castrol unveils edge, the best castrol ever. dj … · castrol unveils edge, the best castrol ever....

February 2010, Volume 8, Number 1, $5.95, www.autosphere.ca

Castrol unveils EDGE, The Best Castrol Ever.

DJ Kennington says “For my extreme driving, I’m using Edge exclusively now!”

PM 4

0014

105

[email protected]

Atlas Tire Wholesale Inc.

6290 SHAWSON DRIVEMISSISSAUGA, ON L5T 1H5

TEL. (905) 670-9791FAX. (905) 670-0581

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20 Years of Service to the Trade

7 TechnologyPositive Future

10 Tribute to Industry PioneersHighly Acclaimed Leaders

12 AIA CanadaIt Was a Pretty Good Year

13 Check Engine Light ConditionsFour Reasons for Their Appearance

14 Advanced Synthetic for Performance Under ExtremesAll About Edge—The Best Castrol Ever

16 Scan ToolsImpossible to Do Without…

18 Important Tech ToolsWhat’s in Your Toolbox?

19 NASTFFuture Scan Tools Could Change

20 Read and LearnGrabbing the Advantage

22 Industry MilestonesRight to Repair... Resolved

24 Brake PerformanceWinter Safety Check-Up

26 New TechnologiesOff-roading Will Never Be the Same!

28 Oils and LubesChanges and Challenges

30 The FutureWhat’s Changing?

F E A T U R E S

I N E V E R Y I S S U E . . .

14 20 26

4 Editorial Always Be Mindful of the Human Factor

6, 36, 37Around the Industry

8 New Products

37 Advertisers

C O V E R P A G E

31 EducationUpgrade or Fall Behind

32 Looking Ahead…The Future of the Industry

34 Shop Management SoftwareWhich Is Best for Your Shop?

35 OBD3–Training BulletinFuel Trims Analysis

38 Garage Business Going All the Way

2 0 1 0 E V E N T S C A L E N D A R

March 16-17Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) Vision ConferenceInterContinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, IL❚ www.aasavision.org

March 18MTC (MEMA Technology Council) Spring MeetingInterContinental Chicago O’Hare, Rosemont, IL❚ www.miscouncil.org

March 18-20Showpower Nashville: Transmission/Undercar ExpoNashville, TN✆ Michelle Dickemann, ❚ [email protected]

February 2010Contents

www.bluestreak.ca

Visit us on the world stage.

Our new international calling card.by

CASP BS_Intermotor Contents Page material

www.bluestreak.ca

Visit us on the world stage.

Our new international calling card.by

CASP BS_Intermotor Contents Page material

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

| www.autosphere.ca | February 2010 | CarCare Business | 3

H aving said that, I must go on to explain that having a good relationship with people is important. That relationship

doesn’t just involve those in your place of busi-ness, it goes right down the chain—your sup-plier, your jobber, your service provider, your client… even your relationship with yourself!

Employees need to be recognized when they do something correctly, when they come up with a new design, a solution for a problem, an easier way of doing things—the contributions and progress they have made to your business. It’s not just you, but you and your employees that are responsible for the good results you have produced. If something goes wrong, you can’t always blame your employees… you must step up to the plate and take responsibility for it.

When it comes to your customers, you need to keep their confi dence and give them choices. Explain what needs to be done to keep their vehicle in top running and safe driving condi-tions. Lay it all out for them, but let them make their choice about what they want done now. You also need to be innovative with your clients

Rémy L. Rousseau [email protected]

Any business can be made or broken by the employees within it.

Publisher & Editor Rémy L. Rousseau

Associate Publisher Shirley Brown

Contributing Editors Pierre Bissonnette, Éric Descarries, Jack Kazmierski, Pierre Lalonde, Carolle Larose, Dave Redinger, Frank Tonon

Production Management Valérie St-Cyr [email protected]

Graphic Design Monique Desbiens [email protected]

Revision Shirley Brown

Administration Wendy Allain [email protected]élène Côté [email protected] Prud’homme [email protected]

Circulation Management Nancy Belleville [email protected]

Sales Luc Champagne [email protected]

Nathalie Plouffe [email protected]

Réjean A. Rousseau [email protected]

Garth Vogan [email protected]

SubscriptionOne-year: $27.95 Two-year: $49.95 Three-year: $59.95

Published by Rousseau Automotive Communication455, rue Notre-Dame Est, suite 311Montréal, QC H2Y 1C9T : 514-289-0888, 1-877-989-0888 F : 514-289-5151

[email protected] www.autosphere.ca

CarCare Business Magazine is dedicated to serving the bu-siness interests of the maintenance and repair industry. It is published seven times a year by Rousseau Automotive Communication, a member of AIA Canada. Material in CarCare Business may not be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse any advertising and disclaims all responsibilities for claims or statements made by its ad-vertisers or independent columnists. All facts, opinions and statements appearing within this publication are those of the writers and editors themselves, and are in no way to be construed as statements, positions or endorsements by Rousseau Automotive Communication.

Printed in Canada ISSN no. 1920-731X Publications Mail Agreement no. 40014105. Return un-delivrable Canadian addresses to Rousseau Automotive Communication / Circulation Department, 455, rue Notre-Dame Est, suite 311, Montréal, QC H2Y 1C9

and listen to their needs. Yes, all the work needs to be done, but with today’s economy, they may not be able to have it done all at once… so tell them what is most important for their safety, be up-front with them and get them to make an appointment to have the other preventive maintenance items done later. This becomes a win-win situation for you both!

References are good to haveWhen a possible new client comes to you, have some references ready… they may already know someone on your list of cus-tomers, but it’s always good to show them that someone in the neighbourhood likes you and speaks highly of your services. You can show the new person that you feel privileged to have this customer’s business and their confi dence. This is also exceptionally good advertising for you and your shop.

You also need to have a good, strong relation-ship with your supplier. When you have this, you can share experiences, ask for support, and share information.

Don’t forget yourselfAnd as an employer, you have responsibil-ities to yourself. You need to keep in shape, physically and morally—smile, read, dream, do more planning, move to action and your life as an employer will be better… it will also pass down the line and come full circle.

And speaking of reading, I invite you to visit our website—autosphere.ca—and read all the latest industry news in the various domains.

FSC PO

SITION

À REM

PLAC

ER

As an Employer…

…Always Be Mindful of the Human Factor

EDITORIAL

4 | CarCare Business | February 2010 | www.autosphere.ca |

[email protected]

Be part of the news!

Send us your:

• events

• new products

• press releases

• nominations and appointments

• information about your industry

RC4008 autosph pub Ang v1.indd 1 10-01-27 8:11 AM

Hope and Cope Charity Walk-A-Thon

Since the event was so successful last year, Dorval, Sources and St-Henri Auto Parts of Montreal, QC held another Walk-A-Thon to raise money for a hospital in their area. Alex Trichas, one of the organ-izers said, “More than a hundred people participated in the walk but more than 250 people turned up for the event. We sincerely thank all those who participat-ed—our families, our customers, and our friends.

“This is the second year of the event. Last year we wanted to raise $10,000 and we raised $26,000. This year we had the same goal but really surpassed it—we raised $33,000. We’re very happy and our thanks to all who supported the event.”

Keystone Has Moved!To better serve you, Keystone Auto-

motive formerly in Toronto has moved to Brampton, Ontario. They are now located

at 2-3485 Steeles Ave. East, Brampton, L6T 5W7. The phone number there is 905-850-1791 and the fax is 905-850-2521.

Keystone’s toll free number is 1-800-747-0601 and you can go to this website to order: www.orderkeystone.ca.

More Foreign-Nameplate Vehicles Featured in MOOG Chassis Parts Line

Federal-Mogul Corp. introduced nearly 400 new problem-solving MOOG chassis components for an ex-tensive range of late-model foreign-name-plate applications. New MOOG coverage includes the 2006-09 Honda Civic, which alone represents more than 700,000 N. A. vehicle registrations.

This product development initiative has resulted in nearly 650 new chassis part numbers to date, including precision-engineered ball joints, alignment kits,

control arms, centre/drag links, tie rods, coil springs and other

components for many of the most popular foreign-

nameplate applications. The new Honda Civic parts include

MOOG outer tie rod ends which help technicians restore factory-quality steering and handling performance while delivering the MOOG brand’s durability.

Complete listings of new MOOG prod-ucts are available on the brand’s techni-cian-focused Web site, www.moogprob-lemsolver.com, as well as Federal-Mogul’s comprehensive www.FMe-cat.com elec-tronic catalog.

INDUSTRY NEWS

(back row) Marvyn Kussner, Andre Dimopoulos, Alex Trichas, Nick Dimopoulos, Chris Dimopoulos, Lucie Fazio; (front) Suzanne O’Brien, executive director of Hope & Cope, Mel Peress, Sheila Kussner, founder and chairperson of Hope & Cope, and Dimitrios Dimopoulos, with the cheque that was presented.

distribution centre in the GTA. It will be located at 10 Driver Road in Brampton.

The 114,000 sq. ft. centre will be equipped with modern material handling and supply management systems in addition to offering a complete inventory of parts and accessories. Vast-Auto will maintain its current distribution centre in North York to service customers in the east end of Toronto. “The addition of a distribution centre on the city line of Brampton and Mississauga will enable us to respond to the unique geographic landscape of the Ontario market, pos-itioning us to effectively and effi ciently service parts stores located west of Toronto,” said Del Vasto.

Another Ontario Distribution Centre for Vast-Auto

John Del Vasto, president of Vast-Auto Distribution, an-nounced they would be opening a second state-of-the-art

Federal-Mogul Corp. introduced nearly 400 new problem-solving MOOG chassis components for an ex-

control arms, centre/drag links, tie rods, coil springs and other

components for many of the most popular foreign-

nameplate applications. The new Honda Civic parts include

MOOG outer tie rod ends which

MAS Chooses SS&MMAS Industries has entered into an agreement to have Specialty Sales & Market-

ing (SS&M) represent their chassis products here in Canada. Mark Stermer, president, provided this explanation. “As our company continues to grow stronger, MAS Industries needs to align itself with one of the most professional and aggressive agencies in Can-ada.” Having chosen Specialty Sales and Marketing, MAS looks forward to a strong 2010.

Mister Transmission Founder Passes Away

Randy Moore, president and CEO of Mis-ter Transmission, has informed us of the passing of the company’s chairman and founder, Bruce Brillinger. Bruce, in his 73rd year, had been fi ghting a valiant bat-tle with cancer but lost that fi ght on Janu-ary 5 at home with his wife, Gayle, by his side. He co-founded Mister Transmission in 1963 and has since grown the brand nationwide as Canada’s largest transmis-sion specialists.


“W hen our company start-ed in 1963, there were 11 types of automatic

transmissions. Today, there are 162, including CVT transmissions, with the hy-brid and hydro-electric cars coming soon. This doesn’t really bother us now, but the changing technology does. Everyone wants better fuel economy with substan-tial horsepower. The transmission is one area where they can get more power to the rear wheels, making the car more fuel effi cient—the ultimate goal.

The changing technology“Today many independent transmission shop owners are in their late 50s and

60s and don’t want to start learning new technology and methodology now. But that’s what is changing the business: constantly evolving technology. Industry predictions indicate there will be 30% fewer transmission specialist shops in Canada soon mainly due to rapidly changing technology and high product cost. A technically driven/computer con-trolled transmission is more expensive to repair, requires further diagnostics, so the consumer pays more. Many small independent transmission shops may not have current technological informa-tion to better inform their customers what the cost will be.”

Technology

What’s Changing?Randy Moore, president & CEO of Mister

Transmission, sees a positive future for his com-

pany and its work on all types of transmissions.

Shirley Brown [email protected]

Randy Moore, president & CEO of

Mister Transmission

A challengeA challenges facing the aftermarket is try-ing to convince these people to charge fairly for their work. A transmission is a major expense and, when the shop owner can’t bring himself to tell the consumer the price, he may resort to a cheap alternative—the used transmission! It’s been estimated that 20% of the aftermarket has gone to used transmissions (from wrecking yards) from a vehicle that’s through its life cycle or been in an accident. The transmission needing repair is ‘used’ and will be replaced with a ‘used’ transmission! What about warranty?

Moore estimates that a good majority of consumers who go to Mister Transmission actually don’t have an internal transmission problem but were given an inaccurate diag-nosis. Someone believing they have a trans-mission problem should visit a transmission expert for a proper diagnosis.

“It pays to go to the experts, who have the current technology, to have the job correctly diagnosed and repaired,” states Moore.


Taillamp Kits Hella has launched new taillamp upgrade kits for the Chevy Silver-

ado (03–06 and 07–11), Dodge Ram (07–08), Ford F150 (04–08) and Toyota Tundra (06–09). The new taillamps provide the best in both function and styling plus faster illumination response and higher visibility for an increased margin of safety.

Hella’s taillamps use LED technology to perform the stop/turn func-tions and its CELIS System (Central Lighting Systems) to handle the taillamp and parking lamp functions. The LED taillamps provide an increased margin of safety with a fast-illuminating, highly visible LED brake light function. The CELIS system is a revolution in vehicle light-ing that uses “light guides” to provide precise and reliable lighting output. These light guides transport light from a single source into confi gurations that create lighting patterns never seen before.

All the upgrade kits feature easy plug and play installation. They come complete with two LED/CELIS taillamps, cab-mounted LED brake lamp, and mounting instructions. www.hellausa.com

Products Keep Engines CleanNow available in Canada, these products have solved engine oil

problems in millions of vehicles. The new Rislone engine oil product family includes: Engine Treatment, the original engine treatment; Engine Treatment Concentrate, the original, in a concentrated form; Rear Main Seal Repair, stops most common oil leaks; Smoke Away with Stop Leak, reduces exhaust smoke; and High Performance Oil Treatment, increases oil pressure and power.

Rislone engine oil products work in all diesel and gasoline engines using petroleum-based motor oils, including conventional, high-mileage and synthetic formulas. Each bottle treats 4-6 litres of oil. 1-800-521-7475 / www.rislone.ca

New ProductsPreventative Maintenance Service Machines

Three new machines are now available from TerraClean: the TerraTrans Trans-mission Service Machine, the TerraCool

Cooling System Flush Machine, and the TerraSteer Power Steering Service Machine, as complementary products to the award winning TerraClean Fuel System Decarbonizer.

These new machines are designed for ease of service for the tech and to perform fast, profi table services. The addition of these three new ser-vice machines makes TerraClean a full service supplier on Fluid mainten-

ance services. 905-615-8620 / [email protected]

Honing the Noise Out of Brakes, Extending Wear-Life

A few years ago, when Miller Industrial Products got an order to make brake drums for Cadillac stretch limousines, they knew quality

and performance were critical issues. The brake system required the size of brake drums used on trucks. But at the same time, since these were ultra-luxury vehicles, the brakes had to be quiet—and that was a new challenge. A unique honing process was needed to give the brake drums an ultra-smooth fi nish and to be very quiet.

The Flex-Hone by BRM is a highly ver-satile tool used throughout the industry where metal machining is involved. This ball-style hone is recognizable by the abrasive globules, sometimes called “dingle berries,” mounted to nylon fi la-ments. Known widely as a tool used

for de-burring, plateau honing and deglazing, this is an inexpensive yet sophisticated device. A precision-quality ball-style hone not only de-burrs bored metal, but can easily remove even microscopic metal shards and fragments.

For more information, contact Brush Research Manufacturing at 323-261-2193 or [email protected] or www.brushresearch.com.

Electrically Heated Windshield WiperThe electrically heated “HeatFlexx” windshield wiper quickly melts

ice and snow. The frameless design of the all-season blade provides continuous even pressure to the windshield, reducing streaks while reducing wind lift at speeds up to 150 MPH. The wiper was intro-duced at the SEMA and AAPEX auto shows in Las Vegas and is considered by many to be one of the most novel inventions in the automotive industry this year. 705-575-5670 / [email protected] / www.heatfl exx.com / www.vsproductsinc.com

has launched new taillamp upgrade kits for the Chevy Silver-ado (03–06 and 07–11), Dodge Ram (07–08), Ford F150 (04–08)

Preventative Maintenance Service Machines

Three new machines are now available from TerraCleanmission Service Machine, the TerraCool

Cooling System Flush Machine, and the TerraSteer Power Steering Service Machine, as complementary products to the award winning TerraClean Fuel System Decarbonizer.

These new machines are designed for ease of service for the tech and to perform fast, profi table services. The addition of these three new ser-vice machines makes TerraClean a full service supplier on Fluid mainten-

ance services. 905-615-8620 / terraclean.net

Honing the Noise Out of Brakes, Extending


Carole Larose, CRHA [email protected]

O ver 300 guests gathered to cele-brate the outstanding careers of Gilles Dussault and Jean-Marc

Laroche, and to pay genuine posthumous respect to the contribution of the late Denis Bellemore.

A valuable pause in the fast pace of our professional lives, this retrospective glance over the careers and accomplish-ments of these steadfast, humble, and totally dedicated men reminds us that success relies on the contribution of sin-cere people, leaders who have blazed the trail, fostered teamwork, and maintained a steady course towards excellence.

For his unifying leadership The focus of the evening’s first tribute was set on Gilles Dussault’s career, a look back on the man’s life ex-perience allowing an overview on the growth of Absco, a family business that h a s b e c o m e one of Quebec City’s fl agships.

Dussault joined the family fi rm at an early age and became progressively involved in all strategic decisions, from the regis-tration of a patent covering a universal brake cable for Canada and the U.S. to the development of distribution through the acquisition of Pièces d’autos JAC-SIL, member of the Uni-Select purchasing group. As general manager of the firm for 8 years, Dussault was recognized as an accessible, warmhearted, and unifying leader, skilled in breaking deadlocks and achieving consensus.

For his steadfastness and commitment The tribute to Jean-Marc Larocheopened by pointing out his loyalty to a company that he upheld through thick and thin. Hired as an accountant for John Millen in Sherbrooke in 1957, his career ended 20 years later as provincial director of CARQUEST’s franchised stores network in Quebec. A solid backbone of the com-pany, Laroche advised successive leaders, stepping forward to communicate the ob-jectives and vision of the new administra-tion, a reassuring image of stability in an evolving environment.

Also highlighted was Laroche’s outstand-ing involvement—he represented AIA

Canada with dignity on all national plat-forms and on an impressive number of committees at the provincial level.

The early departure of a generous and concerned colleagueFinally, though the third and last tribute of the evening was deprived of the honouree, we could nevertheless feel the presence of Denis Bellemore in the memory of those who rubbed shoulders with him. NAPA’s Pierre Vocelle and Kevin Chase as well as Marc Brazeau of AIA Canada gave heartfelt testimonies of his noted infl uence within the industry; a generous and valued professional who was wholly dedicated to the projects he set in motion.

In a nutshell, participants at the fourth edition of the Tribute to Industry Pioneers assured us that they experienced a great sense of pride in having accompanied these leaders, been their student, col-league, competitor, and friend. But, above all, in having taken the time to show them, with a signifi cant gesture, a kind of collect-ive handshake, both warm and energetic.

This gala evening reminds us once more that a person’s worth lies in his ability to give, rather than in his ability to receive!

Three Highly Acclaimed LeadersLast December 3, three distinguished men were inducted into the automotive aftermarket’s

Cercle des pionniers during the fourth edition of the Tribute to Industry Pioneers organized by

the Quebec division of AIA Canada and Rousseau Automotive Communication.

Translated from its original French by Marc-Alain Nantel.

The three most recent inductees: Denis Bellemore, Gilles Dussault,

and Jean-Marc Laroche


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T hings were changed within AIA Canada last year and now with 2010 underway, they believe it will

be a very good year. For one thing, the new Board of Directors headed up by Chairman, Brad Morris of Grote Canada, is smaller in numbers than previous years. And Marc Brazeau, president, AIA Canada tells us that the Board will be very en-gaged and very committed to making sure the Association is on the right track. Quite a few senior members of the in-dustry are working on this new Board along with members that are young in age but long in experience. At the Board meeting before the end of 2009, Brazeau tells us that the “Board is not looking to invent something new, we like what AIA is doing on the market research side and the government relations side, so as long as we’re focused and doing the things that we expect the Association to do (i.e. new market research reports, new government initiatives—the implementation of CASIS, image building), let’s stick to what we’re doing because it‘s working!”

Benchmarking StudiesUpon seeing the Year in Review from AIA Canada, we noticed something that should be of great interest to jobbers, mechanical shops, as well as collision shops.

The three AIA Benchmarking Studies are

a new initiative of the Association. The goal of the surveys was to create some business benchmarks that could be used by the industry to compare the health of the overall sector or simply to gauge how their business was doing against the norm. The pilot versions of the surveys were tested in 2009 and will provide the foundation for the fi nal versions this year.

Jobber studyLooking at the Jobber study, approxi-mately 280 jobbers from across Canada completed the survey and the results are printed in the study “Who’s on Track to Profi tability?” The questions asked were geared toward business profi tability, in-ventory turns, volume of sales and, like a few of the articles in this issue, technology played a big part.

For instance, Jobbers indicated that 91% of their sales were made over the phone whereas the respondents from the mech-anical shops replied that they are already doing 47.5% of their business via the Internet. This indicates that jobbers are getting some of the business but not the orders that are being sent via the Internet. Since technology equates to effi ciency, time on the phone should be for the difficult questions, not the easy straightforward parts purchase. Which brings up questions like: Could you make

better use of your knowledgeable counter people? Would having the counterperson spend more time with your customers on the harder questions that leverage their skills create better service? And a big one: How will the new generation of technicians change that?

The study goes on to get into sales for the average Jobber shop and found that the average Jobber business netted 4.3% of sales last year when in reality it should be in the 6-7% range. This suggests that the average Jobber is having a profi tability issue with the business. The study goes on to ask what kind of strategy is the Jobber using in order to address this issue.

Get on track to Profi tabilityThis is only a very small portion of the benchmarking study for Jobbers… a lot of questions were asked and a lot of informa-tion was shown that could quite possibly help “the average Jobber” become much better and raise his profi tability as well.

It seems that AIA Canada is helping to pave the way for you to Profi tability! Take advantage of this information and get your business on the right track. Mechanical and collision shops can do the same with the studies done for them.

It Was a Pretty Good YearYour Automotive Industries Association of Canada did some pretty remarkable things in 2009.



O ver the past decade, car manufac-turers have increased the develop-ment of fuel vapour recovery or

retention, preventing them from escaping into the atmosphere. This caused a great deal of changes in the design and location of certain components, such as charcoal canisters mounted near the fuel tank.

Hose problems Their consideration of the problems ex-plains that these tanks are now equipped with a pressure monitor which reacts, acti-vating the malfunction warning light when the pressure is out of specifi cation.

Remember—the evaporative system test will not take place if the fuel level is below 1/4 of its capacity, otherwise it’s impos-sible to get an adequate pressure reading.

Should there be a vapour leak, the use of smoke is undoubtedly the most effective way to identify the source, which is gener-ally due to loose, cracked or cut hoses.

Filler neck problemsHowever, we must be aware that the top evaporative failure can come from the most sensitive part of the system and that is the fuel fi ller neck. Usually enclosed in the rear fender, the fi ller neck is subject to all kinds of dust and debris, causing it to rust and leak. To check it, the inner fender protection must be removed.

As for those totally exposed behind the fender, splashing and road erosion from the rear wheel will strip and eventually perforate them.

Filler cap problemsThese problems are more frequent, since most tanks are now made of plastic and use a steel fuel fi ller neck, fastened to the tank by a rubber hose and clamps.

Technically, this takes care of most issues, even though we must take into account the filler cap which, besides not being properly secured by the car owner after fuelling, may cause the malfunction warn-ing to light up. This cap should not be overlooked as its pressure regulator may be faulty, or rust on the fi ller neck may prevent it from sealing properly.

Aperture problemsAlternately, when the cap screws onto a plastic duct, the duct might be damaged by the pistol nozzle, preventing the cap from sealing properly.

Since the warning light may turn on fre-quently due to fuel tank aperture prob-lems, the latter is to be added to the full inspection procedure. Being this thorough avoids unnecessary comebacks due to vapour leaks.

Fuel Filler Necks & Related Check Engine Light Conditions

Four Reasons for Their AppearanceSince the arrival of the OBD-II system, manufacturers have

defi nitely refi ned the detection of evaporative emissions

through constant monitoring, indicated by warning lights

and by codes such as P0440 and P0456.

Frank [email protected]

Frank Tonon is Product Training manager for Spectra Premium and he develops training courses on the components linked to automotive

cooling systems and air conditioning.


For over 100 years, Castrol has been Canada’s technology

leader in motor oil. In 2010, Castrol once again raises the

bar by launching a premium, advanced synthetic called

Castrol EDGE.

A D V E R T O R I A L

C anadians are already asking for EDGE, Castrol’s flagship Global product. Enthusiasts have been

anticipating this ultra-premium product; they’ve read about it and seen commer-cials from south of the border. Now the buzz has arrived and the demand is hot.

Castrol Edge is available in Canada’s three most popular grades: 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 in 1L bottles as well as 4.4L jugs.

Edge is truly an exciting new example of Castrol’s liquid engineering.

Castrol EDGE delivers:

• An advanced proprietary formula that provides performance and protection in extreme condi-tions.

• Performance and protection that outperforms every other available oil: conventional, high mileage and even competitors’ top synthetics.

• Guaranteed extended drain interval protection for up to 24,000 km, or one year, whichever comes first**.

The Best Wear Protection

Since it was introduced, synthetic oil has been a huge asset for owners and smart professionals have been recommending using synthetics. Now, Castrol EDGE exceeds the world’s toughest industry-agreed standards providing maximum protection for everyday use and especially in extreme conditions such as towing, hauling, high and low temperatures, rapid acceleration and stop and go traffi c.

For drivers who want the very best for their car, Edge is the way to step up to the very best care while adding enhanced fuel economy through reduced internal engine friction.

PHOTOS: JACK KAZMIERSKI

Advanced Synthetic for Performance Under Extremes

All About Edge—The Best Castrol Ever


Vehicle technology is more complex than ever before. With higher revving engines, tighter tolerances, higher specification and drivers expecting longer drain inter-vals, the demands of motor oils has never been higher. As part of Castrol’s process of con-tinuous improvement, we have developed a product that meets the needs of the changing needs of today’s cars and how drivers expect them to perform. Castrol Edge is the best Castrol ever.

Better than the competitionAs demonstrated by the industry standard Sequence IVA test, Castrol Edge provides eight times better wear protection than Mobil 1. The Sequence IVA tests how well an oil protects the camshaft and the rocker against everyday driving.

This very demanding test is performed by revving the engine at 800 RPM for 50 minutes then increasing the RPM to 1,500 for 10 minutes. This cycle is repeat-ed hourly then after 25 hours the engine is measured for signs of wear and the pro-cess is repeated to a total of 100 hours. This test, where every micron of metal loss is critical, shows the Edge superiority.

Compare it to any product including other brands’ most expensive synthetic offer-ings and you’ll see that Edge scores bet-ter against OEM standards and industry tests.

Edge-U-cation: Help your customers learn the facts about synthetics1. MYTH: Once I use synthetic motor oil in my

car, I cannot switch back to conventional motor oil.

FACT: Synthetic motor oils are compatible with conventional and part synthetic (blend) motor oils. However, synthetics deliver superior engine protection versus conventional oils.

2. MYTH: Using synthetic motor oil will void my vehicle’s warranty.

FACT: Using synthetic motor oil will not void your vehicle’s warranty. Synthetics are formulated to not only meet minimum required industry standards, but also, in many cases such as Castrol Edge, meet much tougher industry and vehicle manufacturer standards.

3. MYTH: Synthetic oil is only for new cars.

FACT: Quality synthetic motor oil can be used in old as well as new cars, including vehicles in which conventional oil was previously used. Synthetic motor oils are beneficial for the good health, long life and top performance of new and old cars.

4. MYTH: You need to allow a break-in period for new vehicles before using synthetic motor oil.

FACT: In the past, it was recommended that conventional motor oil be used for your first oil change to allow for some controlled wear to break-in the new engine. However, with current engine technology, a break-in period is not necessary. You can use synthetics and Edge ultra-premium synthetic immediately.

** Guarantee excludes severe service applications such as frequent towing and hauling, racing dirty conditions and extreme idling. If a vehicle is cov-ered by a warranty, follow the car manufacturer’s recommended oil change/service intervals, which can be found in the owner’s manual.

Superior formulationCastrol Edge is made with a propri-etary combination of base oils including Polyalphaolefi ns (PAO). The PAO in Edge gives it better low temperature pump-

ability that helps it meet the toughest OE specifications such as the GM 4718M spec.

DJ Kennington is switching to EdgeNASCAR driver DJ Kennington has been running Castrol lubricants in his #17 car since he fi rst hit the oval back in the CASCAR days. Now, DJ is switching to Edge because as he puts it “you can’t get tougher conditions than we deal with on the track.”

Castrol Edge protects his key asset, his engine, by providing superior wear plus protection against deposits and corrosive particles such as acid, soot and oxidized

fuel f ragments that can cause cost ly damage to critical engine parts

Even under pun-ishing high-tem-perature racing conditions, Edge delivers the ultim-

ate performance. As a professional mech-anic as well as an experienced driver, DJ knows he needs the very best Castrol ever. “It’s all about durability. To fi nish fi rst, fi rst you have to fi nish. That’s why in 2010, I’m using Edge exclusively!”


Advanced Synthetic for Performance Under Extremes

All About Edge—The Best Castrol Ever Syntec is still here

For years, Canadians have chosen Castrol Syntec as the number one synthetic oil. It retains its grades and superb formulation for powerful engine protection. It will remain on the shelf right beside its new partner, Castrol Edge.

Castrol Edge is aimed at those drivers who demand ultra-premium protection for their vehicles, especially under extremes.


B ecause vehicles of today rely on computers that monitor and pretty much control all facets of how the

vehicle operates, you need to know how to repair the computers when they fail. The vehicle’s on-board computer system will detect a problem and reports that error in its programmed way using a Diagnostic Trouble Code. That code’s num-ber tells what is wrong with the vehicle and the problem is saved into the vehicle’s com-puter memory. Sometimes the problem will trigger the dash-board Check Engine light to come on. And this is where the scan tool comes in!

The scan tool is plugged into the diagnos-tic connector; the ignition is turned on, and in order to read the code causing the Check Engine light to illuminate, you fol-low the cues on the code reader or scan tool and therefore are able to read the

code and determine what is wrong.

ChoicesOne scan tool will not be able to read all vehicle makes and models if your shop prides itself on your diagnostic prowess. Usually the least expensive scanner or

code reader will only display the number so you have to look it up in a codebook. If you choose a more expensive scanner, it will give you a brief description plus the number. You have to remember that the code won’t always tell you what the primary problem is or what might be caus-ing it. It also won’t tell you what parts are needed for the repair.

You have to remember that the code won’t always tell you what the primary problem is or

what might be causing it.


TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

B ecause vehicles of today rely on computers that monitor and pretty much control all facets of how the

vehicle operates, you need to know how to repair the computers when they fail. The vehicle’s on-board computer system will detect a problem and reports that error in its programmed way using a Diagnostic

code and determine what is wrong.

ChoicesOne scan tool will not be able to read all vehicle makes and models if your shop prides itself on your diagnostic prowess. Usually the least expensive scanner or

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your shop. You may even need more than one, depending on the types of vehicles you work on. In addition, you will likely need to take a course on how to read and operate the scanner which leads to under-standing the vehicle system, having access to electrical wiring diagrams, the current service info and tech service bulletins.


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TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

Pierre Bissonnette [email protected]

Pierre Bissonnette was the technical instructor for a major aftermarket manufactur-er. He holds a teaching certifi cate in andragogy – which is the art and science of helping

adults, whose general education has been cut short, in their learning process.

T oday’s technicians should be quite at ease with a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter), a low-amp probe and scope

to go with it, plus a bidirectional scanner. They should also be comfortable looking up solutions and answers on the mul-tiple Internet hotlines available to them. Trouble-shooting bulletins can be very helpful. Needless to say, if a technician works at a dealership, these tools would be supplied; however, in an independent shop this is not usually the case. Many technicians may purchase these items themselves or maybe the shop will have one or two of each item for them to use, and the scanner itself is quite expensive. Usually the scanner that is supplied in a dealership is for the make of vehicles sold there and not everyone can work them. All automakers have their own scanners for their particular make of vehicles.

Getting the right infoThere are generic scanners available from various manufacturers, but they will not cover all the makes needed at an independent repair shop. That’s when a technician can turn to Mitchell on Demand or IATN to get information needed to fi x the vehicle in question. This service (IATN.NET) is ‘practically’ free when you go online and describe your problem—i.e. “I have a 2005 Highlander missing at about 100 km per hour, can

you help me?” When you send that email off, you’ll likely get back 50 emails say-ing “Check the plug wire for a short” or something to that effect. This sure helps get you ahead faster than trying to fi x the vehicle by trial and error! You will likely also be able to charge your customer less by going online than the latter method. Remember, most parts suppliers today have their own hotline for their customers, which contain repair great information and ‘how to’ tips.

Your skills today… Today, good technicians use their heads far more than their hands. They need to have computer and math skills, as well as be able to work with their hands to put the correct parts on the vehicle. Repairing a

vehicle today is not just basic mechanical knowledge anymore, it’s a technical and skilled trade—a highly qualifi ed position and techs must know how to read the new ‘instruments’ as well.

Scanners are pricey because every auto-maker has one for their brand of vehicle. A bidirectional scanner can ‘talk’ to any vehicle and tell the technician just what is

wrong with the vehicle. Then the tech can obtain the right parts and go about fi x-ing the vehicle in the correct manner. The bidirectional scanner will apply to vehicles from 2005 up.

Necessary for today’s vehicles The sad part about today’s vehicles is that if you do not have a bidirectional scanner, you likely can’t diagnose the trouble. They are a necessity in today’s vehicle repair world. You need the scanner in order to get into the vehicle’s computer, pick up the codes or activate various parts of the vehicle to fi nd out what your diagnosis is to be. The scanner is a very ‘sophisticated’ device that is needed in every repair shop. It also needs to be updated every year.

Various manufacturers make bidirectional scanners and you need to fi nd the one that you believe will be right for your shop. You will also need to take courses with the de-

vice in order to make the correct diagnosis and know which parts are needed to make the repair.

Yes, scanners are expensive but some-thing a good shop can’t do without if you’re going to make repairs on all makes and models.

Important Tech Tools

What’s in Your Toolbox?Just like everything else, some tools have become pretty much

obsolete. Take the hammer and the cutting torch… with today’s

vehicles, they are a thing of the past.

A scanner is needed to get into the vehicle’s computer, pick up codes or activate various parts of the vehicle to fi nd out what is wrong. A very sophisticated device, it’s required in every shop.


G orman, chairman of the National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF), laid out a couple of fu-

ture predictions during his presentation at the WORLDPAC Supplier & Training Expo. Two committees within NASTF—the Service Information Committee and the Equipment and Tool Committee—tie into the predictions.

Gorman suggests that OEM scan tools will become more affordable and generic, and that all diagnostics will be performed on the Internet with standard devices and PCs.

That probable shift is one focus of the

Equipment and Tool Committee. Gorman discussed the committee’s role saying the OEMs do not provide all the info a scan tool maker needs to mirror a scan tool, and the aftermarket scan tool manufactur-er doesn’t apply all the OEM information. He believes that the industry never will see an aftermarket tool that can do every-thing on every make of vehicle—partly due to an “information gap” between the carmaker and aftermarket.

All of this is in addition to the Secure Data Release Model (SDRM) that was implemented in 2008. The SDRM pro-vides a way for vehicle security profes-sionals (VSPs) to gain access to keycode

immobilizer and module initialization information in a secure and legal manner.

Gorman believes that most diagnostic shops will join the SDRM, which will be the way to access OEM sensitive data. He also believes that OEMs will start to use this model internally, while auto diagnosti-cians and high-tech locksmiths will merge to become vehicle security specialists.

The NASTF serves as a means for in-dependent repair shops to access OEM information they feel they were denied.

NASTF: 703-669-6643 / www.nastf.org

Future Scan Tools Could Change Most likely you use scan tools in your shop daily, and Charlie Gorman has a few

ideas of what you might expect to use in the future.


TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

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“G oodyear then made the deci-sion to phase out corporate stores—I would be closing

down those stores and fl ipping them to dealers so I had the option of being the fi rst one in and jumped at it! I knew this was what I wanted and my wife and I de-cided on the Hamilton location. In 1994, Beech Tire and Automotive Limited was up and running,” states Beech.

They do it betterIn the f irst year, Beech did about $800,000 in sales and 2009 saw that fi gure raised to $2.5 million! Beech says they have had five years of consistent sales increases. When asked why he thought this was happening, he replied, “We’ve made some changes, we work on the basics and we’re an expensive shop. We’ve increased our rate to $115 per hour, but we also offer the best service. We stress the mechanical repair sector of the business—all makes and models—and have really highly trained techni-cians. My three senior techs have been with me over 10 years.

“About November 2008, we made it public that we wanted to special-ize in BMWs, putting a huge sign on the build-ing proclaiming ‘Service your BMW at Beech Tire and Automotive.’ Within the fi rst six months, ser-vicing BMWs was over 10% of our business. We couldn’t believe the results.”

Uni-Select linkBeech is a Uni-Select SAX installer and has been since its inception. “This program has been extremely helpful with equipment because we get a rebate every year. That rebate goes toward new equ ipment and keeps my shop up-to-date. They also negotiate programs like insurance,

Read and Learn

Grabbing the AdvantageAlan Beech, owner of Beech Tire and

Automotive Limited in Hamilton, Ontario,

wasn’t always a business owner—his career

began in 1981 with Goodyear Corp. in

Vancouver, BC. After 13 years, Beech was the

DSM running 25 stores for the company.


PHOT

OS: J

ACK

KAZM

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KI

Alan Beech, owner of Beech Tire and Automotive Limited



PHOT

OS: J

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KAZM

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KI


group coverage and credit card rates, and this is very useful to me.”

Beech worked with Stephen Krieger of Barton Auto Parts and through Stephen, he was able to obtain fi rst quality import auto parts with OE fi t, form and function through the Uni-Select Foreign Nameplate Program.

“This program is especially supportive because they are constantly coming out with new areas they’re able to penetrate the market with. We can purchase the OE fi t, form, function parts and be much

more competitive in price as well as make proper margins, so I don’t have to buy from the dealer. In turn, this allows me to pass on the savings to our customers. The warranties are good and when I give all my business to the Uni-Select dealer, there’s a bit more fl exibility when it comes to the warranty because my buying volume is much higher. The foreign car maintenance sector has really grown and BMWs are about 25% of our business now.”

Beech Tire and Automotive wants to work on more German cars… seeing this as an open market because there are so many on the road and so few dealers. Currently, Beech Tire and Automotive is in the pro-cess of rebranding themselves into www.

beechmotorworks.ca. They’re slowing moving into it, having already purchased

diagnostic equipment which allows them to do dealer-level diagnostics and even programming.

Incredible resourcesBeech continues: “We’ve been a mem-ber of the Uni-Select buying group since about 1997—primarily through Stephen at Barton Auto and we give them a lot of business. This keeps our volume higher with one dealer and keeps him profit-able. Belonging to the Uni-Select net-work means we can basically get any part we need. For instance, we’ve just made a new hire that can progress into us

doing more cus-tom installation of Bluetooth—much like a factory in-stal lation. Now those types o f electronic parts will be available through the Uni-Select network—there’s an incred-ible depth of parts available through them. I’m very in-terested in grow-ing the mechan-ical service side of

my business, I see future growth there, and Uni-Select is helping me do just that.”

Beech went on to say that the Uni-Select group is one that’s willing to listen—a group with incredible resources behind them. “Connectivity is essential to us—we basically don’t phone for parts anymore, we purchase on line directly through Uni-Select’s DAVE program. The value of DAVE is that we can look up the parts, usually view them and be certain it’s the right one. This increases our effi ciency and because we can get the pricing as well, we can quote every job much faster. We can see if the part is in stock and the whole pro-gram is extremely easy to use. Because we quote every job quickly, that turns around and pays you back big dividends. DAVE allows us to do this.”

There’s more!In addition to the upcoming www.

beechmotorworks.ca project, Beech has another project—Tire Hotel! www.tire-

hotel.ca “I had heard that we needed to start storing tires and so retain custom-ers. If a customer stores tires with you, they have to come back to you. In 2008, we hired a foreign exchange student from The Netherlands. He was finishing his degree in automotive studies and came up with the project—www.tirehotel.ca—onsite tire storage. The first winter, we stored 80 sets of tires; in the spring, we stored 136 sets. I decided to make this a stand-alone business and instead of just servicing Beech Tire, we set out to service all the car dealers—we currently have 40 dealers in Hamilton on this service. In the fall of 2009, we stored about 400 sets of tires. Tire Hotel has its own warehouse, trucking company, online dealer software, etc. The dealers have found this is prof-iting them by storing their customers’ tires and retaining the customer. The spring of 2010 should be incredible.”

Alan Beech is seriously considering ex-pansion of his current business and likely another location… in fact, he has staff in place ready to go when he’s ready for a new location. Beech states that Uni-Select is a partner in this and he’s extremely happy with their relationship. He’s not interested in saving a dollar on lesser quality parts, he wants the quality part and Uni-Select certainly fi ts that bill and more in his mind. Beech looked for and found the niche market that no one else had and has run with it very successfully. Other repair shops send BMWs to Beech Automotive as do dealers. I think that says that Beech Tire and Automotive must be very good at what they do!


T he business world has often been compared to a battlefield. Just as generals devise elaborate strategies

to gain precious ground, captains of indus-try plan their every move with the goal of winning market share.

And just as many wars have been won when collaborating forces attacked on more than one front, individual busi-nesses often succeed when joining forces to realize a common goal.

For over ten years, the Canadian after-market has been fighting for the Right to Repair with little success. Car companies have been unwilling to share their “top secret” proprietary information with the aftermarket, despite the tireless efforts of a number of major players.

Thankfully, this is all history, and the battle is now over. As of May 1, 2010 the Canadian aftermarket will have access to this “top secret” data, putting an end to ten years of frustration.

Behind the scenesHistorians often look back at decisive battles to explain what happened, what was going on behind the scenes and what eventually led to victory. Today, we too can look back at the Right to Repair issue to see what happened, what events got all the parties to negotiate, and how the issue was resolved.

History will recall that the Right to Repair issue was fought on a number of fronts, and that two of the most influential organ-izations fighting for the aftermarket were the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA), and the National Auto-motive Trade Association (NATA).

Although fighting on the same side, the AIA and NATA agreed to take two very different approaches to solving the Right to Repair issue. In retrospect, it is their willingness to work together, as well as on separate fronts, that resulted in eventual victory.

The legal frontAIA President, Marc Brazeau says his organization has had “ongoing discus-sions with NATA on strategies going back three or four years.” In the end, the AIA concentrated their efforts on a legisla-

tive solution to the Right to Repair issue, with the goal of getting a law passed that would force the car companies to share their information with the aftermarket.

Working with Brian Masse, Member of Parliament (Windsor West) and NDP Transport, Automotive, and Border Critic, the AIA saw two separate Bills tabled that could have seen the Right to Repair issue resolved at the legislative level.

“In the fall of 2008, prior to the election call, there was a Private Member’s Bill put forth (Bill C-425) by Brian Masse, which would allow the aftermarket to have access to OE service and repair informa-tion,” says Brazeau. “The Bill did raise interest, but not enough for action. And when the election was called that year the Bill died, like all government business does when there’s an election call.”

Industry Milestones

Right to Repair... ResolvedThe Right to Repair issue has finally been resolved, putting an

end to frustrations that date back more than a decade.

In January, 2009 the Bill was reintroduced by Masse (Bill C-273), and this time it did attract the attention of the car companies. “When there was a vote to send this Bill to Committee in May, 2009, it then became clear to the car companies that this Bill was going to move for-ward, and that if there was ever a time to get the parties to come to the table, it was then,” Brazeau adds.

Over the course of the summer of 2009 the car companies did come to the table to negotiate. “NATA had expressed an interest in finding a voluntary solution to the Right to Repair issue, and the only reason AIA was not at the table is because we were not prepared to drop our support for a legislative solution until a legit-imate and fair voluntary agreement was final-ized,” Brazeau says.

Voluntary agreementAlthough NATA was not opposed to AIA’s methods, they focused their efforts on getting a voluntary solution to work. “Trying to get a law passed can take five to ten years,” says Dale Finch, Executive VP, NATA. “Because we didn’t’ have five to ten years, we decided we would try to get a voluntary agreement togeth-er. This doesn’t mean we would never accept or want a legislative solution. It’s just that it takes a lot of time and effort to get one.”

“This agreement will, in the longterm, be the right thing for our industry.”– Marc Brazeau

AIA President, Marc Brazeau


NATA worked with Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, who agreed that it was time to write a letter to the car companies, urging them to come to the table for talks about a voluntary solution to the Right to Repair issue.

“After Mr. Clement sent his letter to the car companies in early April, we had a meeting in Toronto on April 29 in which

all the car companies participated, as did Industry Canada, Environment Canada, and the Competition Bureau,” Finch adds. “We had 72 people in attendance that day. We signed a letter of intent on April 30, and we committed at that time to Minister Clement that by September 30, 2009 we would have a voluntary agree-ment in place.”

Done dealThe deal that would put an end to the Right to Repair issue was signed as planned in September 2009. Known as the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS), this agreement will allow auto-motive repair facilities in Canada to access auto manufacturers’ service and repair information, and will provide access to

tooling and training information to local repair facilities across the country. CASIS ensures that all automakers will have the information made available no later than May 2010.

Soon after the agreement was signed, the AIA abandoned the legislative route, the Bill was withdrawn, and the AIA added their support to the CASIS agreement. But in retrospect, the fact that NATA and the AIA fought for the Right to Repair issue on two separate fronts is what made CASIS possible in the fi rst place.

Since Bill C-273 was attracting attention and generating support, the car compan-ies woke up to the possibility that they might be forced into a Right to Repair agreement that could be less than ideal. Suddenly, a voluntary agreement looked very appealing.

“For years, neither we nor NATA had any success getting the car companies to the table [for a voluntary agreement] because there was nothing forcing them to do so,” Brazeau says. “But at the Committee hearings recently, there was a unanimous acknowledgement that if it wasn’t for Bill C-273, and if it wasn’t for the passion and courage displayed by Brian Masse to put forward this Bill, we wouldn’t have arrived where we are today. The Bill certainly

“This saves small business and the aftermarket

in this country. I don’t think anyone could have

asked for a better deal.” – Dale Finch

raised awareness and forced the parties to come together.”

Final stepsWith the Right to Repair issue resolved and set to be implemented by May 2010 all parties are working frantically to meet the deadline.

Although they were busy fi ghting the fi ne fi ght on another front, the AIA is glad to be a part of CASIS. “We want to be part of the process and contribute the expertise and knowledge that AIA brings to the table,” Brazeau says. “We’re doing it in good faith and with the full confidence that this agreement will in the longterm be the right thing for our industry.”

Finch agrees. “This saves small business and the aftermarket in this country. I don’t think anyone could have asked for a better deal. Once the OEs made the decision to get behind us, they have been fantastic. They’re great partners and we’re very ex-cited about the future.”

Dale Finch, Executive VP,

NATA

• Hundreds of training modules • Over 6000 members

Jack Kazmierski [email protected]


Pierre Lalonde www.affi niagroup.com

I n winter, most consumers are more concerned about the car starting, the engine running smoothly, the defrost-

er blowing heat to keep the windshield clear, and the heating system working well in order to keep them warm inside the vehicle.

At this time, we simply can’t forget the brakes—make it part of your winter check-up. In some cases, the brakes are often excluded—your customer’s safety should not be compromised.

Chemicals and brakes…Most braking components will sustain a lot of abuse dur-ing winter. Driving in snow and rain and slush is tough on brake parts. The salt brine chemicals that are used to melt the ice and keep our roads safe are good but we also need to protect moving brake parts from cor-rosion. Corroded caliper pins and bush-ings can prevent movement of the sliding caliper and cause the brake pads to wear unevenly and prematurely.

Major and renowned automotive brake manufacturers can supply high quality hardware manufactured to precise OE

requirements in terms of form, fit, and function for most traditional domestic and foreign vehicles. In addition, it is recom-mended that all moving brake parts be lubricated with high temp silicone.

Lightweight componentsMost automobile manufacturers are build-ing cars using lightweight components for better fuel effi ciency—the braking system has not been excluded. Master cylinders, wheel cylinders, and some calipers are

now made of aluminum. A few other mov-ing parts are made of rubber, steel, cast metal, cast aluminum, and plastic.

Most major parts manufacturers offer new master cylinders and new wheel cylinders for most applications. Keep in mind that you should not substitute quality for safe-ty. Once again major parts manufacturers’ hydraulics are proven safe, there have been no shortcuts used in the materials and there are no re-builts.

Brake Performance

Winter Safety Check-UpBrakes are not seasonal! Safety and good braking performance is necessary for every day driving all year round, including winter.

Salt brine chemicals are used to melt the ice and keep our roads safe; however, we also need to protect our moving brake parts from corrosion.

What components will require special attention?1. Calipers should be checked for proper oper-

ation. A pitted or rusted piston will cause the piston to stick and not go back to its original position once the brake pedal is released. The

best way to check the piston is to use a wooden tool (make sure the end is rounded and not sharp), lift the rubber boot, and visually inspect the piston.

2. Caliper pins should be discarded if pit marks or rust is found; install new pins and then add lubricant.

3. Water and snow intrusion will follow if the rubber bushings are ripped, be sure to replace them.

4. If rusted, abutment clips need to be replaced; don’t forget that brake hardware doesn’t last forever. After driving a few thousand kilo-metres, they lose their tension and so become ineffective.

5. Caliper brackets—check them for straight-ness and wear.

6. Check the wear pattern of the brake pads.

7. Check for sweating or bulging brake hoses.

8. Are the wheel cylinders, pistons moving freely? Check for any signs of leakage.

9. Make sure that the brake fluid level in the master cylinder is filled as per the OE recom-mendations.

10. Check for any red lights or ABS light ap-pearing on the dashboard. If one of the lights is on, advise your customer.

11. Road test the vehicle.

If you do all this, you are making sure your customers have a safer winter and you can feel confi dent about the safety of their vehicle.

best way to check the piston is to use

New brake hardware is clean and shiny.

No one wants rusted brake parts.




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T here was a time when “real” off-roaders would choose only Jeeps or Land Rovers to tackle some of

the most diffi cult trails available. In some cases, these light trucks were pretty spar-tan but offered mechanical features that would help “off-roaders” climb steep hills, crawl over what seemed like impossible rock formations, and cross deep creeks and streams. It took a lot of skill and knowledge to drive a 4x4 vehicle on rough terrains. Not anymore!

Electronics to the rescueIn the last few years, electronics have changed everything. Probably the most advanced 4x4 on the market for “real” off-roading is the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with its specifi c mechanical transfer case, its locking front and rear differentials, and its unlockable front sway bar. But the Rubicon is a purposely built off-road vehicle. What if a motorist wants a more “civilized” 4x4 with great off-roading capabilities?

Toyota probably has the right answer, for now—its all-new 2010 4Runner Trail Edition can be equipped for serious off-road treks and yet still be easily driveable in urban situations. Actually, the new 4Runner Trail Edition uses just about every electronic accessory available on the market to make off-road treks so much easier in such a way that just about any motorist without any off-road experi-ence will be able to follow—and probably

New Technologies

Off-roading Will Never Be the Same!Very few people that buy SUVs with real off-roading capabil-

ities will actually use them on a very rugged trail. Nonetheless,

the systems built into those vehicles for such purposes are

there to be used when needed… or when wanted.

Éric Descarries [email protected]

better—some of the most experienced off-roaders.

Traction control, hill descent, and electronic transfer casesToyota is not the fi rst and only manufac-turer to use Active Traction Control de-signed to work in 4WD LO settings to help the driver get the best traction possible in slippery trails. Nor is it the fi rst and only one to add the Hill-Start Assist Control to prevent the truck from going backwards when the vehicle is stationary or control speed when going downhill. Once again, Toyota is not the fi rst and only manufac-turer to install a Multi-Terrain Select system to regulate the amount of wheel spin in order to obtain the best traction possible on various terrains. Land Rover had already given us that.

But Toyota is really innovating with at least two new technologies in the 4Runner segment, the fi rst one being the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) that automatically adjusts to the terrain by allowing the front and rear stabilizer bars to be operational on-road and discon-nected in severe off-road conditions. The second technology is even more impres-sive—it’s an optional system (standard on the Trail Edition) called the Crawl Control system. Actually, you might consider it as a Cruise Control for off-roading. All the driver has to do is to set the speed he wants to go in the (severe) trail with a dial in the overhead console. Speeds will vary from 1 to 5 mph in fi ve settings. The

The switches to the Crawl Control are placed above the windshield. (PHOTO: TOYOTA)


4Runner will then crawl in the trail at the set speed and all that the driver has to do is to steer the vehicle without having to manipulate and gauge the gas and brake pedal to keep control of the car. Though it might be intended mostly to off-roading newcomers, we, at Rousseau Automotive Communication, tried it when the 2010 4Runner was introduced to automotive journalists in Ontario.

Though the Trail Edition 4Runner was not equipped with very aggressive off-road tires, it became very easy to drive in a de-manding trail without any jerks or jumps. For “experienced” off-roaders, the test proved to be very convincing.

The new 2010 Toyota 4Runner Trail edition is built for some serious off-roading.(PHOTO: ERIC DESCARRIES)

The 4Runner also has a command that lets the driver set the traction control according to the type of terrain he will be tackling. (PHOTO: TOYOTA)

But, you may ask, will all those electronic helps “kill” off-road-ing? Absolutely not! “Real” off-roaders will continue modifying more basic vehicles

for their “sport.” And, at any rate, the 2010 4Runner Trail Edition is not de-signed for extreme off-roading. But it is brilliant for people who want to tackle the technique in a very easy and safe way; do remember, however, to never tackle a dif-fi cult trail alone—always be accompanied by at least one other 4x4 vehicle. The system might also help some people who took the “wrong” curve somewhere to get back on a safer road with ease.

The 2010 Toyota 4Runner is powered by a new, more powerful 4-litre V6 that develops 270 horsepower, 34 more than the outgoing V6 found under the hood of the 2009 4Runner, and 10 more than the 4.7-litre V8 that was available in the past in the 4Runner. It is not offered anymore in the 2010 version.


It’s been noted that usage of viscosity grade happens to be a good opportun-ity for the oil manufacturers. This is due to consumers looking for better engine protection plus improving fuel economy. It has also been noted that the lighter vis-cosities (5W-30, 5W-20) are actually the ones manufacturers like to recommend because they do give better fuel economy and better engine protection that the con-sumer wants. However, it was found that 10W-30 is still the viscosity grade that is used most. They are a little cheaper to purchase than synthetics but synthetics last longer. It has been proven that syn-thetic oils can last far longer than twice the recommended 5,000 km oil change and still retain their lubricant qualities.

Why are synthetics better?Why is this so? Well, oil primarily breaks down through heat and oxidation because it is mixtures of several sizes of sulphur, salts, hydrocarbon molecules, paraffin, and metals. These start to change when the car is started because of different evaporation, oxygenations, and burn points for type and size of molecules. Synthetic oils are more uniform and be-cause of this are more thermally stable and don’t “break down” like petroleum-based oils. They even have better viscosity film strength at elevated temperatures (above 80°C), so they get the job done.

Engine durabilitySince consumers are now taking better care of their vehicles mainly because of the economy, engine durability comes into play and it’s been found that consumers are looking for better engine protection and improved fuel economy, so it stands to reason that you should be directing

your customers towards synthetic oils because of this. You actually have the opportunity available and you should take the responsibility to encourage your customers to use the current OE recom-mended viscosity—the synthetic oils with lighter viscosities.

It’s been found that since consumers are looking for more benefits from the oils they use, the market is changing some-what in the direction synthetic oil sector. A small part of this is due to hybrid vehicles and new OE specs involving synthetic use. Other than these, consumer demand for better motor oil is driving the growth.

New on the marketOne oil company is now using a different metal in their oil—liquid Titanium. They say it will help protect multiple engine parts from forceful metal-on-metal wear. It seems that this technology works with oil additives (e.g. zinc) to provide extra wear and that while testing the new oil, they found that between a cam lobe and a tap-pet, titanium bonded to the metal surface as a “surface active chemistry.”

On another scene, new technologies can eat up new resources. The evolution com-ing with hybrid and electric vehicles may help some currently underprivileged coun-tries become rich. It seems that our world is moving away from fossil fuels and that soft metal lithium will become more in demand as a vital component of auto bat-teries for the “green” cars.

Oils and lubes are defi nitely changing… for the better and for longer engine life.

Oils and Lubes

Changes and

ChallengesOEMs are going to

experience motor oil

challenges… because

automotive and chemical

technology continues to

advance and change.


A APEX presented many seminars in Las Vegas at the November Show and one of them was about motor

oil changes and challenges. To keep the quality of motor oil high, OEMs have to face globalization, customer demands, warranty costs, economy, emissions regu-lations, and competitive pressure… it seems the oil manufacturers certainly have their work cut out for them.

Consumer demands It was also pointed out at this panel dis-cussion that customer demands, fuel economy, and emissions will continue to drive higher quality lubricants. With that happening, service demands will also change. Also coming into view are assorted service fill recommendations, especially for low viscosity oils for fuel economy. The panel went on to relate that the “complexity of auto lubricant offerings will continue to increase.”


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“O perationally, the trend has definitely become ‘just in time (JIT)’ or for a company

to have the ability to possess/control multi ship points to serve any given area versus one ship point and this needs to be done with technology. So the trend from an operational side of business has be-come more in tune with where the goods are, when they are required and to have

visibility to those goods on a very timely basis.”

An issue “Parts proliferation is going to continue to be an issue with the number of makes and models that are com-ing, but you really can’t stock everything—even at the WD level—that will be required in one place. You need to have the availability to mul-tiple ship points and access to what is available. This is where technology comes into play in a big way. Be it an internal (within your own or-ganization) visibility or an external one (within the sup-plier community or other organizations—parts shar-ing, buying arrangements through others with access to parts), it’s definitely a trend that I see. In the past you may have had a closed warehouse and now you have other warehouses that are

more of an open warehouse which gives you access to more parts than you had in the past.

“This is happening because the market is becoming more competitive, vehicles are lasting a lot longer and consumers are becoming very knowledgeable about what they are driving… that’s defi nitely a trend of today.”

The Future

What’s Changing?Does the industry need to change so that business is better

for all in the coming years? Do companies still need to

become leaner and meaner? How about operations? These

are some of the trends Robert Tribe, general manager of

Uni-Select Pacifi c, talks to us about in this interview.


Promotional marketing“From a purely promotional marketing aspect, you defi nitely see resources ‘going away’ i.e. advertising, promotional efforts, the manufacturer’s sales force has dra-matically dropped off or the manufacturer has gone to the agency sales force to rep-resent them. As some companies’ sales forces have diminished, so too, have the sales performances. It’s likely not because there is less demand for the product; it’s just that people don’t purchase that prod-uct because they are not aware of it.”

Uni-Select is very confi dent in what they do and what they will do in the future. “As a group, we’re working very hard on implementing a new system behind the scenes! It’s many new software systems, this Implementation is North American Wide and everyone at Uni-Select is very committed and focused on this project. On the surface, we don’t see any foresee-able change in our business or how we do business with our customers today or tomorrow because of it, but from behind the scenes it’s defi nitely going to help us create massive amounts of fl exibility in how we can do business in the future.

Acquisitions“Another trend with Uni-Select is that we will continue to be on the acquisition trail and will keep acquiring businesses that make sense and adds value to the organ-ization and our shareholders. In addition, our trend in succession planning will con-tinue to be in the forefront. I believe we’re one of the only organizations that truly helps our individual entrepreneurs in the succession planning process and we’ve had many business owners convert to Uni-Select mainly because of that.”

Here we’ve taken a look through Robert’s eyes into trends that are happening in the industry as a whole but more particu-larly, Uni-Select as an organization on the move.


W i th automot ive technology changing at an exponential rate, the need for techs to update their

knowledge base has never been more pressing. As exciting as changes in com-puter systems, diesel technology, hybrid systems, and other technologies may be, staying on top of things and being able to work on whatever might show up in your bay requires more time and ef-fort today than it ever did in the history of the automobile.

With a proud history that dates back to 1916, the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has been in the training business for almost as long as manufacturers have been build-ing cars. Located in Calgary, Alberta, SAIT Polytechnic offers a broad range of courses, each designed with the sole purpose of helping automotive techs, and their support teams, to stay on top of the ever-changing automotive world.

Bob Keith, Sales manager for Calgary-based Auto Value parts stores and Central Auto Parts Distributors, works hand-in-glove with SAIT Polytechnic to get the word out about the importance of continu-ing education in the automotive industry.

“We’ve been dealing with SAIT Polytechnic for over 10 years, acting as their market-ing arm,” Keith says. “They offer about a dozen different courses during the evening hours and on weekends. All the courses are designed to upgrade the skills of automotive techs. Some courses are for

fully licensed technicians, others are for apprentices.”

All classes run on a 12-hour schedule, and attendance is limited. “We generally fi ll the classes,” Keith says. “Maximum class size is limited to between 12-14 students because SAIT really wants to maximize hands-on time, as well as one-on-one in-

struction. This is much more effective than having a teacher show slides in front of a class of 100.”

New classesCurrently, instructors at SAIT Polytechnic are busily preparing new courses for 2010. These include:

• Diesel Engine Electronic Management

• Introduction to Automotive Airbags (level 1 and 2)

• Advanced Wheel Alignment

• Anti-Lock Brake Diagnosis

• Automotive Service and Repair Management

• Fundamentals of Air Conditioning (level 1 and 2)

• Ford Parameter Identification and Data Interpretation

A number of new classes are still in the development phase, and are sure to be offered in the very near future. These include:

• Chrysler Parameter Identification and Data Interpretation

• German and Asian Parameter Identification and Data Interpretation

• Service Advisor (techniques for doing a better job)

• Advanced Installer

• Fundamentals of Hybrids and Hybrid Safety

• Networking and Multiplexing

Education is a mustToday’s techs need to up-grade their skills on an on-

going basis. Doing so is no longer an op-tion or a luxury—it’s a must! “Automotive technology is changing so quickly that even a tech or journeyman who was at the top of his fi eld four or fi ve years ago will have to upgrade his skill on a continu-ous basis to stay abreast of changes and continue being a top gun in diagnosis and repair,” Keith says.

Keith markets the program at SAIT Polytechnic on behalf of Auto Value. Classes are open to installers as well as anyone interested in upgrading his or her skills. Each course has its own data sheet and Keith says he is more than happy to email or fax information to anyone who would like it.

For more information, please contact Bob Keith at [email protected] or 403-214-1233.

Education

Upgrade or Fall BehindToday’s automotive technicians must continue honing their skills or risk falling behind

their peers and facing the inability to service tomorrow’s vehicles.

“SAIT really wants to maximize hands-on time, as well as one-on-one instruction.” – Bob Keith

Jack Kazmierski [email protected]


I t was predicted in 2009 by Grant Thornton International that “without a managed bankruptcy process, some

500 suppliers were at high risk of going out of business.” In fact, only 14 of the top 150 auto parts suppliers declared bankruptcy.

Brighter sales outlookMany weathered the storm and, now that the automakers are building vehicles again, they’re paying their suppliers… many by weekly, not monthly, payments. A combination of cost cutting, improved pricing power, court-supervised restruc-turings, and government aid averted the widespread carnage many feared. Quick restructurings as well as financial govern-ment aid and a brightening sales outlook for 2010 now has many suppliers looking on the bright side in the U.S. and Canada.

Maybe a good thing was that “the reces-sion forced parts suppliers to make their cost structures very lean so that they are well positioned for explosive earnings growth as vehicle production gets back to normal,” said Dave Whiston, auto analyst, Morningstar.

An old way is new againSomething that may help suppliers is a different way of maintaining control over their product production/distribution. It’s not a new way, it’s an ‘old’ way and some large companies (Pepsi, GM, Boeing, etc.) have begun to use vertical integration. By this method, companies can control the “key aspects of a product’s sourcing,

production, and distribution.” It’s been suggested by some that it could work well for automotive companies, but be aware of some of the wrinkles that come with the method.

Digital formats Some associations are changing their methods of approaching the future, such as moving to more digital formats in order to attract future technicians. Robbie Addison, the mechanical division manager of ASA, says that that association “will turn to e-mail, Facebook, and other digital means to reach the next generation. We’ll be reaching out not only to just the young

people, but to the guidance counselors at schools and the parents.”

Focus on what’s in the box also is a prior-ity in the coming year, Addison notes. “We want to ensure that we get the quality part that looks, fi ts and performs to the quality of the part that came on the car,” she explains. That’s important, as many consumers don’t care what brand a part is, just that it works. “In their eyes, the shop is the name on the part.”

Published studiesAASA published a study that looks at the parts sales relationship among channel partners. It showed that respondents said quality, availability and product know-ledge rank higher than price.

Steve Hanschuh, president and COO, AASA, stated that today’s consumers don’t to wait to have their vehicle re-paired—they want it done the same day. Repair shops don’t want to stock a big inventory, but want parts available on an on-demand basis, so the jobber or WD needs to have that part on the shelf if they’re going to make the sale. When someone is making a decision to buy, the most important characteristics will be quality, coverage, and availability.

Online marketing spendingThe Herman Trend Alert predicts that “online marketing spending will be up in

2010.” Does this mean you should offer your prod-ucts online, or go to e-mail market-ing? StrongMail’s

director of corporate marketing Kristin Hersant says marketers are becoming more sophisticated and “leveraging the viral aspect of the Web.”

So likely wise marketers will begin by look-ing at their current missed opportunities to better target current customer seg-ments. More sophisticated marketers will embrace the new technologies to make marketing investments go farther.

According to the latest industry forecast from Scotia Economics in Canada, auto sales will gain momentum in 2010 on the back of better access to credit and a re-turn to 3% growth in the global economy. This will set the stage for record volumes in 2011. Good for parts suppliers!

Looking Ahead…

The Future of the IndustryEveryone seems to agree that 2009 was disastrous for business…

especially the automakers! Of course, that continued down the

chain to parts suppliers and their customers. The trend now being

predicted seems to be brighter… thank goodness!

AIA Canada have 3 Benchmarking Studies... a new initiative. The goal was to create some business benchmarks that could be used by the industry to compare the health of the overall sector or simply to gauge how their business was doing against the norm. (P. 12)



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T o be a successful automotive ser-vice shop today means you need lots of different skills to be profi t-

able and have your customers return. Among others, you need management skills to run your business effectively and automotive management software is an enormous feature in being productive and effi cient. A great shop management pro-gram brings an increase in profi ts. There are many to choose from; you just have to pick the one that’s right for your place of business.

Is it easy to use?Ease of use would be something to con-sider when determining which program is best suited for your shop. What exactly are you trying to establish with this soft-ware? Who will be using it? What is the company like that you have decided to purchase from? Lots of questions need to be answered and not all of them are about the software program.

Since management software could pos-sibly make or break your business, take a good look at the people you’re going to purchase from—they could be as import-ant as the software. Do they think like you do? Have the main people been with the company a long time? Are your contacts there knowledgeable, available when you need them, genuinely interested in your success, friendly, and courteous? You need to choose a company that is reliable, suc-cessful, and extremely helpful.

Training is importantTraining is another important element of software programs—does the company you’re purchasing from supply adequate training? Is a dedicated support person assigned to your account? Do they have a toll free number for you to call? Are train-ing videos available? Is there an addition-al charge for training and support and, if so, is it a reasonable one? Can you get remote assistance? All this is important to know before going into an agreement for the program.

You’ve already looked into the shop man-agement system (SMS) you want and believe it will help you gain more success with your business. Have you looked at such features as simplicity—everything should be easy to locate and apparent, well organized, and built-in. Does it work with MS Excel, Word, Quick Books, etc., that you already know how to use? Can you find the information you seek eas-ily through the Sort/ Search/Filter items? Be sure to take this information into consideration.

Various programs The program must meet your high shop standards. In the invoicing and estimating functions for example: Is there combined scheduling with views that you can modify and print out? Is there a ‘remember’ fea-ture that enters all the parts and labour you use for future reference. Are there unrestricted preset labour items? There’s a long list here that should be looked into.

The features and benefits of the SMS should include, but are not limited to:

full accounting and payroll

reporting of skipped jobs

invoices and estimates

core tracking vehicle history

vehicle reminders

warranty/parts return pre-set jobs

repair order analysis

a personal labour guide

reporting for the tech

cheque writing

bank reconciliation

mailers and emailers for your customers

customer reminders

supplier transactions

accounts receivable and payable

inventory control

detailed graphs

work in progress

parts ordering online

scheduler for shop

financial reports

It’s up to you to choose the correct SMS for your shop to make sure your invest-ment is a wise one that will help you effectively manage, direct and grow your business.

We’ve only mentioned some items here that need to be looked into before pur-chasing. There are any number of Shop Management System online sites that you can visit and get an idea of what that particular company has to offer and go from there.

Shop Management Software

Which Is Best for Your Shop?Automotive service shops of today are certainly not like the shops of yesteryear… if they

were they’d be out of business! How about your shop—are you keeping up with technology

and best management practices at your shop?



There are two types of Fuel Trims:

1. STFT (Short Term Fuel Trim)

2. LTFT (Long Term Fuel Trim)

The Short Term Fuel Trims are the immedi-ate corrections to the O2 sensor readings. The ideal reading for the Short Term Fuel Trim is between -3% and +3% in order to control the O2 in lambda window.

The Long Term Fuel Trim constantly checks the STFT correction and adjusts it so that the STFT remains close to zero. The cor-rection of the LTFT is an entry made by the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) in its KAM (Keep Alive Memory), in the cell in use at the moment of the correction. This correction remains stored as long as the memory is not cleared or that the PCM doesn’t perform other corrections.

Certain manufacturers provide the pos-sibility to view the RFT (Rear Fuel Trims). The RFT is used primarily to optimize the effi ciency of the catalytic converter. Contrary to current belief, this correction has a direct infl uence on the fuel mixture and may even be responsible for drivabil-ity problems.

The TFT (Total Fuel Trims) are the sum of the LTFT, RFT and the average value of the STFT.

A positive value indicates that the PCM enriches the air/fuel mixture and a nega-tive value indicates that the PCM creates a leaner mixture. For example, a STFT of 10% means that the base injection time is increased by 10%, and a base time of 5 ms is increased to 5.5 ms.

If the STFT value is not within the stan-dard range, the LTFT will normally make a correction to change the injection time into the cell in use in order to bring back the STFT within standard values.

When the PCM is no longer able to adjust the Fuel Trims to stay within the standard

range, it sets a trouble code.

For example, assuming we have a vehicle equipped with a MAF (Mass Air Flow) and, when we consult the dif-ferent Fuel Trims cells, we note that the Total Fuel Trims are too high (7% and more) at idle and they return to normal when the engine speed in-

creases. So the engine has experienced a lean condition at idle. These values would indicate that there is probably a vacuum leak. Vacuum leaks are very visible at idle and becomes less evident when the engine speed increases. In fact, a vehicle equipped with a MAP (Manifold Absolute Pressure) will cause a negative adjustment of air/fuel mixture at idle.

So, for drivability concerns, the study of Fuel Trims is a good starting point to diag-nose the problem.

www.obd3solutions.com

Training Bulletin

Fuel Trims AnalysisAmong the parameters provided by the scanner, the Fuel Trims are important data for the

drivability problem diagnosis. Understanding how the Fuel Trims work will increase the

diagnosis effi ciency and speed. The Fuel Trims are the response of the PCM to the correction

of the air/fuel mixture based on O2 sensor readings.

By: OBD3 Solutionswww.obd3solutions.com

By: OBD3 Solutions


Environment Canada Proposes Indefi nite Exemption for Leaded Gasoline In Competition Vehicles

As of December 2009, Environment Canada is proposing to amend the Gas-oline Regulations to exempt the use of leaded gasoline in competition vehicles indefinitely. Gasoline Regulations under the CEPA have eliminated the use of lead additives in gasoline. An exemption for aircraft and competition vehicles (primar-ily drag racing) has existed since 1994. That exemption expired on January 1, 2010.

Environment Canada acknowledges that recent reporting shows leaded fuel use in competition vehicles represents only 0.003% of total gasoline use in Canada. There has been a voluntary transition to unleaded racing fuels by certain North American racing bodies, and the industry is expected to continue to work towards lead-free replacement fuels where feas-ible.

Environment Canada will work collabora-tively with the racing industry to encour-age a voluntary reduction and phase-out of leaded racing fuel and will conduct a 5 year review and will be prepared to re-visit its decision based on results from science, technology and fuel replacement developments.

Merithian New Canadian Distributor for Tracer Products

Tracer Products announced the appoint-ment of Merithian Products Corporation as its master distributor for Tracerline products for all of Canada. Established in 1992 and based in Concord, Ontario, Merithian Products is an ISO9001:2000 certified company that has many core brand names: Thermafix Heat Shrink and Wiring Accessories, and Alert Work Lights & Cord Reels. The Tracerline brand in Canada will now be a part of Merith-ian’s Cooling Division, which also includes Systemguard Tamper Evident Sleeves and other specialty items for mobile A/C ser-vice. For additional information, contact: Merithian’s Larry Miller at 1-800-920-8823 or email [email protected].

Barton Auto Parts President Passes Away

Morton Kreiger, 70, president of Barton Auto Parts in Hamilton, Ontario passed away in Florida on January 17. Barton Auto Parts, a family business started by Mort’s father, Thomas has been running successfully for more than 58 years with Mort leaving high school to be part of it. Donations in Mort’s honour may be made to the Juravinski Cancer Centre of Hamil-ton Health Sciences.

All Your Electronic Catalogues Combined

This is a new electronic catalogue sys-tem comprised of the major brands sold in North America. Catalogues are imported within a maximum of 48 hours, thus en-suring that the data is as accurate as that printed on manufacturers’ Web sites.

Relying on functionalities that are primar-ily search-focused, NetCom Chronos offers singularly effi cient performance and brows-ing in the largest AAIA-certifi ed electronic catalogue directory on the market. Its pri-mary mission consists of developing close partnerships with manufacturers in order to offer data of an unparalleled quality.

With over 100 million applications and 4,000 product lines that include 95% of the parts you’re searching for... Why look elsewhere? It’s free; go to www.netcom-chronos.com.

MIS Council Is Now MEMA Technology Council

As of the start of this year, the MEMA Information Services Council (MIS Coun-cil) became the MEMA Technology Coun-cil (MTC) to refl ect the expanded focus of the Council beyond traditional information services and information technology roles. The focus of the new MTC will include business processes, business intelligence, forecasting, and broader data manage-ment areas.

The MTC’s mission is to provide a forum for networking and the exchange of best practices focusing on current and emer-ging technologies that support members’ efforts to reduce costs and improve ef-fi ciencies.

Coinciding with the name change is the launch of the Council’s new Web site, www.mematechnology.org. The site offers more information, clearer navigation, new design, and links to member-only content.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Gordon to Lead Delphi’s Canadian Aftermarket Division

Keith Gordon is now managing direc-tor, Canadian Aftermarket, Delphi Product & Service Solutions (DPSS), succeeding Malcolm Sissmore. Gordon will be respon-sible for supporting the DPSS expansion strategy in the country, growing Delphi’s business with Canadian aftermarket cus-tomers, and coordinating DPSS Canadian activities. The aftermarket focus is on key strategic products—fuel handling, engine management, diesel, HVAC, training ma-terials, and diagnostic tools. These prod-ucts and services provide the technology, training and support necessary to help customers take advantage of service op-portunities in Canada. Gordon served as Delphi’s district sales manager, Ontario & Atlantic Canada, since January 2009. Prior to that, he was at Specialty Sales & Marketing in Mississauga, Ontario, where he was RSM, Ontario and Atlantic Canada for 14 years.


Advertisers Index

www.altrom.com

Altrom Group 7

www.atlastire.com

Atlas Tire Wholesale 2, 11, 25, 29, 33, 39

www.autosphere.ca

autosphere.ca 5

www.bestbuyautoparts.ca

Bestbuy Auto Parts 27

www.bluestreak.ca

Blue Streak 3, 17

www.castrol.com

Castrol 14, 15

www.earthday.ca/scholarship

Earth Day Canada 9

www.napaexcellence.ca

NAPA Centre of Excellence 23

www.ntaautomotive.com

NewTek 40

www.obd3solutions.com

OBD3 Solutions 19

www.rislone.ca

Rislone 13

www.uni-select.com

Uni-Select 20, 21

Genuine Parts Acquires BC Bearing Genuine Parts Co. (GPC) has announced that its Industrial Parts

Group, Motion Industries, has entered into a defi nitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the North American assets of BC Bearing (BC Bearing, US Bearings, and Norcan), headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. BC Bearing is a family owned bearing and power transmission distributor operating 53 branches throughout western Canada and the northwestern U.S.

Commenting on the acquisition, Thomas Gallagher, chairman, president and CEO of Genuine Parts Co., stated, “The acquisition of BC Bearing allows Motion Industries to continue its expansion in Canada and the northwestern U.S., where we see signifi cant growth opportunities.”

Mister Transmission AppointmentMister Transmission announced the appointment Chad Keogh

as director of Operations of this 45-year-old Canadian company. Keogh joined Mister Transmission in 2003 as a Regional Busi-ness Manager responsible for the Western part of Canada and the greater part of Toronto. He is currently based in Vancouver, BC and will continue to travel to the head offi ce in Richmond Hill until April 1, when he will reside full time in Ontario.

Hybrid Technology Applied to Friction Materials by FRAS-LE

FRAS-LE’s Hybrid Technology (FHT) is to be in the North-American market in early 2010. The new hybrid material is environmentally-friendly and meets California’s 2032 legislation today, 22 years early.

California’s new legislation limits the use of some raw materials in brake pad formulations, especially copper. Developed in FRAS-LE’s labs, the hybrid material does not contain copper, antimony, potassium titanate, mercury, lead, chromium, asbestos, cadmium, or nickel. By 2021, copper may not exceed 5% of brake pads composition, and 0.5% by 2032. www.fras-le.com/hybrid

Organization al Changes at Uni-SelectUni-Select’s President and CEO Richard G. Roy an-

nounced a new organizational structure for its North American automotive business, effective immediately.

Gary O’Connor, executive vice president, has been given the responsibility of managing the business with independent distributors and major accounts for all of North America.

William Alexander is now in the newly created pos-ition of executive vice president for corporate stores in the United States; he is responsible for all aspects of the business serving installers through Uni-Select’s network of company-owned stores.

James Buzzard is appointed to the newly-created position of senior vice president, Corporate Develop-ment USA and will be responsible for Uni-Select’s acquisition efforts within the U.S.

INDUSTRY NEWS


Garage Business

Going All the Way

How far would you go

to make your business

successful?

Dave Redinger is a mechanic with over 45 years experience. He owns and operates his own shop in the Toronto area. Dave hosts “Dave’s Corner Garage”

seen on national television—Sun TV on Sunday mornings. Dave’s Corner Garage deals with automotive issues.

Dave Redinger [email protected]

T here are two ways to succeed in business. The fi rst is to buy a fran-chise and have someone else do all

the thinking for you. The second is to go into business on your own, or in partner-ship with a brand, and do most or all the thinking for yourself.

Most of us are in the “think for yourself” camp, without a corporate franchise over-lord telling us how to advertise, what to sell, how much to charge, what colour our stores should be and what our employees should be wearing. So let me ask you: What are you doing to succeed in busi-ness, and how far are you willing to go in order to make your business successful?

Mark Silverman, the energetic

service manager of East Court Ford

in Scarborough, Ontario.

Outside the boxWe’ve all heard the adage about “thinking outside the box,” but how far outside the box do you see yourself thinking? Imagine for a moment that you’re the service man-ager of a large Ford dealership. Attached to the dealership is a quick service centre called “Fast Lane.”

Although Fast Lane has been around for years, trouble is no one has heard of it. So if you were running a Fast Lane, how far would you go in order to increase business and improve customer fl ow?

Allow me to introduce Mark Silverman, the energetic service manager of East Court Ford in Scarborough, Ontario. Mark has never been known to think conserva-tively. He’s a “why not” type of guy. If there were a prize for thinking “outside the box,” Mark would be a gold medal winner.

How far out of the box does Mark’s mind travel? Consider, as an example, the fact that in one bold move, Mark took his Fast Lane out of the dealership “box” and into the local mall.

But wait, there’s more! In an effort to further ease the service experience, Mark also opened a storefront in the busy

If there were a prize for thinking “outside the box,” Mark would be a gold medal winner.

Scarborough Town Centre mall. The con-cept makes so much sense, I wonder why no one has done it before.

Calling all shoppersMark’s Fast Lane store offers a $29.99 oil change to shoppers, and promises to get the job done while the shopper is milling around the mall and taking care of his or her shopping needs. Now that’s convenience!

The vehicle is written up in the normal manner, and after the paperwork is com-pleted, the car is driven back to the Fast Lane facility and serviced by a Ford-trained tech. The oil is changed and the rest of the car is given a complete once over.

If any issues are discovered, the owner is contacted for authorization. How do they do that? Well, the owner is given a beeper (just like in the busier restaurants) and is paged, with a request to call the dealer-ship for details.

But wait... there’s still more. The dealer-ship also offers rental cars, just in case the work in question takes more time than the customer planned to spend at the mall. So not only does Mark offer his customers the convenience of while-you-shop service, he makes it available within a storefront operation at a local mall, adding the con-venience of a beeper alert system and a car rental service.

So how far would you go to make your business successful? If you’re like Mark, you’re probably willing to go “all the way,” with innovative ideas that will set you apart from the competition.


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ccb newtek v3.indd 1 10-01-27 1:41 PM

castrol unveils edge, the best castrol ever. dj … · castrol unveils edge, the best castrol ever....

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