Advanced Vehicle Systems and Car Electronics Repairs
As vehicles get more technical, more and more basic repair jobs are likely to come up against specialized systems, such as:
- Automatic power windows with back up sensors and cameras which have to be accurately set,
- Adaptive cruise control which will slow the car down as it gets too close to the car ahead,
- Airbag sensors that know which seats are occupied,
- Traction control sensors at each wheel,
- And electronically controlled suspension.
These changes in vehicle systems in the past decade have expanded the scope and responsibility of the repair industry. Meeting these responsibilities has required a change in management and in the training of technicians.
On the management side there are decisions to be made about staffing as well as the purchase of new equipment, software and training to recognize the existence of advanced systems on a particular vehicle. The knowledge of which systems are on each vehicle is needed for correct estimating, knowing which technician to assign the work to and which phases of the repair will require specialty sublet.
On the technician side training is required to know how to work safely with advanced systems on the car. Vehicles have become so complex and varied that one technician cannot be expected to know every function related to the complete repair of the vehicle. The well trained and competent frame repair technician will be expected to know how to finish the outer metal after the frame work has been completed, but expecting him to diagnose and reset the active cruise control would be unrealistic. What is realistic is that he be aware of the existence of that active cruise control system and to know what steps have to be followed to maintain the integrity of the system during the repair process.
At Tsawwassen Collision a management decision which sets us apart from almost every other collision repair shop in BC is the addition of a fully qualified mechanic to the repair staff. This staff member, working with a good range of current diagnostic equipment and software greatly reduces our reliance on sublet, reducing turnaround time and maintaining a higher level of quality control.
