News Briefs
New ASE Collision Testing Handbooks
Collision repair professionals planning to take the November tests offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) can start studying now with the "Mitchell Automotive Technician Certification Collision Test Preparation Handbook Series." The series consists of five new handbooks designed to help technicians prepare for and pass the five ASE collision repair tests: "Painting & Refinishing Test B2," "Non-Structural Analysis & Damage Repair Test B3," "Structural Analysis & Damage Repair Test B4," "Mechanical & Electrical Components Test B5," and "Damage Analysis & Estimating Test B6."
Each handbook contains a general knowledge pretest, a sample test and practice questions. The questions are the same type, quantity and difficulty as those found in the actual ASE tests. Handbooks provide answers and a brief explanation for each question. Call (800) 238-9111, ext. 8508 for information.
ARA to Test Air-Bag Deployment
The Automotive Recyclers Association (ARA) believes the use of undeployed, recycled OEM air bags can be a viable, economical and safe alternative to the use of new, more costly OEM air bags. To support this theory, ARA will be sponsoring comprehensive testing of undeployed, recycled air-bag modules later this year.
The tests will be scheduled over a two-week period and will be conducted by Garwood Laboratories Inc. of Pico Rivera, Calif., which has conducted testing for major automotive manufacturers and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Larry King to Head Lineup of NACE Keynote Speakers
Larry King, the host of CNN's "Larry King Live," will provide the opening keynote address at the 1998 International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE). King is one of the most popular and well-known personalities in the television industry, having interviewed such guests as President Clinton and Michael Jordan. His work has earned him numerous awards, including Broadcaster of the Year from the International Radio and Television Society, nine Cable ACE Awards, and the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for his role in the 1992 presidential election. His presentation of the Al Gore/Ross Perot NAFTA debate was the most-watched regularly scheduled cable program in history.
Peter Ueberroth, an American business legend, will also address NACE attendees in Dallas. Ueberroth was president of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organ-izing Committee, Major League Baseball's sixth commissioner, and Time magazine's 1984 "Man of the Year."
Other speakers at NACE 1998 include Ken Schmidt, the primary caretaker of Harley-Davidson's corporate image enhancement for the last 13 years; and Lyn St. James, one of the top race car drivers in the world, who has set 31 national and international speed records during her professional racing career.
NACE '98 will take place at the Dallas Convention Center, Dec. 3-6, and is sponsored by the Automotive Service Association. For more information, call NACE Show Management toll free at (888) 529-1641 or visit the NACE Web site (http://www.NACE-98.com).
GM Pilots Mobile Service Vans
A new kind of mobile service is being piloted at General Motors Goodwrench Service Plus dealerships by GM Service Parts Operations. The GM Goodwrench Service Plus Mobile Service Van pilot program includes five to 10 Chevrolet vans in operation by Houston-area Chevrolet dealers, and five additional vans in operation by Cadillac dealers elsewhere in the nation. The pilot stage is scheduled to last through the first quarter of 1999.
The vans will initially offer services such as special-order parts installation; but GM plans to use customer input received during the pilot phase to determine which services are ultimately offered. Eventually, GM hopes to incorporate light routine maintenance into this program.
Aftermarket Powers U.S. Economy
By providing employment for some 4.4 million people in 399,000 individual businesses, the auto industry is "the locomotive that powers the U.S. economy," according to the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) in its reference publication, "Market Analysis: The Report on the Vehicle Parts Industry 1998 Pocket Overview." According to report, transportation has accounted for nearly 11 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) since 1989.
Regular Emissions Inspections Necessary, Technicians Say
America's top auto technicians agree that that 195 million cars and trucks on the road today should undergo regular emissions testing, according to the 1998 Valvoline/ASE Poll of the American Mechanic.
More than half of the respondents (54 percent) in the sixth annual survey, released in July, believe emissions testing is necessary at least once a year. Thirty-six percent of technicians said emissions should be checked every other year.
Fourteen states currently do not require annual emissions inspections.
NHTSA Reviews Replacement Crash Parts Safety Issues || Technicians, Environmental Concerns in Service Shops || Managing Risk in Body Shops || Professionals Enhance the Industry's Image || Guest Editorial || Tech to Tech || Tech Tips || News Briefs || Taking the Hill || Around ASA || Net Worth || Stat Corner || Shop Profile || Chairman's Message
AutoInc. Magazine ®, Vol. XLVI, September 1998 (http://www.asashop.org)