first time or that you’re better than the guy next door, then you need to change that as soon as possible. Customers already expect that you can fix their vehicle. They figure that you’re competent. Those are basic expectations.

“We all get it. I get it. But to a consumer? Low-level expectation. Do not hang your hat on low-level expectations,” Stasch said.

Saying your quality of work speaks for itself is just lazy marketing, noted David Avrin, a customer experience and marketing consultant, at the same MWACA conference. That’s what everyone else is saying — except for those who are marketing themselves better than you.

“We got to highlight those things that are different and better,” he said, adding that when everything is equal people shop based on price and proximity.

Even promoting that you have the right tools to do the job is considered elementary to consumers, noted Craig O’Neill, vice president of training at autotext.me.

“Customers always assume that you have the tools that you need to do the job right every single time. No customer out there thinks, ‘I bet this shop has really good equipment to accurately diagnose my car on this one problem,’” he said.

And they won’t show much excitement that you have a particular tool in your bays. “It’s not going to delight the customer that we have the latest and greatest General Motors OE scan tool to do the reprogramming calibration,” O’Neill added.

So how can shops stand out? Go huge with your warranty, Stasch recommended as one solution.

“I’m a believer in the five-year warranty, unlimited mileage,” he said.

This helps when attracting customers who will only take their vehicle to the dealer where they believe they will get better parts put on their vehicle.

“So with those customers, you have to work a little harder to sell your company and why you’re better,” he said.

And that’s where the warranty comes into play. Most aftermarket professionals will agree that if a part is going to fail, it’ll most often be within the first month — and most certainly within six months. So why offer a three-year warranty? Make it five. That sounds great to the customer, especially when your competitors are offering warranties for two or three years with limited mileage.

Stasch recalled one key piece of marketing advice that has stuck with him throughout his career. “I had somebody tell me: ‘Do not do what your competition is not doing; Do what your competition is not willing to do.’”

That adds to the value proposition of your shop. That warranty tells the customer “they will never replace the water pump ever again. We are believers in lifetime warranties on a lot of things.”

“We’re one of the only industries that doesn’t do quality control.”

Technicians

For lead technicians, establishing set procedures and processes is essential to a well-run shop. That means having plans in place from the moment the customer’s vehicle enters the bay to when you have it ready for them to pick up.

To start off, lead technicians need to establish a standard inspection process. Otherwise, a shop with five different technicians will look at vehicles in five different ways. A uniform process for vehicle inspections means everyone goes through the process in the same way.

The inspection process “is probably one of the biggest black holes in every shop,” according to Matt Lachowitzer, a coach with Transformers Institute and owner and founder of Matt’s Automotive Service Center.

At the Kansas City conference, he recommended getting all techs together to discuss how to bring more consistency into how issues are interpreted.

“Do all the inspections together and you talk about it. Every tech interprets a leak, a drip, a seam, everything, differently,” Lachowitzer said. “What’s a 10 out of 10 one day may be a four out of 10 the next day. How do you bridge that gap? That’s understanding that training [on] your inspection process so that everybody’s on the same page all the time. It’s not always going to be consistent, but you can start by training on it and you need to make it more consistent. That’s the Number 1 thing.”

Tell them what the minimum is for the acceptable standard, how they should be doing certain things and the order in which it is done, he added.

What can often drive technicians crazy is when an inspection is ordered in a way that looks good to the customer but makes no sense to the technicians. “And as a technician, you say, ‘Why did they put this together this way? Why am I doing tires when there’s all this stuff over here?’” Lachowitzer said.

At the other end, technicians need a quality control process to ensure the customer’s vehicle is properly ready for them when work is completed.

This is important because one slip up — something as simple as not wiping down the steering wheel — can not only mean an unpleasant conversation between the customer and the service advisor, but also the customer taking their business elsewhere.

“Did I ask you to diagnose it? No. Have a moment with the car. Look at the current miles, look at the oil change sticker on there. Take a picture of the entire IPC.”

Mistakes happen — everyone is human. But not seeing a new oil change sticker makes the customer wonder if you even changed their oil, said Chris Cloutier, founder of autotext.me and co-owner of Golden Rule Auto Care.

Cloutier’s background is in software development, an industry where nothing gets released without extensive quality control checks. In automotive repair, though, it’s a different story.

“We’re one of the only industries that doesn’t do quality control,” he said.

“How many stickers do we miss? How many gloveboxes are still on the floor after doing a cabin air filter? How many rags, how many flashlights [are left behind]? How many oil caps are missing?” observed Clint White, a service advisor coach and shop consultant with CWI. “I could keep going. How many times [have you] sold a thing and it didn’t get put on the car?”

Cloutier developed a list for his shop. When he put the list into action by checking every vehicle, he found that vehicles were failing the quality control check upwards of 60% of the time. That’s not acceptable, he said.

“You know how much time it takes to go check out a car real quick? To walk around it real quick? To open it up, turn on the engine, make sure there’s no grease and wipe it down real quick?” he asked.

He timed himself. The process to about five to seven minutes. “Five to seven minutes is still a lot of time you’re [spending] on every car. But what does it cost you to buy a new customer?” he asked.

Doing this is a competitive advantage for his shop. “We let every customer know before this car leaves that somebody has looked at it, and we’ve guaranteed that we’re going to get that car back to you in better shape than it came in,” he said. “If you’re not doing QC process, you should.”

So who should do it? Not the technician who worked on the car, experts agreed. Another technician or the service advisor can run through the list. Some shops hire someone to do this as their only job.

White understands pushback from shop owners who say they pay their advisors to be on the counter. “I know you do,” he acknowledged. “How about you give your customer a better experience?”

Just have them turn the car on, for example. “Hear anything weird?” White noted as a key question. “Did I ask you to diagnose it? No. Have a moment with the car. Look at the current miles, look at the oil change sticker on there. Take a picture of the entire IPC (instrument panel cluster).”

The point is, Cloutier stressed, someone should be making sure everything is right with the vehicle before the customer gets in and finds something wrong.

“And what I will tell you is this: If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist.”

SOP

Much of this advice leads to one important item needed in every shop: A standard operating procedure.

There is nothing that a shop owner does in their business for which there shouldn’t be a standard operating procedure in place, according to Bill Haas, owner of Haas Performance Consulting LLC, dedicated to the automotive service and repair industry.

“SOPs are what give us that defining of the repeatable tasks to give us that consistent outcome,” he observed in Kansas City.

If you’re a shop owner who thinks that because everything is in your head that your business is fine, you’re wrong. Staff can’t get in your head, Haas said, and can’t know exactly how you want everything to run.

“And what I will tell you is this: If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist,” he said. “So if it’s truly an SOP, if it’s truly a process, if it’s truly something that you want your people to follow — that repeatable task to give us a consistent outcome — it has to be written down. If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist.”

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2022 issue of CARS magazine

The post From the magazine: Build back better appeared first on Auto Service World.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

Amid a labour shortage which is seeing technicians being held back from training and development opportunities, Bosch has relaunched its latest network program.

The Bosch Automotive Service & Maintenance Module program is currently servicing more than 3,000 members. The independent repair shop program expands access to the Bosch repair shop network. It offers complementary benefits with the purchase of $5,000 in Bosch automotive parts annually.

Some of those benefits include discounts to training packages via webinar or in-person, deferred interest on repair financing, discounted access to digital marketing and doubled reward points on “eXtra Loyalty.”

“We wanted to build a network program that would bring opportunity to a greater number of independent shop owners,” said Jack Ogden, module program manager at Bosch. “After carefully listening to the needs of today’s modern shop owner, our network program rolls out tailored Bosch services to new and existing valued members, allowing them to expand their portfolio with the latest in tools and training.”

For training packages, expert-led sessions are offered at discount rates. Members are allowed six months of deferred interest on the Bosch Service credit card. Shop owners receive discounted access to Bosch digital marketing partner, Broadly, which specializes in automated review requests, lead generation, text messaging, contactless payments, and more.

“The beauty of the network program is that Bosch’s valued customers can choose which offers they want to redeem whenever it best serves their business,” Ogden said. “The relaunch of our network program is just the beginning as we continue to build out the benefits and evolve with the needs of our customers.”

The post Bosch relaunches network program appeared first on Auto Service World.

Instructor John Thornton leads a training class at Lindertech in 2018.

The Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario announced the return of Lindertech Training in Toronto this fall.

Under the theme of “Get Back to the Future,” the event will be held Sept. 21-24 at the Hilton Meadowvale Hotel in Mississauga. It’s part of the AARO Symposium and Trade Show. It will feature management training and the latest technical information on advanced automotive technology.

The event will feature management and technical training from trainers Maylan Newton, Scot Manna, Mark Lemay and John Thornton. Management topics include facility processes and procedures and customer experience and more. Technical training includes domestic driveability diagnostics, vehicle communications, scopes and more.

Lindertech has been recognized as a Canadian leader in high‐quality training for the automotive repair and service industry. John Cochrane, a former long-time shop owner in Toronto, and his wife Leah were key in bringing Lindertech to Canada in 2006. The paid decided that AARO would take the reigns on this event for 2022. John continues to be involved in the planning of the training through his role as a director on the AARO board.

“I am confident that AARO is committed to ensure that the Lindertech Training standard continues to be of the highest quality,” John said. “With in‐person training cut back over the past two years due to the pandemic, I know that technicians missed this high level of training and look forward to this opportunity.”

The post Lindertech training returns in September appeared first on Auto Service World.

Students part of the automotive service technician program at Vancouver Community College will soon be learning the ins and outs of a fuel cell electric vehicle.

The school announced, through an agreement with Toyota Canada, that it has received a Toyota Mirai, one of the first FCEVs to enter the Canadian market as a zero-emission vehicle.

Students will learn how to service and repair the FCEV, along with electrics and fossil fuel vehicles.

A vehicle with fuel cell technology is powered by mixing hydrogen with oxygen in the air. That creates the electricity needed to power the vehicle. The only by-product emitted by its tailpipe is water.

VCC’s program oversees one of the largest work areas in the province. It has seen more than 600 students graduate in the last two years. In the program, students learn how to diagnose, test, and repair vehicles using the latest technology.

Last year, the school became the first academic member of Hydrogen BC, the regional branch of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (CHFCA).

The school looks to provide modern learning opportunities for students, noted Ajay Patel, president and CEO of Vancouver Community College, adding that the school is aware of the need for automotive service technicians, a job that is expected to be one of the most in-demand trade occupations.

“It is essential that we work collaboratively with industry and government to align our programming so that VCC students receive the best training for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” he said.

The post Aspiring techs in Vancouver will learn on an FCEV appeared first on Auto Service World.

An Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Specialist Certification test (L4) is now being offered by The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has introduced.

The test is designed to identify technicians who possess knowledge of the skills required to diagnose, service and calibrate ADAS on automobiles, SUVs and light-duty trucks.

“Because ADAS service is becoming a very important vehicle repair service, our stakeholders requested that we develop a certification test that demonstrates that automotive service professionals are qualified to perform ADAS service,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO.  “We worked closely with service technicians, service representatives from vehicle and engine manufacturers, aftermarket trainers and technical educators to develop questions that deal with practical problems experienced by technicians in their work with vehicles that include ADAS.”

The test will cover content focused on the diagnosis, service and calibration of radar, camera, ultrasonic and other ADAS.

To register for the test, automotive service professionals must have passed either the Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) or Collision Mechanical and Electrical Components (B5) test.

A study guide is available for individuals planning on taking the ADAS test to help in test preparation.

For more information about the new test and to register, visit https://ase.com/test-series.

The post ASE adds ADAS certification test appeared first on Auto Service World.

When speaking to fellow technicians about drivability diagnostics, I am always surprised that many have never used a scope.

They rely entirely on traditional testing methods such as test lights, multi-meters, scan tools and mechanical gauges for diagnosis. These tools are staples of the automotive repair industry and no doubt still have their place in the realm of diagnostics. But sometimes they just aren’t enough.

When I bring up the subject of using a scope, I often find it is met with skepticism and an occasional negative comment along lines of set up time is too long, difficult to learn or the scan tool tells them everything they need to know.

Some technicians are unaware of what a scope is and of the diagnostic power this tool provides. Other technicians may have access to a scope but don’t use it consistently. So they struggle with the setup or analysis of the waveform and become frustrated.

Typically, it’s not until a technician encounters a vehicle they can’t diagnose that they realize something is missing from their diagnostic approach. In many cases what’s missing is the ability to see the actual operation of the circuit or component electronically.

The digital storage oscilloscope has been in the automotive repair industry for decades. It’s available in many different forms from handheld units to PC- and Android-based platforms. They are available as single channel, two-channel, four-channel and eight-channel units. There are a variety of brands available to the automotive technician, each varying significantly in price and features. However, they all have one thing in common: They all plot voltage, amperage, or pressure over time.

The ability to display an input signal measured over time allows the user to see intermittent glitches that occur too fast for conventional tools like a multi-meter or even a scan tool in graphing mode to catch. These glitches or dropouts are caught by the engine control module, however, and in many cases can be the cause of a drivability problem.

Some high-end scopes will allow the sample rate to be set as fast as 2 Giga samples per second. Even low-end scopes have a sample rate of a minimum of 500,000 samples per second. There is no other testing tool available for automotive technicians that is as fast and no other tool that can provide us with the type of diagnostic information that this tool can.

When combined with accessories such as inductive amperage clamps and pressure transducers, the diagnostic information displayed on the scope screen is unequalled by any other piece of diagnostic equipment to which we have access.

An example of what the oscilloscope will allow us to see is both the mechanical and electrical operation of solenoids. It will display pressure changes in the intake manifold, exhaust system, crankcase, fuel system and cooling system. Valve timing issues can now be quickly diagnosed by analyzing the crankshaft and camshaft signals simultaneously. By installing a pressure transducer into the spark plug hole, the technician is now able to see piston and valve movement in relation to each other through 720 degrees of crankshaft rotation.

The testing capabilities of an oscilloscope are really only limited by the user’s imagination. Any part of the vehicle that is electrical, electronic or produces a pressure can be quickly tested and analyzed using a scope in conjunction with a few other accessories. They can even be used to detect and pinpoint noise issues.

Let’s perform a test

One area where oscilloscopes truly shine is by allowing the technician to perform non-intrusive testing and diagnosis. This is a test performed without removing components, which can be time-consuming and costly to the customer.

The mechanical condition of the engine can be quickly tested using the oscilloscope and amp clamp. This is one of my favourite non-intrusive tests to perform, especially when diagnosing a misfire. We have all done a starter draw test using a carbon pile tester to measure the amperage draw of a starter motor while cranking the engine. If the same test is performed using an oscilloscope with a high amperage amp clamp around the negative battery cable (Fig. 1), we can observe the amperage required for the starter motor to push each piston to TDC on the compression stroke.

Each amperage peak is then compared to the others to see if they are relatively all the same. For that reason, this is called a relative compression test. If a low amperage peak is observed, a cylinder with low compression is indicated. By adding a synchronization signal on a second channel, (Fig. 4) the cylinder in question can be easily identified when the firing order is also known.

Fig. 2 indicates a healthy engine with relatively equal amperage peaks for each cylinder. Fig, 3 is an engine that had burned exhaust valves in cylinder four, resulting in no compression. Fig. 5 is the waveform with both channels on, allowing identification of the low cylinder. This is a directional type of test that quickly indicates whether the problem is mechanical or not. Further testing using pressure pulse analysis of both the intake manifold and exhaust system was required to find the actual reason for the low cylinder.

Some will argue that a vacuum gauge will also give the technician an indication of the mechanical fitness of the engine, which I agree with completely. But a vacuum gauge does not have the ability to show us which cylinder has the problem and many new engines do not offer easy vacuum gauge connection points.

This is just a small sample of the type of testing and diagnosis that can be performed using an oscilloscope.

Below, I have listed some of my responses to the most common questions I get asked when the topic of oscilloscope use is discussed:

Do scopes take a long time to set up?

No, not if you get into the practice of setting up your scope first thing in the morning so it’s ready for the day. The key to scope use, just like any other tool, is practice. It is difficult to use the scope and learn how to analyze waveforms while under the pressure of a difficult drive-ability diagnosis. Being unfamiliar with the tool will lead to frustration. It is important to use the scope on a regular basis and test known good vehicles. If you know what a signal is supposed to look like, it will be much easier to diagnose when you see a bad one.

Do scopes slow down diagnosis?

No. Oscilloscopes, when used proficiently, greatly enhance and speed up the diagnostic process. They allow the technician to perform accurate diagnostic testing in just a few minutes that can take hours using traditional testing methods. In the relative compression example above, this test takes less than a minute to perform and can be performed on any engine. Even on an easy-to-access four-cylinder engine, performing a compression test on each cylinder will take substantially more time. How long does it take to perform a compression test on a cylinder that requires intake manifold removal to access? Especially if that is the initial test being used to rule out a mechanical issue.

Are scopes difficult to use?

No. Some are more user-friendly than others, but they all work in basically the same manner. As stated earlier, the key to scope use is practice. If you can set up and use a multi-meter, you can learn how to use an oscilloscope.

Is there a learning curve?

Yes, but no more than the learning curve that exists with other pieces of diagnostic equipment. We all learned how to use a scan tool and multi-meter. We all had to learn how to read and interpret scan tool data and wiring diagrams. Learning how to use an oscilloscope is no different. Once you master using your scope and the interpretation of the waveforms displayed, you will wonder how you were able to properly diagnose and repair vehicles without it.

John Post has been an automotive service technician in the Ontario aftermarket for more than 30 years. He has been teaching electrical, fuel systems and drivability diagnostics at Centennial College since 2015.

This article originally appeared in the March/April issue of CARS.

The post Just Picture it appeared first on Auto Service World.

For the last 50 years, ASE — short for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence — has been working to improve the quality of vehicle repair and service by testing and certifying automotive professionals. ASE has become known as the pre-eminent independent non-profit organization working to uphold and promote high standards of vehicle service and repair.

Today, more than a quarter of a million individuals who currently hold ASE certifications work in every segment of the transportation industry, from automobile and medium/heavy trucks to transit and school bus, collision repair, parts, military and more. The path to ASE certification begins with one or more of 57 different tests. After passing at least one exam and providing proof of two years or relevant work experience, the individual becomes ASE Certified. To remain certified, the professional must be retested every five years.

The tests are no cinch to pass; in fact, usually, only two out of every three test-takers pass on their first attempt. The exams stress knowledge of real-world job-related skills with each test question developed through a strict writing and validating process. ASE test questions are written in workshops by experts in the subject matter of each specific test. The test development teams represent a national cross-section of the motor vehicle service industry, including current technicians, training reps from auto manufacturers and aftermarket, customer service professionals and educators.

Following is a step-by-step look at exactly how the ASE tests are developed:

1. Test questions are developed at test-writing workshops, which typically include 10-20 working service professionals. Separate workshops are conducted for each ASE certification test.
2. At each workshop, the participants review and modify the necessary tasks to successfully perform each particular job category (such as suspension and steering systems).
3. Questions are written to correspond to job tasks. The diagnostic and repair scenarios are updated to reflect the most current and relevant technology and systems.
4. Trick questions and manufacturer-specific questions are not acceptable. Each question is reviewed by the entire workshop for clarity and technical accuracy to ensure there is only one right answer and three incorrect answers.
5. Questions that are accepted are included as non-scored “pre-test” questions and placed in “live” ASE tests to gauge performance. Since test-takers do not know which questions count, all questions are answered.
6. By this point, test questions have been validated. Based on how well a question performs in “pre-test”, it may become a test question or be reconsidered in a future workshop.
7. Even after a question passes “pre-testing”, ASE continues to monitor it. Each question is tracked for proper performance every time it is used in a test.
8. When a question becomes technically outdated, it is removed from the pool of test questions.

ASE recently launched a new website at ASE.com, featuring a centralized online gateway for technicians, employers, consumers, and auto technology students and instructors. ASE.com provides sought-after information and resources and answers to frequently asked questions, plus step-by-step instructions for all users. The redesigned site also describes the expanded automobile test offerings with Spanish-language translations.

Technicians who visit the site can also learn how to access the popular ASE Renewal App that allows service professionals to renew their A-1 through A-9 certifications from their PC or mobile device.

Most technicians and repair shop owners would agree that each year new vehicles are getting more complex and repair technology and diagnostic tools are constantly changing. While this presents a challenge to the vehicle service and repair industry, it also presents a challenge to consumers searching for a competent and knowledgeable professional to care for their vehicle. ASE Certification offers solutions for technicians, their employers and consumers.

ASE helps service professionals prepare for, earn and maintain ASE Certification and grow in their careers.

ASE helps businesses that employ ASE Certified technicians attract customers by marketing knowledgeable and experienced employees, giving them a competitive step up in their respective markets.

ASE helps consumers find a reputable technician by identifying repair shops that employ ASE Certified technicians.

The need for quality and dependable vehicle service and repair continues to grow as the average age of the vehicle on the road increases. Combined with the complexity and sophisticated technology within new vehicles creates a greater demand for qualified technicians. More recently, it appears that another factor is compounding this trend. As a result of the pandemic and its impact on manufacturing and supply chain shortages throughout the world and within most industries, many products have experienced significant price increases. This trend is evident in the unprecedented higher costs of new and used vehicles. As a result, vehicle owners are hanging onto their current vehicles. Thus, greater demand for service and repair.

ASE testing and certification are ideally positioned to meet these and other challenges.

Trish Serratore is senior vice president of communications at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The post Inside the unique ASE test development process appeared first on Auto Service World.

A new automotive aftermarket industry training project has been announced between the industry and government.

The Automotive Industries Association of Canada said it has partnered with the Ontario government and St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ontario, to tackle issues around the shortage of automotive tradespeople and the need for upskilling to service electric vehicles (EV).

In the announcement, AIA Canada noted the changing landscape of automotive repairs and the need to invest in the skilled trades to meet the demands of new and needed skills for aftermarket professionals, as well as secure gainful employment in the industry.

“It is important that industry, with government support, implement solutions to meet our industry’s labour needs, which includes ensuring that automotive tradespeople are properly trained to service electric vehicles and raising awareness to break stigma and attract more people to the industry,” AIA President Jean-Francois Champagne said in the announcement.

Two training programs are part of the project. One is an EV upskilling training program. It is open to incumbent workers and apprentices in the automotive trades. The training, AIA’s announcement said, will bridge the gap between what’s offered in today’s curriculum and the skills needed to service modern vehicles. The second is an eight-week training program. This will give job-seekers an opportunity to explore a career in the automotive trades.

“For the first time in more than a decade, automotive manufacturing jobs are returning to Ontario as we position the province to be a leader in electric vehicles for generations to come,” Monte McNaughton, provincial Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development said in the announcement. “That is why we are investing in innovative programs like this with AIA Canada, which will ensure workers have the skills to advance in their careers, earn bigger paycheques, and build better lives for themselves and their families. We will once again make Ontario’s automotive sector one of the most competitive in the world.”

AIA Canada added that it is looking forward to collaborating with the government and post-secondary partners to ensure the aftermarket is ready to service the vehicles of tomorrow.

Image credit: Depositphotos.com

The post AIA, Ontario team up on EV training appeared first on Auto Service World.

Spring registration has opened for more than 50 ASE certification tests, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence announced.

The tests cover nearly every aspect of the motor vehicle service and repair industry, the group noted.

Those who register by June 30 will have 90 days to schedule an appointment to take the selected ASE tests, whether registering on the first day of the registration period or the last.  ASE testing is available throughout the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at almost 450 test centers.

Registration is available through ASE.com by clicking on ‘register’ and ‘sign-in.’ From there, users can next click on ‘orders’ and then ‘store’ where they can find the tests they want to take. Then add those tests to the cart, check out and registration is complete.

Service professionals with unexpired automobile certifications (A1-A9) can use the ASE renewal app for recertification, it noted. Through the app, users can extend the expiration date of their ASE certifications without having to take time off or go to a secure test center for testing.

The post ASE opens spring certification appeared first on Auto Service World.

With a shortage of technicians, some automotive repair shop owners are poaching technicians from a competitor nearby.

That, warned Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, isn’t a strategy that can work forever. Not only is it likely that another shop will poach that tech from you, but this strategy doesn’t help secure the future of the industry.

“Well, that [strategy] only lasts for so long,” he told CARS magazine. “And then there are no more technicians to poach. And besides, the guy you poached six months ago just got poached to go to another shop somewhere else.”

The ASE’s answer to resolving this issue is to make sure that you are finding your own technicians by growing them into your shop from the school level.

Tim Mossholder / Unsplash

“Build your bench strength. Hire young technicians that are just coming out of school — when you have those folks on staff, they’re more likely to stay with you if you’ve started them from the time they were very young and invested in their careers,” Coley advised.

To enhance those relationships even deeper, have technicians in your shop serve as mentors to prospective technicians while they’re still in school.

“Not only are you there to support the school and to let prospective students [know you’re there] … we need to show them what the career opportunities in the industry are,” Coley said.

By that, he observed the fact that maybe someone doesn’t want to turn a wrench their whole life — but the industry has many other opportunities that also need to be filled, like service writers, managers, parts experts. Having an automotive education opens doors to those opportunities.

“But somebody has got to come tell students and make it known to the students, the parents [and] the counsellors to say that we’ve got lots of opportunities in this training program over here that we support and we’re involved with,” Coley said. “That’s the way into the industry.”

He highlighted the fact that service and repair shops aren’t necessarily competing strictly with dealers down the street or the shop in the next town.

“We’re competing with wind power, with welding, with advanced machining — all the other advanced skilled trades — for the same students that have good mechanical aptitude, enjoy working with their hands and enjoy solving problems for their customers,” Coley explained. “So we’ve got to attract those students and show them the career opportunities that are available in our industry.”

The post Instead of poaching techs, do this appeared first on Auto Service World.

After being eliminated in 2003, a new act has been introduced in British Columbia to make certification in the skilled trades compulsory again.

B.C. legislature introduced the Skilled Trades BC Act last week. The government said it will support and train apprentices, and modernize the Crown agency responsible for trades training.

Furthermore, the act will help address labour shortages and support and recognize the work that skilled tradespeople do in the province.

Since 2003, when compulsory skilled trades certification was eliminated, B.C. has been the only province without mandatory accreditation. This put the province at a disadvantage, said Anne Kang, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training.

“We want apprentices in British Columbia to be able to count on having good, family-supporting jobs with steady work once they complete their training,” she said in the announcement.

The province is expecting 85,000 new job openings in the trades by 2031.

“That is why we’re launching a new, made-in-B.C. skilled trades certification system to encourage more people to choose careers in the trades, so they can prosper and employers can find the workers they need as B.C. builds a strong economic recovery,” Kang added.

As part of being certified, tradespeople will have to register as an apprentice or be a certified journeyperson to work in one of the 10 initial mechanical, electrical and automotive trades.

If passed, skilled trades certification for these initial trades will be implemented in phases between 2022 and 2024. It will replace the Industry Training Authority Act and transform the Industry Training Authority into SkilledTradesBC.

The government will use the program to increase the prestige of the trades by recognizing trades workers’ in-demand skills and experience, pave the way for greater steady employment opportunities and higher wages and attract more people to the trades.

The post B.C. looks to bring back skilled trades certification appeared first on Auto Service World.

The post ASW Conversations: Labour minister talks Skilled Trades Ontario appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Ontario government has launched a new Crown agency to address the skilled trades labour shortage.

Announced Jan. 25 by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Skilled Trades Ontario is expected to improve trades training and simplify services, the government said.

According to the announcement, the agency will promote and market the trades, in addition to developing training and curriculum standards. Furthermore, it will provide a streamlined user-friendly experience for tradespeople.

This, the government expects, will see more people available for jobs that are in demand.

Dylan McLeod / Unsplash

“We’re redrawing the system to address Ontario’s labour shortage and make the trades a career of choice for more people,” Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, said in a statement. “The skilled trades provide well-paying and rewarding careers that are vital for our economy. By creating this new agency, we are working for workers and delivering the generational change that labour leaders and employers have been calling for.”

The labour shortage in the skilled trades is expected to hit 350,000 by 2025.

A new online service will help conveniently manage their careers. It will have an online one-stop-shop for scheduling classes and exams, submitting forms, paying fees and more. The government expects this change to ease the labour shortage. It also observed that it will be easier for people to learn about and enter the trades. It will reduce processing and registration times for applicants from 60 days to 12.

The agency will be led by Michael Sherrard, who will hold the position of chair at Skilled Trades Ontario.

“The implementation of a successful apprenticeship and skilled trades system is critical to the economic growth and success of our province, and today’s announcement is the next step in securing that future for us all,” he said in a statement.

The announcement was met positively by Diane Freeman, executive director of the Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario, which represents businesses in the province’s automotive service industry.

“Our association looks forward to meeting with Michael Sherrard, chair of Skilled Trades Ontario, the board of directors to offer our assistance to modernize the training and curriculum standards for the automotive sector,” she told AutoServiceWorld.com “We welcome the new agency on the promotion of skilled trades to the youth in Ontario as a professional career choice.”

According to the government announcement, apprentice registrations under the Ontario College of Trades fell by over 17,000 or 40 per cent. The average age of an apprentice is 29 years old today.

The government’s Skilled Trades Strategy will be administered by an independent board of directors. It will be responsible for breaking stigmas surrounding the trades, simplifying the system and encouraging employers to hire more apprentices.

“The skilled trades are the backbone of our province — offering 144 well-paying and in-demand careers for people to choose from,” said Melissa Young, chief executive officer and registrar.

The post Ontario creates new agency to boost trades appeared first on Auto Service World.

Benjamin Brunner / Unsplash

Automotive aftermarket companies need to work more closely with local schools as part of a strategy to attract more technicians into the field, urged a leader from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

A challenge for schools is they don’t know the full picture of what employers are looking for, according to Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation.

“One of the challenges that the local schools have, and I think this is true everywhere, is they need input and support from local employers — the dealers, the independent shops, the fleet shops — to come in and help them understand: What are the skills that are most critical for an entry-level student to have so they can come in?” he said in an interview.

Furthermore, schools can’t have outdated equipment to train students. They need today’s tools to teach about today’s technology. Students need to be up to date on technology and service practices shops are currently using.

“The best way — really, the only way — for that to happen is to have that local advisory committee made up of local employers to come in and tell the school, ‘We want you to teach more of this. We want you to teach less of this. Your wheel balancer, does it do road force? That’s what all of our customers are expecting,’” Coley said.

The aftermarket needs to help schools update their technology because there’s no point in them training students in areas or with tools that don’t apply in the real world.

“And if you’re teaching on an old piece of equipment, your students [will] come [into the workforce] and they don’t know how to do these new procedures,” Coley explained. “That doesn’t benefit me, it doesn’t benefit the student, it doesn’t benefit the customer. Just like the technology in the cars and the business is changing all the time, the instructors need to keep up and the programs need to keep up. And the best source of that knowledge is those local employers.”

The post How the aftermarket can better help schools prepare techs appeared first on Auto Service World.

Navistar has donated to Canadian technical programs for the first time. Two schools will benefit from the donation of equipment.

The program donated numerous pieces of equipment to technical colleges around the U.S. in the fourth quarter, which is when the first donations to Canadian programs was made through the TECH EmPOWERment initiative.

The program supplies accredited technical schools with equipment, real-world advisory counsel and prospects for aspiring technicians.

The two schools to receive the donations are New Brunswick Community College in Fredericton, by East Coast International Trucks, Inc., and Kemptville Campus Education and Community Centre in Kemptville, Ont., by Rush Truck Canada.

“Ensuring technical students around North America have updated technologies to learn with is a priority, and we are very proud to have organized our first of what I hope will be many equipment donations to Canada,” said Ana Salcido, manager of technician recruitment at Navistar. “In the future, we hope to extend this program even more.”

Navistar operates the International brand of trucks and diesel engines while also producing buses under the IC Bus brand.

The program has made almost 60 donations since 2016.

The post Navistar makes first donation to Canadian schools appeared first on Auto Service World.

Automotive professionals looking to take a certification test can now register for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence’s (ASE) winter session.

Registration is open until March 31, 2022. There are more than 50 ASE certification tests, covering nearly every aspect of the motor vehicle service and repair industry.

Registration can be done at ASE.com by clicking on “register” and “sign-in.” Once logged in, users can next click on “orders” then “store”. There they can find the tests they want to take, add those tests to the cart and check out to complete the registration.

After registering, users will have 90 days to schedule an appointment to take the selected ASE tests, whether registering on the first day of the registration period or the last. ASE testing is available throughout the year and is conducted days, nights and weekends at nearly 450 secured, proctored test centers.

Those with unexpired automobile certifications (A1-A9) can also use the ASE renewal app for recertification. The ASE renewal app allows for certified professionals to extend the expiration date of their certifications without having to take time off or go to a secure test center for testing.

The post ASE opens winter registration appeared first on Auto Service World.

Outside the Las Vegas Convention Center at SEMA 2021

From SEMA Show seminars to exclusive content, automotive professionals will be able to access educational content only from the Specialty Equipment Market Association.

The group announced the launch of the new library in late December. It is accessible year-round online.

Available content in the library includes technical details about advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), advocacy updates and best practices and tips on common business skills. There will also be behind-the-scenes conversations with industry leaders, celebrities and icons.

The SEMA Virtual Education website is available at www.sema.org/education. Everything that is available is specifically geared to the automotive aftermarket.

All sessions are available to anyone in the industry, whether or not they’re SEMA members. But employees of member companies will be able to access library contents fee or at a reduced cost. Recording from the 2021 SEMA Show will be free to everyone.

“The SEMA Virtual Education website provides the automotive aftermarket with a one-stop-shop of industry-leading education and resources that will support the industry throughout the year,” said Gary Vigil, SEMA senior manager of professional development. “The website is user-friendly and provides businesses and employees a convenient way to learn best practices and increase their knowledge in order to advance in their careers.”

The post SEMA launches education library appeared first on Auto Service World.

Electric vehicles pose new dangers to technicians and one mistake could be costly, warned an expert from Mitchell 1.

Dealing with EVs is going to be new for everyone. But with all the extra voltage flowing around, Ben Johnson, director of product management at Mitchell 1, advised that technicians practise a little extra care when poking and prodding around such vehicles.

“We don’t need to be scared, but we should be respectful,” he said during the presentation Preparing for Electrification — What Shops Need to do to Get Ready at AAPEX last month. “There is a lot of voltage in certain areas of these vehicles. There’s a lot of areas that are perfectly safe and you can muck around with.”

Mitchell 1’s Ben Johnson speaks at AAPEX 2021

Johnson’s presentation was part of the Let’s Tech series on the AAPEX Stage at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas. He warned that SAE created a standard around orange sheathing which basically means to not mess around with it.

“Don’t do what I used to do. We think, ‘It’s fine. Here’s my very sharp test light. Let me just puncture that and see if there’s a reading.’ Well, first of all, it’s probably going to pop your bulb. Second of all, you might have up to 800 volts there that’s going to try to find a path to ground. And if that’s through you, then so be it; that’s where it’s going to find it,” he told attendees. “Just need to have some common sense.”

As for his biggest advice to technicians, he recommended getting to know your service information. The original equipment manufacturers “have done a pretty good job” of telling technicians to disable the high voltage systems before they do a particular task.

“Sometimes it’s not just pulling that connector,” he explained. “It’s waiting some period of time, usually around 10 minutes, for the supercapacitors to settle down and to discharge so that you’re not going to get an unwanted surprise when you start probing a circuit.”

The post What techs need to ‘be respectful’ of with EVs appeared first on Auto Service World.

Service technicians wanting to learn about hybrid transmission technology can take part in a webinar Nov. 30.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is hosting a free webinar on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET entitled “Hybrid Transmission Technologies.”

Niel Speetjens from ZF Aftermarket will provide a walkthrough of hybrid transmission technologies used in Audi, BMW and Chrysler vehicles. Attendees will gain a working knowledge of the 8-speed automatic hybrid transmission and topics like torque flow, electric motor, clutch K0, inverter and batteries will be covered.

The different hybrid concepts like micro, mild and full hybrid will also be explained and the battery with the maintenance service disconnect connector will also be discussed. An exploded view of the electric drive motor will be revealed, showing the transmission bell housing and parts like the rotor, stator and clutch K0.

You can register through this link.

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar. Those who are not sure if they can attend are encouraged to register as they will receive a follow-up email with details on how to attend a recorded session, if available.

The post Upcoming tech webinar on hybrid transmission appeared first on Auto Service World.

A new training portal is available for automotive aftermarket professionals as part of a collaboration between Permatex and the ASE Education Foundation.

The program provides product application training and education on the latest formulation advances for automotive students, instructors, parts professionals and professional automotive technicians.

“Permatex has always been committed to training and education, and has a storied history of developing valuable and in-depth programs for the automotive service industry,” said Eric Seibold, Permatex product manager, in an announcement. “Partnering with the ASE Education Foundation will allow us to continue that tradition and help both our aspiring and veteran automotive service workforce to improve their knowledge and capabilities and advance their ASE Certification.”

The program is led by Permatex in an online format. The first webinar, How to Select and Apply the Right Gasket Maker, has already launched.

“We are very pleased to recognize Permatex as our newest industry partner,” said Mike Coley, ASE Education Foundation president. “We’re proud to join forces with an organization such as Permatex that believe in a bright future for automotive service and expanding career opportunities for all students.”

The post ASE, Permatex team up on tech training appeared first on Auto Service World.

A free webinar is coming up this week for service technicians to learn more about diagnostic tools.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is hosting Using Diagnostic Tools for Successful Repair on Oct. 21 at 4 p.m. ET.

Bryan Bott and Bryan Lewis with Triad Diagnostic Solutions will provide an overview of diagnostics and DTCs for heavy-duty applications. This includes:

• Diagnostic inspection process – total vehicle health analysis and identifying issues and potential root cause analysis
• Diagnostic trouble code overview – different types of DTCs, how to identify with associated repair processes
• Diagnostic tool features – utilizing scan tool information for diagnosing issues, including circuit diagrams, live data, component replacement guides, service data, repair times
• Troubleshooting and repair steps by DTC or symptom – why are they important to follow
• Technical information – why following OEM specifications during repair is important
• Post repair vehicle health check – why this is important

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar. Those who are not sure if they can attend are encouraged to register as they will receive a follow-up email with details on how to attend a recorded session, if available.

For more information or to register, click here.

The post Upcoming tech webinar on diagnostic tools appeared first on Auto Service World.

Always plan for the future, have an innovative mindset and embrace opportunities. Those are three tips an automotive repair shop leader applies at his company, and are essential for others.

“Technology is definitely driving new trends in the automotive space,” said Joe Hyde, director of automotive technology at Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA). “And that’s exciting, right? We all love those new challenges. And using this technology has enabled us and the industry to change the face of how we are currently doing business and how we’re going to do business in the future.”

But to keep ahead of technology and enhance your shop’s offering, shops need to ask what they’re doing today that’s going to benefit them and their customers in the next 18 months to two years from a technology point of view, he said during the Mobility Innovation Conference hosted by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association.

For CBA, they nurture strategic relationships with vendors, original equipment manufacturers and tier one suppliers. It’s all in an effort to ensure instructors and support specialists at the company have the training and resources related to new technologies and diagnostic methodologies.

“And you have to be willing to invest the time and the resources into vetting that technology,” Hyde added during the session Repair Shop Perspective: How Christian Brothers is Staying Current with Technology. “It’s not just taking someone’s word for it. It’s investing your time to really take that technology through its paces, see how it’s going to work in your workflow process and in your day-to-day business.”

lilartsy/Pexels

Being a shop these days means having an innovative mindset.

“To kind of sum it up easily: An innovative mindset is the ability to be forward-thinking, creative, open to testing. You’ve got to be willing to make mistakes and try again. You want to be collaborative — you want to work with others — and you want to progress,” Hyde said.

“But most of all in having that innovative mindset, you have to understand that people who have that mindset, they don’t love the past. They know that the new is always coming. And they’re thinking about what that new looks like and how they’re going to address it.”

Along those same lines, shops need to embrace opportunity. Whether is the latest in advanced driver-assistance systems, electric vehicles and the like, these can seem scary — but they’re also creating a great deal of opportunity in the mechanical repair sector.

“The technology has many companies scrambling to adapt to changing diagnostic processes, targeting systems, the lack of standardization across OEM platforms,” Hyde said. “But with this in mind, I would like for you … to focus on is the positives and what we can control.”

Speaking specifically about ADAS, he pointed out that the technology has been around for many years and has evolved over time. The industry is just seeing more of that evolution.

“It is important to remember that ADAS technology — although we think it’s new and it might seem new — it’s not new technology. It’s an evolving technology,” Hyde said. “Think about it from the first cruise control system to automatic transmissions to ABS braking — these are all advanced driver assist systems. And these advanced systems are simply evolving to the next evolution of safety and convenience.”

The post The mentality shops need going forward appeared first on Auto Service World.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology has partnered with Canadian Tire stores across B.C. on an apprenticeship training program.

The program, according to a news posting to BCIT’s website, will be designed to the automotive parts retailer and service shop chain’s standards and specifications. It will also help the company meet the growing demand for highly skilled and qualified Red Seal technicians.

“The BCIT Canadian Tire Apprenticeship Training program is designed to instill the skills valued by Canadian Tire Service Centers, and to ensure Canadian Tire technicians are some of the best trained and most highly skilled automotive technicians in the industry,” the posting said. “As a major incentive for apprentices, Canadian Tire also covers all tuition, books and other costs associated with the program, including travel and accommodation in some cases.”

Mubasher Faruki, associate dean of automotive at BCIT was quoted as saying the corporation get in touch with the school to create a customized program. It’s the first of its kind in the province, and maybe in Canada.

“We really broke away from the traditional type of apprenticeship training being done in the province, or across the country for that matter, by incorporating specific and pertinent customized training unique to Canadian Tire,” he said.

Apprentices will take part in four eight-week intervals of training at each level of the four-year program, according to BCIT. Graduates receive a BCIT Diploma of Trades Training and become Red Seal-certified automotive service technicians.

The post BCIT, Canadian Tire team up on apprenticeship program appeared first on Auto Service World.

Implementing a unique approach to training, investing in equipment and taking advantage of new technology are just some of the ways an automotive repair company is keeping on top of changing trends and ensuring high customer satisfaction, one of its leaders told a recent conference.

Joe Hyde is the director of automotive technology at Christian Brothers Automotive (CBA). The company has 243 locations in 31 states across the U.S. He spoke at the recent Mobility Innovation Conference hosted by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association about his company’s perspective on how they are approaching the changing times in the aftermarket.

The company believes in “providing a robust support team, training, resources and, of course, technology for store owners and their team members across the nation,” Hyde said during the session Repair Shop Perspective: How Christian Brothers is Staying Current with Technology. “And our goal with that is for our owners to be confident that they can have the skill set that they need to run the business before they ever step foot in the shop.”

He said they take a different approach around training staff. While acknowledging there are many great opportunities for training throughout the industry, CBA takes a more hands-on approach and has invested in creating its own curriculum.

Joe Hyde, Christian Brothers Automotive

“We really want to put the technology into the hands of those team members who are using it the most,” Hyde said. “And we try to adhere as much as we can to a 75/25 per cent rule when creating that training, meaning 75 per cent of that training is hands-on and 25 per cent of it would be theory in operation, or as some like to call it in the industry, the ‘preach and teach’ method.”

With the amount of changing technology in the industry, a dedicated budget is needed for training and investing in its employees, he added.

Then there’s the equipment to consider. “Choosing the proper equipment to service today’s modern vehicles is critical to the success of addressing the technology challenge,” Hyde said.

CBA has standardized tools throughout the company. This ensures techs in different areas of the country are using the same equipment, which standardizes customer service. It also allows techs that want to relocate to another location to not have to go through a learning curve or learning new systems.

“We really feel that this provides not only a superior guest experience, but it increases our team member satisfaction and retention,” Hyde said.

With scan tools, the company opted to go with OEM diagnostic software and programming whenever possible. They’ve invested so deeply that they built and deployed their own OEM diagnostic tablet.

“This tablet allows our franchise team to provide consistent diagnostics and programming utilizing the OEM software,” Hyde explained. “And by using the OEM software, we can provide a consistent, manageable tool that provides the same level of diagnostic and programming capabilities as the dealer might provide.”

The company also takes advantage of augmented and virtual reality technologies, with Hyde calling them “instrumental” in taking on training concerns and the technician shortage being felt today and expected in the future.

“And, in fact, we’re already seeing companies with a large footprint in the industry utilizing these technologies to streamline their repair processes, logistics, support and even parts inventory,” he added. “And so again, choosing the right piece of equipment is something that really helps set us apart when it comes to attacking those challenging technology initiatives.”

The post How this shop takes on training, and more appeared first on Auto Service World.

Professional service technicians who work on medium-heavy trucks and equipment can take T-Series and E-Series certification tests from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) that verify their proficiency.

There are eight T-Series certification tests designed to identify and recognize medium and heavy truck technicians who demonstrate knowledge of the skills necessary to diagnose, service and repair different systems of Class 4 through Class 8 trucks and tractors

Tests include gasoline engines (T1); diesel engines (T2); drive train (T3); brakes (T4); suspension and steering (T5); electrical/electronic systems (T6); heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) (T7); and preventive maintenance inspection (T8).

Those who are certified in tests T2-T8 are recognized as ASE Certified Master medium-heavy truck technicians.

“The ASE truck equipment and medium-heavy truck certification tests provide service professionals the opportunity to show employers and customers that they have the ability and knowledge to service and repair all class levels of trucks,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “By passing these challenging ASE truck certification tests, professional service technicians will have the satisfaction of knowing that they are among the elite in their profession.”

The ASE truck equipment E-Series certification tests are designed to identify and recognize those truck equipment technicians who can demonstrate knowledge of the skills necessary to install, diagnose, service and repair truck equipment and related support systems on all classes of trucks and tractors. Three tests are offered including truck equipment installation and repair (E1), electrical/electronic systems installation and repair (E2), and auxiliary power systems installation and repair (E3). Those who are certified in tests E1-E3 are recognized as ASE-Certified Master truck equipment technicians.

The post Need truck service certification? ASE has the tests appeared first on Auto Service World.

Want a tune-up on professional development before heading to AAPEX? Show organizers are set to run weekly webinars to get you ready heading into Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week.

Every Tuesday at 11 a.m. Eastern, free hour-long webinars will be hosted in the lead-up to AAPEX. It’s all in an effort “to keep attendees ahead of the curve on important topics trending in the automotive aftermarket,” an announcement said.

Registration is required for each webinar, which can be done at the AAPEX website or through the links below.

This year’s schedule is:

• Oct. 5: Developing a Sustainable Workforce Through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will show how to promote DEI efforts at an organization while creating a sustainable workforce. Presented by Tammy Tecklenburg, principal, Tecklenburg Advisors. Speakers include: Jessica Hinman, chief corporate responsibility officer, FCP Euro, and Lani Glancy, vice president, Talent Development, DEI & Communications, AutoZone.
• Oct. 12: Data Sources and Application Amidst an Evolving Economy and Industry will feature a moderated panel discussion with industry experts that explores new approaches taken to industry data collection and its application. Presented by Michael Chung, director, Market Intelligence, Auto Care Association.
• Oct. 19: Managing Pricing In A Complex Multi-Channel Sales Environment will discuss how best-in-class aftermarket suppliers manage all of the challenges around multi-channel pricing. Presented by Neury Freitas, principal, Roland Berger.
• Oct. 26: Reducing Risk and Spend in the Global Supply Chain: Challenges & Opportunities in Import and Export will provide action-oriented recommendations for both short – and long-term decisions and investments. Presented by Thomas A. Cook, managing director, Blue Tiger International.

AAPEX will run in-person from Nov. 2-4, at the Sands Expo and Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas. Attendees will have to show proof of vaccination of a negative PCR test result to attend.

The SEMA Show, which runs one day extra, has not announced health and safety measures beyond what is already in place by local health authorities.

The post Weekly webinars scheduled head of AAPEX appeared first on Auto Service World.

A new training and welding qualification program for the automotive collision repair sector is now available from the CWB Group.

The program was created in response to industry feedback. The CWB Automotive Repair Technician Welding Program is designed to provide high quality repair, utilize best practices and ensure that vehicles are safely and adequately repaired, the group said in a press release.

The program is available to anyone who is interested. Training is available in the technician’s own collision and repair facilities where they can train with their own tools and equipment.

The program will also offer online welding repair courses delivered through the CWB Group’s new LMS platform. Participants can take courses on a variety of welding topics as they relate to automotive collision repair, including Automotive Health and Safety, Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) for both steel and aluminum repair, Automotive Welding Quality and Welding Metallurgy.

“The goal of the CWB Automotive Repair Welding Qualification is to help ensure that each facility has the skills and training needed to perform superior-quality repairs every time,” said Victor Andrisani, manager at CWB Consulting. “The CWB Group’s vision is to create an inclusive environment where every market is given the tools and resources to succeed. With this qualification, we have addressed a growing need in the automotive collision repair industry.”

The post New welding program for collision repair appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is hosting a free webinar for service technicians today on vehicle electrification.

On Sept. 23 at 4 p.m., the webinar entitles “Vehicle Electrification: Transitioning to Alternating Current Systems” will be hosted by Dr. Mark Quarto, founder of Quarto Technical Services. He will provide unique insight on the topics of:

• Industry update: it’s about transportation, not just automotive
• Regulatory requirements for electric vehicle power: New PIDs and diagnostics
• Systems that utilize AC power
• DC vs. AC power analysis: Simple comparisons
• Elements of AC power: the new language of analysis and diagnostics
• DC resistance, inductance, impedance, capacitance, phase angle, current-to-frequency ratio, dissipation factor, efficiency, power factor and more
• How understanding AC power affects depth of diagnostic success
• Synthesizing AC power from DC: The power inverter AC waveform creation
• Electric machines: AC sine waves, speed, torque and power control
• The inevitable changes are happening now: it’s time for instructors and technicians to embrace the change to AC

After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar. Those who are not sure if they can attend are encouraged to register as they will receive a follow-up email with details on how to attend a recorded session, if available.

Click here to register or for more information.

The post Free vehicle electrification webinar appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and the Auto Care Association have put together the ASE World Class Technicians’ program to recognize an exclusive group of highly skilled professional technicians.

ASE has added a special section to its website with a roster dating back to the start of the program in 1986 to highlight and honour their accomplishments.

To qualify, the ASE testing is done computer-based at a Prometric center. The applicant must attain 22 specific ASE certifications to receive World Class recognition: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair) and L1, L2 (advanced).

Those who achieve ASE World Class Technician status are announced in the early spring of the following calendar year. Recipients receive a special certificate signed by the presidents of ASE and the Auto Care Association, an exclusive embroidered shoulder insignia, a personalized plaque and a medallion kit.

Gregory G Birtzu of Brampton, Ontario, was the lone Canadian awarded the recognition in 2021.

“Each year ASE proudly identifies the best of the best, professional vehicle technicians who have attained the exclusive ASE World Class Technician designation,” said Tim Zilke, ASE’s president. “Once a technician becomes world class, they are world class for life, so it is only fitting that we add a section to the ASE website to memorialize the exceptional achievements of these top technicians.”

The post Want to be a world class tech? Here’s how appeared first on Auto Service World.

A leader of the automotive aftermarket and a dear friend to many has died.

Bob Greenwood died of a heart attack on Sept. 9 in Surrey, B.C., industry sources have confirmed.

He was the president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket E-Learning Centre since July 1998, according to his LinkedIn Profile. He has been a coach to countless automotive repair shops and a management consultant to jobbers across the country. He was a highly sought-after speaker at conferences, with his rooms always filled with aftermarket professionals eager to learn. He spoke in a way that captivated his audience and kept them engaged.

Greenwood has also been a long-time respected columnist for CARS and Jobber News magazines. He hosted three seasons of Greenwood’s Garage for AutoServiceWorld, the online portal for the magazines.

His loss has hit the industry hard. AutoServiceWorld has reached out to a number of people across the industry to share their thoughts and memories of Bob. We will compile them for tomorrow.

If there is anything you’d like to share about Greenwood — a funny story, a lasting memory, an impression he left or a comment about his legacy — please email adam@turnkey.media or leave a comment below and we will try to include it in tomorrow’s compilation.

And, of course, as more news about Bob’s sudden passing becomes available, we will share it with you.

The post In memoriam: Bob Greenwood, 71 appeared first on Auto Service World.

The post ASW Conversations: Education trends and challenges appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is hosting a free webinar for service technicians today.

Alberto Bonilla from Diesel Forward will host the webinar, “Effects of Contamination in Modern Diesel Fuel Systems” at 4 p.m. ET on Sept. 2.

In the hour-long session, Bonilla will cover pressures and temperatures reached in the latest common rail diesel fuel systems. Types of fuel contamination and how these affect the components of the fuel systems as well as symptoms the operator will experience will also be covered. Lastly, ways to prevent and combat the different types of contamination plus solutions for repair when contamination failures occur will be discussed.

Once registered, a confirmation note will be emailed to attendees about joining the webinar. Even if you are unsure if they’ll be able to make it, ASE recommends still signing up. If a recorded session is available, details will be sent on viewing the recording.

For more information or to register, click here.

The post Webinar coming up on diesel fuel system contamination appeared first on Auto Service World.

Those planning to register for ASE certification tests are being encouraged to do so as soon as possible by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).

The reminder, ASE said in an announcement, is so they can be sure to secure a seat at their preferred test center before the summer registration period ends on September 30.

Registration is available at the https://my.ase.com/ web portal. There are more than 50 ASE certification tests being offered for automotive, collision, medium/heavy duty, school bus, transit bus and truck equipment repair. Tests are conducted days, nights and weekends at nearly 500 secured, proctored test centers.

It is recommended that service professionals coordinate testing with their employers and check test center availability before registering.

Those with active automobile certifications (A1-A9) can use the ASE renewal app for recertification, extending the expiration date of their certifications without having to take time off or go to a secure test center for testing.

The post Registration ending soon for ASE appeared first on Auto Service World.

Service technicians are invited to attend a free webinar on Thursday to learn how diagnostics on body controls don’t need to be complicated.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is hosting the hour-long webinar Body Control Electronics Diagnosis for free on Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET

Body controls on modern vehicles have evolved into complex systems relying on a variety of electrical components controlled by modules communicating on various networks. Phil Fournier of Standard Motor Products will show that while these are complex systems, the diagnostics do not have to be complicated if fundamental electrical principles are understood.

This course will first focus on understanding electrical theory as it applies to automotive systems including components such as motors, solenoids, actuators and their control circuits. Fournier will then use that theory to diagnose complex systems through real-world case studies.

After completing this class, a technician will be able to diagnose body electrical systems and components by demonstrating how to:

• Analyze voltage drop testing results
• Evaluate DVOM measurements
• Analyze oscilloscope waveforms
• Confirm inputs and outputs with scan tool data

Once registered, a confirmation note will be emailed to attendees about joining the webinar. Even if you are unsure if they’ll be able to make it, ASE recommends still signing up. If a recorded session is available, details will be sent on viewing the recording.

For more information or to register, click here.

The post Upcoming webinar on diagnosing body control electronics appeared first on Auto Service World.

Automotive service technicians looking for news, trends and updates on electric vehicles can attend a free webinar on Friday.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) announced that it’s hosting the one-hour webinar, entitled NAPA – Hybrid and Electric Vehicle EV Update, at 4 p.m. Eastern.

ASE said NAPA’s Jason Gloria will share some of the latest technology information, service news and trends regarding the business segment that’s always changing.

Registration is available through this link. Once registered, attendees will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the webinar.

For those who can’t attend, registration is still encouraged. If available, a recorded session will be accessible. A follow-up email with details will be sent.

The post ASE hosting EV webinar for techs appeared first on Auto Service World.

ASE certification testing has significantly expanded in Canada.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) recently acquired Vancouver-based Paragon Testing Enterprises by Prometric to open the door for more opportunities.

“Prometric has been a longtime partner of ASE, providing first-class testing options for service professionals in North America,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “With Prometric’s recent acquisition of Paragon Testing Enterprises, there are now more test-location options available throughout Canada for those pursuing ASE certification and recertification.”

Prometric, which has a satellite office in Toronto, has expanded its footprint in Canada with two more corporate locations added to the existing 13 that Prometric has been operating in Canada, ASE said in an announcement.

The Paragon acquisition creates an opportunity for ASE to partner with over 50 additional Paragon partner-sites including schools, learning centers and other testing facilities, helping Prometric expand in provinces like Northwest Territories, Yukon and Saskatchewan.

Visit www.ase.com/test-centers-1 to find a test centre. The ASE certification testing calendar and registration is available at www.ase.com/register-now.

The post Canada getting more ASE testing options appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Excellence (ASE) is reminding automotive service professionals to renew their subscriptions on the ASE Renewal App.

Introduced last year, the app extends ASP’s A1-A9 certifications without stepping foot in a test center. More than 10,000 service professionals are now using the app, ASE noted.

To keep their access to the app active, current users should renew their subscription at ASERenewalApp.com.

The app gives automotive professionals a remote option for managing their certifications and testing their technical knowledge through an app on their phone, tablet or computer. One credit is earned for each question answered correctly.

After earning eight credits in one certification area during the subscription period, the service professional receives a one-year extension to that certification. This allows them to keep their certifications current without having to go to a testing center. Users must resubscribe annually to keep their ASE renewal app account active.

For those who haven’t registered, a free three-day trial is available. Once subscribed, they have an immediate one-year extension added to their A series certifications. Technicians who have previously earned ASE automobile certifications A1-A9 can sign up for the app. Only those certifications that have been earned prior to starting an annual subscription will appear in the app.

“The ASE renewal app has become very popular with automotive service professionals. They have found the option to remotely renew A1-A9 certifications very convenient and beneficial,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “With any good subscription service, there comes a time to renew. We encourage all those who have downloaded the app to visit ASERenewalApp.com to renew their subscription so they can continue to use the app to its fullest.”

The post Reminder from ASE: Renew your subscription appeared first on Auto Service World.

On the latest episode of ASW Conversations, our host and publisher Peter Bulmer sits down with Al Haberman, an automotive trainer in Winnipeg.

Mandatory certification for automotive technicians has been a hot-button topic for some time. Unlicensed technicians can pose a danger to drivers as they may not have the proper tools and training to service and repair vehicles properly. Given the advancement of vehicles, certification is of greater importance, Haberman says.

“This isn’t your grandfather’s Buick anymore. These are very specialized vehicles and it takes a lot of training and a lot of knowledge to work on these things safely,” he observes. “The guys that are willing to put in the time and the shops that are willing to put in the time and the training and the equipment, they should be compensated properly for that.”

You can tune into the conversation by clicking the banner above or through this link.

Not already a subscriber?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts HERE!

Subscribe on SoundCloud HERE!

The post ASW Conversations: Al Haberman talks mandatory certification appeared first on Auto Service World.

Ontario tradespeople, including automotive technicians, have not been under scrutiny from the provincial government for the last three years despite fees being collected, according to a CBC report.

There has been no enforcement of the province’s compulsory certification of licensed trades since Doug Ford became premier and his Conservative party went into power in June 2018. Since then, there has been no oversight of whether or not those working in licensed trades have the certifications to actually do so, the public broadcaster noted.

Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

The Ontario College of Trades website shows that the last Notice of Contravention was posted on June 28, 2018. The last Provincial Offences Act conviction was on July 30, 2018, which was issued for an “individual engaging in compulsory trade – without Certificate of Qualification that is not suspended.”

In an interview with CBC, Patrick Dillon, business manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council — made up of labour unions — called out the lack of enforcement.

“You can’t have a trades qualification act and compulsory licensed trades and not have enforcement,” he told CBC.

Lou Trottier is the owner of All About Imports, an auto service and repair shop in Mississauga, Ont. He spoke out about the issue to CBC.

“You as a consumer pay a premium dollar to have your car serviced,” he said. “If you find out it was done by an unqualified, unlicensed person, it kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth, doesn’t it?”

The Ontario College of Trades was created in 2009. Part of its mandate is to enforce skilled trades certification rules. The Ford government passed legislation in 2018 to begin the shutdown of the college. Ford claimed the college was creating a red tape burden for businesses.

The school still exists, however. It has a notice on its website that it “is winding down as the government takes action to modernize the skilled trades and apprenticeship system.”

Apart from technicians, trades like plumbers, electricians, crane operators and hairstylists fall under the province’s list of groups that require certification.

The fee for certification was initially at $120, but dropped to $60 in 2019. But, as noted, the rules haven’t been enforced, according to the college’s website.

“When you’re paying for something and you’re not getting it, that is just a breach of the contract,” Dillon said.

“I play by the rules. I’m a stickler for rules,” Trottier told CBC. “And I would love everybody to be forced to play by the rules as well.”

As for the government, Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said inspectors have taken on an educational role in recent years.

“As we move forward this summer, we’ll ensure that the compliance and enforcement regulations are worked through,” CBC quoted him as saying. “I can assure everyone out there working in the trades that we’ll ensure that enforcement is present on job sites.”

The post Ontario not enforcing rules on techs: Report appeared first on Auto Service World.

This article first appeared in the May/June issue of Jobebr News. To access the digital version, click HERE.

---

Online learning is here to stay. But can it be done without experiencing virtual burnout?

Before COVID-19 swept the globe, online training was often regarded as a back-up solution for those who couldn’t make the in-person meet. But as of 2020, virtual learning has become a staple to allowing essential industries, including the automotive aftermarket, carry on and carry out their operations.

Prior to COVID-19, Standard Motor Products was one such company that conducted approximately 2,500 in person classes across North America, from Guam, to Fairbanks, Maine; all the way down to Puerto Rico. Instructors were even flown out of state for a few days, to train a group of technicians and then they’d fly home. Much like other companies, SMP also ran a successful online program pre-COVID-19, which started in 2008 with live webinars. “We always dabbled in the online environment, so when COVID-19 hit, and we were no longer able to travel or meet in person, it was a very clear transition for us to be able to train or technicians virtually,” said Ryan Kooiman, Director of Training, Standard Motor Products.

Standard Motor Products is a 102-year-old aftermarket manufacturer of engine management and temperature control components. The company is publicly traded, and over the last century, four generations of the same family have run the business, with the current CEO being the great grandson of the company’s original founder. “Although we’re a large company, we operate under those family values,” said Kooiman. “Part of our commitment to the aftermarket is to educate our customers and technicians, and that’s where training has been an important part of the company for over 45 years.”

Virtual fatigue, burnout, and why it happens

What many thought would be a short-lived solution for an industry that thrives on relationship building and human interaction, has morphed into a regular occurrence, proving that virtual training now has a permanent home in the automotive aftermarket. For technicians living outside of major cities, these virtual training classes unlock critical information that may not have always been so easily accessible.

All of the technicians who complete training with SMP are registered by the company. “We’ve got a record of everybody we’ve ever trained, going back at least a decade,” Kooiman said. “We’re seeing that 97 per cent of the people that are attending our classes today have never previously attended one of our training classes. This means we’ve reached a whole new market of technicians, but it also tells us that we’ve lost a big market of technicians as well,” Kooiman explained.

Despite the seemingly simplistic nature of online training, Kooiman acknowledges that there is a large market of technicians who do not want to engage in online training courses, crediting terms like “virtual fatigue” and “Zoom burnout” as two of the leading reasons why.

“Technicians by nature are very social creatures, despite many people not having that impression of them,” Kooiman said. “As a technician of 18 years, I always enjoyed going to classes, just to share the war stories with my brothers before and after the class, or at break time,” Kooiman said. “I think that’s what a lot of technicians miss, and it’s something that can’t be replicated in a virtual atmosphere.”

How to make virtual material stick

When the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lockdowns, reduced travel, and increased focus on personal health and safety, SMP’s Standard Pro Training team has shifted its focus to now primarily providing virtual, educational content. According to Kooiman, SMP tries to keep its virtual classes as engaging as possible, whether that’s by adding polls to encourage discussion and commentary amongst technicians, or by adding efficient break times (SMP includes a minimum of six). SMP also incorporates case studies into its training modules. Two of the major training programs SMP holds are Standard Pro Training On-Site and the Automotive Education Program (AME).

Standard Pro Training On-Site is a reality-based technician training program focused on the needs of the aftermarket professional automotive technician. The Automotive Education Program (AEP) is designed to assist instructors and help automotive technology students develop professional skills they can use in the bay. This program offers supplemental training for students, while providing an opportunity for them to earn gifts and help their instructor outfit the classroom. Since its launch in September 2020, more than 1,000 technical students have already “learned and earned” through Level 1 of the program.

“While some people like to just talk about facts, figure, and theory, or what’s the newest, greatest, or latest, our approach in the automotive training world is more so to give the technician information that they can use on the car that’s going to pull into their bay tomorrow,” Kooiman explained. “We use a lot of real-life stories that are submitted to us by technicians, and we actually work through the diagnosis of that particular vehicle together as a group and when we’re done, we open up the discussion to attendees to get their perspective.”

Keeping the communication lines open between instructor and participant, Kooiman says, is critical to preventing things like virtual burnout. To better embrace virtual training, Kooiman recommends incorporating the following elements into digital trainings:

Make the material relevant: facts and figures are great, but there needs to be relevance to what the technician sees daily. Identify their everyday challenges and address them in a way that’s engaging and creative, such as by using a case study.

Strike a balance: if the option to hold in-person training does become available (for example, in socially distanced groups), consider holding an in-person class, but always keep the virtual class as an option.

Develop content that’s specific to a virtual environment: try to avoid teaching topics that are less effective in an online environment. If you must, consider using live video or animation, as opposed to simply writing down the process on a slideshow.

Make room for assessment: incorporate mini-tests, quizzes, or portions that allow trainees to share their opinions on the course material. This is beneficial to the trainer and trainee.

“It’s always important to remember that while training doesn’t cost anything, it definitely pays,” Kooiman said. “Some shop owners may be scared to invest in their technicians because they think they’ll go work for the competition. But if it’s going to cost $100 to go to a training event, how much information will the technician get there that will make them that much more profitable at their job? It doesn’t take a whole lot of billable labour to recoup that $100, so I believe it’s a very inexpensive investment to educate a technician and earn it back,” Kooiman concluded.

The post How to make the most out of virtual training appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Virtual AAPEX Experience is offering its training content at no cost to automotive aftermarket professionals until Dec. 5, even if they didn’t register and attend the experience in early November.

New users should sign up for on demand access on the AAPEX website to receive their login credentials.

Attendees who already have credentials should simply login to the virtual platform for on demand content, which includes technical and management training valued at hundreds of dollars and taught by the industry’s top instructors. Many sessions are accredited and topics range from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) calibrations and diagnostics, Controller Area Networks (CANs) and European diagnostics, to attracting top talent, strategies for effective leadership and next generation diagnostic sales skills.

Three sessions

All product and equipment demos from the experience are available in the Joe’s Garage On Demand Library, while the ASE On Demand Library includes three sessions:

• A New Path to Recertification
• ASE Section 609 Update and Other MVAC Service News
• How to Successfully Establish an Effective CTE Advisory Committee

Aftermarket professionals also may access on demand content from the Keynote Session, “What to Expect on the Road Ahead,” and the Government Advocacy Town Hall, which celebrated the “yes” vote on Massachusetts Right to Repair and discussed, “What the Election Results Mean for Our Business.”

The Virtual AAPEX Experience, Nov. 3 – Nov. 5, served as the hub of training, insights and connections for the more than $1 trillion global automotive aftermarket industry. It featured instructor- and exhibitor-led training, product and equipment demos from industry suppliers, the New Product Showcase, and opportunities to connect one-on-one with exhibitors to talk products and conduct business.

AAPEX 2021 will return to the Sands Expo and Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Nov. 2 through Thursday, Nov. 4. All inquiries should be directed to W.T. Glasgow Inc., (708) 226-1300, billjr@aapexshow.com.

The post AAPEX still offering access to virtual training until Dec. 5 appeared first on Auto Service World.

DanaAftermarket.com features instructional videos to help automotive professionals get the most out of Dana Incorporated’s industry-leading e-commerce platform and an extensive literature library that provides in-depth product attribute information.

“For those new to DanaAftermarket.com, or those who have questions about specific platform features, we have created a series of videos to help guide them through the process of searching for parts, placing and tracking orders, and maximizing use of the site,” said Dan Griffin, senior director, aftermarket and digital solutions for Dana.

11 instructional videos

A series of 11 instructional videos are available at www.danaaftermarket.com/training-videos.

Dana customers can find out how to search and identify parts, check pricing and availability, navigate the shopping cart and checkout experience, and view order processing and history.

In addition, they can learn about helpful features of the DanaAftermarket.com platform, including fast order entry, exclusive RFQ pipeline access, and list creation to streamline the purchasing process.

When searching the DanaAftermarket.com global catalog for Spicer, Spicer Select, Victor Reinz, GWB, Albarus, Brevini, Glaser, and Spicer Torque-Hub parts, visitors will find associated literature and videos along with technical descriptions, product specifications, and high-resolution images.

The searchable literature library can be found at www.danaaftermarket.com/literature-library

“It has never been easier to do business with Dana,” continued Griffin.  “DanaAftermarket.com sets the standard for order management, providing customers with up-to-the-minute data related to inventory, processing and shipping.  Our aftermarket customers quickly learn that there are many valuable resources at their fingertips, like the expansive literature collection, that can help them make more informed purchasing decisions.”

For more information or to get login access, customers should contact their Dana sales representative or visit www.DanaAftermarket.com.

The post Dana launches 11 training videos for auto professionals appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Allan Janssen

California-based technical trainer Mike Cleary was all set to come to Vancouver for a Powerstroke Diesel class in the last week of March.

The technical class had been scheduled for months, and a good turnout was expected. But around the middle of March, he started to wonder if it would happen.

People were starting to voice concerns about coronavirus. By the third week of March, there were some cancellations. Then his hosts started wondering if it was a good idea to proceed.

“I could see the handwriting on the wall,” he says. “There were still people saying, ‘Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine.’ But I decided to err on the side of caution.”

Shortly after he cancelled the course, the Canada-U.S. border was shut down, and it’s still closed as of this writing.

Mark Lemay, owner of Auto Aide, a training operation based in Barrie, Ont., had a very similar experience.

“Around the second week of March I realized this coronavirus thing was going to be a big deal. We were keeping our eye on it,” he says. “In the third week of March, everyone starting cancelling. We usually run to the middle of June with training. This year it all dried up in March.”

Throughout North America, automotive trainers have had to adopt new strategies to keep their businesses running. As the pandemic lingers, they’re starting to wonder if these changes will be permanent ones.

“It’s not like we can just stop training,” says Mike Bailey, a partner at The Auto Prof, an Ontario-based training company that specializes in new technology. “Training is so important to the health of the industry.”

He says the pandemic comes just as a lot of service shops are coming to terms with their need to master advanced vehicle diagnostics.

“Technicians are hungry for higher level training and hands-on learning,” he says. “Those who are thinking about their futures in this industry have a vested interest in it. They want to do it. They like to do it. It’s part of their personality to pursue it.”

To keep the classes flowing, many trainers have resorted to webinars. In fact, it may be fair to say that many technicians have never received so many invitations to study complex subjects over live-streaming video.

“We’ve made the switch to webinars. We run one every other week or so. Sometimes once a week,” says Lemay. “If nothing else, it has shown us the way forward. As a company, we’ve been talking about getting into online training for seven or eight years. We just never did anything about it. Now there’s no question we’re going to go forward with it. I wish we’d done it sooner.”

He believes in the long run it could become the standard way to deliver training.

“It is certainly a better business model,” he says. “The travel time and costs are gone. There are no accommodation or meal costs. There’s greater convenience for busy people. There’s a lot to be said for it.”

Unfortunately, there are some downsides, including reduced interaction with students.

“As an instructor, I don’t think it’s particularly effective. Unfortunately, it’s our only alternative right now,” says Cleary. “In a live session you can see if the students are catching on, you see when they’re confused, you work off their responses, you make adjustments on the fly. You just don’t have that in a webinar.”

The other problem, of course, is the lack of hands-on training.

“Technicians are tactile learners. They learn by doing,” says Bailey. “You can show them all the pictures you want and you can tell all kinds of anecdotes and stories, but you’ll get guys calling you a week or two weeks later asking for help on something that you thought you’d covered. But if you let them do the job themselves, even once, you don’t get those calls. Once they’ve had the tool in their hand and they’ve actually worked on the part, it that drives the lesson home.”

And for those who are not as committed to training, it is much easier to put off an Internet appointment.

“I think coronavirus may be a convenient excuse for some not to do training,” says Lemay. “If you get out of the habit of seeking training, you stop developing as a technician. And as technology advances, you’re actually going backward. We can’t just stop training.

Web training is nothing new for Craig Van Batenburg, owner of Massachusetts-based training company ACDC. Specializing in hybrid and electric vehicle, he realized years ago that he got the best results when students arrived with some of the fundamentals already in place. Rather than create DVDs that would quickly go out of date, he started recording webinars that would serve as a primer for new students. Before long, he had a comprehensive library of training that could be delivered on-demand through the Internet.

“I had everything in place for Covid, and didn’t even know it,” he says.

When he had to put live training on hold in March, he launched daily webinars to keep his growing roster of students busy.

“Life has to go on,” he says. “It’s all a matter of adapting to new types of training.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer the same kind of dopamine fix as live training.

“Part of the satisfaction of teaching a hands-on class is being with people who are struggling with a concept, and you’re guiding them through it, and suddenly they get it. The light bulbs start turning on. They grab their pens and hurriedly start writing things down. That’s a rush. That doesn’t happen on a webinar. You can’t read their faces.”

He says you have to have tremendous confidence that what you’re doing is making sense when you have no feedback. In his webinars, he uses the same strategy of opening the floor to questions throughout the class, rather than just at the end.

“The end is the wrong time to ask questions,” he says. “By then confusion has set it. Or they don’t want to ask questions because they’re tired, or they don’t want to prolong the class on.”

In his webinars he regularly unmutes the participants and encourages a discussion.

“Sometimes that becomes the class,” he says.

No one can say when live training will be possible again. And when it does resume, it may be in smaller classes to observe strict social distancing protocols.

Nevertheless, trainers are counting down the days.

“I don’t know when that’ll happen but when it does, I anticipate people will have been cooped up for so long that the turnout for training will be pretty good,” says Cleary.

Van Batenburg says until then, he’s staying busy, developing new classes, writing articles, and completing an automotive textbook.

“When this is over, I think we’ll emerge as a better training company,” he says. “And I think the industry will be ready to come back to class.”

The post Online Learning: The changing face of training appeared first on Auto Service World.

Training sessions at the upcoming Virtual AAPEX Experience will cover a variety of topics, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) diagnostics and calibrations, European diagnostics, lab scope usage and controller area networks (CANs).

Organizers of the event — virtual this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic — have made all training sessions free, contracting a wide range of technical and management trainers to address the top issues, challenges and opportunities facing automotive service and repair professionals.

Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., EST, Tuesday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 5. Registration is required.

Classes are identified as beginner, intermediate and advanced, and many are accredited toward the Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) and Master Automotive Aftermarket Professional (MAAP) designations.

Trainers include:

• Jim Wilson and Tony Salas, Group Training Academy;
• Richard Cregar, Automotive Training Authority (ATA);
• Bill Haas and Sara Fraser, Haas Performance Consulting;
• Cecil Bullard, Institute for Automotive Business Excellence;
• Mike Reynolds, Mobile Automotive Service Solutions (MASS);
• Eric Ziegler, EZ Diagnostic Solutions Inc.;
• Murray Voth, RPM Training;
• Jeremy O’Neal, Advisorfix;
• Greg Bunch, Aspen Auto Clinic;
• John Thornton, Autotrain Inc.;
• Rick White,180BIZ;
• Maylan Newton, Educational Seminars Institute; and
• Bob Ward, Perpetual Business.

On the management side, topics will focus on attracting talent, creating a business culture, effective leadership, communication skills, business continuity and valuation, and social media from concept to engagement.

Exhibitor-led training also will be offered at no cost to attendees. DRiV/Garage Gurus will lead classes on engine performance diagnostic strategies, electronic power steering, wheel speed sensor testing and diagnosis, diagnostic alignment angles, catalytic converter efficiency DTCs (P0420/P0430) and diagnosis, and the top 5 misfire diagnostics.

Autel will provide training on ADAS and calibration, using a good vehicle inspection process to document suggested and required repairs to consumers, and how scan tool and labscope work together for more complete and accurate diagnosis and repair.

Bolt On Technology will bring its Bolt On University to attendees, covering best practices and the “Fast Track Your Shop’s Success” program.

In addition, Bosch will provide ADAS training, while Hunter Engineering will focus on wheel alignment and ADAS. Kukui and NAPA Auto Care also will offer exhibitor-led training and demos.

Click HERE for class descriptions, speaker information and dates/times.

www.aapexshow.com/

The post AAPEX releases speaker line-up appeared first on Auto Service World.

Carquest senior trainer Chris Chesney will host a webinar on Tuesday covering new vehicle technology.

The free event, organized by the Midwest Auto Care Alliance (MWACA) is open to industry professionals AT 8 p.m. EST.

Chesney will cover the changes in technology and the impact they have on auto repair facilities.

According to Chesney, “The technologies you’ll see in your bays in the next 10 years are already being built and are in your shop today. But what about the technologies to come? This presentation will cover not only the technologies, vehicles and services you’ll see but will also illustrate the changes in how we all interact with the automobile in general.”

Click HERE to register.

The post Chris Chesney to explore future vehicle tech in free webinar appeared first on Auto Service World.

By Allan Janssen

California-based technical trainer Mike Cleary was all set to come to Vancouver for a Powerstroke Diesel class in the last week of March.

The technical class had been scheduled for months, and a good turnout was expected. But around the middle of March, he started to wonder if it would happen.

People were starting to voice concerns about coronavirus. By the third week of March, there were some cancellations. Then his hosts started wondering if it was a good idea to proceed.

“I could see the handwriting on the wall,” he says. “There were still people saying, ‘Don’t worry about it. Everything will be fine.’ But I decided to err on the side of caution.”

Shortly after he cancelled the course, the Canada-U.S. border was shut down, and it’s still closed as of this writing.

Mark Lemay, owner of Auto Aide, a training operation based in Barrie, Ont., had a very similar experience.

“Around the second week of March I realized this coronavirus thing was going to be a big deal. We were keeping our eye on it,” he says. “In the third week of March, everyone starting cancelling. We usually run to the middle of June with training. This year it all dried up in March.”

Throughout North America, automotive trainers have had to adopt new strategies to keep their businesses running. As the pandemic lingers, they’re starting to wonder if these changes will be permanent ones.

“It’s not like we can just stop training,” says Mike Bailey, a partner at The Auto Prof, an Ontario-based training company that specializes in new technology. “Training is so important to the health of the industry.”

He says the pandemic comes just as a lot of service shops are coming to terms with their need to master advanced vehicle diagnostics.

“Technicians are hungry for higher level training and hands-on learning,” he says. “Those who are thinking about their futures in this industry have a vested interest in it. They want to do it. They like to do it. It’s part of their personality to pursue it.”

To keep the classes flowing, many trainers have resorted to webinars. In fact, it may be fair to say that many technicians have never received so many invitations to study complex subjects over live-streaming video.

“We’ve made the switch to webinars. We run one every other week or so. Sometimes once a week,” says Lemay. “If nothing else, it has shown us the way forward. As a company, we’ve been talking about getting into online training for seven or eight years. We just never did anything about it. Now there’s no question we’re going to go forward with it. I wish we’d done it sooner.”

He believes in the long run it could become the standard way to deliver training.

“It is certainly a better business model,” he says. “The travel time and costs are gone. There are no accommodation or meal costs. There’s greater convenience for busy people. There’s a lot to be said for it.”

Unfortunately, there are some downsides, including reduced interaction with students.

“As an instructor, I don’t think it’s particularly effective. Unfortunately, it’s our only alternative right now,” says Cleary. “In a live session you can see if the students are catching on, you see when they’re confused, you work off their responses, you make adjustments on the fly. You just don’t have that in a webinar.”

The other problem, of course, is the lack of hands-on training.

“Technicians are tactile learners. They learn by doing,” says Bailey. “You can show them all the pictures you want and you can tell all kinds of anecdotes and stories, but you’ll get guys calling you a week or two weeks later asking for help on something that you thought you’d covered. But if you let them do the job themselves, even once, you don’t get those calls. Once they’ve had the tool in their hand and they’ve actually worked on the part, it that drives the lesson home.”

And for those who are not as committed to training, it is much easier to put off an Internet appointment.

“I think coronavirus may be a convenient excuse for some not to do training,” says Lemay. “If you get out of the habit of seeking training, you stop developing as a technician. And as technology advances, you’re actually going backward. We can’t just stop training.

Web training is nothing new for Craig Van Batenburg, owner of Massachusetts-based training company ACDC. Specializing in hybrid and electric vehicle, he realized years ago that he got the best results when students arrived with some of the fundamentals already in place. Rather than create DVDs that would quickly go out of date, he started recording webinars that would serve as a primer for new students. Before long, he had a comprehensive library of training that could be delivered on-demand through the Internet.

“I had everything in place for Covid, and didn’t even know it,” he says.

When he had to put live training on hold in March, he launched daily webinars to keep his growing roster of students busy.

“Life has to go on,” he says. “It’s all a matter of adapting to new types of training.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer the same kind of dopamine fix as live training.

“Part of the satisfaction of teaching a hands-on class is being with people who are struggling with a concept, and you’re guiding them through it, and suddenly they get it. The light bulbs start turning on. They grab their pens and hurriedly start writing things down. That’s a rush. That doesn’t happen on a webinar. You can’t read their faces.”

He says you have to have tremendous confidence that what you’re doing is making sense when you have no feedback. In his webinars, he uses the same strategy of opening the floor to questions throughout the class, rather than just at the end.

“The end is the wrong time to ask questions,” he says. “By then confusion has set it. Or they don’t want to ask questions because they’re tired, or they don’t want to prolong the class on.”

In his webinars he regularly unmutes the participants and encourages a discussion.

“Sometimes that becomes the class,” he says.

No one can say when live training will be possible again. And when it does resume, it may be in smaller classes to observe strict social distancing protocols.

Nevertheless, trainers are counting down the days.

“I don’t know when that’ll happen but when it does, I anticipate people will have been cooped up for so long that the turnout for training will be pretty good,” says Cleary.

Van Batenburg says until then, he’s staying busy, developing new classes, writing articles, and completing an automotive textbook.

“When this is over, I think we’ll emerge as a better training company,” he says. “And I think the industry will be ready to come back to class.”

The post Online learning is suddenly the norm appeared first on Auto Service World.

WIX Filters, a member of the Mann+Hummel Group, has launched an online resource for technicians and shop owners

The WIX eLearning Center, designed to provide curriculum specific to the world of filtration, was launched in June.

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

The site has proven popular with Wix customers and was recently awarded a ‘Top 20 Tools’ award from Motor Magazine for its innovative approach to helping shop owners and technicians stay informed about industry developments concerning oil, fuel and air filtration, coolant and hydraulic filtration systems, as well as specialty topics.

“The relaunch of our eLearning Center was a true team effort and was designed with the shop owners and technicians in mind,” said Mike Lerch, Brand Manager for WIX Filters. “We are extremely pleased that our team hit the mark with this innovative platform for continuing education in filtration.”

The eLearning Center is available online to audiences near and far, the platform is provided in English, Spanish and French, with additional language capabilities planned for future expansion.

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.

www.wixfilters.com

The post Wix launches online resource for technicians, shop owners appeared first on Auto Service World.

Uni-Select Canada Inc. and its Bumper to Bumper stores will host an “all-digital personal experience” early next year, designed to shape the future of the Canadian automotive aftermarket.

The auto parts distribution company has created AUTOXPO, a reimagined trade show concept with an emphasis on health and safety. It will feature a new way of connecting exhibitors, customers, thought leaders, and media across the industry.

For more than 50 years, Uni-Select has been at the forefront of the automotive aftermarket evolution.  The AUTOXPO event is destined to become the market preferred platform to safely share ideas, engage with brands, join stores and automotive service providers while introducing products and technology innovation that will shape the future.

“AUTOXPO represents a great opportunity for Uni-Select Canada and Bumper to Bumper community to share, engage and learn.  And the fact that it is a digital trade event – the first of its kind in our industry – makes us very proud,” said Jason Best, senior vice president of sales, marketing and merchandising.

AUTOXPO 2021 will offer attendees a highly personalized experience:

• Keynotes, conferences: Enjoying a front-row seat for ground-breaking announcements and insights from Canada’s leading automotive aftermarket leaders, completely online.
• Concentrated group roundtable sessions: Engaging with the top national and private brand leaders.
• Discussion forums: Discussing with peers, engaging with industry leaders on topics of importance, reinventing the future!
• Training: Meeting the Uni-Select training team, attending personalized training sessions, talking with the instructors and discovering the training of the future.
• Product showcase: Visiting the digital show floor, exploring and buying new automotive products, tools and equipment, all based on individual interests, through dynamic product showcases or live conferences, live chat and demos.
• Banner updates: Discovering what’s new and upcoming in our banner programs as well as new services designed to help stores drive their business, through dynamic presentations and one-on-one meetings with regional representatives.
• Networking: Making business connections with new and existing partners through live interactions or scheduled appointments.
• Private discussion session with the Uni-Select team:  Learning about personalized consumer data, Google Analytics and web performance.
• Content libraries: Visiting the library, reading studies, watching videos, finding out about new trends or browsing top leader online magazines.

In Canada, Uni-Select supports over 16,000 automotive repair and collision repair shops and more than 4,000 shops through its automotive repair/installer shop banners and automotive refinish banners. Its national network includes over 1,000 independent customer locations and more than 75 company-owned stores, many of which operate under the Uni-Select Bumper to Bumper, Auto Parts Plus and FinishMaster store banner programs.

www.uniselect.com

The post Uni-Select to host all-digital ‘personal experience’ in January appeared first on Auto Service World.

Mark Malig, who won a scholarship through Central Auto Parts Distributors, plans to pursue a career as a parts technician after graduating from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Auto Value has presented scholarships to 25 students from across North America.

The students, picked from a competitive pool of applicants, have each been awarded $1,000 for their studies in the 2020-2021 academic year.

“It is always a pleasure to recognize and honor Auto Value students,” said JC Washbish, vice president of sales and marketing for Auto Value. “Each one of these winners has already achieved many noteworthy accomplishments, and we look forward to supporting them in their future endeavors.”

All candidates were required to submit a comprehensive application that included essay prompts, short answers, letters of recommendations, applicable transcripts, and more. In order to be eligible for the Auto Value scholarship funds, they also had to Auto Value employees or children of employees.

A seven-person panel from the University of the Aftermarket Foundation reviewed the dozens of applications and determined the 25 winners.

“As tuition continues to rise, associates at our stores, Certified Service Centers, and distribution centers genuinely appreciate the help provided by the Alliance’s scholarship program,” said Dennis Spooner, president and managing partner of Auto Value shareholder owner The Merrill Company/Arnold Motor Supply. “The Alliance offers many programs, from training to big trip giveaways, but scholarship recipients are always the most excited to get the call.”

Since the Alliance scholarship program was developed in 2001, it has awarded more than $500,000 in scholarships to deserving students. The annual program encourages continuing education within the membership and supports the next workforce generation in achieving their educational goals.

This year’s recipients:

www.autovalue.com

The post Auto Value hands out 25 scholarships appeared first on Auto Service World.

The latest in a series of webinars by chassis-manufacturer Mevotech will cover “Maximizing Bay Efficiency with TTX Labour Savers.”

You can register for the event, scheduled for Thursday Sept. 24, HERE.

The 30-minute webinar discusses how high-usage fleets and trucks need parts that are engineered for extreme punishment and are designed for fast installs to get them back on the job.

According to Mevotech, its high-performance TTX parts with Labour Savers can:

• make every installation faster and easier;
• put the tools and hardware technicians need at their fingertips; and
• boost bay productivity and bottom line.

Last month, Mevotech offered a webinar outlining “Four Reasons Why Professional Technicians Choose TTX.”

A recording of the event can be found HERE.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBeEW4LnJYg

The post Mevotech announces next TTX webinar appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) says everything service technicians need to schedule and maintain their ASE certifications will be available on the new “myASE portal” dashboard.

The enhanced site will streamline the registration process as well as make it easier to schedule tests and keep track of certification information.

The new dashboard features many site upgrades, including:

• New shopping cart experience
• Easy-to-use navigation and quick links
• Lower registration fee, automatically applied to each order
• Updated video tutorials and FAQ’s

The summer registration window continues through to the end of September. The fall registration window will open on October 10 and run through December 31, 2020.

Questions and concerns, can be sent to contactus@ase.com or by calling 1-800-390-6789.

Established in 1972 as a non-profit organization, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) upholds and promotes high standards of service and repair through the assessment, certification and credentialing of current and future industry professionals, and the prestigious ASE Blue Seal logo identifies professionals who possess the essential knowledge and skills to perform with excellence.

www.ase.com.

The post New ASE dashboard helps techs schedule certification tests appeared first on Auto Service World.

Mike Coley, president of ASE Education Foundation, welcomes over 900 attendees to the ASE Virtual Training Conference.

Covid-19 did not hamper the Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) annual conference for motive-power instructors.

More than 1000 instructors from across North America registered for a virtual version of the instructor conference, and over 900 instructors participated in one or more sessions — a 150 percent increase over last year’s record-setting attendance.

Mike Coley, president, ASE Education Foundation, described the sold-out event as a huge success.

“We could not be happier with our first virtual training conference,” he said. “Many thanks to the presenters who shared critical information that instructors could not get anywhere else, and Cengage who provided the registration and webinar technical support.”

Educators who participated in the conference received a collective total of 5,700 hours of professional development training specifically geared to training programs coping with the effects of COVID-19. On average, each instructor participated in more than six hours of virtual training during the two days of the conference, all of which are applicable to the 20-hour annual training requirement.

The sessions covered a wide range of topics. Fernando Bleichmar, general manager of U.S. Higher Education and Skills for Cengage, gave the keynote address where he focused on macro trends in education. Toyota T-TEN instructors shared their Safe Lab plan, ASE staff discussed the impact of COVID-19 on program accreditation, and SkillsUSA showed how to develop students’ employability skills. Instructors also heard about varied instructional models, how to engage distance learners, and how to put work-based learning into action. Eight different publishers explored curriculum presentation in a virtual environment. Eric Chester, a noted speaker and author, delivered a closing speech that revealed keys to student motivation.

Instructors who were not able to attend the live conference will have the opportunity to view recorded sessions, download handouts and receive certificates of completion by visiting the Events section of the ASE Education Foundation website.

The ASE Education Foundation works with over 2300 automotive technology training programs and over 50,000 students nationally to provide the transportation industry a viable workforce through standards and credentials for institutions, organizations and individuals. The Foundation also offers career development and workplace exposure by creating relationships and partnerships with employers.

The post Over 900 instructors attend ASE virtual training appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance will host exclusive webinars each week throughout the summer for its Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper members.

The plans Summer Webinar Series, will be coordinated in partnership with many of the Alliance’s channel partners,

“Our daily webinars earlier this year proved to be an incredible benefit for our shops, stores, and warehouse distributors,” said JC Washbish, vice president of sales and marketing at the Alliance. “We’re delighted to be continuing these training efforts this summer with the support of our vendor partners.”

The training sessions will be hosted at a variety of times throughout the week to best support the varying schedules of Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper automotive professionals. Topics include diagnostic strategies, ADAS, charge systems, spark plugs, wheel bearings, chassis, ride control, steering, engine sealing, and much more.

The Alliance prides its members on their dedication to education and supports additional training through Alliance University, the group’s internal training platform. As technicians across the country vie to be a 2021 Technician of the Year finalist, the Alliance recommends engaging in Alliance trainings, including this webinar series.

DRiV, the exclusive Technician of the Year sponsor, has compiled a six-part addition to the webinar series that will enable technicians to work their way to becoming a 2021 Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Technician of the Year finalist.

“The goal of Garage Gurus is to reach every service provider it can with an extensive list of industry-leading training, so we developed a series of six live and interactive webinars on key topics,” said Dennis Sheran, executive director, Garage Gurus, DRiV. “The Alliance webinar series is the perfect vehicle for these unusual times where group face-to-face training is not possible. We are thrilled to be able to share this content, and we look forward to our exclusive sponsorship of the Alliance Tech of the Year competition.”

In addition working with DRiV, the Alliance will also be partnering with BBB Industries, BCA Bearings, Epicor,GCommerce, Motorcar Parts of America, NGK, ZF Aftermarket, and others.

“Webinars and providing educational tools virtually have become even more important over the last few months,” said Meagan Moody, marketing communications manager, ZF Aftermarket. “At ZF Aftermarket we’ve increased the availability of these tools and have focused on making them available for technicians through our industry partners, like the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance. We’re happy to partner with the Alliance on this webinar series and provide that virtual opportunity to connect with our high-caliber technical trainers.”

Alliance University is an expansive library of educational resources for Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper members, containing a variety of product, technological, and customer service classes. The platform utilizes the CARS OnDemand learning management system and a plethora of webinars, courses, seminars, and other training opportunities from many of the valued Alliance channel partners.

www.autovalue.com

www.bumpertobumper.com

The post Alliance launches summer learning series appeared first on Auto Service World.

Brian Wheeler is vice president of business development and marketing for Fort Smith, Arkansas-based Cloyes. A supplier of timing drive system kits and components, Cloyes really has to stay on top of new-vehicle trends and technology. We thought I’d ask Brian what’s coming down the O.E. track, and why technicians should be paying attention.

The post ASW Conversations: Brian Wheeler on keeping up with technology appeared first on Auto Service World.

The Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance has partnered with Excel Sales Consulting to expand offerings on Alliance University, the group’s internal training platform.

The partnership will assist store teams in consistently delivering on Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper’s motto: “Service is the Difference.”

“Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper have always valued training and a commitment to further education,” said JC Washbish, vice president of sales and marketing at the Alliance. “We are proud to further expand our educational offerings through this partnership with Excel Sales Consulting and its president, Norman Rose.”

The new training partnership will include delivery driver courses, inside counterperson courses, leadership courses, and more. Trainees will learn about relationship selling skills, creating the ultimate customer experience, and communicating effectively.

“Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work with the Aftermarket Auto Parts Alliance, presenting at their conferences and providing sales, customer service, and leadership training for many of the Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper locations throughout North America,” said Norman Rose, president of Excel Sales Consulting.

“The Excel Sales Consulting team is excited about continuing our partnership to provide the group with a fully-branded online video-based series of customized sales, customer service and store manager leadership training for their store teams.”

Alliance University is an expansive library of educational resources for Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper members, containing a variety of product, technological, and customer service classes.

The platform utilizes the Oshawa, Ont.-based CARS OnDemand learning management system and a plethora of webinars, courses, seminars, and other training opportunities from many of the valued Alliance channel partners.

www.autovalue.com

The post Alliance partners with Excel Sales Consulting appeared first on Auto Service World.

Repair facilities and industry organizations looking to promote their support of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and its ASE certification program can visit www.ASEtoolkit.com to access ASE-approved marketing communications resources free of charge.

“The ASE online toolkit is a one-stop web portal for shops, technicians and industry partners to quickly locate ASE marketing assets for use in their own communications materials,” said Trish Serratore, senior vice president of communications for the Leesburg, Virg.-based institute. “ASE-approved logos, videos and branded marketing materials can be downloaded quickly, and new items are added periodically, to make it easy for our industry partners to incorporate ASE into their marketing programs.”

The ASE Partner Toolkit is segmented by shop owners, technicians and corporate partners and features the following types of downloadable marketing materials: logos, photography, email templates and infographics, as well as ASE brochures, posters, videos and publications.

Established in 1972 as a non-profit organization, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)  upholds and promotes high standards of service and repair through the assessment, certification and credentialing of current and future industry professionals.

www.ase.com

www.ASEtoolkit.com

The post ASE offers downloadable marketing materials appeared first on Auto Service World.

Mark Lemay is the owner of Auto Aide, a training operation based in Barrie, Ont. In March, when society shut down out in defence against the coronavirus, his live training events were cancelled… and have remained so. We talked to him about the move to webinars and how effective that is in keeping technicians up-to-date on the latest technology.

The post ASW Conversations: Mark Lemay on training in the age of Covid appeared first on Auto Service World.

Mark Lemay is the owner of Auto Aide, a training operation based in Barrie, Ont. In March, when society shut down out in defence against the coronavirus, his live training events were cancelled… and have remained so. We talked to him about the move to webinars and how effective that is in keeping technicians up-to-date on the latest technology.

The post ASW Conversations: Mark Lemay on training in the age of Covid appeared first on Auto Service World.

The government of Ontario has announced new support for apprentices.

The Ontario Tools Grant will provide apprentices with grants to assist in the purchase of tools, protective equipment and clothing.

There is $2.5 million available for the grant program for 2020-21, and $7.5 million for 2021-22 and beyond.

The government website announced funding amounts as:

• $1,000 for those in motive power sector trades;
• $600 for those in construction and industrial sector trades;
• $400 for those in service sector trades.

To be eligible for the new grant, apprentices must have completed level 1 training on or after April 1, 2020; an active registered training agreement; and been registered as an apprentice for at least 12 months.

In addition to the Ontario Tools Grant program, the government also announced that more than $10 million in outstanding loans owed by apprentices for tool purchases made at the beginning of their careers will be forgiven.

The post Ontario offers tool support for apprentices appeared first on Auto Service World.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has extended its test-scheduling window to Sept. 30, to give those who have registered additional time to schedule their tests.

The Leesburg, Virg.-based institute will keep spring registration open until June 30 for more than 54 automotive, collision, medium/heavy duty, school bus, transit bus, and truck equipment repair certification tests.

ASE tests are conducted days, nights and weekends at nearly 500 secured, proctored test centers. It is recommended that automotive professionals coordinate testing with their employers and review the social distancing and safety measures that the Prometric test centers have put in place.

Before registering, please check test center availability.

Recertification for the automotive series of tests (A1-A9) is available through the new ASE renewal app at www.ASErenewalapp.com.

ASE testing is available throughout the year and free online study guides are available to help with the test preparation process.

www.ase.com

The post ASE extends spring scheduling window appeared first on Auto Service World.