July 1, 2008
By:
John Yoswick
|  |
Roger Wright has seen insurer direct repair programs (DRPs) from both sides. During a 25-year career with major insurers, Wright helped create and manage DRPs. Then, starting in the late 1990s, he spent about five years as director of insurance relations for CARSTAR, helping that chain of shops develop and improve its DRP relationships. In 2003, he returned to the insurance industry by joining AIG as manager of its material damage and direct repair programs.
July 1, 2008
By:
Joan Engebretson
| |
Any good body shop has to have a strong focus on doing quality work — but few can claim one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in their region. Callaway's Collision Specialist of Humble, Texas, can make that claim.
July 1, 2008
By:
Paul Zangari
|  |
Rodney Dangerfield had nothing on parking brakes: They "don't get no respect" either. Even in modern vehicles, rear-drum parking brakes are essentially straight out of the 1960s (or before.) And motorists regularly "diss" them, too – not a wise move.
July 1, 2008
By:
Jacques Gordon
| |
Wheel speed sensors detect the rotation speed of a wheel that's moving. Active wheel speed sensors detect rotation speed all the way down to zero, and the newest sensors can detect the direction of rotation, too. Four different sensor designs are in use today.
July 1, 2008
By:
Mary-Beth Kellenberger
|  |
When you mention interior style for vehicles, it's common to gloss over the seats and interior finish and go straight to the electronics. Interior modifications require a broad range of skills from simple replacements to custom installations. Frost & Sullivan's research into vehicle modifiers indicates that modifier skills, the time invested in vehicle modification and the caliber of the project modifier attempts all are rising.
July 1, 2008
By:
Stephanie Skernivitz
| |
When customers enter the front office of Noaker's Auto Body in the small town of Duncannon, Pa., north of Harrisburg, they're struck by a couple sensory reactions. People comment, "It doesn't look like a body shop. It doesn't even smell like a body shop."
July 1, 2008
By:
Kevin Mehok
| |
In today's collision repair environment, understanding the rental car business is extremely important. The rental car industry is immense. In 2007, revenue generated by rental cars was estimated at more than $21 billion, with nearly 200,000 rented vehicles in service. These estimated figures don't include dealer rentals and private company rentals. Adding those in, the volume of rentals is staggering.
July 1, 2008
By:
Peter F. Meier
| |
When I first started in this business, you could diagnose most running problems based on a generalized set of rules. Of course, this was in the day of carbureted engines and mechanical ignition systems. Today, the Engine Control Module (ECM) does a pretty good job of keeping an eye on things. While there are general methods used by the ECM for testing, the specific testing procedures programmed by an individual manufacturer can have an impact on how you proceed with your diagnosis and repair.
July 1, 2008
By:
Robert Bravender
| |
While the genesis of Specialized Auto Inc. was in the retail of used Volkswagen parts, since becoming "specialized" it ironically has broadened its market base to include other services and Euro-marques like Volvo, Saab, Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
