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WOIT Discussion and Notes Formation and Review

  • DO-YNR-W-101 WOIT Discussion Notes
  • Testing AC Systems
  • Bring your own parts agreement

Detailed Overview

Freon Alternatives for A/C Checks – Kevin’s System With Nitrogen

  • Kevin explains how competitive the Automotive A/C Repair Business is in Florida. If you can’t find a leak right away, you typically need to put dye in the system and let the customer go drive the car around on the coldest setting. When this is done, it could take months, and the customer could end up going elsewhere.
  • Kevin’s alternative method is using nitrogen in much the same way as residential HVAC repairs do. In homes, technicians would flush the system and blow nitrogen. It is inexpensive, non-flammable, and safe to release into the atmosphere.
  • When the customer comes in with an  A/C issue, offer them a free test to determine whether the problem is electrical or a refrigerant issue. If it’s not an electrical problem, the system is low on refrigerant, and you can move to the next step.
  • Offer the customers a pressure test to measure the refrigerant. Evacuate the vehicle’s system of refrigerant and measure how much comes out. Kevin’s shop leases a 300 lb nitrogen tank from a local company, and it lasts about half a summer in Florida. Fill the system back up 1/4 to 1/2 lb of refrigerant, depending on the type of vehicle.
  • Use a heated diode leak detector to determine where the leak is coming from. Show it to the customer in action! Make the repairs and inject dye into the system as normal, offering the customer to bring the vehicle back in free of charge if the system stops blowing cold air.

Jerry’s A/C Repair Using Carbon Dioxide

  • Jerry Kaminski prefers to use the ATS Bullseye Leak Detector Foam, and fill the system with Carbon Dioxide instead of Freon.
  • Alternative gases for vehicle refrigeration are helpful because they are not dependent on atmospheric pressure. They are also much cheaper than freon.
  • The only disadvantage is that typical hoses do not work with Carbon Dioxide, and you will need to put together your own setup.

Discussion: Customers Bringing In Their Own Parts

  • Our event in Atlanta included a shop tour of Chloe’s Auto. They allow customers to bring in their own parts provided that a waiver agreement is signed.
  • Some customers balk at the clauses and just tell the shop to go ahead and use the parts in inventory. The waiver also explains that if customers bring in the wrong parts or faulty ones, they will be charge for the extra time it costs to work around them.
  • Kevin shares his experience with customer parts. Most customers he has encountered who have insisted on using their own parts are not great to deal with. When the repair is done, customers often do not have a great taste in their mouths about the shop and feel they have been taken advantage of because of the waiver’s terms, even though they signed it. Kevin feels like it is a bad practice that appeals to the wrong kind of customer, who is in the vast minority anyway. Joe agrees, based on his experience.
  • Brian feels like it is very rarely a good idea, only for customers looking for lift kits, and antique car owners who are very knowledgable.
  • Step back and calculate: how much money will you lose on this? Is it really worth it?
  • *You Net Results neither approves nor disapproves allowing customers to bring their own parts in to use in repair jobs. This method is presented for discussion only.

Documents

Customer Provided Parts Agreement (Microsoft Word Template)
Powerpoint PDF

 

 

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