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Making The Case For ADAS
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By Counterman
Autel has released its 2023 ADAS calibration coverage for an extensive list of vehicle brands.
With the release, Autel has added a dynamic DTC-analysis feature to provide causes and solutions for ADAS-sensor and component faults, the company noted.
Available to all MaxiSYS tablet owners – MS906 Pro and higher, with active ADAS-calibration software subscriptions – calibration coverage expands to:
GM – 2023-2024 Canyon, Cadillac Lyriq and XT4 Honda/Acura – 2023 HR-V, Pilot, Civic and Accord Hyundai – 2023 IONIQ 5 Infiniti – 2023-2025 Q50; 2024-2025 QX60; and 2023-2025 QX80 Kia – 2023 Sorento Land Rover – 2020-2023 Rover, Range Rover Sport and Discovery Lexus – 2022 RC300; 2022 UX200; 2023 NX400h, LC500h, LC500 and LC500C; and 2024 UX250H Maserati – 2023 Levante M161, Ghibli M157 and Quattroporte M156 Mazda – 2023 CX-50, CX-90 and MX-30 Nissan – 2023-2024 Versa; 2023-2025 Kicks; and 2023-2025 Rogue Sport Toyota – 2023-2024 BZ4X and 2023 Corolla Cross HEV The new DTC-analysis feature provides technicians with detailed fault-cause possibilities and suggested fault solutions including component repairs or replacements when a DTC in an ADAS system is detected. The feature is intended to facilitate the quick repair of the system with cause and solutions displayed with a tap on the question icon adjacent to the trouble code.
IA900WA users also should be aware of recent software updates to the wheel-alignment software for numerous vehicles, including those made by GM, Infiniti, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen.
The Autel IA900WA wheel-alignment and ADAS-calibration system provides vehicle wheel-alignment coverage from the 1960s to today.
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By Counterman
These days, many will tell you that the tuneup is dead – a vestige of a bygone era. But I say the answer is far more subjective.
It’s true: People rarely ask for a tuneup. Once the “king” of automotive service, the process of regular adjustments to the carburetor or fuel system – as well as the ignition system – has all but fallen by the wayside. It’s all handled now by a computer. The best part is these computers, known to us as engine or powertrain control modules, do a really great job at it.
The worst part is they do such a good job of adjusting things and keeping cars running seemingly flawlessly that many people overlook the basic maintenance that’s still required. What this means is the tuneup is far from dead. It’s more important than ever, and in many aspects the same as it always was.
The Way it Was
There are many reasons a tuneup was so popular back in the day. Fuel systems (namely carburetors) were inefficient and required occasional adjustment. Spark plugs wore out quickly, often needing cleaning, gap adjustment or replacement. Points wore in pre-electronic ignition systems, requiring a regular dwell adjustment and frequent replacement. Distributor caps, rotors and wires needed frequent replacement to keep ignition systems in top condition.
All of these factors and more contributed to very noticeable drivability issues on older cars, prompting owners to get a tuneup.
Common replacement items also included air and fuel filters, crankcase ventilation filters and positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) valves, not to mention additional services such as a valve adjustment or belt adjustment. So, how does all this stack up to today’s vehicles?
Spark Plugs
There’s no comparison between the plugs of yesterday and today. Modern spark plugs simply work better and last a long time, often as long as 100,000 miles. But here’s the catch: They still wear out. As they wear, the computer continuously adjusts fuel mixture and timing to maintain optimum combustion. The engine runs perfectly the whole time, but behind the scenes, more energy is required to jump the gap of the plug.
This adds additional load to the coils, eventually causing premature coil failure. Then there’s the potential of trouble removing a plug that’s been stuck in the cylinder head for many years. Ignoring spark plugs can be a costly mistake.
It all seems great at first, and plugs definitely don’t need replaced as often as they did in the old days. But, many manufacturers are slimming down the replacement intervals. For me, I’d rather spend a little extra and replace those plugs before the target mileage.
Coils and Boots
Most modern ignition systems are a coil-on-plug system. They generally work or they don’t, meaning replacing them isn’t going to improve performance. But they don’t last forever. If one has gone bad, the others won’t be far behind. And the boots between the coils and plugs? They’re equivalent to a plug wire – just shorter – and they wear out just the same. In most cases, you can’t see them. They’re hidden from view in the middle of the valve cover.
Quite often, the spark-plug-well seals go bad, leaking oil onto the coil boots and destroying them. This is all the more reason for regular inspection, and a reason to replace valve-cover gaskets when replacing plugs, coils and boots. Valve-cover gaskets were never considered part of a tuneup. They can be now.
Tuneups = Maintenance
Air filters are only new for a second before they start to get dirty. Less air to an engine means less performance. The computer again adjusts the fuel mixture to compensate.
Neglected fuel filters can overwork the fuel pump and cause it to fail prematurely.
The mass airflow (MAF) sensor sends critical data to the computer for engine operation. Cleaning them can improve performance and prevent drivability issues.
It’s amazing how dirty throttle bodies get.
Oh, and PCV valves? They’re still on a lot of cars.
Even electric vehicles will require a tuneup of sorts. Battery-management systems (BMS) have an algorithm that can cause the indicated range to be less than it actually is, depending on people’s driving and charging habits. Recalibrating the state of charge will prompt the BMS to recalculate and restore the lost range.
The bottom line: Maintenance. That’s all a tuneup was and what it still is. And maintenance never goes out of style.
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By Counterman
In our cover story for
link hidden, please login to view, we asked distribution leaders to reflect on the successes and challenges of 2022 and share some of their insights for the industry in 2023. Here’s our Q&A with Paul McCarthy, president and CEO of MEMA Aftermarket Suppliers.
AMN/CM: What is the greatest threat facing the automotive aftermarket? What is the greatest opportunity?
PM: I have combined these questions, because if you look through a longer-term lens, the aftermarket’s greatest threat and opportunity are the same: technology.
EVs have generated concern in the aftermarket, but that needs to be kept in perspective. Remember the aftermarket’s history: With every new technology there were projections that there will be nothing or not enough to repair – but every time we still see problems and failures with these new parts and technologies. Think of fuel injection, electronic ignition or TPMS. Auto engineers are not perfect, and the real world is a difficult operating environment. In fact, NADA data indicates that EVs are coming back to the dealer more often than ICE vehicles – and needing more repairs per visit than ICE. New technologies have historically been good for aftermarket revenue – and we are looking at a flood of new technologies unlike any we have ever seen.
With so much focus on electrification, we aren’t talking enough about the revolution happening now: ADAS. We released a study at Vision that projected ADAS will exceed a billion-dollar market for replacement parts by 2030. Let me say that again: a billion-dollar market for replacement parts. That’s all opportunity and upside for the aftermarket.
And, the story of increasing vehicle content is not only ADAS or EVs. The increase in new-vehicle prices demonstrates the lifecycle opportunity. New-vehicle prices hit an eye-watering $30,000 a decade ago; now, the average is $50,000. And while some of that is near-term supply issues, increasing vehicle content has driven this long-term trend. Every one of these new technologies can break or need calibration or maintenance. We believe this huge increase in vehicle content bodes well for the future of aftermarket tickets.
The aftermarket is now living the famed “Innovator’s Dilemma” everyday: the challenge of managing two businesses. One, maximizing the returns from our existing business, which has a very long, fat tail. In parallel, we are growing new, innovative businesses prepared to take advantage of the aftermarket opportunities of electrified, automated and connected vehicles. In our view, the aftermarket is well-positioned in both the old and new industries.
The aftermarket should not be afraid of the future. If we engage the classic aftermarket entrepreneurial spirit, we believe technology and content bring more opportunity than risk.
AMN/CM: How can the independent aftermarket parts and service segments best prepare to repair the car of tomorrow as ADAS, EVs and other technologies become more prominent?
PM: In addition to the points above, we have a lot of work and training to do – together, up and down the value chain – to make sure that shops are prepared, and consumers know that the aftermarket is ready and able to supply the parts, tools and technologies to fix these vehicles. And we can.
AMN/CM: How is the Right to Repair issue impacting your members’ business?
PM: All this opportunity is contingent on one thing: Right to Repair legislation that allows market competition. Right to Repair, and the Federal REPAIR Act, are necessary to realize our future.
Consumers need this. If Congress takes action to ensure choice in vehicle repair and maintenance, consumers will save enormous amounts of time and money.
We appreciate the cross-industry partnership on this bill – a unified effort is essential to success. We have momentum. You’ve heard about the many bipartisan bill co-sponsors, the executive order, the FTC report and the hearings all in favor and support of consumers right to choose where and with what parts their vehicle is repaired. This new Congress is our moment; it may be our best chance of getting a bill passed. If we don’t succeed, by 2035 $63 billion in consumer service choices will be thwarted by repair restrictions – and that number will quickly grow. Our industry must – and will – be heard to protect consumers and free markets.
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By Counterman
When available, remanufactured parts can be a great alternative for your customers, giving them the option to purchase a like-new or better product at a lower price point than the new part. With gasoline prices at multiyear highs and inflation squeezing consumers’ budgets, it’s the perfect time to talk to your customers about reman parts.
Since 2010, MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing has been making the case for remanufactured parts, on behalf of the broader remanufacturing community across multiple industry sectors. One of the key challenges has been defining the concept. In aviation and aerospace, for example, remanufacturing is called “maintenance, repair and overhaul” (MRO). For medical devices, consumers goods and electronics, it’s known as “refurbishing.”
With that in mind, MERA and five other trade associations from around the world have created a common definition of remanufacturing:
Remanufacturing is a standardized industrial process by which previously sold, worn or non-functional products are returned to same-as-new, or better, condition and performance. The process is in line with specific technical specifications, including engineering, quality and testing standards. The process yields fully warranted products.
When the definition was unveiled in September 2016, the trade associations hailed it as “a tremendous step forward in the industry’s quest to raise awareness and acceptance of remanufactured products.” To address misconceptions and points of confusion, the trade associations are highly intentional in the words that comprise their definition. Notably, the definition doesn’t include the word “used.”
“There’s a reason for that,” explains John Chalifoux, president of MERA since its inception. “In the area of trade – particularly free-trade agreements – remanufactured goods have their own category. They’re not considered new; they’re not
considered used.”
Plus, the word “used” has a stigma attached to it. For some people, it’s synonymous with waste. And that’s not at all what remanufacturing is about.
MERA is a division of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). When
MERA formed in 2010, it was the Motor & Equipment Remanufacturers Association. However, that changed in 2018, when MERA unveiled a new brand descriptor: MERA – the Association for Sustainable Manufacturing.
“Our purpose really is to elevate and mainstream what our members do,” Chalifoux tells Counterman. “ … When I say ‘elevate,’ we’re trying to help the perception [of remanufacturing] catch up with the reality. And the ‘mainstream’ aspect is to give remanufacturing a better seat at the table for any discussion on the circular economy or even recycling.”
That was the underlying thought process driving the name change in 2018. MERA’s staff drew some inspiration from Merriam-Webster’s definition of “sustainable,” which includes this description: “of, relating to or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”
“That’s what our members do with cores,” Chalifoux adds. “They harvest the cores.”
MERA offers this simple definition of sustainable manufacturing: It’s “manufacturing with reuse.”
“It is a manufacturing process that restores original products in a factory setting, yielding goods that are like new, but better than the originals,” the MERA website explains. “The finished goods have like-new quality, they offer better value and they are better for the environment. As an eco-friendly process, sustainable manufacturing conserves materials and embodied energy, and it reduces landfill waste.”
At AAPEX 2018 in Las Vegas, Chalifoux unveiled a new symbol to promote remanufacturing. It was the familiar recycling icon – consisting of three green arrows representing the reduce/reuse/recycle concept – along with a fourth arrow that represents remanufacturing. Now a registered trademark of MERA, the four-arrow symbol illustrates the association’s position that remanufacturing should occur before traditional recycling. In other words: Reduce, reuse, remanufacture, recycle.
“All of this is helping us to better communicate both the quality and green associated with remanufacturing,” Chalifoux said during a press conference at AAPEX 2021. “Remanufacturing yields quality parts that are like new and delivers environmental benefits that are superior when compared to recycling. In the circular economy, the environment is better served when we reuse core materials rather than raw materials. The embodied energy, material and labor in cores are too valuable to ignore.”
The core for a remanufactured part is completely disassembled down to individual components. All renewable components are cleaned and analyzed for failure modes, and then reassembled using a combination of new and refurbished components, resulting in a reliable finished product virtually identical to a new part.
The great news for your customers is that some remanufacturers also address known OEM design issues, using upgraded components or processes to improve upon the OEM part. For example, CARDONE has re-engineered the power brake boosters for some Ford F-250 and F-350 models. The original design was prone to water entry, which caused a hard pedal during braking. CARDONE added a silicone seal around the shell neck – including the entire crimp area – to ensure a watertight seal and longer-lasting performance.
It’s worth noting that Michael Cardone Jr., co-founder of CARDONE Industries, is the founding chairman of MERA. “MERA would not exist if not for Michael Cardone Jr.,” Chalifoux says. This article merely provides a snapshot of remanufacturing and the benefits of selling reman parts. For more information, visit
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By Counterman
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has introduced an Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) Specialist Certification test (L4).
The test is designed to identify technicians who possess knowledge of the skills required to diagnose, service and calibrate ADAS on automobiles, SUVs and light-duty trucks.
“Because ADAS service is becoming a very important vehicle repair service, our stakeholders requested that we develop a certification test that demonstrates that automotive service professionals are qualified to perform ADAS service,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “We worked closely with service technicians, service representatives from vehicle and engine manufacturers, aftermarket trainers and technical educators to develop questions that deal with practical problems experienced by technicians in their work with vehicles that include ADAS.”
The ASE ADAS Specialist test (L4) will cover content focused on the diagnosis, service and calibration of radar, camera, ultrasonic and other advanced driver-assistance systems. Many of the questions relate to a sample vehicle with advanced driver-assistance systems technology used by most manufacturers. This vehicle is described in the
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To register for the ADAS Specialist test (L4), automotive service professionals must have passed either the Automobile Electrical/Electronic Systems (A6) or Collision Mechanical and Electrical Components (B5) test.
There is a
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