The Sign You Can Trust contest deadline is March 31! The chapter with the highest percentage of shops with the new sign will win 1 FREE ADMISSION to the 2013 Summer Conference INCLUDING a two night stay at the Hilton Irvine.

There will also be four winners drawn from the raffle who will have a chance to win:

• Three cases of synthetic oil from Kendall Oil
• Made to order ASCCA jacket from G & K Services
• $100 Visa gift card
• Beautiful limited edition print by wildlife artist Sandra Jordan

All you have to do is get your adjunct The Sign You Can Trust sign - take a picture - and email it to us.

 

The Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) is alerting the automotive industry about the serious dangers of counterfeit and contaminated AC refrigerant after another 3500 cylinders of counterfeit refrigerant were seized by Saudi authorities in February.

The problem is caused by counterfeiters who are manufacturing cylinders of AC refrigerant labeled as pure R-134a but in fact contain R-134a mixed with other refrigerants such as R-40.

When R-40 is exposed to aluminum, commonly used in a/c system components, it forms a toxic, flammable and highly volatile compound known as trimethyl aluminum that is explosive upon contact with air.  R-40 is a harmful and dangerous material that is not suited for use in automotive R-134a a/c systems.

CCAR invited guest blogger Bob Miller of Train Them Now, LLC to publish an article on the issue to help explain the dangers and offer some solutions for repairers that handle AC service.

According to Miller, if R40 is found in a system, the system is considered unrepairable. There is no safe and approved solution for removal of the refrigerant and neutralization of the aluminum compound that may have been formed.

Miller suggests several precautions:

• Always identify refrigerant on every vehicle before you hook your equipment to it
• Be wary of R-134-a being sold well below the current market price
• Look for misspellings or poor quality on cylinder labels that might indicate a counterfeit
• Hook a refrigerant identifier to a new cylinder of R-134a as a precaution

 

 

"My inspiration to become involved in the automotive repair industry came in the summer between high school and college I got a job working as a bookkeeper at a service station. It was there that I met my future husband, Dan Cesena, who was working there as a technician. Three months later we moved in together and 3 years later we opened our own shop. Although I had a full-time job at the time, I would go to the shop after work and on weekends to help Dan with the marketing and general office type work.

 

Dan had worked at many independent shops before working at the Honda Dealer and always wanted to have his own service facility. The popularity of Hondas in the eighties and people's understanding of the importance of routine maintenance was the perfect formula to get the shop going. Dan found a great location in Downtown San Mateo and after several weekends of cleaning up the building we opened in April 1987. The formula worked and the shop was profitable from the very first month. Dan had a partner the first 13 years in business, but after we bought out his partner in 2000, I quit my drafting career and went to work full-time at the shop. Dan taught me everything he knew about running a successful service and repair shop. Together we attended classes from Bob Cooper at Elite, Maylan Newton at ESI, Chubby at ATI, and many others. Our level of customer service and our understanding of business management increased and now after 25 years, we've established ourselves solidly in the community. We feel we have achieved our goal of Auto Medics becoming a well-oiled machine that will live on past us.

Both Dan and I have gained so much from our ASCCA membership! The access to discounted programs and services is a no-brainer. And we're glad to know we have a voice in legislative matters through our association, which is the main reason we joined. But to our surprise, the biggest gains have come from networking with other shop owners. We've learned so much from other's successes, and mistakes. And we've been happy to share our experiences to help others out as well. At first I was concerned about attending meetings with our local competitors, but we soon realized that when we help each other out, we elevate the level of our industry for the better of all shop owners AND consumers.

 

Advice I would offer to new ASCCA members is to really take advantage of the discounts as much as possible by contacting all of the benefit providers and asking what they can offer you as an ASCCA member! The savings you'll receive will more than pay for the cost of membership. But the real value is getting involved. Go to the meetings. Talk to your fellow shop owners. Share information. And then once you've realized all those benefits, become more involved. Join your Chapter's Board of Directors. Become a Chapter Representative. Join the ASCCA Board of Directors. Remember, this association is only as good as its members and volunteers. We have to keep passing the torch to keep it alive, and that's a very worthwhile endeavor."