5 steps for effective collision repair research

July 30, 2018
Repair research can take time, and if you don't have a plan, it can take more time than necessary. Creating a defined research plan and training staff on OEM terminology will ensure a positive return on the time investment and help drive safe and proper repairs.

Nothing is more important than safe and proper repairs. Repair research can take time, and if you don't have a plan, it can take more time than necessary. Creating a defined research plan and training staff on OEM terminology will ensure a positive return on the time investment and help drive safe and proper repairs.

Repair research is akin to estimating. Writing a complete estimate is like solving a long series of conditional if/then statements. For example, if I replace the fender, then I need to add for chipguard application. If I am applying chipguard, then I need to perform a spray out to match the OEM texture.  This process continues until a complete estimate is written including all of the blends, tinting, R&Is, R&R parts and scanning required due to the fender replacement. Repair research is similar in the fact that it all begins at the point of impact, which is step one in the research process and follows five additional steps that will help you perform better research and safer, more profitable repairs. 

Beginning to research at the point of impact is important; it sets everything else in order that will need to be researched. Beginning at the point of impact on welded panels may alert the estimator to the fact that other undamaged welded panels need to be removed first to facilitate replacement of the damaged panel (think of a rear body panel on some Mini Coopers). 

The second step for repair research is metallurgy. Knowing the construction material and megapascals of the damaged panel can affect your repair versus replace decisions even for bolted-on panels. For example, if a 2017 Nissan Titan needs a front door skin replacement and there is a small amount of damage to the door shell, repair research into metallurgy would help shape the estimate to reflect replacement of the complete door shell when the shell substrate is identified as 1470 megapascal UHSS. There are even more advantages to researching metallurgy when replacing welded panels. It is not only important to know what the panel being replaced is made from, but also the megapascals and thickness of the substrate the new panel will be attached to. This information can affect decisions for the welding processes used, plug weld hole diameter, welding wire utilized and number of different test welds required before installing the new panel. 

The third step in the repair research plan is to research all of the R&I parts. R&I research can be divided into two different discovery sections: interior and exterior. The purpose of researching interior R&I parts is to identify non-reusable trim pieces, clips, retainers, thread locker requirements and torque specifications for restraint system components. Researching exterior R&I parts helps identify non-reusable components and calibrations that may be required following an R&I. Researching R&I parts may increase parts sales and gross profit dollars on a repair and may also alert estimators about additional R&I required, leading to increased labor sales. 

The fourth step in the repair research plan is to research the 12v battery, more specifically the disconnect and reconnect procedures. Very few repairs can be performed anymore without a battery disconnect. Many vehicle systems can be affected by this and researching how to disconnect the battery and what to do after reconnecting the battery terminals can improve your repair quality and provide a seamless repair experience for the customer. Missing this step in the research can leave comfort systems such as auto windows and anti-pinch features inoperative. Another advantage to researching the battery disconnect procedures is that it can help substantiate the need for vehicle post repair scanning for manufacturer's without published position statements. For example, when researching Volkswagen procedures for battery disconnect the service procedure will often reference querying modules for codes after reconnecting the battery. This is an OEM required step in the battery D&R procedure and now a justifiable line item on an estimate without the need for a position statement. 

The fifth and final step in the research plan is the most fun and most daunting, researching for scanning, calibration, aiming and ADAS requirements. Training staff on each OEM's technology terminologies will help expedite the research during this step in the plan. Knowing that one OEM may refer to blind spot monitoring as side object detection while another may call it blind spot assist can save precious time while researching ADAS requirements. This step is not as straight forward as the previous steps due to the variations between OEMs in where they store the information in the repair manual. Some manufacturers will tell you in the rear bumper procedure if blind spot radar testing is required, while others will store this information in the blind spot system section of the repair manual. It is important to understand how each safety system is interlinked on the vehicle and know which systems reference the vehicle's steering angle sensor. This knowledge can help staff understand when aiming and calibrations may be necessary and help initiate research.

Implementing a research plan coupled with training staff on OEM terminologies can greatly reduce the time investment to perform repair research and disseminate the repair information to the technician performing the repairs. This will aid in more accurate parts orders, safer repairs and reduced cycle times. All it takes is a plan.

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