From April 19-21 Lindertech hosted a Spring Training session in Toronto.
Hosted by John and Leah Cochrane of Cochrane Automotive, the event brought together technicians and shop owners from across Ontario, Canada and even the U.S. With sponsorship from Uni-Select via Bumper to Bumper and Auto Parts Plus, it proved to be another highly informative event.
This time around sessions covered two different topics as well as taking place at two different locations.
On April 19, at Cochrane Automotive, 73 Chauncey Ave. in Toronto, the emphasis was on service advisor training with Rick White, delivering a session on Getting to say ‘Yes’ with Confidence. The aim was to look at a day in the life of a service advisor and how to triumph in the role amid daily issues such as price shopping customers and frequent interruptions.
The following day, multiple sessions took place at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1870 Matheson Blvd. in Mississauga. Here, the emphasis shifted to the connected car and the impact “smart” vehicles will have on the aftermarket service repair industry. Hosted by Donny Seyfer, Executive Officer, National Automotive Service Task Force (NASTF) and Dr. Anuja Sonalker, Automated Vehicle Engineer and cyber security expert, the morning sessions provided a fascinating insight into how this technology is developing and the steps that service providers and technicians can take to not only ensure they’re able to diagnose and repair these vehicles but how they can also prevent potential software hacks while doing the work.
In the afternoon, ASE Master Technician and field instructor David Hobbs, provided an overview of some of the latest systems on the market, including 48-volt electrical systems, radar, Lidar, adaptive cruise control and lane departure systems, plus a special workshop on Mazda’s new SKYACTIV-X compression ignition engine.
On Saturday, a practical workshop using demonstrations on actual vehicles took place at Cochrane automotive, with technicians learning first hand from instructors on Target Calibration for modern driver assistance systems including camera aiming and proper calibration techniques.
A unique practical Connected Car session, conducted by Donny Seyfer and Dr. Anuja Sonalker focused on diagnostic strategies for the latest crop of vehicle technologies, including how radar sensors actually work, personal cyber security measures technicians can take in the bay to protect themselves and their customers as well as understanding how a Level 4 autonomous vehicle operates (the next level OEMs are currently developing).
A session on specific diagnosis related to GM vehicles equipped with the latest crop of driver assistance technologies also featured, as well as summary from John Cochrane on the current situation regarding the CASIS agreement and access to OEM repair information.
Some very interesting questions and discussions were generated during the three-day workshop, which is truly a must-attend event those shops and technicians that are serious about investing in the future of automotive service repair.
