CRACKING THE EUROPEAN DATA SAFE

Motor,  Dec 2003  by Seyfert, Karl

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Professional Associations

An excellent way to grow your automotive knowledge is to join an automotive association. For example, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) gives you the opportunity to meet and interact with other technicians and shop owners. ASA sponsors the annual Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS), which offers two days of automotive technical and management seminars, in conjunction with the AAPEX convention. ASA also publishes a monthly magazine, Auto Inc., which includes technical articles.

The Service Technicians Society (STS) was formed in 1996 by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to make a positive impact on vehicle service. Due to insufficient membership numbers and budget concerns, the SAE International Board of Directors has decided to transition STS to a program office.

Despite the untimely demise of STS, SAE membership still makes sense for automotive service techs because it provides access to the latest information on automotive design and service. Among other things, SAE membership entitles you to a subscription to Automotive Engineering International, a monthly publication filled with information on cutting-edge automotive technology.

Robert Bosch has certified several hundred automotive repair businesses in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as Bosch Service Centers (BSCs). Certification is a rigorous process involving an ongoing commitment to service equipment and training. In addition to the prestige your business will enjoy when it attains BSC certification, you'll gain access to Bosch service information and exclusive training opportunities.

Technical Training

Because they represent a smaller portion of the U.S. automotive population, training opportunities for European vehicles and systems have always been more difficult to come by. Utilizing the information sources outlined in this article will increase your odds of learning about European vehicle training opportunities available in your area. Additionally, you may wish to consult www.trainingfortechs.com, a website devoted to providing up-to-date information on training. More than 245 training companies have registered on Training For Techs, and membership for technicians is free. Member techs are notified by e-mail of training meeting their criteria that's coming to their area.

Past Experience

Once you've found a piece of information or learned something new, the most important thing you can do is make sure it will available for use in the future. Take the extra time to keep records of your repairs. It might be something as simple as a spiral notebook kept in your toolbox. Every time you figure out the answer to a tough problem, write it down. You may not be able to remember all of the pertinent information six months or a year from now, but you should be able to remember where you stashed your notes. Life's too short to learn hard lessons twice (or three times).

If you have the inclination, take the time to share what you've learned with others. This can be done informally, the next time you get together with your buddies to talk shop, for example. On a broader scale, if you want to contribute to the global knowledge base, help your fellow techs by participating in the forums and/or e-mail lists on iATN. What goes around, comes around. The tech you help today just might be able to help you out of a jam tomorrow. And if he can't, it's a good bet someone else will.