OnDemand5.com/ShopKey5.com Newsletter
May 2011   

Welcome to the OnDemand5.com/ShopKey5.com newsletter.

This newsletter is provided to share information about our users, their shops, automotive industry news, things going on at Mitchell 1 as well as tips for using the OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com products. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, or ideas for what you'd like to see in it, please .

In this issue:


NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

National Lead Free Wheel Weight Initiative (NLFWWI)

The National Lead Free Wheel Weight Initiative (NLFWWI) is encouraging the transition from the use of lead for wheel weights to lead free alternatives. The EPA and some states, California in particular, are pressuring for the elimination of lead wheel weights. Whether it is encouraged or pressured the elimination of lead free wheel weights has become an issue.

200 million autos and light trucks traverse the nation's roadways yearly, an average of 4.5 ounces of wheel weight is clipped to the wheels rims. That is approximately 56 million pounds of weight and of that it is estimated that 50 million pounds is lead. 75% of that is recycled, 25% or 12.5 million pounds is left unmanaged in the environment. Of that it is estimated that 13% or 1.8 million pounds is lost along the highways. Those millions of pounds of lead, a potential health hazard from unregulated exposure, is the reason the initiative was introduced. California and other states auto repair facilities who continue to use lead wheel weights after December 31, 2009 may be subject to suit.

Many retailers and distributors now carry alternatives to lead weights, including those made of zinc, plastic, or steel; lead-free tape weights; or those made of a zinc alloy called ZAMA (composed of zinc, aluminum, and copper).

Below is a list of some of those retailers and distributors of alternative wheel weights. Other local sources may exist and will also be able to supply legal alternatives.



A/C Service: Then and Now
Remember the transition from R12 to R134a? Here we go again.

Click here for the full article at Motor Age Online.

Motor Age - The Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 was the first act of federal legislation addressing air pollution and environmental damage. It provided funding for research on air pollution causes and impacts. The Clean Air Act of 1963 was the first federal legislation that actually addressed air pollution control. The enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1970 took its predecessor one step further by giving the federal government the power to enact regulations that limited the pollutant emissions from both stationary and mobile sources.

Since then, changes to the Clean Air Act of 1970 have been in the form of amendments. Those made as part of the 1990 amendment package led to the phase out of R12 as an automotive refrigerant and, while not specifically requiring the same, ushered in R134a as the global replacement for mobile air conditioning systems. It also established many of the requirements for service equipment; record keeping and technician certification, just to name a few.

The latest movement in this arena came in late February. Let's look at some options that were considered along with HFO-1234yf and what you need to know about this newly official R134a alternative.



Hybrid Service Disable Procedures

The first Gasoline-Electric hybrid passenger cars came out in the late 1990s with the introduction of the Toyota Prius in 1997 and the Honda Insight in 1999. Since then, many more hybrid models have hit the roadways. These vehicles present unique servicing challenges not seen in most other modern vehicles and it is important to follow all manufacturer safety guidelines when working on them. The manufacturers place warning labels throughout the vehicle in areas of greatest concern. One of the most important things to know is how to disable the high voltage battery systems. The OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com products provide an articles for the hybrid models that includes these procedures as well as important safety precautions.

These articles are titled HYBRID SERVICE DISABLE PROCEDURES and are located in Repair > Electrical > Body Electrical.


Internet Explorer 9 Compatibility

   Microsoft Corporation released Internet Explorer version 9 on March 14th, 2011. We have put together a page of information that you should read before upgrading to IE9.


TECH PROFILE   ^  

Clay Gaspard, C&G Automotive

My name is Clay Gaspard, I am an L-1 certified Master Technician and the proud owner of C&G Automotive in Texas City, Texas. We just opened in February of 2011, and are growing stronger every day! So far, I am the only tech working this seven-bay garage but I will soon be hiring more techs as we are about to get into doing state-inspections. We already participate in AirCheckTexas, which is a state-funded program that offers financial assistance to the good folks in our county that have failed an emissions inspection and fall under a certain income bracket. Awesome program ! I also help serve the community by offering the best possible service at reasonable price, and also offer generous discounts to the "less-than wealthy" customers. I also am known for doing more than my share of charity work.

With over twenty five years of experience under my belt, I am the best in my town! I get a lot of people who bring their vehicles to me after no-one else could fix them. They learn to just come here first. I specialize in EVERY aspect of automobile repair, but electronics is my favorite. I love a challenge! Heck, I even have other shop owners bring me vehicles that THEY can't figure out.

I have been using Mitchell 1 for 15 years now. I have tried the other guys, but found Mitchell 1 to be more accurate and detailed. Great program! Living on the Texas Coast, we see a lot of rust, so we sometimes have to add a little more time to the labor guide. My wife runs the office while I work the shop. We most recently started using Mitchell's TeamWorks SE for our invoicing and have it integrated with Quickbooks. My wife loves it! It does everything we need to generate professional looking invoices, perform trend reports, customer history, bookkeeping, inventory and more. Wonderful program!

Being a shop owner, I don't have a lot of free time. If I'm not at the shop, on the weekends I am usually found in my backyard barbecuing by the pool and spending quality time with my family. On slower days at the shop, I enjoy contributing to IATN digest online.

C&G Automotive........Service You Can Trust!
4502 FM1765
Texas City, TX 77591
(409) 935-7073
drolds1971@yahoo.com


How To Get Featured In The Newsletter

Your picture here. Would you or one of your techs like to be profiled in the newsletter? How about your shop? We're looking for techs and/or shops to feature in this spot. This is an opportunity to let other techs know about you and your shop. You can share information on what your specialties are, what special conditions you have to deal with in your area, anything interesting about your shop or even what you like to do in your free time.

We will also list your shop's information such as location, phone number, web site, or any other information you'd like to provide.

  • Send your story and photos for consideration to . Please also include your account number.


Did you know...
When you post a tip or question in the OnDemand5/ShopKey5 Live Tips system, there is a spell checker available. It is the right-most button on the tool bar above the text box. Just click the button before you click the post button.

Click here for more hints on using OnDemand5 and ShopKey5.


TIP CONTEST WINNERS   ^  

OnDemand5/ShopKey5 Live Tip Contest Winners

Click here for the tip contest rules. Mitchell 1 is running a tip contest for a limited time in OnDemand5.com and ShopKey5.com. Below are the latest winners of the contest. Each of these tips earned the tech a $100 prize. Click the links below to see the complete tips and for more information on how you can enter.



WHAT'S HAPPENING AT MITCHELL 1   ^  

Mitchell 1 and Motor Age Team up on Monthly Tech Tip Contest

FEBRUARY 2012 IS THE LAST MONTH TO GET YOUR ENTRIES IN

NOTE: The following contest is in addition to the contest listed above. Winning tips from the regular contest will automatically be submitted to the Motor Age contest.

Click here to submit your tips.

"Necessity is the mother of invention," and techs can be real mothers when it comes to inventing ways to make life in the shop easier. Motor Age now gives you the opportunity to share those ideas with your fellow techs with a chance for monthly prizes on its Motor Age Tech Tips page.

Motor Age and Mitchell 1 have teamed up in this monthly contest for our readers. Just fill out this form with your best tech tip. Each month, Motor Age editors will select the best tip and feature it and you in the magazine and online. Not only that, but Mitchell 1 has great prizes for each monthly winner. Readers will choose the grand prize winner at the end of the contest year.

In the shop, it's all about helping your fellow techs earn their livings a little easier, a mission we share with you. Submit your tips today and help out your fellow techs all across the country!



Click here to visit the PerformanceCenter forum.
Want to discuss subjects on running your shop?

Join the free PerformanceCenter forum today. Click here to check it out.



Click here to visit the RepairCert.com web site.
Click here for information on training resources available for OnDemand and ShopKey repair users.




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