News Briefs
I-CAR/ASE end-of-course exams
Students who have completed any of the following I-CAR courses are eligible to take the I-CAR/ASE end-of-course exams: Advanced Vehicle Systems; Aluminum Repair, Replacement and Welding; Collision Repair Course (CRC); Collision Repair 2000 (CR 2000); Detailing; Finish Matching; Glass Replace-ment; Plastic Repair; Steering and Suspension; and Workplace Hazardous Materials.
The exam for Understanding Collision Repair will be available in March 1998. Exams are not a requirement to earn the Certificate of Completion. Students must have completed all units of a course before registering to take exams. Those who pass the end-of-course exam will be sent a new certificate and will receive an ad-ditional Gold Class point.
Exams cost $15 each in the United States; $20 in Canada; and $40 in New Zealand. To order exams, call (800) 422-7872. In Can-ada, call (800) 565-4227.
CARSTAR acquires two stores
CARSTAR, the nation's largest collision repair franchise, has taken the next step in its long-range plan by acquiring two collision repair centers in the Kansas City metro area and plans to add more stores in 1998. The current number of corporate-owned stores is six, with four stores in the Omaha/Lincoln area.
CARSTAR was founded in 1989 on the premises of conversion franchising or converting existing collision repair facilities into CARSTAR franchises.
SUVs highlight AAA's top car list
AAA expanded its annual Top Car Awards this year to include sport utility vehicles (SUVs), with awards going to Subaru's Forester as the best SUV priced less than $25,000 and to Mercedes' ML 320 for SUVs priced more than $25,000. The Top Car Awards also include a category for minivans, with the Chrysler Town and Country earning the top spot.
Picked best in their price class for passenger cars were the Chevrolet Cavalier, under $12,500; Toyota Corolla, $12,500-$15,000; Oldsmobile Cutlass, $15,000-$20,000; Dodge Intrepid, $20,000-$25,000; Toyota Avalon, $25,000-$30,000; Volvo V70 Wagon-AWD, $30,000-$35,000; Lincoln Town Car, $35,000-$40,000; Lexus GS 400, $40,000-$50,000; and BMW 750 iL, more than $50,000. (The BMW 750 iL was ranked highest with 173 points.)
Rankings are based on comprehensive reviews appearing in AAA's 1998 Autograph Book - an annual evaluation of new vehicles. The book features ratings of more than 180 vehicles ranging from sport cars to minivans. Vehicles are awarded up to 10 points in each of 20 categories, including workmanship, safety, passenger environment and value.
This is the fourth consecutive year the Chevrolet Cavalier has ranked highest in its price category.
SPX announces "Tech 2 Flash" for GM aftermarket service repair industry
Last fall, under a licensed agreement with General Motors (GM) Corp., SPX Corp. announced strategic marketing plans to offer "Tech 2 Flash" to independent repair outlets and technicians servicing GM vehicles - a tool designed to help technicians diagnose and repair today's automotive emissions systems as well as provide vehicle reprogramming technology.
Tech 2 Flash houses SPX software in hardware supplied by Hewlett-Packard Company. This is the same tool that is used at GM dealerships and provides aftermarket shops with all of the capabilities. The GM Service Technology Group (STG) has licensed the distribution of this tool to independent facilities that repair GM vehicles. Initially, independent repair outlets and technicians may purchase the Tech 2 Flash tool through MAC Tools distributors.
ARA persuades EPA on benefits of selling recycled CFC-12
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new standards at the end of last year allowing owners and operators of recycling facilities to sell refrigerant recovered from reclaimed cars, trucks and other vehicles without first recycling the chemicals, according to the Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA).
ARA strongly recommended that the EPA publish a final rule that would provide an incentive for the recovery and reuse of refrigerants located at motor vehicle disposal facilities and minimize the discharge of refrigerants.
ARA suggested that the recovery and recycling of refrigerants from motor vehicle disposal facilities would be more economically attractive to the MVAC technician and the motor vehicle disposal facility if the sale or reuse of unclaimed refrigerant is explicitly permitted.
ARA sought clarification because of ambiguities in the regulation that effectively limited most automotive recyclers to selling recovered refrigerants only to certified reclaimers. The price paid by the reclaimer is substantially lower than the fair market price an automotive recycler could receive for the product from a certified 609 technician.
The Business of Insurance || A/C Contamination and Blends || Air Bags: On or Off? || Associations Advance America || A Tribute to G.W. "Bud" Merwin III || Guest Editorial: "Association" is key to growth. || Tech to Tech || Tech Tips || News Briefs || Taking the Hill || Around ASA || Shop Profile || Net Worth || Stat Corner || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLVI, March 1998