FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AVI Releases Training Series to Help Your Shop Survive & Prosper in Tough Times

Fort Myers, FL – March 23, 2009 – As businesses struggle to stay afloat in this tough business climate, AVI has released a management training video series with AMI approved instructor George Witt, to help independent auto repair shops survive. The series How to Survive in Tough Times and Prosper consists of three DVD’s: Critical Components of the Front End, Eat Your Competition Alive, and Secrets of Running a Zoo. Critical Components of the Front End, teaches shop owners how to solve 90% of the problems in their shop by improving the front counter. This program looks at all the aspects of the front counter to make you aware of the effects this crucial area has on your shop. It covers curb appeal (signage, parking and the lobby), marketing (point of sale and follow-up marketing) and customer flow (scheduling and writing the repair order). George also covers shop/office procedures (dispatching work, ordering/moving parts and service advisor/phone skills), explains your role as shop owner and how to choose the right personnel.

Eat Your Competition Alive contains advanced marketing strategies to help separate your shop from the competition, gain new business and sell what people want to buy. This program shows you how to accomplish these objectives and sell more fuel economy by offering your customers a free class on things they can do to improve fuel mileage. This course also provides an outline for your class and explains how to promote it for free.

Secrets of Running a Zoo shows you how to control what happens in your shop and determine the direction your business will take so your shop will run smoothly even if you are not there. George explains how to give your employees more confidence by letting them solve their own problems. He also shows you how to evaluate systems and procedures used in your shop, choose the right employees, and evaluate the necessary skills for the job and how to set goals and standards for performance.

The videos in this series are available separately or as a value priced package with all three DVDs and manuals. To see video samples and descriptions of AVI’s training programs visit www.auto-video.com. For more information or to purchase this series or any other AVI programs please call (800) 718-7246 ext. 233.

Team AVI helps today’s automotive repair technicians and shop owners stay up to date with the latest technology through cutting edge training DVD’s. AVI is constantly updating their training library to continue offering a variety of progressive technical and management training.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AVI Releases Training Series to Help Your Shop Survive & Prosper in Tough Times

Fort Myers, FL – March 23, 2009 – As businesses struggle to stay afloat in this tough business climate, AVI has released a management training video series with AMI approved instructor George Witt, to help independent auto repair shops survive. The series How to Survive in Tough Times and Prosper consists of three DVD’s: Critical Components of the Front End, Eat Your Competition Alive, and Secrets of Running a Zoo. Critical Components of the Front End, teaches shop owners how to solve 90% of the problems in their shop by improving the front counter. This program looks at all the aspects of the front counter to make you aware of the effects this crucial area has on your shop. It covers curb appeal (signage, parking and the lobby), marketing (point of sale and follow-up marketing) and customer flow (scheduling and writing the repair order). George also covers shop/office procedures (dispatching work, ordering/moving parts and service advisor/phone skills), explains your role as shop owner and how to choose the right personnel.

Eat Your Competition Alive contains advanced marketing strategies to help separate your shop from the competition, gain new business and sell what people want to buy. This program shows you how to accomplish these objectives and sell more fuel economy by offering your customers a free class on things they can do to improve fuel mileage. This course also provides an outline for your class and explains how to promote it for free.

Secrets of Running a Zoo shows you how to control what happens in your shop and determine the direction your business will take so your shop will run smoothly even if you are not there. George explains how to give your employees more confidence by letting them solve their own problems. He also shows you how to evaluate systems and procedures used in your shop, choose the right employees, and evaluate the necessary skills for the job and how to set goals and standards for performance.

The videos in this series are available separately or as a value priced package with all three DVDs and manuals. To see video samples and descriptions of AVI’s training programs visit www.auto-video.com. For more information or to purchase this series or any other AVI programs please call (800) 718-7246 ext. 233.

Team AVI helps today’s automotive repair technicians and shop owners stay up to date with the latest technology through cutting edge training DVD’s. AVI is constantly updating their training library to continue offering a variety of progressive technical and management training.

###

By Dave Hobbs.

As noted in a typical TSB for a late model GM vehicle, the Reserve Capacity (RC) rating multiplied by 0.6 gives the approximate available ampere-hours (AH) from full charge to complete rundown. Somewhere between full charge and complete rundown, the battery will reach a point at which it can no power the starter. Using up about 40% of the total available AH will usually take a fully-charged battery to a no-start condition at moderate temps of 25°C (77°F). Put another way, for a typical battery in a storage situation, depleting the available AH by 20 to 30 AH will result in a no-start situation.

Important: If the battery begins storage at 90% of full charge, reduce the available AH accordingly.

Although the maximum rule of thumb recommended parasitic drain is around 30 mA (0.030 amps) a typical drain usually falls into the 7-12 mA range, even though some luxury vehicles do approach the maximum. Multiply the drain (in amps) by the time (in hours) the battery sits without being recharged. The result is the amount of AH consumed by the parasitic drain. The actual drain may be small, but over time the battery grows steadily weaker.

Here’s an example: a vehicle with a 30 mA drain and a fully-charged 70 RC battery will last 3 weeks. But if that battery is at only 65% of full charge it is going to last only 2 weeks before giving the customer that “click click click” complaint. The parasitic drain will be fairly constant over a range of temperatures. The important temperature is that of the vehicle at the time a start is attempted. Colder temperature raises the threshold of a no-start by increasing the residual power needed. When the temperature falls to 0°C (32°F), the battery will be able to put out only about 85% of its normally available starting power, and the engine may need as much as 165% of the usual power to start. The combined effect of these two factors is to reduce the number of days the battery can put up with a parasitic drain. At 0°C (32°F), the battery can last only half as long as it could at 25°C (77°F). And at -19°C (0°F), the days are reduced to 25 percent of the days it could have lasted in warmer temperatures. Now go the other direction, and summer days of 25°C (77°F) or greater increase the battery’s self discharge. If the vehicle is located where the temperature is averaging 32°C (90°F), an additional 5% to 10% of the available ampere-hours will be lost in a month due to self-discharge within the battery. At temperatures below the moderate range, self-discharge is unnoticeable compared to the parasitic loss.

How much should each module’s parasitic drain be on the battery? While following chart certainly is not a set of exact specifications to pass or fail “FREDs” it does give good estimates for the parasitic drains of various devices.

How to Test
Testing for parasitic battery drains has changed a lot since my dad taught me to connect a test light in series with the battery cable in the 1970’s. The theory then (and it still applies today) was that a large parasitic drain would cause the test light to glow brightly, and a small drain would either not light the bulb or only light it very dimly. Not exactly accurate, but effective before FREDs starting showing up in large numbers on the vehicle. Most test lights would require more than 500 mA to flowing through the circuit they were tied into to glow, and pre-FRED cars didn’t really have any non parasitic drains that didn’t draw enough power to light the test lamp. Even the glove box light or trunk light staying on would light the test lamp. By the way, here is a Mr. Obvious trick (FREDs or no FREDs) to test to see if these lights are actually turning off when they’re supposed to be off…open the trunk or glove box really fast and touch the bulb. If it’s hot, obviously it’s been burning longer than the second it took to open the lid and touch it. I must warn you…if it has been staying turned on it’ll be almost as hot as McDonald’s coffee and will burn you….so no lawsuits please! For the trunk light, you could hop in the trunk and have a friend close the lid while you watch the light go off. Make sure your friend has the key, not you, Mr. Obvious warns! Oh, now I’m really asking for a lawsuit, right? Looking back on the test light procedure, this test became ineffective when some of the newer solid state modules would stay powered up and draw 300-400 mA. This did not necessarily make the test light glow, but almost always ran the battery down in a few days. The 1980’s came around and the test light parasitic test gave way to the DVOM’s ammeter connected in series with the battery cable.

Problems With Meters
That test was great…if the problem was present when you connected the battery cable into series with the meter…and if you had a good fuse in the meter…and you didn’t forget and leave the meter in series with the cable when you opened the door (a 2 amp dome light trying to make it’s circuit path through a ½ amp meter fuse) or worse yet, tried to start the engine. The latter scenario would be a starter trying to source 200 amps through the meter’s ½ amp fuse. You could connect the meter leads into the battery cable circuit via the meter’s 10 amp ammeter circuit and it least it could source the dome light when you opened the door without a problem. If you did forget and try to start the engine, you might see the meter’s 10 amp fuse pop or you might be looking at a toasted meter. Some meters don’t fuse their higher current ammeter section. Often times, as in the case of Fluke, the fuses for both the low current (300 mA) and high current (10 amps) sections are fused. The problem is, the fuses are expensive relatively hard to locate.

Solutions to Meter Problems
Here is the solution to all of this…just connect an inline fuse into series with your meter’s leads. Have a fuse slightly smaller than your meter’s low end rating (200 mA) when you are testing for low current parasitic drains and another inline fuse dedicated to putting in series with your meter’s leads when it’s in the high current setting (8 amps) so that if you do a no-no and open the door or crank the motor, you only have to replace an automotive fuse and not an exotic and expensive Fluke fuse or a very expensive meter! If you think this sounds like a hassle…it is. The alternative is of course a low current inductive amp probe.

Beware of the inductive amp probe. It must be accurate enough to measure current as low as 10 mA, which would be a realistic normal parasitic current draw for some vehicles.

MacGyver To The Rescue!
If your probe is accurate down to 100 mA, then you could be a regular MacGyver and make your own current multiplier by wrapping a piece of wire around a soda can 10 times. After you have made the loop, leave a foot or so of wire in each end of the can (to work with later) and remove the can from the loop. Tape up your newly made coil and put some alligator clips on each end. Now you can put that coil into the loop into series with the battery cable. Don’t forget to fuse it so you won’t melt it with an accidental starter motor actuation. Now you can clamp your “accurate down to 100 mA” inductive amp probe around your new coil and you have an “accurate down to 10 mA” inductive amp probe.

More Test Problems…Phantom Drains
Every test mentioned to this point (with the exception of the extreme low current inductive amp probe) has one major drawback…you have to disconnect the battery in order to connect the meter and/or 10X multiplier. If there is a high resistance short circuit (chaffed insulation) causing the excessive battery drain or a leaky alternator diode, or even a light bult staying turned on, no problem. You reconnect your meter into series with the battery cable and read the meter. After a reasonable amount of time (see chart 1) for “FREDs” to power down, you observe that the meter reads 650 mA (for example) and you begin icsolating the circuit the drain is on by pulling fuses one at a time and continuing to observe the current draw measured by the meter. You pull fuse 17 (for example) and the meter now shows 12 mA which seems like a normally acceptable parasitic current draw. Now you look into what items are on fuse 17 and track down the culprit…a bad automatic load leveling height sensor (for example) trying to keep the air suspension compressor turned on. That’s ideal world and it does happen that way sometimes. If Murphy’s law is not on your side that day, you will most likely see 12 mA of battery drain when you connect your meter into series with the battery cable. But the battery is going dead in 3-4 days and the alternator checks good as well as the battery’s condition. Why do you have so much of a problem catching the phantom battery drain? Well, do you ever watch those reality TV shows about the police? When they do a raid on a house, do they give the bad guys advance notice that they intend to serve a warranty or do they sneak up and smash their way into the house yelling “search warrant”? The latter, right? You need to do the same. When “FREDs” are completely powered down and then back up, the more often than not, will NOT latch on in the powered up state for you to diagnose. They may take some “persuasion” to stay powered up. Persuasion like turning the ignition on and off repeatedly or even road testing the vehicle to duplicate the conditions that caused the drain to begin with. You need a plan to catch them in the act of draining the battery. You need a parasitic battery drain tool.

If you are not inclined the spend the $70 bucks for one of these from the tool truck, just bop on down to the local parts or RV store and pick up a battery disconnect switch, sometimes also referred to as a RV knife switch. Connect the switch into series between the negative battery cable and post as shown in figure 5.

Next, with the high current battery disconnect switch closed, drive the vehicle and operate as many accessories as possible in order to duplicate the conditions that might be causing the battery drain. Now, connect your ammeter with its in-line fuse across each side of the closed battery disconnect switch as shown in figure 5. Use the higher current section of the meter at first to make sure the drain is not larger that the lower rated section of the meter. Turn the meter on after a reasonable amount of time has past (see chart 1) for the various modules to power down. Finally open the battery disconnect switch. Now the current flow instead of passing through the switch will pass through the meter. The important thing to realize is that you didn’t have to disconnect the battery (and “tip off” those sneaky “FREDs”) in order to run the ammeter. The disconnect switch simply changed the paths of the current flow. Now observe for larger than normal current draw readings on the meter and narrow down the list of possible culprits by pulling fuses as discussed earlier. It is important to note that sometimes the wait for certain devices to turn off on their own can be fairly lengthy. One series of late model GM SUV’s for example has a HVAC control head that takes up to 4 hours to power down! Who wants to wait around that long for it to go to sleep? One alternative there would be to pull its fuse to ensure that it is the only larger than normal parasitic drain on the vehicle. Then plug its fuse back in, reconnect the battery to the cable, (via the disconnect switch) go do something else productive for a few hours, and recheck the overall vehicle drain later in the day.

Catching Even Sneakier “FREDs”
You may need more than the battery disconnect switch for some stubborn cases. You may need to watch the meter for an extended period of time to see if any solid state modules are waking up and drawing excess current. But who has time to baby sit their ammeter? In the case of a GM vehicle with a class 2 data bus, if you have a Tech 2 scanner, you have the ultimate “FRED baby sitter” ready to work while you make money on something else. It’s rather simple yet ingenious to do. First, set up your phantom parasitic drain test via the battery disconnect and ammeter arrangement mentioned previously. Next, remove the fuse that powers pin 16 of the DLC (12 volt supply for your scanner) so that when you connect your Tech 2, you won’t be seeing its power demand on the ammeter. The fuse is often the same fuse as the 12 volt accessory / cigar lighter fuse. Now, power your Tech 2 with an alternative power source such as the 110V / 12V power supply that comes with the tool. Finally, build the vehicle with the Tech 2 setup menu. When you get to the main diagnostic menu (Powertrain / Body / Chassis / Diagnostic Circuit Check) select Diagnostic Circuit Check. From there you can go into Class 2 Message Monitor and see all the modules that are on the bus. Turn the ignition switch on one last time (with the battery disconnect switch closed) and watch the state listed next to each module on the bus display the word “Active”. Next to the word “Active will be an odd number like 1, 3, 5, etc. Turn the ignition off and watch the states for the modules to all go to “Inactive”. It may take a few seconds / minutes. (See figure 6) As they do, their previous odd number (1 for example) will increment up to an even number (2) as each “FRED” goes to sleep on the bus and quits drawing any more current than the typical KAM current. (Chart 1) Each module if it was a “2” next to the status of “Inactive” should remain a 2. You can now monitor bus activity by watching module status on the Tech 2. If a module won’t go to “Inactive” (sleep state) or wakes back up to “Active” state (along with a state number change) you may well have narrowed down your problem.

Since the BCM is usually the bus power mode master device you may see it wake up first followed by other modules it might be waking up. The Tech 2 even allows you to put the modules all to sleep to hurry up the process in testing. You can also leave the Tech 2 alone and allow it to monitor the status of the bus. If you leave the Tech 2 “baby sitting” the vehicle while you are off on another job and come back to find that the Driver Door Module (for example) incremented it’s status number from a 2 (Inactive) to a 6 (still inactive) you can guess what happened…the Driver Door Module (DDM) woke up (the status would have incremented to a 3) and went back to sleep (now a 4) and then woke up still yet another time (now a 5) and finally went back to sleep, which gave it the status of “Inactive” but at 6 which you now see on the tool. Keep in mind, an OnStar may need to turn on and wake up periodically due to the nature of its mission on the vehicle, but something like a DDM shouldn’t be waking up unless you touch the door handle or wake up the RKE. (Remote Keyless Entry) Pretty sneaky, that blasted DDM. But not sneaky enough to out smart the Tech 2! And the best part is you let the Tech 2 do the job while you worked on something else. Now that’s what I call “sharpening the saw”!

Hopefully your skills are sharper from this review of parasitic battery drain testing along with these tips that maybe are brand new to you. And even more importantly, I am hoping tonight you can actually go home at 5 o’clock (with a decent day’s wage in your pocket) to do those things that really matter most to you!

About the author:
For 20 years Dave Hobbs has been a hotline adviser, field engineer and technical trainer for a major automotive parts supplier where he has assisted thousands of dealer and independent techs with diagnostic problems.  An ASE Master L1 technician, sponsoring member of IATN, MACS and SAE, Dave spent over 15 years as an independent repair shop technician prior to joining the OEM world. Visit Dave’s website at www.hobbsautotech.com

Check out some of the training videos featuring Dave Hobbs at www.auto-video.com

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1 DVD 1hr 45min viewing time, 1 manual
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Let’s start with what Mode $06 is. There are currently 10 modes of scan tool operation as described in SAE document J1979.

• Mode 1 Data Stream
• Mode 2 Freeze Frame Data
• Mode 3 Diagnostic Trouble Codes
• Mode 4 Clearing DTC’s and Freeze Frame
• Mode 5 Oxygen Sensor Monitors
• Mode 6 Non-Continuous Monitors
• Mode 7 Pending Trouble Codes
• Mode 8 Bi-Directional Controls
• Mode 9 Vehicle ID
• Mode 10 Permanent DTC’s

The $ symbol used in conjunction with Mode $06 doesn’t stand for money, buy rather it indicates the use of the hexadecimal numbering system. The hexadecimal system uses a base 16 numbering system that contains no negative values. The good news is that any computer will convert the hexadecimal number to a “normal” number for you. This can be found by opening the start-up menu, opening All programs/Accessories, then selecting Calculator. Type in the hex figure, then select decimal to see the number you’re used to seeing.

Some of the important terms to know are: TID and CID. TID stands for test identification, while CID stands for component identification. One key element for deciphering Mode $06 is finding out which each TID and CID means. Typically the definition will change from vehicle to vehicle and year to year. These definitions can typically be found in the free section of most OE websites. In addition, Alldata and Mitchell have very good coverage, and definitions. The conversion factor for the value can also be found there. For example on a 1997 Ford Ranger 2.3 Liter, TID 01 CID 11 is going to be the Front O2 Monitor for Bank1 Sensor 1 Voltage Amplitude.

An example of looking at Mode $06 on a Mastertech:

As you can see, the first capture shows the TIDS and CIDS along with a pass/fail grade. However by going to the next step, the tech can see the test results, along with the parameters. This is where it can be extremely helpful for technicians. They can now, not only see if a system passes, but by how much. Sometimes it may take up to 35% misfires on a specific cylinder to set a code, but Mode $06 can show that a cylinder may have only 4% (which is enough to cause a driver complaint). This is extremely helpful in diagnosing those pesky Ford’s with random misfires!

Confused yet? Or are you thinking that it seems like a lot of work to decipher the numbers, and figure out which TID and CID may pertain to the problem you are working on? There is good news! Today’s PC based scan tools, such as the Ford IDS, Auto Enginuity, or the EScan by ATS do all that work for you. By entering in the vehicle make and year, the tool accesses it’s own database, and spells out the definitions, gives the results in usable numbers, and even displays the marginal results in yellow, and the failing results in red.

Here is an example of Mode $06 on an EScan:

Mode $06 results are generally cleared along with a code clear, so it is important to view the results before clearing the codes. One other important aspect is that when codes are cleared, and the test has not yet run, a substitute value is displayed. This can be confusing, and may lead a tech astray, by chasing after these “false” numbers. As mentioned earlier Mode $06 can be a very useful tool, but should be taken with a grain of salt. If the information is conflicting and doesn’t make sense, skip it, and move on. I can usually find one example a day of viewing incorrect Mode $06 results. Fortunately after much practice, and by viewing plenty of known good, and known bad vehicles, I’ve gotten pretty good at weeding this information out.

by Ryan Kooiman
In the next issue we will cover part 2 Mode $06 You CAN Do It! I will have great news about the future of Mode $06. In the meantime feel free to contact me with questions/comments at ryankooiman@allcom.net .

Article reprinted with permission of ASA Michigan

The Transition from Technician to Shop Owner: American Dream or Nightmare?

Time goes by, the new business holds on and the parking lot is full, so the new owner hires some technicians to get the work out the door. But this isn’t good work and it doesn’t pay well. The new shop owner finds the hired help is making more than they are. The money for the much-needed new equipment isn’t there and the workers believe the owner is a “bonehead”. So the technician strikes out on their own and opens their own shop…..

In this way the “bonehead cycle” continues for another round. This all-too-true story is a sad reflection on our industry. It perpetuates the poor wages, working conditions and image that we all disdain. So, how do we break this cycle? By understanding the differences in being a technician and being a shop owner/businessman.

This article will explore how to make the transition a little easier. I started my own shop 6 years ago in a one bay shop (15 feet by 30 feet) on a dead end dirt road in a storage building. Today I have a 10 bay shop that’s clean, well lit and well equipped. My story can be your story.

Start with a large bag of donuts, some crayons and a few large pieces of sack—hey, I never said planning had to be real formal, you know. It just has to be intelligent. Now, eat a donut and start listing the types of work that you do best. The biggest mistake the new shop owner makes is trying to do every type of work for every type of customer.  They’re desperately afraid to let a potential customer walk out the door with their wallet in tow. They need the money and they’ll do the job—often at a loss, figuring they’ll “make it up next time”. The real problem here is “next time” doesn’t come very often.

Now, back to the crayons and the sack—we need to figure out what we do best and build a business around it. This is the business plan. A business plan written on pieces of sack with a crayon is better than no business plan at all.

The main reason businesses fail is they’re under capitalized (not enough money) and they’re not well planned. The typical new business owner uses every bit of cash they have to get the doors open and when the profits aren’t there, the expenses eat them alive.

The easiest way to have cash is to not spend cash. Equipment takes money, so let’s figure out what equipment we really need. This really sounds far-out, but listing what you do best is the most sensible approach you can take. Build your business by doing what you’ve always done best-whatever that is.

In my case, what I’ve always done best is preventive maintenance. It always made sense to me that if an upper radiator hose had a life span of 3 years, why not just replace it before it blows? If changing the transmission fluid on a schedule kept the transmission from blowing up, why not service the transmission on a regular basis?

The rent on my first shop was only $165 a month. The sum total of all my expenses was only $22 a day!! It’s kind of hard to not make a profit when the phone only had to ring once all day long. Besides, I’d discovered that a great many people out there didn’t want car trouble and were looking for a shop who was honest and made sense.

About the author:

George started out as a mechanic in a gas station over 30 years ago. He now owns and manages his own repair shop, George Witt Service, Inc. which specializes in Honda, Acura, Toyota and Lexus cars. He holds the following ASE Certifications: Master Auto Technician, Advanced Engine Driveability and Service Consultant. He’s earned the Degree of Accredited Automotive Manager from the Automotive Management Institute (AMI). He wrote a book entitled “Shop Marketing” that’s had over 15,000 copies distributed by ALLDATA

Check out some of George’s training videos at www.auto-video.com

LBT-109($50.00) list is $100.00 Save 50% The Manager Everyone Wants
Using real-world techniques, George will enable you to gain excellent people skills that will directly increase your profit margins and make life as a shop owner more rewarding. 1-1/4 hours viewing time, 2 manuals. Essential forms to customize.
Product link

1. 1. Certification grants you professional credentials. Since it recognizes your individual accomplishments, ASE’s certification serves as an impartial, third-party endorsement of your knowledge and experience on a national, even international basis.
2. Certification demonstrates your commitment to the automotive service and repair profession. Receiving ASE certification shows your peers, supervisors and, in turn, the general public, your commitment to your chosen career and your ability to perform to set standards.
3. Certification enhances the profession’s image. ASE’s certification program seeks to grow, promote and develop certified professionals, who can stand “out in front” as examples of excellence in the automotive service and repair industry.
4. Certification reflects achievement. ASE certification is a reflection of personal achievement because the individual has displayed excellence in his or her field by meeting standards and requirements established by the entire automotive industry.
5. Certification builds self-esteem. ASE certification is a step toward defining yourself beyond a job description or academic degree while gaining a sense of personal satisfaction.
6. Certification can improve career opportunities and advancement. ASE certification can give you the “edge” when being considered for a promotion or other career opportunities. ASE certification clearly identifies you as an employee who has demonstrated competency in specific technical specialty areas based on accepted industry standards.
7. Certification may provide for greater earnings potential. Many automotive professionals who have become ASE certified experience salary and wage increases based on their certification status. ASE-certified professionals are in high demand throughout North America.
8. Certification improves skills and knowledge. Typically, achieving ASE certification requires training, study and “keeping up” with changing technology. ASE certification showcases your individual competence by confirming proficiency and knowledge.
9. Certification prepares you for greater on-the-job responsibilities. Since ASE certification is a clear indicator of your willingness to invest in your own professional development. Certified professionals are aware of the constantly changing technology and environment around their profession and possess the desire to anticipate and respond to change.
10. Certification offers greater recognition from peers. As an ASE-certified professional, you can expect increased recognition from your peers for taking that extra step in your professional development.

FIND OUT MORE:
L1 Advanced Engine Performance Specialist Test Prep and Info

]]> http://automotivevideotraining.com/news/featured/reasons-to-become-ase-certified/feed/ http://automotivevideotraining.com/news/featured/l1-test-prep/ http://automotivevideotraining.com/news/featured/l1-test-prep/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:40:55 +0000 julie http://automotivevideotraining.com/news/?p=405
Henry Ford once said ‘Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.’ If you are preparing to take the ASE L1 certification test AVI has the tools you need to prepare for success. Use our new ‘L1 Test Prep’ website to sharpen your skills before the big test. AVI has you covered with six free quizzes to test your knowledge on the various topics you will be tested on when you take the ASE L1 certification test. Over 50 questions with videos help you gauge your strengths and weaknesses.
You already know how to work on cars,
Now learn how to ace the L1.
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LEARN MORE:
ASE Advanced Engine Performance Specialist Test (L1)

Objective: To identify those technicians who possess knowledge of the skills required to diagnose sophisticated driveability and emissions-related problems on automobiles, SUVs and light-duty trucks.

Scope of Program: The ASE Advanced Engine Performance Specialist (L1) Test contains questions that test technicians’ knowledge in the diagnosis and repair of computer-controlled engine systems. In addition, the test measures technicians’ abilities in diagnosing the cause of high-emission failures. This is especially important in states where basic I/M (inspection/maintenance), enhanced I/M (ASM or IM240), and OBD testing programs are in effect.

Test Development: The questions that appear on the Advanced Engine Performance Specialist Test were written by industry experts familiar with all aspects of driveability and emissions diagnostics. Many of the questions relate to a sample vehicle using a composite powertrain control system. It represents a cross section of computerized engine control technology used by most manufacturers. This assures an equal opportunity for all technicians who take the test, without bias towards any specific manufacturer.

Format: The scored portion of the test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions that address six content areas: General Powertrain Diagnosis, Computerized Powertrain Controls Diagnosis (including OBD II), Ignition Systems Diagnosis, Fuel Systems and Air Induction Systems Diagnosis, Emission Control Systems Diagnosis, and I/M Failure Diagnosis. The test may include additional questions that are included for statistical/research purposes and don’t affect the test score. Some of the questions require extensive use of the Composite Vehicle Type 3 Reference Booklet that is provided both before and at the time of testing. Because of this, ASE recommends that technicians NOT register for other tests during the same test session.
Prerequisite: Those registering for the Advanced Engine Performance Specialist Test must be currently certified in the regular Engine Performance (A8) category, and satisfy the two-year hands-on experience requirement.

Certification Requirements: To become ASE certified as an Advanced Engine Performance Specialist, technicians must be currently certified in A8 and pass the Advanced Engine Performance Specialist test.

Recognition: Those who earn L1 certification will be issued wallet and wall credentials, plus an appropriate sleeve insignia and a special toolbox medallion. They will also receive ASE’s Blue Seal Tech News.

SIGN UP FOR THE NEXT TEST HERE

NOTE: The Composite Vehicle has been updated. Major changes include:

• Variable valve timing
• Electronic throttle actuator control (drive-by-wire)
• Data communications bus
• Vehicle anti-theft immobilizer system
• Electronically controlled EGR
• Onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) EVAP components

Download a copy of the new Composite Vehicle Type 3 Reference Booklet