Yet another necessary but non-included repair procedure I see some shops failing to do – and others doing, but failing to get paid for – is removal and reinstallation, or “set back,” of electrical components from areas on the vehicle where the shop is welding. This column should help you understand why it’s a necessary procedure, and help you negotiate to consistently get paid for it.
As with every negotiated item, I always recommend using the same three questions: Is it required to fully and properly repair the vehicle? Is it included in any other labor operation? Is there a pre-determined time in the estimating systems it?
So, first, is it a required procedure? It absolutely is and here’s why: Welding systems are typically 110 to 220 volts, far more than the 13.5 to 14.4 volt charging systems in most cars. Electric welders also produce high levels of electromagnetic noise. So any conductor of electricity – such as electrical components – can work as an antenna, picking up the charge from a welder with its higher voltage that can destroy the electronics.
That’s why the automakers, I-CAR and the estimating systems all issue warnings to remove or set back electrical components. Toyota’s collision repair bulletin #161, for example, states: “Before performing any electrical welding, turn off the ignition, disconnect the negative terminal of the 12V battery, remove any engine control units (ECUs) within 18 inches of weld sites, and disconnect the main SRS computer connector, waiting 90 seconds before start of welding.”
As quoted in the Motor Guide to Estimating (the basis for the CCC estimating system), “I-CAR’s Uniform Procedures for Collision Repair states that electronic components should be removed from the vehicle if welding is to take place within 12 inches of the component.”
Look up “sectioning locations and procedures” for Chrysler vehicles in ALLDATA and you will see a caution: “Electronic modules located within 305 mm (12 inches) of any welding should be isolated.”
There are many examples of such warnings. It is clearly a required procedure.
So is it included in any other labor operation? Here, the answer is no. Non-included operations in AudaExplore, for example, include, “Disconnect/reconnect computer modules for welding purposes.” The Motor Guide to Estimating notes that labor times do not include “battery disconnect/reconnect/recharge” or “computer control module disconnect/reconnect/relearn.”
So if it’s required and is not included, is there a pre-determined time for it? Here the answer can vary. When a time is available, such as for R&I of airbag electronics, the estimating systems provide a time. Sometimes the automaker may have a warranty time for the necessary operation, or a service such as ALLDATA may offer a mechanical time that’s appropriate.
But even then, not all necessary procedures may be included. R&I of the battery on the 2011 Porsche Cayenne, for example, requires removal of the driver’s seat; estimators need to look carefully because the CCC estimating system (for example) includes a footnote that the .5 time to R&I the battery on that vehicle is “after left front seat is removed.”
But what if you can’t find a labor time or the one you find seems inadequate? One alternative is to submit an inquiry to the Database Enhancement Gateway (www.DEGweb.org). DEQ Inquiry No. 4,572, for example, asked about the AudaExplore allowance of .3 to R&R the airbag module for a 2011 Nissan Versa. AudaExplore reviewed the OEM service procedures, and bumped the labor allowance up to 2.2 hours.
But another thing to keep in mind: The terminology you use on the estimate is very important here. It should match exactly what you are actually doing on the vehicle. The estimating systems, for example, provide a time to R&I the battery, but maybe you’re just disconnecting and reconnecting it, not actually removing it. The systems provide no time for that, so I recommend using the term “D&R” (disconnect and reconnect).
Similarly, are you actually removing and reinstalling a wiring harness, or just setting it back 12 inches from where you are welding? You need to make sure what you are charging for matches what you are doing.
So first and foremost, make sure you’re not welding within 12 inches of an electrical component, wiring harness, airbag or sensor, etc. I still see it being done in some shops. R&I or set back of electrical components is both a very clearly required procedure and one for which you should be paid.
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