Canadian Technician September 2010

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Windshield Canadian Mail Sales Product Agreement #40063170 Registration 10833. Return postage guaranteed. Newcom Business Media Inc., 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, ON M9W 5C4

Warriors

ALSO ■ Tools in the Electronic Age ■ Triumphing Through Technology ■ Making Sense of Ontario’s Eco Fees Fiasco

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Domestic. Asian. European.

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contents

Canadian Technician • September 2010 • Vol. 15 No. 7

FEATURES

Triumphing Through Technology

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It’s incumbent for shop owners to keep looking to the future – and that means keeping abreast of the latest technological tools.

Tools in the Electronic Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Diagnostics is taking a complicated turn with newer models.

Here’s what you need to know about updating your tool inventory to keep ahead of the curve.

Get SMART!

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Employing SMART thinking will help you realize your goals.

Windshield Warriors

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Looking to move more wiper blades? Then make sure your customers realize there are many good reasons to refresh their windshield rubber.

COLUMNISTS Management S.O.S. By Kelly Bennett

16

Guest Column Making Sense of Ontario’s Eco-Fee Mess

By Usman Valiante

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46

27 DEPARTMENTS

The Car Side

By Rick Cogbill

Editorial

............................................................................................ 5

Service Notes ............................................................................... 7 Letters ............................................................................................... 9 EyeSpy ............................................................................................. 10 Out & About ................................................................................ 10 Reader Rides ............................................................................ 11 Idea of the Month .................................................................. 13 From the Forum ....................................................................... 37 Products ........................................................................................ 39 Auto Puzzle ................................................................................. 44

Our new international calling card. by

www.bluestreak.ca

SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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Many of the world’s finest vehicles are filled with Mobil 1 right at the factory.

©2010 Exxon Mobil Corporation. Mobil, Mobil 1 and the 1 Icon are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries.

Imperial Oil licensee. NASCAR is a registered trademark of The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Inc.

Your vehicle may not have been filled with Mobil 1 at the factory, but it’s never too late to switch.

Mobil 1 can prolong engine life and save you money in the long run.

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EDITORIAL

The Weakest Link

Even if your shop has a commitment to excellence, at the end of the day, your business is only as strong as its weakest link.

By David Menzies

A

s TV game shows go, I’ve always been partial to The Weakest Link.

If you’re unfamiliar with the program, the format features a team of contestants who take turns answering general knowledge questions.The object of each round is to create a chain of consecutive correct answers. This results in an increasing amount of money banked in the team’s communal jackpot.

An incorrect answer, however, results in the accumulated money being deleted.

But the real drama takes place when contestants must vote one player out of the game (typically, the one who’s most likely to stand in the way of the group’s success.) Once it’s determined which player has received the most votes, that person is toast. That’s when the show’s endearing hostess, Anne Robinson (best described as a kinder, gentler dominatrix), utters her trademark phrase, “You are the weakest link – goodbye!”

The player is dismissed from the set and the game resumes.

Alas, if only the real world operated this way.

Chances are you’ve dealt with a company – be it a big box store or a corner donut shop – in which the customer experience was less than stellar. Maybe you received “service with a snarl” or perhaps you placed an order for a specified item only to receive something completely different.

And if it happens too often then maybe you end up avoiding that business altogether – even if the problem is due to just one cog.

This brings me to my friend, Helen.

For the past 17 years, Helen’s been patronizing an auto shop near her workplace.

But recently, that relationship came to an abrupt halt. Odd, that. She’s never experienced an exorbitant invoice or suffered from shoddy workmanship.

Alas, for the past few years, the shop

Introducing a New Line of Premium Engine Oils Mobil Super 1000 Engineered to exceed OEM warranty requirements.

owner has proven by his actions that he isn’t listening to Helen. On several recent occasions, Helen has asked for a service that wasn’t carried out. Or she ended up receiving a service she never requested.

Granted, when Helen phones back to complain, things always get sorted out.

But, frustratingly, the mix-ups have now become a regular occurrence.

Whatever the reason for the continual screw-ups, Helen has terminated her relationship with the shop. “I just can’t keep bringing my van back a second time to get things sorted out – I’ve had it,” she says.

I think Helen’s experience serves as a cautionary tale when it comes to the way in which any business operates.

Delivering superb customer service in the automotive aftermarket requires a commitment from everyone – be it the tech repairing the car to the person answering the phone.

Indeed, the most successful businesses are often defined by a chain reaction of teamwork that is consistent from beginning to end. No company can train its people to handle every situation perfectly every single time. But in Helen’s case, when mistakes become commonplace simply because it seems as though certain people can’t be bothered to listen carefully, clearly something is amiss.The end result: the chain breaks.

Further, good customer service on the shop floor surely begins at the very top. And again, in Helen’s case, if the head honcho doesn’t “get it,” well, even the strongest links further down the chain can become compromised. True, the shop is a beehive of activity now. But things can – and do – change. (Anybody remember Eaton’s?)

Bottom line: whether it’s a mechanical part or a business, weak links must be fixed – or replaced.

Engineered in Canada for the latest engine technology, Mobil Super 1000 exceeds OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) warranty for every major gasoline car and light-duty truck manufacturer including turbo-charged engines.

Mobil Super 2000 Engineered for high mileage vehicles and longer oil drain intervals.

Engineered in Canada, Mobil Super 2000 is recommended for high mileage vehicles with over 120,000 km and provides guaranteed oil drain protection for 10,000 km or 6 months, which ever comes first.* www.MobilOil.ca

*Excludes severe service applications involving: racing and commercial use; frequent towing or hauling; extremely dusty or dirty conditions; or excessive idling. While under warranty change oil at the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Mobil, Mobil Super, Mobil 1 and the Pegasus design are trademarks of Exxon Mobil Corporation or one of its subsidiaries. Imperial Oil licensee.

SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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SERVICE NOTES

VOLUME 15

There’s an app for that How are you going to connect with your customer in five years? The rules are being rewritten… and you’ve got to start thinking about that now.

NUMBER 7

451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4 EDITOR David Menzies david@canadiantechnician.ca (416) 614-5824 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Allan Janssen ajanssen@newcom.ca (416) 614-5814 PUBLISHER Martyn Johns mjohns@newcom.ca (416) 614-5826 CIRCULATION MANAGER Lilianna Kantor lkantor@newcom.ca (416) 614-5815 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Tim Norton production@canadiantechnician.ca (416) 614-5810 GROUP PUBLISHER Mark Vreugdenhil mark@canadiantechnician.ca (416) 614-5819 DIRECTOR, QUEBEC OPERATIONS Joe Glionna PRESIDENT Jim Glionna PUBLISHED BY Newcom Business Media 451 Attwell Drive Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4 Canadian Technician is published monthly except for January and July by Newcom Business Media, Inc., 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4. The magazine serves the Canadian automotive repair and service industry. Subscriptions are free to those who meet the criteria. For others: single copy price: $5.30; one-year subscription in Canada: $42.00 ($40.00 plus applicable taxes); one-year subscription in U.S.: US$60; one-year subscription in all other countries: US$90. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher. The advertiser agrees to protect the publisher against legal action based upon libelous or inaccurate statements, unauthorized use of photographs, or other material in connection with advertisements placed in Canadian Technician. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising which in his opinion is misleading, scatological, or in poor taste. Postmaster: Send address changes to Canadian Technician, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont., M9W 5C4. Printed in Canada. Second class mail: Postage paid at Toronto. Canadian Publications Mail Sales Agreement #40063170. ISSN 1710-7644.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program toward our mailing costs. PAP Registration No. 10833.

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Applied for ABC Membership

Canadian Business Press

“Belting One On” by Wayne Moore Phone (905) 632-8772 www.canadiantechnican.ca/covers

By Allan Janssen

I

’m not really a gadget kind of guy. I have a few that I enjoy, but I don’t have to have the latest and greatest.

In fact, when I wanted an MP3 player a few years ago, I bypassed the already ubiquitous iPod for a lesser-known brand because it did more of the things I wanted. (And I still think that was one of my better purchases – even if the company that made it ultimately failed against the Apple juggernaut.)

My gadgets – like the cars I’ve owned – are not intended to be showpieces.

They’re intended to be useful. They’re only there to improve my life.

I’m so function-oriented, in fact, that my phone is really just a phone. Imagine that. It doesn’t take pictures, surf the web, record voice-memos, or send e-mail. It doesn’t tell me where I am on the globe, stream video, keep my calendar, or remind me to pick up eggs on the way home from work. It just makes and receives calls.

Sooner or later, though, I will have all the bells and whistles that make today’s gadgets so useful to consumers. It’s inevitable. It’s one of the many ways the world of technology and the world of business are converging.

If you need any more proof that your customers are becoming more sophisticated buyers, simply look at their phones. There’s a good chance they’ve got some kind of “app” that gives them an advantage in understanding their vehicle, its needs, and how you fit into that equation.

Consider just some of the more recent car-related add-ons for iPhone and BlackBerry.

Many will keep track of all of your car’s day-to-day information like gas purchases, maintenance records, repair records, car washes. It will chart your gas mileage and let you know if you’re still

getting the right MPG. Some carexpense management programs will even allow you to plug numbers directly from the road into your budget spreadsheet.

There are GPS-enabled programs that tell consumers where they parked, where the nearest repair shop is, or where to find replacement auto parts.

Some repair chains have developed shop locators complete with store hours, service menu, sales pitches and downloadable coupons.

For the dedicated DIYer there are repair videos, manuals, noise identifiers, and troubleshooters. Even ASE practice exams.

For those in the market for a new car, there are vehicle assessment programs, sales listings, loan applications, and carpayment calculators.

There are glossaries of car terms, makes, models, and production information. There are motor and auto news feeds. New car affordability calculators…

VIN decoders… tire-size calculators…

All of them on a phone or PDA, available to your customers night and day to help them make sense of the sometimes confusing world of vehicle ownership.

I have no doubt that in a couple of years, the landscape will have evolved even more, and the interconnectivity between a car’s engine, its owner, and its service provider (you) will have been further streamlined. Are you considering the advancement of technology as you make plans for your business? The writing has been on the wall for some time now that the rules of commerce are being rewritten.You owe it to your business and employees to figure out how you’re going to stay in touch with your customers and secure their future loyalty.

If you’re not thinking about how your role will change in the next five or 10 years, you’re missing the big picture.

SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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LETTERS

DRIVE CLEAN SHOULD BE TWEAKED, NOT ELIMINATED Re:Tom Davidson’s response to “Drive Clean: If it Ain’t Broke, Why Fix It?” (August 2010).

We don’t do the Drive Clean tests at our shop, but we do a lot of repairs for cars that fail Drive Clean. There are numerous customers who just want the light turned off so that they can get their vehicle tested. They don’t want to replace costly O2 sensors. I also have numerous customers who have lights on, and when I ask them about this, their

BATTLE OF THE LUBES CONTINUES… Re: “Manufactured Victimhood” (August 2010).

Women today are always said to be welcomed into maledominated trades, but it’s not an easy road to take and the automotive trade is still dominated by men.

Women themselves are generally more careful and conscientious. Women think before addressing people and consider their reactions – and yes – feelings in regard to conversations. These qualities certainly make for a good service advisor and a good technician as it’s possible to provide options for the most effective and economically sound repair available to the customer.

It would appear Canadian Technician believes women aren’t really a welcome addition to the automotive industry. When a man voices an opinion, it’s called standing up for what he believes in. However, when a woman stands up for what she believes in, she’s considered a whiner who’s pulling the “poorlittle-weak-girl” act.

Ms Lube should be given every opportunity to succeed and men should support them. Your article last year “Girl Power” (August 2009) certainly sounded like Canadian Technician supported Ms Lube’s plans to have an all-female shop which can only benefit the customer. And it sounds like Ms Lube owner Jessica Gilbank has proven herself as an automotive technician through her schooling and training.

typical reply is, “Oh, so-and-so checked it – he doesn’t know what it is” or “It’s not important.”

I agree Drive Clean in its present state isn’t effective anymore and it does need to be tweaked a bit now that a majority of vehicles have been dealt with. Now we need to move into the maintaining of those vehicles. And I don’t think a $35 fee every two years is a “cash grab.”

Jason Hurdle Midas Bayfield Barrie, Ont.

But the tone of your August 2010 editorial is very derogatory. Gilbank likely picked the Ms Lube name because fluid changes are always the initial visit and an integral part of services that will be performed on a customer’s vehicle. As a shop owner and as a member of the Napa Proshop group, we’re not really a Mr. Lube fan and I’m thinking Ms Lube doesn’t want to be confused with Mr. Lube in any way shape or form.

Lori Smith, Service Advisor Smith’s AutoTech Fisher Branch, Man.

Editor’s note: Canadian Technician fully supports women getting involved in the automotive aftermarket. The “Manufactured Victimhood” editorial pertained to the ongoing trademark dispute between Mr. Lube and Ms Lube. Gender isn’t the issue regarding this lawsuit as we would take the same position if Ms Lube was maleowned and operated.

How to reach us We love to hear from our readers. Whether its darts or laurels, please send along your opinions to editor David Menzies at david@canadiantechnician.ca.

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OUT & ABOUT SUPPLIER NEWS PartSource signs agreement with WHI Solutions PartSource has signed a multi-year agreement with WHI Solutions, which specializes in on-demand distribution management systems, electronic catalogue and eBusiness solutions, to replace PartSource’s store management system. Beginning next year, WHI will implement PartsWatch, an information and management application that will enable PartSource’s 87 stores to provide faster access to locate parts customers and to offer increased access to information on automotive parts and accessories with improved catalogue functionality.

Saving the world is a Snap(-on) for Iron Man What brand of tools helps Iron Man save the world? Turns out it’s Snap-on to the rescue.

For film buffs who missed the summer blockbuster in theatres, the DVD of Iron Man 2 is scheduled for release later this month.

Eagle-eyed technicians will surely take notice that the Golden Avenger stays in peak shape thanks to Snap-on roll cabs, roll carts

The General gets students’ motors running It’s back to school time, and Toronto District School Board students will be shifting their learning into high gear this semester thanks to a donation from General Motors Canada.

GM announced it is donating 128 late model V6 and V8 engines to various automotive programs in 19 high schools across Toronto. The schools were selected after expressing interest in receiving the donations.

“The value of this donation is immense in the automotive teaching area. The engines that GM is donating are in pristine condition, essentially cutting edge technology,” says Tony Rende, an automotive/co-op teacher at Central Technical School in Toronto.

“Students will leave our program with experience working on state-of-theart engines which will help them in their career path.”

GM says its donation not only helps reinforce the transitional link from school to the workplace by allowing students to stay current with industry standards but also reflects the

EYE SPY and the EPIQ tool storage unit, all of which are prominently featured in the sequel.

Indeed, Snap-on tool storage units appear on three major sets in the film: Tony Stark’s state-of-the-art workshop, the Monaco race track and the Edwards Air Force base hangar. “We have always said that Snap-on products are the best in the world and if Iron Man is using them, then you know that statement is true,” says Alicia Smales, VP of marketing for Snap-on Tools. To find out more about the Snap-on products featured in Iron Man 2, visit www.snapon.com.

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

company’s commitment to community and youth outreach.

“As a leader in innovation and technology, GM has always strongly

Gentlemen – and lady – pull apart your engines. Thanks to GM Canada, several lucky Toronto students have new V6 and V8 motors to work on.

supported education and investment in Canadian students,” says GM Canada spokesman George Saratlic, “Giving students the opportunity to research and understand current vehicle and engine technology using a hands-on approach clearly provides a rich learning opportunity.”

Genuine Corinthian… lumber?

“We recently had this old Volvo come in for an oil change,” writes Ryan Lee from a shop in North Vancouver (which he’d prefer not to publicize.) “I jumped in the car and noticed right away the seat felt a little funny. Apparently both front seat backs had developed a little play, so the owner reenforced them with a couple of two-by-fours.”

Have an interesting picture to share? Please send it along to EyeSpy, c/o Canadian Technician, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, Ont. M9W 5C4.

Or email your high-resolution image to the editor: david@canadiantechnician.ca

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Time to add social media to your toolbox?

If you need help understanding the nuances of Facebook,Twitter, etc., check out the social media seminar slated for AAPEX. Being in the automotive aftermarket, you’re naturally an expert when it comes to repairing vehicles. But how well do you know your way around social marketing?

If you find the social media phenomena intimidating, fear not: the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) is sponsor a seminar entitled “Adding Social Media to Your Marketing Toolbox” at the 2010 AAPEX Show in Las Vegas.

The program is slated for Thursday, Nov. 4, 9–10 a.m. at the Venetian Hotel.

Presented by Tyler Olson, owner and president of SMCpros, the seminar promises to help shop owners and managers learn how to use Facebook, LinkedIn,Twitter and other social media to bring customers to their doors.

Attendees will learn: ■ How Social Media tools work and how to use them; ■ Which services work best for automotive service businesses; ■ Specific strategies that work best for

the automotive industry; ■ Factors to consider when deciding whether to do it on your own or hire someone; ■ Other services that can help besides the “Big 3”; ■ Efficient ways to use all or most of these services.

Olson consults on many technologyrelated topics such as social media. He began numerous businesses in his youth, won his first six-figure web project at age 21 and sold his first business at 23.

Olson’s current venture, SMCpros, aims to help businesses utilize innovative web technologies to track results in their social media campaigns.

PCWorld magazine recently featured Olson as a Young Entrepreneur making an impact on business through the use of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

For more information about AASP, www.autoserviceproviders.com.

Pimp My Buggy The above photo makes for yet another reason why you should never leave home without a camera. Nadine and Steve Schwartz of Desboro Garage in Desboro, Ont. spotted this gem while passing through Chesley, Ont. At issue: what’s a Menonnite to do when he craves a smokin’ hot rod yet is forbidden by his faith from embracing that key component known as the internal combustion engine?

No problem: simply obtain two-thirds of a snazzy SUV and hitch it up to a heavy-duty horse. Presto! You’re ready to cruise.

READER

RIDES

You can see more Reader Rides on our website at www.canadiantechnician.ca.

And if you have a photo of a hot or unusual ride, feel free to send it in. We’ll publish it up for all to enjoy! Send a pic of your ride to david@canadiantechnician.ca.

SUPPLIER NEWS New website for Brake Manufacturers Council The Brake Manufacturers Council (BMC) of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) has launched a new website, www.brakecouncil.org, which offers members an online resource for the latest industry news as well as council events, initiatives and programs.

Features include a daily news feed to the top news stories about trends and events affecting the motor vehicle parts supplier industry, a calendar of industry events, links to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), SAE technical papers and other sites and publications.

Castrol World Cup apromo scores big While Spain was capturing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, back in the Great White North, Wakefield Canada (the exclusive Canadian marketer/distributor of Castrol lubricants) was also scoring big

These lucky ladies were treated to a weekend of World Cup fun thanks to Wakefield Canada.

points with both consumers and the automotive trade. Castrol’s multifaceted World Cup initiative culminated in a massive international-themed party treating more than 100 winners to a weekend of World Cup fun. They partied in Toronto’s most fan-crazed soccer venues, from Greek Town to Little Italy, before watching the final together at the Gossip Lounge, home of the Castrol World Cup Party. For consumers, each of five prizes included flights to Toronto for themselves and nine friends, hotel accommodation, a schedule of World Cup events and spending money. For the automotive and heavy duty trade, installers, new car dealers and jobbers from Saskatoon to Lawrencetown, N.S. took part. Castrol Synthetics was a sponsor of World Cup 2010 and will be again in 2014.

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Join the Discussion!

Want to voice your opinion about a particular automotive issue?

Looking for a solution to an unusual problem?

Need help finding a part or an employee?

The Canadian Technician Forum provides you with the opportunity to talk with automotive repair professionals like yourself, whether it means sharing important information or just chatting about being a Canadian technician.

Log on to www.canadiantechnician.ca, follow the links to the forum and

Get Connected

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OUT & ABOUT

T’Station suits upscale Korean motorists to a “T”

By David Menzies

Seoul, South Korea – For most North Americans, Hankook is known as a manufacturer of tires. But across the pond in Asia, the world’s seventh-largest tire company also operates various auto shops such as Tire Town and TBX. Hankook’s latest retail venture:T’Station, an upscale auto shop with a mandate for delivering premium service.

There are about 250 T’Stations in South Korea plus 40 outlets in China; 12 T’Stations are corporately-owned by Hankook; the rest are franchised.

(Hankook says it has no immediate plans to expand into North America.)

The five-bay T’Station shop in Seoul that I visited is owned by Byoung Hee Yoo. Byoung says the initial capital outlay for a T’Station ranges between US$200,000 to US$500,000, including construction of the building. However, this figure doesn’t include the land, and Byoung’s 600-sq.-metre shop is worth about US$8 million given that it’s located in one of Seoul’s high-rent districts.

Byoung says T’Station’s mandate is to provide a high level of service in a pleasant atmosphere, noting that T’Station invests heavily in staff training.

The prime customer target is imported car owners, as well as female motorists.

Byoung says revenue for his shop is US$70,000 to US$80,000 per month with the lion’s share of the revenue (70%) coming from the sale of tires. He employs three technicians and one receptionist (Byoung himself is a tech.)

A benefit of being a T’Station franchisee is that equipment such as the balancer and wheel aligner are free for the first three years. After three years’ time, the shop’s equipment can be

A T’Station shop in Seoul, South Korea.

purchased for 20% of cost if revenue targets are met. If the shop fails to meet such targets, the equipment is purchased for 50%-60% of cost.

Part of the appeal of a T’Station is the attention given to maintaining a clean, well-lit environment – which, Byoung says, is essentially appealing to women and higher-income clients. True to form, Byoung’s shop is spotless and is wellappointed with vending machines dispensing both hot and cold refreshments.

As well, the shop has a detailing bay onsite, a service that especially appeals to owners of high-end cars, notes Byoung.

(And he’s likely right – when I was visiting his shop, one of the vehicles being serviced was a late-model Maserati.)

Interestingly, the shop’s primary way

Say it loud, say it proud Nothing turns heads more than a whizbang sign. And they don’t really come more dramatic than this baby: a Mercury Cougar decked out as a NASCAR vehicle held aloft some two stories above terra firma. The sign, which cost $16,000, is part of the Mobil 1 Lube Express outlet in Toronto. The guys at the shop say passing motorists frequently pull over to take a photo of the sign. Better yet, some of these amateur shutterbugs hang around for an oil change, too.

of communicating to clients is via text messaging; evidently, texting is the preferred method of communication for South Koreans.

As for prices, T’Station charges about US$35 for a conventional oil change and US$70 for a wheel alignment on domestic (Korean) cars.

There is also an obvious effort put towards the presentation of tires at T’Station. The inventory of tires at Byoung’s shop is wrapped in copper and silver foil – appealing enough to look good under a Christmas tree.

Bottom line: the attention to detail, cleanliness, and an upscale clientele would appear to be paying off for Byoung: he says his shop has experienced a 30% sales uptick between 2006 and 2009.

IDEA

OF THE

MONTH

Do you have a great idea that has helped you save time or money? Have you come up with a way to get more customers into your shop? Are you employing a strategy to get the most out of your workforce? Then please share your brainstorm with the readers of Canadian Technician. Send along your story and/or photo to: david@canadiantechnician.ca and we’ll publish the best ones in future issues.

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OUT & ABOUT

Detroit Three bounce back To paraphrase Mark Twain, apparently reports of the Detriot Three’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Case in point: July turned out to be a wonderful month for light vehicle sales according to tracking by Richmond Hill, Ont.-based DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. DesRosiers notes the seasonally-adjusted annual rate stood at 1.69 million units, the best in two years.

The sales were “not at the level we achieved through most of the last decade but still very respectable and trending in the right direction,” says Dennis DesRosiers. “This is a good sign.”

July also continued the trend of Ford, and to a degree, Chrysler and GM, taking market share away from the imported nameplate brands.

Ford was up 1.6% for the month, GM was up 22.4% and Chrysler was up 40%.

“You have to be careful with the GM and Chrysler performance since the comparable year ago month is tainted by their bankruptcies in the U.S.,” notes DesRosiers. “But Ford’s number is the real meal deal.”

Meanwhile, several import brands experienced declines.

This included Acura (-13%), BMW (-12.1%), Honda (-10.2%), Lexus (-20.6%), Mitsubishi (-12.6%), Suzuki (-19.3%), Toyota (-22.8%) and Volkswagen (-3.1%).

Also of note, the Detroit Three’s market share this year is tracking at a couple of points higher than last year at 46.6% compared to 44.2% in 2009.

And so much for fuel efficiency targets. July also continued the trend of the light truck sector significantly outperforming the passenger car side of the market. Light trucks were up 22% versus passenger cars down 7.8% for the month. Year-to-date results are similar.

DesRosiers says part of the comeback is due to the return of the Detroit Three “but most of it is the simple fact that much of the light truck market is commercial use related and these customers have no choice but to renew their fleets as the economy improves.”

New products, such as the upcoming 2011 Ford Explorer, and pent-up demand are helping fuel the comeback of the Detroit Three.

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Now, We Do It All!

ValvolineÂŽ now offers a full line of Valvoline Professional Series automotive service chemicals. With Valvoline Professional Series, you get a comprehensive line of professional-grade products, services and solutions all backed by industry leading marketing programs.

Valvoline Professional Series delivers maximum value to consumers and helps grow your bottom line. Š, 2010, Ashland Canada Corp.

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MANAGEMENT S.O.S. IN THIS SERIES OF FICTIONAL LETTERS FROM A NEW SHOP OWNER TO HIS FORMER BOSS, MANAGEMENT TRAINER KELLY BENNETT DISCUSSES BASIC BUSINESS PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO THE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR INDUSTRY.

ACHIEVING NEW BALANCE

BY EMBRACING THE “TWO ES” – EMPATHY AND EGO – A SHOP IS BETTER POSITIONED TO ACHIEVE HARMONY AND SUCCESS.

DEAR KELLY: I hope things are going well for you. As for me, I had a tough day. I did one of those things that I simply hate doing. I had to fire my service advisor.

I had been delaying it for a long time and today things just came to a head and I realized there was no point in holding out hoping things would get better. I guess it’s human nature to hope for the best, believing there’s some “hidden potential” in everybody. As a result, decision makers sometimes choose to delay the inevitable. But I really thought he would work out. He’s intelligent, has great communication skills, loves people (maybe a bit too much) and he’s fairly organized. He did everything right -- except make us money. He likes to talk, but does not like to sell. He thinks almost everything is expensive to the customer and apologizes to the customer that it costs so much. So, I’m back to the drawing board, looking for a new advisor... again.

–Erol

DEAR EROL: Relax, Erol. Take a deep breath. We’ve all made hiring decisions that didn’t pan out.

You know, for years I’ve heard shop owners talk about how tough it is to find a great tech – not merely a good tech, but a “great” tech. I don’t disagree.

However, I’ve found that the hardest position to fill is the service advisor position.When you hire a tech you have to trust them with vehicles. Are they doing it right? Are they taking short

16

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

cuts? Are they thorough and accurate with their diagnosis? It’s all important.

When hiring an advisor, however, the key question is, how are they serving my customers? It almost makes my blood boil when I hear an advisor talking to one of my best customers in a condescending way or using a tone that is inappropriate.

The issue you have seems to be that your advisor is working only for your customers and not for you.

I read an amazing book on selling recently published by Harvard University that really helped me articulate this concept to others. Harvard conducted an intense study on what it takes to make a great salesperson. It was primarily motivated to determine why there was such a high turnover with salespeople in the insurance industry as well as in car sales. Why would some salespeople do incredibly well even though, initially, they seemed to be lacking in some key skills?

Meanwhile, others that appeared destined to succeed fell flat on their faces. What does it take to succeed as a successful and long-lasting salesperson? Is it personality?

Being an extrovert compared to an introvert? Confidence? Assertiveness?

Experience?

After an extensive study, the authors came up with two things – what they call the “2 Es of selling.” And their conclusions made perfect sense when I

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tend to spend huge amounts of time on the phone or at our counters giving away our knowledge and sometimes giving them enough information to try and fix things themselves.

We are often guilty of dispensing the “P.L.O.” – Parking Lot Opinion. Our customer drives up to our shop, comes in and talks about what his vehicle is doing or is not doing and we head out with our handheld and really see what’s up. A lot of us are guilty of doing that, and you can chock it up to “P.R.” Not “public relations,” but rather, “profit reduction.”

I was thinking the other day that I don’t know an industry that gives away time like we do. Could you imagine if you had to go to a hospital and there were dozens of doctors and nurses, going

pocket.” It is almost as if their slogan is, “We’re not happy until you’re not happy.”

They simply don’t get it and while some of them seem to stay in business in spite of themselves you know their sales and profits are likely taking a beating.

Sure they got our $15 or so today – but we’ll never again step foot in that place.

I have 22 years of experience in this industry, and we seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. We tend to be too nice. Give away too much. We

from vehicle to vehicle with various types of diagnostic equipment, dispensing free parking lot opinions? I don’t know about you, but I would be high-tailing it out of there and heading to a more professional hospital. Not only is it not profitable for us to do that, it looks unprofessional to our customers, pedestrians and drive-by traffic.

I have learned that it’s all about balance. My son, Dustin, played football last week. It was a great game and the

Larry Dickison

read the book based on personal experience. I was just unable to explain the situation in a couple of words.

According to the study, the first E is Empathy.

Empathy is about thinking like a customer and therefore thinking for the customer – “feeling their pain,” so to speak.

The second E is Ego. While I tend to not like that word, it does make sense.

The business needs to succeed.

We can all relate to the experience of going into a business and quickly realizing that all they care about is performing a “wallet-flush.” These businesses have the attitude that the definition of a customer is “a person who is standing in front of you who temporarily has your money in their

team worked hard, however, the game ended in a tie. It is a letdown to see a game end as a “sister kisser.” As in hockey, I’m not a huge fan of employing shootouts to break a tie, but it at least winning by a shootout beats the game ending in a deadlock.

However, in balancing the two Es, Ego and Empathy, there can be a tie.

Both the business and the customer have to win. There needn’t be a winner and a loser. We can both win – and we should both win.

We want our customers to experience premium customer service and for us to make the profit that we need to pay our bills, employees, and ourselves. We want to stay current with equipment and training so we can do our work as best we can. We need the best technicians we can recruit to enable us to diagnose today’s complicated problems. I have learned that it’s an ongoing process; we take time to make sure we treat our customers as best we can and verify that we’ve exceeded their expectations. So when you’re interviewing this time, ask lots of questions and listen. Are they at one end of the spectrum or is a balance achieved? It’s necessary.

Speaking of premium customer service, tomorrow is our annual customer appreciation day. We have a big event at our shop to show our customers how much we appreciate them. We have a BBQ planned and we’ve hired a local band. As well, we have blow up jumping tents for the kids, races for prizes, father and son and mother and daughter events. Of course, we’re able to make the event possible as part of our budget given that we ensure we’re profitable enough to stage such an event in the first place. Good luck, Erol.

As always, I’m only an email away.

Kelly Kelly Bennett is a certified management trainer and has been coaching automotive repair shop owners since 1990.

You can reach him at kellythecoach@aol.com.

SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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Triumphing Through

Technology

It’s important that shop owners keep looking to the future – and that means keeping abreast of the latest technological tools.

By Carolyn Gruske

D

ettmer Tire and Auto Inc. in Guelph, Ont. is changing its approach to business.

With two shops with five bays each and about 10 employees per location, Dettmer has primarily been a retaildriven business. About 18 months ago, the wholesale side of the operation took a big leap forward, thanks to the implementation of an online order system.

Now Dettmer’s wholesale customers can query Dettmer’s inventory, check the prices and place their orders directly – all without picking up the phone.

Dettmer VP Mike Adams says he’s seen a significant jump in his sales figures.

“It’s quite a big increase, in just our unit sales alone,” he says. “When we went to doing wholesale with online ordering we pretty much doubled our sales. Without the online ordering I know it wouldn’t be there because we get online orders from dealers when we’re actually closed, so when we come in in the morning, they’re sitting there.”

It’s not just the wholesale side of the business that is benefiting from a change in technology. Now his retail clients can deal with the business online as well.

Customers can book their appointments via the company’s website and can request price quotations which get sent directly to Adams via his BlackBerry.

Between his ever-changing website, which is managed by Minnesota-based 50 Below (www.50below.com) and his Protractor Software Inc. (www.protractor .com) shop management software, Adams feels he has a competitive advantage.

“I’d pretty much put us ahead of every shop I’ve been to so far. A lot of them are afraid of computers and the 18

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

Internet,” he says.

Like Adams, Mark Stevens, service consultant for DynEco Automotive Service Centre in Edmonton, is a Protractor user who feels that his shop has a competitive advantage through its use of computer software.

His 5,600 sq. ft., 10-bay shop gets about three-quarters of its business from oil and gas fleets. The rest is from retail repairs and maintenance.

He prides himself on DynEco’s

ability to build its business from referrals, and he makes full use of Protractor’ ability to capture referral information. By linking new customers back to the original referring customer, he’s able to track and reward his regular clients for bringing in new business.

Combining the referral tracking with labour estimating guides, online parts ordering and tracking, integrated appointment scheduling, accounting, time tracking, and invoicing, Stevens feels that his Napa AutoPro-affiliated shop is taking the necessary steps in order to survive and to build a true maintenance-based business.

“It’s that old thing: ‘if you’re not moving forward, you’re standing still or backing up,’” he says. “In our industry there are lots of shops out there that are still working in that breakdown repair mentality that don’t embrace technology.

A lot of shops that are closing are victims of not staying current... and not having a software program that can manage their business.”

Of course, it’s the last part of that sentence that is key. No matter what

WORK FROM

HERE

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Among all of the talk of integrated software systems – of inventory tracking and ordering, of customer relationship management, of G/L, accounts payable and receivable, of time tracking and labour guide look-ups – there is one area that is typically left out: the repair portion of shop itself.

That’s because even with all of the computerized pieces of equipment that are found in a modern shop from the alignment machine to the diagnostic engine code reader, there really aren’t any good ways to automatically collect all of that disparate information and store it in a useful format. Sure the technician can print out the results of a scan and then manually input the most relevant information into the customer’s file, but that’s hardly the most high-tech or efficient way of handling the data.

The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association is trying to change that. It has created a set of standards for data formatting and exchange called iShop (www.aftermarket.org/Technology/ishop.aspx) and it is pushing the entire automotive industry to adopt them. The thinking behind this is that if everybody handles the basic information in the same

way, it should be relatively easy for somebody to write a piece of management software that makes good use of the data.

Unfortunately this seems to be a battle that is nowhere close to being won yet. Although almost all the hardware and software manufacturers say they are paying close attention to the standards and watching their development, very few are complying with them. The reasons they give are many: the standards don’t have enough teeth; there isn’t enough critical buyin from the major players in the industry; the technology specifications the AAIA set are already outdated in terms of technology; there hasn’t been enough demand from the shop owners for this type of capability; nobody wants to start replacing expensive shop equipment just to increase their connectivity levels, and on and on.

Of course pretty much every manufacturer and software supplier does say that eventually this type of standards-based data communication model is going to have to exist, and that everybody will have to conform to it. Only time will tell how quickly (if ever) this concept will become reality.

Eyeing

iShop

software or computer system is installed it’s all about understanding the business and managing it properly. Even the best computer system in the world can’t help if data isn’t kept current or if a shop’s business practices aren’t up to snuff.

Peter Bridger sees regular examples of poor business habits and of great ones as

WORK FROM

HERE

well. Mississauga, Ont.-based Bridger is the national business development manager for Certigard (part of the PetroCanada brand). He supports about 100 franchisees nationwide, and even though all of the franchisees are standardized on the same Hewlett-Packard hardware and the same garage management software

from COSTAR Computer Systems (www.costar.ca), there is a wide disparity in how they operate.

As part of his national responsibilities, Bridger’s team sends out direct mailing pieces on behalf of the franchisees.

Customers’ names and addresses are pulled from the information entered by the franchisees into the centralized Certigard database and Bridger tracks how many pieces of mail get returned as undeliverable. He then sends a report back to each franchisee about the quality of their data.

“We have sites that run 99% accuracy ratings, which means only 1% of the customer list they send us we’re unable to mail to,” he says. “We have sites that run in excess of 30% inaccuracies. It’s all about how people’s names and addresses are inputted into the system. If you’re not going to put in people’s names and addresses correctly obviously you can’t mail to them and you can’t build loyalty and retention with them. That’s not a reflection of the system, that’s just a reflection of the way the person’s using the system.”

As businesses change, as the industry evolves and as customers shift from one demographic group to another, it is incumbent for shop owners and operators to keep looking to the future, and that means keeping abreast of the latest technological tools. For example, as smart phones and touch-screen devices become ubiquitous, customers will likely want to communicate more SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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thoroughly with shops using those devices.

While it’s up to the technology vendors to incorporate the newest gadgets and capabilities, the shop owner needs to understand how the new toys can (or even should) be utilized.

Taking a look at upcoming products from even a single company, in this case Delphi Automotive LLP, it’s easy to see that there are plenty of new ideas about how technology can be put to use in the shop if the willingness is there to use them.

One offering, AutoIQ, is a series of short (30 second), plain-language videos designed to explain what common automotive components are, how they operate, how they can fail, and what needs to be done to maintain them. The videos are to be used in helping to educate customers and are delivered over the Internet as part of the company’s RepairPoint Internet portal.

RepairPoint is also going to offer online training seminars for technicians, in addition to more common items such as service bulletins, wiring diagrams, labour time guides and online parts ordering.

Another offering is Delphi’s yet-tobe-named aftermarket telematics technology which is due out in the fourth quarter of the year. This will consist of a device that plugs into a vehicle’s ODB-II port and remains there, continuously transmitting 20

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

Page 20

diagnostic data back to the shop.

Pat Staarmann, sales director for telematics and service solutions in Delphi’s aftermarket division, sees this as a potential new service to be offered to clients, especially for fleet clients.

“A shop might put together a premier package for its customers where the shop manages all the maintenance associated with the car,” he says. “That package could include this telematics device.

They could plug it in for the customer – it literally takes 10 to 15 seconds to install the device – or they could even just mail it to their customers and have the customers install it themselves. This would allow them to be able to monitor any sort of diagnostic issues or trouble codes as well as being able to monitor maintenance of the vehicle so they could track vehicle mileage and when it might be due for its regular servicing – everything from an oil change to tire rotation.”

He added that the telematics equipment will have an interface that links up with handheld devices such as a BlackBerry, an iPhone or an iPad, as they are the types of tools that will find usage in shops in the future.

It’s also important to be cognizant of how well your suppliers are keeping up with the latest advances because the better and more integrated their systems are, the better a business partner they become. Even OE dealers and manufacturers are coming to realize this fact and are courting the

aftermarket trade customer, according to John Dwulet, senior product manager, Mitchell Repair Information Company LLC. “Mitchell1 has a catalogue called MORE, a catalogue developed by Snap-On Business Solutions,” says Dwulet. “They publish all the catalogues that are used at the dealerships. They have a catalogue integration to our management software that will allow the user to go out and look OE parts up and place orders with participating OE dealers. It’s just getting started for the dealers to adopt it, but there are franchises that understand that ‘hey there are a lot of parts that are being sold to the aftermarket, we should get in that model.’”

Of course even with access to all of the latest and greatest pieces of technology, in the end, running a successful shop comes down to one thing: positive human interactions.

“The goal of the shop is to take better care of the customer,” says Dwulet. “It’s about the customer. Anybody can service the vehicle. Whether they do it right or wrong, that’s another question.

But not everybody can service the customer. I’m pretty passionate about mind the customer first and the work will come.”

WEB LINKS If you’re looking for some online sites where you can interact with colleagues and find helpful information, here are some places to start: www.managerforum.net From Mitchell1 Described as a helpful and co-operative forum for technicians and shop owners to share technical information. Open to all.

Free to join. www.iatn.net Provides service bulletins, wiring diagrams, etc. plus offers a forum dedicated to problem-solving. Free to join with an enhanced, paid subscription section with more info. For technicians only. www.canadiantechnician.com/forum/ A forum of our own. It’s free. It’s Canadian.

Come in and network. Hear how your colleagues and your competitors run their businesses, repair vehicles, find jobs, get training, and generally cope with the demands of this industry.

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ALL FROM

HERE

The all-new VERDICT™ is about to change the way you think about diagnostics. It uses three separate wireless components: a scope, a scanner and a display tablet, allowing you to work in more places at once. What’s more, you can manage the job and the shop from the tool using the power of Windows® and Wi-Fi Internet access. It’s the power of freedom like you’ve never experienced it before.

To learn more, talk to your Snap-on® representative or visit diagnostics.snapon.com/verdict

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Tools in the

Electronic Age

By Jeff Taylor

E

lectronics have taken over a large part of our lives and the automotive work place has certainly not been immune.There was a time when all you needed was a good set of wrenches, screwdrivers and sockets and you were able to complete most repairs. That was certainly a simpler era but it has long since past.

Years ago there was very little that was sophisticated about vehicles: low tire pressure monitors, OBDII regulations, ABS, on-board navigation systems, automatic parking systems, and intelligent cruise control are just a few of the complicated electronic systems and devices that we take for granted.We are now faced with having to repair and diagnose these electronic devices for the average consumer, requiring some sort of diagnostic equipment and the ability to operate it properly.

So what have all these changes meant? Well for starters, the diagnostic and information tool industry was born.

The most complicated pieces of diagnostic equipment that I owned when I first started in this trade were a dwell meter, a sweep style volt/ohm meter, and a non-adjustable timing light. I would be hard pressed to do an accurate repair with just these few tools now. Diagnostic tools have become a necessary evil we can’t get along 22

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

without; but they are just tools and they have their limitations.

There are very few services that we perform now that don’t involve some sort of test equipment. We have warning lights and some sort of onboard diagnostics for most systems.

But are we able to get the access and information needed to rectify the problem? Some of these problems are created harmlessly by us just by performing a routine service, say a tire rotation. Owning the tool doesn’t guarantee you that you will be able to turn out all the Check Tire lights you may encounter.

Let’s use this example: the SRS (airbag system)/seatbelt light is illuminated on a 2008 Honda Civic that a customer has just purchased. You hook up your scanner and get the codes for a bad seatbelt. The repair is made and it’s time to turn out the light and erase the codes, but the light stays on. You check your information system and it says you can use the MES 2P connector. For years we have been able to clear the codes from the SRS system using the

SCS connector and the yellow MES 2P connector and following the procedure of plugging and unplugging, but that has now changed. It will clear the code but not turn out the light.The fix at this point is to send the customer to the dealer or to use a factory scanner.

As another example, maybe we are replacing a steering rack in a car that has hit a curb. Do we have the ability to set the steering wheel in the centre position if it has electric power assist?

We are usually done the service or repair when we notice that there is a warning light shining, a dilemma that most shops are caught in. We want to perform the services that our customers expect, but are you going to buy a factory scan tool for every make that

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Diagnostics is taking a complicated turn with newer models. Here’s what you need to know about updating your tool inventory to keep ahead of the curve. rolls in? The manufacturers are very reluctant to share the information on systems that they have created, and really, who can blame them? They have spent money on research and development and are looking for a return on that investment, and one way that they can get that is by quietly forcing their car owners to go back to the dealer for service.

Due to cost, most shops follow the equivalent tool path and this is where most issues start to show up. We have all been sold the “wonder tool” that will do and tell us everything, only to be crushed with disappointment when the light is still illuminated and the customer has to be sent to the dealer.

Many of us have had to work around this by taking the vehicle to the dealer ourselves and having the light turned off or the security system enabled after the repair.

When the time arrives that a new piece of diagnostic equipment needs to be purchased there are many questions that should be asked, and yes, price is a factor. These questions are not just for scanners but apply to most types of electronic diagnostic equipment.

Indeed, we not only have to understand what the limitations of the equipment are but what our capabilities are. Do we have all the needed information to perform the services? If our current information service doesn’t have all the steps needed, can we get them readily? Where will we get the

SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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info and what fee, if any, is required?

How many of these types of repairs are we going to do and to what makes? Is this going to be PC/laptop based or are we going to be using a dedicated platform such as Vantage PRO by Snap-on? If we are going to use a dedicated platform how is it upgraded and when? What are the costs involved? What other features

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can be used such as USB, memory card slots and PC connectivity? What expansion modules are available and what do they cost? Do I have overlap from other tools that are already owned? Does an online purchase come with the proper operator’s manual? Finally, how many times am I going to have to use this tool to start making money on my investment?

These are just a small number of the questions that you should be asking yourself and there are many more. One question to take very seriously: how quickly will the technology that I am purchasing become obsolete?

Buying a Tech 2 today will enable you to do many things with a GM vehicle. It has been the factory tool for almost 25 years but with GM’s introduction of the GDS (Global Diagnostic System) and MDI (Multiple Diagnostics System) on its new models, the changing of the guard has started.

Shown: YA12NX 12,000 lbs. capacity w/optional radius gauges.

• • • • •

Alignments g Fluid changes Brake work Inspections You Y ou name it

• • • • •

Straight g up-down p movement speed 33% faster speed worrkspace 20% more workspace 4-wheel align 71½” to 158” w/b maintennance Lower maintenance

Introducing the all-purp all-purpose ose alignment lift that doess so much more.

The Y Y-Lift™ -Lift™ is an entirely new class of alignment lift. It’ rfect for It’ss so versatile it’ it’ss per perfect all kinds of jobs. And it’ perate and it’ss faster to op operate ng brand of less expensive to buy than the leadi leading alignment lift.

More Workspace.

Workspace. When up, it’ w open it’ss wide underneath. This Y -Space™ allows your techs Y-Space™ to move more freely bay bay-to-bay to bay. Withh quicker bay-to-bay. access to both vehicle and tools, it’ it’ss perfect for all your general repair jobs.

Faster Y-Lift - cycle times are up u to 33% Faster.. The Y-Lift faster than traditional alignment lifts.. It’ It’ss not a parallelogram or a scissor lift – it hass a small footprint because it goes straight up and straight down.

Versatile. It’s It’s compatible compatiible with all vehicles – Versatile. from the the biggest biggest pick-ups pick-ups to to tthe he nnew ew m icro-cars – from micro-cars thhe newest alignment and all makes of even the diagnostic equipment.

Profitabile. In In short, short, the the Y -Lift iiss aann aalignment lignment Profitabile.

Y-Lift lift that does double dutyy as a general purpose lift, so you can you can make more money long with it – all day long. there’s a Rotary Lift Lifft for every job in Now there’s your shop. All backed byy legendary Rotary ervice support. Call installation, parts and se service today.

800-640-5438 or visit rotarylift.com/ca today.

Notes GM tech Matt Singer: “[With the] 2010 Camaro, LaCrosse, Equinox, Terrain and SRX in dealerships, technicians have had their first experiences in diagnosing GM Global Architecture (Global A) vehicles using the new GM Global Diagnostic System (GDS).These vehicles do not permit Tech 2 communication for diagnostic purposes.”

What really makes any piece of diagnostic equipment powerful is your own knowledge and understanding of the system or systems that you are trying to diagnose. Just going out and buying a piece of diagnostic equipment is not good enough – you have to know how to use it properly and what its capabilities are. Remember it’s just a tool, but without some much needed information, it may not help the way you expected it or wanted it to.

Jeff Taylor is a technician at Eccles Auto Service in Dundas, Ont.

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

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Hand out or attach a copy of Canadian Car Owner to every invoice. Your customers will thank you for it and they’ll be more receptive when you call to schedule their next appointment. Canadian Car Owner will be mailed directly to your shop at no additional cost to you.

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Employing SMART thinking will help you realize your goals.

BY RON CRAIG

I

recently overheard a conversation between the owner of an independent repair garage and a salesman.

“What are your plans for the future?” the salesman asked. “Are you going to be offering more products to your customers”?

“Nope – my goal is to make more money from what I already have”, the shop owner answered as he walked back into his shop.

At first glance, this seems to be a good goal: operating an automotive service business has never been more challenging, and every year the competition seems to get even tougher.

Concentrating on the immediate goal of making money and surviving in the marketplace seems logical. However, there’s a inherent flaw to such an approach.

When you set a general goal – making more money, for example – there are only two possible outcomes: success or failure.You either make more money or your revenues remain the same. And, as we all know, most people

don’t achieve their goals. In fact, by setting a goal that lacks detail, there’s a high probability that the person will not obtain the desired outcome.

Still, a goal can be a management tool that will help you achieve real results. So how do you create effective goals? The best way is to use the SMART strategy. Here’s how it works.

SMART is a practical tool that will help you improve your business, solve problems or increase your efficiency.

SMART stands for:

S= M= A= R= T=

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time

Let’s see how you can use these principles in your business.

Specific: As previously mentioned, creating a general goal isn’t an effective

strategy. For example, suppose you set a goal of making more money. If you make $1,000 more per year, have you achieved your goal? Well, you have – but it was probably not your intention to increase revenue by this amount. The key is to be more specific.

Creating a specific goal – i.e., “my goal is to increase my gross revenue by $36,000 per year” – is better because you now have an identifiable target.

More importantly, you can evaluate your progress: if your revenue doesn’t increase, you’ll see that you’re not achieving your goal. This provides you with a self-diagnostic tool. Based on actual results, you can determine if you need to change your strategy or refine your original goal.

Additionally, creating a specific goal provides you with the ability to make sound decisions based on analysis rather than guesswork.

But there are other reasons why setting a specific goal is important.

When you set a specific goal, you have to think about how to achieve the desired result. Let’s look at an example SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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of how this works. Suppose you want to increase the amount of money you make from selling a product – let’s say windshield wiper blades.

In order to achieve this goal, you’ll have to determine if you need to increase your product selection, determine how you will present the sales proposition to customers, and decide how you will display the product. In other words you set secondary goals: contact your distributors to increase product selection of wiper blades, get a pegboard or pointof-purchase display and train your staff to follow a strategy that converts worn-out wiper blades to sales.

Simply put, when you create a specific goal, it helps you develop a plan so you can achieve your goal.

Measurable: We have all had the experience of setting a goal and then realizing months later we haven’t achieved the desired result.

Measuring your progress is the best way to stay on track, and stay motivated.

More importantly, it helps you succeed.

Let’s say you decide that you want to sell more tires per month. If your goal is to increase your tire sales by $30,000 per year, set a sales target based on the number of units you need to sell. This provides you with a way to measure your progress and make adjustments.

Achievable: Never set a goal unless you have the skills, financial resources or ability required to succeed. Nothing destroys motivation more than failure.

However, if you set goals that are achievable (in other words within your capability), you’ll increase the probability of success. And there’s no better motivator than success.

Before setting a goal, do a realistic appraisal of your resources to ensure that you’ll be able to achieve the desired result. Be honest as you carry out this appraisal. When you’re confident you have the resources needed for success, move forward.

Realistic: Everyone has set a goal and failed. In many cases, the failure is the result of setting a goal that’s unrealistic. For example, why set a goal of becoming the largest automotive

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service facility in your area when the market is dominated by large multimillion dollar competitors? Unrealistic goals result in failure.

Instead, set realistic goals: perhaps a goal of increasing your market share, or becoming a specialist provider for a product or service that isn’t represented well in your area. Or, set goals to sell more products and services to help you increase your profitability. This is realistic and carries with it s higher probability of success.

include educational goals, quality goals and professional development goals.The SMART strategy is an ideal way to achieve these goals.

Today – more than ever before – owners/managers need to ensure that technical, managerial and service counter staff receives regular professional training. Sending your staff to random training courses, without examining your goals, is not an effective use of training dollars. In fact, unless training is linked to specific goals, there’s a high probability that the cost will not result in a real net benefit for your business.

So, how do you apply the SMART strategy to training There’s no better goals or professional develmotivator than opment goals? Actually, it’s easy.

Begin by conducting an audit of your training, and identify performance weaknesses in your business.

During this audit, ask hard questions: is the current training There’s another reason why unrealreally helping you stay competitive in istic goals aren’t good for your business. your market? Are you maximizing your When a goal fails because it’s unrealistic, billing hours by using effective commuyour staff loses confidence in trying nication between the service advisor and new ideas. The inverse is also true. your customers? Is the entire customer Success is infectious and when you set experience at your shop professional – realistic goals that achieve results, your from first contact to the customer staff will be more likely to support driving away with a serviced car? In future initiatives. other words, is your overall performance Time Limit: Make sure you set a meeting your expectations? timeframe for each of your goals. Let’s Once you have clearly identified the look at our previous example of selling problems you want to solve, create goals more tires. Instead of setting a that will help you achieve the desired timeframe of one year to achieve this result. goal, set frequent target dates to measure No matter if you want to improve your progress. By monitoring tire sales your profitability, increase your market every 30 days during a 12-month share or improve the efficiency of your period, for example, you can see if your operation, the SMART strategy can sales are on target to achieve your goal. help you. It’s practical and problem Finally, by using sales as benchmarks, focused. Anyone can use this strategy, no you can make adjustments or use matter the size of their business. It’s different tactics if unit sales are lagging truly the SMART way to make your behind your sales projections. If there’s business more successful. no timeframe, it’s hard to remain on target and achieve the desired result.

Ron Craig is a business owner and So far, we’ve looked at business goals consultant. He has made presentations to for your company. However, success in management personnel in large corporations the automotive aftermarket requires and franchise operations on improving self-improvement goals for managecreativity and problem solving. ment, technicians, and staff. These

success.

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Windshield Warriors Looking to move more wiper blades? Then make sure your customers realize there are many good reasons to refresh their windshield rubber.

T

here’s no chance a customer visiting the Lube-X shop in Chestermere, Alta. is going to leave this shop prior to being asked one simple question: “How are your wiper blades?”

The reason? Chances are those blades need replacing. As well, as Lube-X owner Richard Penner notes, if you don’t ask customers about their blades, chances are they aren’t going to request new wipers.

Be it ever so humble, few car parts are as vitally important from a safety perspective as the windshield wiper blade. After all, how can one properly pilot any vehicle in challenging conditions if visibility is compromised? For this reason, wiper blades should be replaced at least once a year, although some blade manufacturers advocate that blades should be changed every six months given Canada’s often hellacious weather extremes.

But we all know that isn’t the case.

Indeed, industry observers guesstimate that about 70% of vehicles on the road – seven out of 10 cars – have wiper blades that are unsuitable, and, in some cases, unsafe.

Clearly (or unclearly as the case may be) a significant percentage of motorists go several years rather than months when it comes to replacing these vitally important rubber strips.

Perhaps it boils down to “out of sight, out of mind.” When it’s raining, the lack of water-clearing prowess likely makes a motorist lament his ruined rubber. But when the sun takes lease, all is forgiven and forgotten… even though the sun’s ultraviolet rays play a role in ruining rubber.

In many cases, motorists simply don’t realize just how much their blades have deteriorated (a visual inspection, in many cases is useless) and they just acclimatize themselves to the reduced visibility in bad weather conditions.

The good news: anecdotal evidence suggests that when a customer is simply told that his blades are ripe for replacement, many motorists authorize the work.

That’s why at Lube-X in Chestermere, asking customers about their blades is part of the shop’s du rigueur maintenance checklist for all vehicles.

Penner says typically, 6% of customers agree to replace their blades when asked – a number that swells to 17% in the months leading up to winter.

As far as Penner sees it, pushing blades is a win-win proposition. His customers can see more clearly with new rubber, whereas his shop benefits from selling an item that has a hefty 40-45% profit margin. Better yet, such a part often takes less than five minutes to install.

And wiper blade sales at Penner’s Lube-X shop are indeed sizzling: in the past eight months, Penner has moved more than $9,300 worth of inventory.

Rain-X brand manager Kristin Chiboroski notes that simply by reminding customers about their wiper blades, Penner is doing the right thing.

Put another way, that iconic suggestive fast-food sales pitch,“Would you like fries with that?” has surely resulted in billions of potatoes dispatched to the deep fryer.

Chiboroski notes that shops should also look into rolling racks that display blades and to prominently showcase the blades on rainy days.

She adds that by squirting water on a windshield to see how it performs is “a great segue into selling wiper blades.”

A new product for 2010 is Horizon

by Rain-X, which has a time-released coating that releases the water-defying technology of Rain-X on windshields via the wiper blade.

“It [Horizon] is the only blade out there of its kind,” she says. “It dramatically improves driving visibility over tens of thousands of wipes.”

Sam Sgro, marketing manager for Robert Bosch Inc., says the key to moving more blades is increasing wiper blade visibility – in the shop, that is.

To this end, Bosch offers a merchandising system that is comprised of a SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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freestanding display that adroitly showcases Bosch’s various wiper blades (a peg board display is also available.)

“Like any point of purchase display, our displays are quite effective in jogging customers’ minds to install new wipers,” he says.

Sandy Wallace with Gates Canada (which distributes the Trico line of wiper blades), agress. “A great way to boost sales is by displaying a point-ofsale wiper merchandiser like the twosided mobile rack offered by Gates,” she says.“This rack can be rolled out to high

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traffic areas with ease and holds approximately 140 blades.”

Another innovative marketing tool is Bosch’s “reminder card” that can be handed out to customers after the installer tests and inspects the wiper blades. The card features nine colourcoded pictograms, one of which will relate to the wiper blade’s condition.

The pictographs indicate one of three conditions: “Everything OK! No action necessary”; “Some shortcomings, the wiper blades should be changed in the next four weeks”; or,

Bosch now offers reminder cards indicating blade conditions and when the blade should be replaced.

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

“Your wiper blades need to be changed urgently. Please arrange an appointment with us.”

The reminder cards will not only bring attention to the fact that the blades need to be eventually replaced, but they serve as a public relations exercise. In other words, if the blades are still functional, the customer is cautioned that he should replace the rubber in the months ahead as opposed to immediately. The end result of this communication method: the customer appreciates the honesty of the technician or service advisor given that he isn’t advocating an immediate replacement for a part that’s still functioning properly.

As well, Tom Vsis, a Bosch group product manager for wiping systems, says it’s wrong to assume that most consumers understand the technology behind wiper blades—especially since most people change their blades every three years. “[Shop employees should] explain the benefits to consumers,” he says.

“Show them how a beam blade evenly distributes pressure points across the length of the blade, which leads to even wear and an even distribution of force.”

As well, Vsis notes that a feature of Bosch’s Icon blade is “dual FX rubber,” which incorporates a soft backing and a hard edge. “You really see such a hightech wiper shine in extreme weather conditions,” he says.

And when it comes to blades, it’s all about defeating the elements. Rain-X notes that in tests conducted by a major university, better visibility improved driving response time by up to a full second or more. That might not sound like much, but an extra second at highway speed is equivalent to four car lengths of extra stopping distance. This is something worth passing along to customers, given that in many cases, safety sells.

Regardless of the season, don’t assume your customer is aware (or even remembers) how poorly his wiper blades are functioning. Always inspect the blades, because in many cases, those strips of rubber are desperately in need of replacement. A set of new wiper blades is good for your customers’ wellbeing and driving comfort – and that’s good for your bottom line.

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GUEST COLUMN

Making Sense of Ontario’s Eco Fee Mess

By Usman Valiante

I

f you operate an automotive aftermarket business in Ontario, you may have noticed that in the last few years a slew of environmental charges have appeared on your invoices from automotive product suppliers. Affected products include tires, oil filters, packaged antifreeze, solvents in containers, and oil containers.

The fees originate from the manufacturers or “first importers” of products into Ontario who pay stewardship fees to “industry funding organizations” (IFOs) that are convened for the purpose of recovering, reusing and recycling designated materials. These IFOs are convened and overseen by yet another organization called Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO) which is a body established by the Ontario government under the province’s Waste Diversion Act. The IFOs are typically made up of product suppliers and retailers who go about figuring how much it will cost to collect, transport, reuse, recycle or properly dispose of the collected materials. Once they’ve calculated the total cost of the waste diversion program, that cost is then allocated to each producer based on the sales of their affected material. The end result is the per-unit “eco fee” you see on invoices.

The debacle over eco fees earlier this summer was due to several factors.

First, the province allowed Stewardship Ontario – the agency that operates the municipal household hazardous waste (MHSW) program – to expand its existing program to a whole slew of products on July 1 (the same day the harmonized sales tax was introduced.)

That the program was extended to include materials like potting soils, adhesives and a number of other non-recyclable, consumable items raised many an eyebrow and drew into question the intentions behind

the program.

As well, Canadian Tire got its eco fees wrong. In some cases in which Canadian Tire had to calculate fees on certain products based on the amount of material in that product, the company made calculation mistakes and consumers ended up paying much more than they should have. These errors caused confusion and ultimately undermined the public’s perception of the program.

Since the launch of the expanded MHSW scheme there’s been ongoing debate as to whether product manufacturers should be allowed to pass on eco fees to distributors and retailers.

Some argue that eco fees help educate consumers about recycling programs; others suggest environmental costs should be treated as any other cost of doing business and should therefore be contained in products’ overall prices.

Whatever the case, July’s eco fee fiasco forced the province to initiate a 90 day review of the eco fee-based stewardship system. The outcome of this review remains to be seen.

Shop owners should ensure if they see an eco fee on a sales invoice that this fee is applied properly to the product in question. The province has a hotline if you have any questions: (http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/ hazardouswaste/ecoFees.php).

If your business generates any of the materials designated under the MHSW, used tires or electronic products, you should expect to receive free collection of those materials for recycling. The eco fees you pay upfront are supposed to cover the backend costs of collecting and recycling the materials. Neither you

nor your customers should face disposal or recycling charges on materials if you’ve paid eco fees on the purchase of new products.

To date, eco fee-based programs have spawned mixed results. While fees have improved the recycling of a number of materials, in some cases – such as consumer batteries – the fees have had little effect. What’s certain is these programs come at very high costs to consumers.

The reason for the high program costs is straightforward – eco feebased programs simply aren’t competitive.

With groups of manufacturers setting up recycling programs collectively, there’s no normal pressure to lower costs and compete based on environmental and financial performance; since every producer pays the same fee, the costs are just added to product prices and passed on directly to consumers.

Ontario has proposed to make manufacturers take individual responsibility for recycling their products. In this way, each manufacturer will negotiate with recycling companies to have their products collected and recycled. Manufacturers that produce products that are easier to recycle or that can negotiate the best recycling terms will be able to reduce their environmental costs and offer consumers better value.

Bottom line: until the government reworks the recycling laws, shop owners should keep a keen eye on all invoices.

Usman Valiante is a principal of Corporate Policy Group which specializes in business and government policies and programs for the environment.

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FROM OUR FORUM

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Recent postings on www.canadiantechnician.ca/forum.

Accreditation debate rages on

We asked our forum members what they thought about accreditation. You can guess how the opinions differed… and what kind of possible solutions were suggested.

Canadian Technician recently ran an editorial and a web question on accreditation. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I’m on the fence on this one.Why do we need accreditation? Is it to help protect the consumer? We have municipal, provincial, and federal laws for that.

Will the public embrace the idea? We all know what the public and the media thinks of us.Will it benefit the automotive industry and, more importantly, me? That may sound selfish but it must be answered.What are your thoughts?

but as we all know it will never happen. If there was a value in being accredited and the cost was not too high, I’d be for it.

Posted by: bigblockbob - 04/22/2010

Eventually, backyarders and the like will not be able to effectively repair vehicles.The systems on modern cars will prove to be too much for them. Soon, there will be very little need for accreditation because the professional shops will easily stand out.

Accreditation, to what end? Is this just another “must have” get-richquick scam by people who could care less about our industry? Although the idea is laudable, I would need to see the idea fleshed out and some concrete criteria laid out before I could vote for or against.We’d all like to see the ill-equipped, poorly-trained shops and techs either upgrade or get out of the industry, but is this just a plan to make the standards so high that they can not afford to meet them?

Posted by: Bilmac - 04/23/2010

Most provinces have a regulatory body that oversees car dealerships. In Ontario it also works to ensure that dealers comply to a code of ethics—something our trade is sorely lacking. Perhaps it’s time our industry had an organization similar to this.

Posted by: McWrench - 04/24/2010

I think we do need someone to report to… or who can check up on shops to ensure they’re safe and the techs are qualified. I’d love to see someone shut down the backyarders

Posted by: PAR - 04/25/2010

I wouldn’t want to see government certify us.They always seem to complicate things. I’d like to see a governing body brought in by the industry with the ability to sanction any shop that does not play by the rules.

Posted by: msog – 04/26/2010

meddle. Now, more than ever, we need to protect the consumer.The automotive investment has become such a large part of one’s disposable income and repair visits have become a very real financial burden.

Posted by: grampyjim – 06/15/2010

Unless certain standards are needed to become accredited, parties involved agree to a code of ethics, and consequences are created for not following these standards, then accreditation is just an advertising gimmick.

How do we excite shop owners and get them to become engaged?

Posted by: msog – 06/16/2010

We should start by establishing a volunteer society that at least the best shops can strive for and, in turn, be recognized by the general public.

Posted by: huggard - 04/27/2010

Posted by: 30222222 – 06/17/2010

A good start would be some sort of certification to purchase safetyrelated parts such as brake, steering and suspension components.Will parts stores stop selling safety related parts to DIYers? I doubt it, too much money is at stake. But other industries are doing it. I tried to purchase the parts I needed to install in floor heat in my shop and was told by the plumbing supply store that it required a certified heating contractor to purchase these materials.

They would not sell them to me.Why can’t we have something similar in our trade?

The idea of accreditation is something that has been debated at the last few board meetings of the CIAA. A committee has been formed to collect ideas from the membership.

These ideas would then be molded into a rating system of sorts, backed by a national or provincial association.

I would like to see us work together on this, but I sense a problem with the voluntary part. As with a lot of by-laws and regulations, existing repair facilities could be grandfathered and any new business licenses could be mandatory.

Posted by: Allan Haberman – 06/14/2010

Posted by: ALLNUTS^nobolts – 06/18/2010

We don’t want the government meddling in our business, yet we see so many reasons why the government desperately needs to

Join the discussion! Log on to www.canadiantechnician.ca/forum and see what everyone’s talking about. If you’ve got an opinion to share, we want to hear it.

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Engine oil additive Older vehicles often burn oil, leading to exhaust smoke and damage to oxygen sensors, catalytic converters and other internal components. Rislone Smoke Away Engine Oil is available to help counteract these effects by stopping oil leaks, restoring oil for longer life, thickening the oil film to fill gaps between parts, conditioning seals to stop leaks, and coats internal parts to reduce wear. Smoke Away is compatible with all gasoline and diesel engines using conventional or synthetic oil. One 500mL bottle treats four to six quarts of oil. Add it to the engine oil every 3,200 km. www.rislone.ca

Hole saw Malco has expanded its line of Carbide-Tipped Hole Saws with the addition of the 2-9/16”, 3-5/8” and SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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WIN

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A GOODYEAR PRIZE PACK.

Send your solved puzzle to Canadian Technician.

We’ll draw a winner on October 17, 2010.

Send to 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, ON M9W 5C4. Or fax to 416-614-8861

Name:

Workplace: Work address: Phone:

Email:

AUTO PUZZLE SEPTEMBER 2010 1

Responsible choices & smart maintenance keep you coming back for more.

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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To enter, residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority according to the law of the province in which they reside, should complete official entry form and post it to Canadian Technician Magazine, 451 Attwell Drive, Toronto, ON, M9W 5C4. Or fax it 416-614-8861. Canadian Technician is the Sponsor of the sweepstakes. Chances of winning depend on total number of eligible entries received. For this month’s drawing, entries must be received no later than 8:00 pm EST on October 17, 2010. One entry per person per month. Prize valued at approximately $100. Void where prohibited. Subject to full, official rules and regulations.

For full, official rules and regulations visit. www.canadiantechnician.com

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Snowmobile Belts The only snowmobile belt with CARBON FIBRE REINFORCEMENT for MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE and MINIMUM BELT WEAR

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The Gatorback trademark is licensed to Veyance Technologies, Inc. by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. ©2010 Veyance Technologies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CANADIAN TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 2010

to Ann Marie Crocker of Head's Auto Repair in Cold Lake, Alta. for solving our May, 2010 puzzle.

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ACROSS 1. Gear-heads' group (3,4) 5. Road irregularities 8. Formula One track in Italy 9. Buyer's bank transaction, perhaps (3,4) 10. Trucker carrying union card 11. A freeway freighter 13. Sealing device in engine 14. Mid-'60s to early-'70s; ____ car era 17. Model cars, sometimes 19. Auto-salvage operation, slangily 22. Plymouth's clone of Dodge Aries 23. Slangy supercharged synonym 24. Legendary Formula One champ Ayrton 25. Slang, fully-optioned touring motorcycle

to find a distributor near you. Or, visit

Congratulations

21

DOWN 1. '70s Mercury for an astronomer 2. Budget cars, sometimes 3. Smoothed and lowered '50s custom (4,4) 4. Car-wash receptacle 5. Farm-tractor shelter 6. Surname, P1800-driving "The Saint" actor 7. Pontiac Sunbird successor 12. Hot variant of '71 Dodge Charger (5,3) 13. Diminutive race cars 15. Car-wash leather 16. Tapped the horn 18. Final model from Chrysler's Eagle division 20. Unpretentious roadside restaurant 21. Defunct Subaru sedan/pickup hybrid

MAY 2010 AUTO PUZZLE 1

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QUESTION OF THE MONTH What has been the most problemprone engine you have worked on?

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continued from page 46

Sure enough, the ailing Ford spun over as if it had a broken timing belt, yet there was still spark at the ignition wires. Pushing the car into the shop, Tooner and Beanie removed the covers to check the timing marks – but all was in order.

Tooner stood back and scratched his chin.

“Lemme hear how it sounds one more time.”

Beanie glumly reached in and turned the ignition key. The engine roared to life as if nothing had been amiss.Tooner’s eyebrows shot up.

“Well, I’ll be a …”

Before he could finish, the car suddenly stalled. And when Beanie cranked the engine again, the “no compression” sound was back.

Basil came over for a look.

“We had an old Chevy back in my dealership days,” he began. “It was an intermittent no start caused by excessive oil pressure due to a seized oil pressure relief valve.”

Tooner shrugged.

“Can’t hurt to check.”

He installed a pressure gauge and cranked the engine. The needle pinned at 400 psi, the limit that our gauge would read.

“Well, lookit that,” he exclaimed. “I’ll bet them lifters are pumped up solid, keepin’ the valves wide open!”

“Now what?” asked Beanie.

“Start by draining the oil,” advised Basil.

Our apprentice looked around.

“But all the hoists are full. I’ll have to do it on the ground.”

“Right, an’ you’ll need a real skinny drain bucket,” added Tooner.

He eyeballed Beanie’s gold pan and smirked.“I know just the thing…”

I thought Beanie would be upset, but a few minutes later he came running to show us what he’d found.

“Gold! I’ve found gold!”

Sure enough, as he swished what looked like very new oil around in his pan, we could see hundreds of tiny gold flakes floating in the mixture.

Basil chuckled.

“That’s not gold, Beanie; that’s metal shavings from damaged engine bearings.This Contour has serious issues.”

After phoning the customer we discovered that the car had run out of oil the week before.The owner had refilled it, but neglected to tell us about it. Obviously, the metal filings were playing havoc with the oil pump pressure relief valve.

A week later Tooner was still giving Beanie the gears about his new hobby.“Bean, ya ain’t never gonna find any gold with that tin plate.”

“That all depends on how you look at it,” I said in Beanie’s defense.

I looked down at the figures on the invoice in my hand – it was for the Contour, and it now included a brand new engine.

“I’d say this job ‘panned out’ pretty good.”

Rick Cogbill is a licensed technician and former shop owner in Summerland, B.C. The author would like to offer special thanks to Doug Baird and John Tolley of Kamloops Auto Service in Kamloops, B.C. for this month’s technical mystery. To read more about Slim and the gang, check out Rick’s book A Fine Day for a Drive at www.thecarside.com.

ADVERTISER INDEX AIA Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,43 www.aiacanada.com 800-808-2920 Bars Products – Rislone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 www.rislone.ca Blue Streak-Hygrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.bluestreak.ca Bridgestone Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 www.bridgestonetire.ca Cardone Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 www.cardone.com COASTAL Blending & Packaging . . . . . . . . . . 38 www.coastalbp.com 800-574-5823 Delphi Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 www.delphi.com Gates Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 www.gates.com 519-759-4141 Goodyear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26,44 www.goodyearep.com 888-275-4397 Honeywell – Fram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 www.fram.com Honeywell – Autolite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 www.autolite.com Imperial Oil – Mobil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,5 www.mobil.ca 800-567-3776 NAPA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 www.napaonlinecanada.com 866-GET-NAPA NGK Spark Plugs Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 www.ngksparkplugs.ca 1-877-2-SPARKY Quaker State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 www.quakerstate.com 1-800-263-6200 Robert Bosch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 www.bosch.ca 905-826-6060 Rotary Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.rotarylift.com 1-800-640-5438 Shell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 www.shell.ca Snap-On Tools of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . 18,19,21 www.snapon.com 1-800-734-2676 Tenneco Automotive – Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 www.monroe.com Visit Website Valvoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 www.valvoline.com 1-800-TEAM-VAL

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SEPTEMBER 2010 CANADIAN TECHNICIAN

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The Car Side

By Rick Cogbill

Panning for Gold

A stall-prone Ford Contour proves infuriating … until a solution to the problem is discovered within the car’s black gold.

Sometimes apprentices are like clean shop rags – they’re never around when you need one. It was my third circuit around the shop and still no sign of Beanie.

“Basil! Have you seen Beanie?”

Basil adjusted his reading glasses as he nodded towards the side door.

“You’ll find the lad out there, seeking his fortune amidst the unrelenting tides of our industrialized hydraulic flows.”

I skidded to a halt. “What?”

Basil smiled.

“He’s panning for gold in the drainage ditch.”

Sure enough, The Bean was straddling the ditch by the road with a shallow metal pan in his hands and an old prospector’s hat on his head, his eyes glued to the mud in the bottom of the pan.

“BEANIE!” I yelled. “What’s going on here? I’ve got customers waiting for their vehicles!”

He jumped in surprise.

“Gosh, is coffee break over? I guess I lost track of time…”

I sighed – Beanie had another new hobby. Just last week he showed us his mail order gold pan, complete with a 46

CANADIAN TECHNICIAN AUGUST 2010

red bandanna and a battered hat. I still recall his euphoria: “…And you pan the inside curve of the stream looking for colour – uh, that means placer gold – and when you find it, you follow the stream to the source of the gold.” His eyes widened with excitement. “You never know when you’re gonna strike it rich with the mother lode!”

I wasn’t impressed then, and today’s antics weren’t helping things.

“Keep your mind on your work,” I warned him, dragging him back inside the shop by his left ear. “You’re lucky I don’t use that pan for something useful, like draining antifreeze.”

Beanie’s neglected job was a Ford Contour with the Check Engine light on and a complaint of intermittent stalling. A quick check with the scanner revealed an EGR code, indicating that the DPFE sensor had failed. It was a normal Ford issue, and after replacing the faulty sensor, Beanie was already reaching for his gold pan, eager to get back to his ditch.

“Not ’til you’ve done yer road test,” growled Tooner. “Don’t be gettin’ sloppy on me.”

“But there’s gold in those ditches!” wailed Beanie. “Just look at what I found yesterday.” He showed Tooner a jar of sparkling sand.

Tooner snorted.

“That ain’t gold; it’s tinfoil from a candy bar wrapper. Now git!”

Chagrined, Beanie left on what should have been a quick road test. But it was a long time before he returned.

“The car stalled and it took forever to get it going again.”

The rest of the day was spent testing the fuel and ignition systems, but no problems appeared, and the car ran perfect.

The next morning I sent Beanie out to the parking lot with a seat cover on the pretext of delivering the Contour back to its owner. A minute later, a loud disturbance assaulted our ears. Tooner sipped his coffee as he looked out the window.

“Looks like we need clean-up on parking stall six,” he muttered. “Ol’ Bean is having a meltdown.”

“It won’t start again!” wailed Beanie as we gathered around. “And listen to it crank – it sounds real strange.” continued on page 45

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Page 47

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