SAN DIEGO – Mitchell International has released the Mitchell Information Center, a Web-based tool designed to provide a single access point to databases that contain the most organized, accurate and comprehensive vehicle repair information. The Mitchell Information Center provides year/make/model specific, detailed manufacturer endorsed repair procedure. It encourages each party involved in the repair process to access and properly appraise repair times and procedures.
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Greg Horn, vice president of Industry Relations for Mitchell International, notes, “Traditionally when a vehicle arrives at a shop for repair, most collision repair technicians will look at its construction, note the welds, and use this information to figure out the best method to replace the panel (usually it’s drilling out the old welds and welding in the new panel). This conventional approach to repairs doesn’t always work anymore though, and using this traditional logic would be a mistake if you were working on a new VW Passat, whose laser-welded center pillar must be attached with adhesive bonding material if replaced in the collision repair environment. If the replacement panel is welded, Volkswagen warns that the structural integrity may be compromised and could result in serious injury in the event of another collision."
Horn adds, “Special instructions aren’t limited to the how involved in repairing vehicles, but they can also apply to the what involved, as in the parts used to conduct repairs. Items that you wouldn’t normally think of like simple fasteners, which used to be 'generic,' are even manufacturer-specific these days.”
“Take for example the 2004 and newer BMW 5 Series, which is equipped with the new reduced weight aluminum front end. It requires the use of EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) screws to ensure a proper transition to the electrical ground between panels and components of dissimilar metals. In the BMW, EMC screws assume the function of welded joints, which provide this proper transition to the ground and ensure operational reliability of electrical components following repair. If you were to use the traditional repair approach and substitute punch or blind rivets, it could cause a faulty ground and affect any electrical component grounded to that panel. In that case, you’d run into that dim side marker light that the customer complained about was indeed ‘not like that before the accident,’ and can’t be fixed by replacing the bulb.”
Once again, if you were not working off OEM repair data and consequently unaware of the EMC requirement, the oversight could cost you additional time and, more importantly, your customer’s satisfaction with the repair. In fact, BMW’s repair procedure is so specific that it recommends that each welded joint opened must be replaced by at least two EMC screws with polyurethane sealing to avert corrosion.”
“Understanding the need to adhere to specific manufacturer procedures is only half the battle though.”
Horn says, “Easy access to vehicle and year/make/model specific information is quite another. True, some information can be found in the headnotes and footnotes of the estimating systems. But detailed ‘how-to’ information and diagrams can’t be accommodated in this limited space. While some automobile makers have done an admirable job of making repair information available, others simply do not make it easily accessible. And out of those that do, most charge a user fee for each of their sites. In any case, the individual charges add up — not to mention slow you down if you have to spend hours searching for the information from multiple sources on the Web.”
“Even then, you still aren’t done and won’t have the information you need. Once you’ve found what you need, you then have to complete a purchase form and hope you picked the right use time period. And what happens the next time that same make and model appears back in your shop and your subscription has expired? Answer: you’re back to square one.”
Horn says Mitchell’s Information Center helps provide this information and will save repairers time because they “will be accessing appropriate information, eliminating the time that would have wasted by not knowing the proper procedure and debating what the accurate reimbursement for the repair should be.”
For more information on Mitchell’s Information Center, go to www.mitchellinformationcenter.com.
