NEWSBREAK_COLUMNS MASTERNewsBreak NACAT 2014 Focuses on Delivering Service-Ready Technicians Industry Employers Can Hire The North American Council of Au- tomotive Teachers’ 2014 annual con- ference was held in Greenville, SC, from July 20-25, 2014. More than 250 NACAT members and 50 speakers at- tended. The pervasive theme at NACAT 2014 was its desire to deliver more industry-ready technicians.
“We must meet the needs of indus- try employers who hire our students,” explained Russ Ferguson, acting NACAT board chairperson. “We have to teach to what the industry has and does,” agreed Keith Santini, a NACAT board member, presenter and exhibitor for CDX Automotive. “Technical school accreditation stan- dards and instructional curriculum must adapt to and embrace current industry needs on a continual basis.” He and many of the other 50 presen- ters echoed this comment in the training seminars throughout the week. It’s clear that many other auto- motive instructors feel an urgency to teach to current and future needs more, and to the past less.
Several announcements were made at the closing business meeting:
•NACAT will continue to be an in- dependent corporation, with a focus on developing working relationships with other leading industry organiza- tions committed to better aligning au- tomotive technical education with in- dustry employer needs.”
•Bill Haas was introduced as the NACAT’s new business manager, ef- fective Aug. 1 of this year. He will al- so take on the role of vice president for NACAT conferences in 2015.
•NACAT’s national office was moved to Tyler, TX, last month.
•By October, the NACAT board will complete a SWOT analysis to deter- mine the best ways NACAT can pro- vide education to aspiring technicians that matters to industry employers.
•The 2015 annual NACAT confer- ence will be held in Joliet, IL, fol- lowed by NACAT 2016 in Hous- ton.—Bob Chabot
NASTF Connects Shop Owners, Techs & OEMs at AAPEX As of mid-August, service operations representatives from a dozen original equipment manufacturers had con- firmed their participation in the Na- tional Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) Fall 2014 General Meeting, to take place Wednesday, Nov. 5 dur- ing the Automotive Aftermarket
Products Expo (AAPEX). The show is set for Nov. 4-6 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.
The NASTF meeting has become part of the new Service Professionals Program at AAPEX and offers an op- portunity for shop owners and techni- cians to interact directly with OEMs to bring solutions in service informa- tion. The meeting’s featured topic is “Aftermarket Access to OEM Educa- tion Resources.” A confirmed agenda is available at www.nastf.org/Gen- eralMeetings.
Kathleen Schmatz, president and chief operating officer of the Auto Care Association, said that adding NASTF to the AAPEX Service Pro-
fessionals Program “brings the after- market one step closer to the OEM. Sessions on the NASTF meeting agenda like ‘OEM Education Re- sources’ and the ‘2018’ PC diagnostic requirements give both the automak- er and the aftermarket technician in- sights into each other’s world.”
“Technicians, service writers and shop owners are the front line in our industry and AAPEX…is committed to adding value for their time at the show. The addition of the NASTF General Meeting to the AAPEX Ser- vice Professionals Program is an im- portant step in continuing the dialog among service providers, aftermarket channel partners and suppliers so that all can innovate and win in to- day’s aftermarket,” said Bill Long, president and chief operating officer, Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA).
For more information, visit the NASTF website given here, or con- tact Skip Potter, NASTF executive di- rector, at skippotter@nastf.org. To register for AAPEX, log on to www.aapexshow.com/register.
Free Modules Added to Snap-on Training Website Snap-on receently added free VAN- TAGE Ultra Training Solutions mod- ules to its website at http://diagnos tics.snapon.com/trainingsolutions. The four modules are designed to help professional service technicians navi- gate the features and functionality of this new graphing multimeter and high-speed, two-channel lab scope.
The new modules cover the follow- ing areas:
•Introduction and navigation: Start- up, Controls, Touch Screen.
•Meter Functions, Digital Multi- meter, Graphing Multimeter, Scope Functions.
•Guided Component Tests, Com- ponent Information: Component Op- eration, Connectors, Component Lo- cation, Tech Notes.
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•Previous Vehicles and Data: Vehi- cle History, View Saved Data, Delete Saved Data.
The Snap-on Training Solutions modules provide product training that’s available 24/7, so technicians can access them when it’s most convenient for them. All modules are free of charge, and technicians can revisit the training sessions as often as necessary to learn at their own pace and comfort level.
To learn more about VANTAGE Ultra, talk to a Snap-on representative or visit http://diagnostics.snapon.com.
ACDelco Enhances Its E-Commerce Capabilities Mobile capability with VIN scanning and the ability to accommodate un- limited users are the latest enhance- ments for independent service cen- ters that use ACDelco WIP, the on- line parts ordering system. The im- provements are the first of many ACDelco (www.acdelco.com) plans as a result of moving its e-business tool to a single vendor, WHI Solutions of Rye Brook, NY.
WIP allows ACDelco suppliers to offer their full inventory of parts for all makes and models to Independent Servcie Centers (ISCs), along with real-time availability, price and labor. A single-vendor approach also bene- fits ACDelco suppliers with better economies of scale and growth op- portunities.
“WIP has a lot of great features with unique benefits, like our Spe- cialty Catalogs,” said Stephen C. Sigg, global e-commerce manager. “We are constantly updating our product to make it the best choice to support the independent aftermarket business. Our new WIP arrangement allows us to release new functionality more quickly. In the coming months, our users will see many positive changes.”
According to Sigg, along with im- proved functionality, WIP will retain the features users rely on. WIP re-
mains the source for the ACDelco specialty catalogs: Illustrated, Battery, Chemical and Pigtail.
Other WIP features include rout- ing and tracking deliveries, access to longstanding national ePromotions (Massachusetts excluded) for GM Service Information (GMSi) and Technical Information System (TIS2Web); the ACDelco Communi- ty exclusively for WIP professionals; the Feedback button to help ensure that WIP meets user needs; and the Home Tab to shop for ACDelco Sup- plier custom items.
For more information on WIP or locating an ACDelco supplier, call 800-ACDelco (800-223-3526).
MOTOR Magazine Adds Publishing Honors Continuing its longstanding tradition of editorial excellence, MOTOR Maga- zine recently earned a number of honors in three major competitions for work published in 2013—the American Society of Business Publi- cation Editors (“Azbees”), the Trade, Association and Business Publications International (“Tabbies”) and the In- ternational Automotive Media Com- petition (IAMC).
Karl Seyfert, MOTOR’s Executive Editor, was a big winner. His article “Different Strokes: Internal Combus- tion Engines Still Deliver” (March 2013 issue) garnered a Silver Tabbie award for best technical article as well as Silver in the IAMC competi- tion in the Technical: General catego- ry. In addition, Seyfert’s regularly scheduled Trouble Shooter column earned a Gold IAMC award and a Sil- ver Azbee.
John Lypen, MOTOR’s Editor and Publisher, was also a winner in the three competitions. His Editor’s Re- port column won a Gold IAMC award, a Silver Tabbie and a Bronze Azbee.
MOTOR’s contributing writers also collected some hardware for their ef-
MOTOR Editors
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forts in 2013. A Gold IAMC award in the Technical: How to Do It category went to Sam Bell for “TPMS Sensors Reach Retirement Age” (June 2013), and an IAMC Silver in the same cate- gory was awarded to Bob Chabot for “Are You Planning for an Electric Surge?” (Sept. 2013).
Last but not least, everyone was honored by IAMC with a Silver award in the category Best Single Issue (Writing) for the August 2013 issue.
Gates Training Offers Bonus Prizes to ASA Members Automotive Service Association (ASA) education member Gates now offers ASA members a free training and education program called Accel- eration Sessions. The online video training series can be located at www.gatesprotraining.com, and each quarter features new topics. After
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watching a short educational video, members who pass a brief quiz may receive a dining discount coupon worth $25.
In addition, ASA members are eli- gible for a bonus drawing of 25 ser- pentine belt drive displays if they use their ASA Promo Code when they register for each Acceleration Ses- sions training event. That’s in addi- tion to the regular prizes, which can include various laser alignment tools or packages valued at approximately $1000.
“We are very proud to offer auto- motive repair professionals free train- ing that helps them keep building their valuable skills,” said Bobby Bas- sett, national training director, Gates Corp. “Gates offers premium prod- ucts that give the ultimate perfor- mance, just like our aftermarket channel partners are committed to giving the best repairs possible, so
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this program brings it all together.” To learn more about ASA’s efforts
on behalf of service and repair pro- fessionals, and how to become a member, visit www.ASAshop.org, or call 800-272-7467 ext. 361.
New Bosch Website Offers Help in Choosing the Right Replacement Fuel Injector Bosch has launched a new customer awareness initiative designed to pro- vide information and education nec- essary to help diesel vehicle owners and technicians make the right choice when purchasing replacement injec- tors for vehicle service.
The cornerstone of the initiative is www.ChooseTheRightInjector.com, a new website that offers in-depth in- formation on a variety of key topics, including why injectors fail and the hazards of using nonauthorized re- manufactured injectors. The site also includes a section on frequently asked questions.
Bosch conducted an intense evalu- ation of a number of nonauthorized rebuilt injectors available in the mar- ketplace. More than 50% failed and presented a significant potential haz- ard to the engine if installed in a diesel common-rail system, including loss of power, decrease in fuel econo- my, increased noise, smoke and en- gine and exhaust system damage, among other hazards.
“Common-rail engines are less for- giving of poor quality than conven- tional engines,” said Ross Sander- cock, Director of Diesel Products for Bosch Automotive Aftermarket. “Al- though there are many options for se- lecting rebuilt/remanufactured injec- tors that can save you money, there are also as many risks associated with choosing an injector from a nonau- thorized manufacturer. Consumers and technicians need to know the risks and understand the choices they have in order to make an informed decision regarding diesel vehicle ser- vice and performance.”
Using a problem-solution ap- proach, the new website takes visitors through the most common injector failure scenarios, lists the symptoms
of those failures and offers tips on how to avoid them. The site also in- cludes links to informational brochures, Bosch Vehicle Part Finder and Where to Buy, which locates the nearest Bosch Diesel sales outlet.
New Waveform Library Lets Users Save, Share & Search The latest software release for British company Pico Technology’s Pico- Scope 3000 or 4000 Series automo- tive oscilloscope contains a feature that the company thinks will be one of its most popular—the ability to search a library of waveforms up- loaded by PicoScope users from around the world. As of early August, more than 450 waveforms had al- ready been uploaded by beta testers of the new software,
The Waveform Library browser contains comprehensive search op- tions that allow the user to locate a relevant waveform for a specific man- ufacturer or vehicle model. Wave- forms also can be searched using only the engine code or ECU type, allow- ing the user to locate a relevant entry that may have been saved using dif- ferent vehicle details.
“I cannot remember how many times it would have been useful to have a comparison waveform for a cir- cuit under test, especially when com- paring camshaft/crankshaft timing,” said Steve Smith, Automotive Applica- tions Specialist at Pico Technology (www.picoauto.com). “Often this would involve sifting through your own library, or contacting colleagues in the hope you might get lucky.”
Sensors In the Future for Aftermarket Suppliers Digital vehicle data drives telematics, remote diagnostics and many other innovations for so-called connected cars, and measuring and converting this information from many different locations on vehicles is critical. That’s why the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), the light vehicle aftermarket division of the Motor & Equipment Manufac- turers Association (MEMA), will fea- ture as the keynote speaker at its
2014 Technology Conference a rec- ognized expert in this area. The con- ference theme is “Connecting Through Technology.”
Mark Schluentz, market segment leader, Sensata Technologies, will present “Convergence of Mechanical and Digital,” which will discuss the use of sensors and microprocessors to measure physical parameters from many locations on vehicles and con- vert this information to valuable digi- tal data. In addition to his keynote address, Schluentz will participate in a small group discussion with atten- dees that will delve deeper into the convergence of mechanical parts and digital data.
“The 2014 AASA Technology Con- ference is the one event in the auto- motive and heavy-duty aftermarket industries addressing how current and emerging technologies will drive efficiencies, reduce costs, identify
customer trends and forecast future needs,” noted Bill Long, AASA presi- dent and chief operating officer.
“Sensor technology will connect vehicle and part performance with vehicle owners, suppliers and service professionals,” said Chris Gardner, AASA vice president, programs and member services. “Mark will discuss the growing number of nonautomo- tive and automotive applications that provide data that are part of the ‘In- ternet of Things.’”
The 2014 AASA Technology Con- ference will feature an interactive format with 20-minute keynote pre- sentations and small group Q&A ses- sions concurrent with other speakers. Breakout sessions will include mar- keting technology, information tech- nology and heavy-duty technology. The conference will be held Oct. 5-7 at Marco Island, FL. For more infor- mation, visit www.aasatech.com.
59September 2014
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