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The Complete Package

Autosphere » Mechanical » The Complete Package
Bob Rosen, National Sales Manager, Canada, Dayco. Credit: Jack Kazimerski

From quality OEM drive and timing components to comprehensive training and inventory management, Dayco has you covered.

Front engine accessory drive (FEAD) components are among the most important parts on a vehicle. Whenever they fail, they can cause significant problems, including potential engine damage.

The fact is, that often, FEAD components tend to be replaced only when an individual part fails and the rest of the system is somewhat ignored. As a result, the issue is only partially fixed and the customer will end up returning for more replacement parts, likely at greater cost and inconvenience than if they had just had the entire FEAD system replaced to begin with.

Dayco’s complete selection of timing belt, chain and accessory drive kits feature every part needed to do the job right. Credit: Jack Kazimerski

The whole system

That’s something that Dayco has consistently emphasized. “In order to do the job completely and professionally, technicians really need to inspect the whole system,” explains Bob Rosen, National Sales Manager, Canada, for Dayco.

Rosen also emphasizes that when performing FEAD inspections, it’s important to note that “all components in the front-end accessory drive system share the same mileage, the same wear capacity, live in the same environment and require the same attention.” That’s why he says it’s critical to inform the consumer on why repairing the system as a whole—as well as doing it once and doing it right—is more cost efficient in the long run.

For the service centre and the technician there’s also the time factor, and, as Rosen explains, having the right tools for the job makes the process much easier. “Dayco offers a diagnostic tool kit which is used to diagnose misalignment, tension and wear within a belt drive system,” says Rosen. “One of its key tools is a belt wear gauge that looks at belt depth and profile, making it easier to determine if replacement is necessary.”

Quality is essential

If parts need to be replaced, then going with quality components is essential as it maximizes reliability, prevents comebacks and saves the customer in the long run as well as builds trust with their service provider.

Dayco has earned a reputation for providing OEM quality components for both its serpentine belt and demanding drive kits, which come with all the required parts to ensure that when the technician replaces the FEAD system, the job is done right the first time. “Dayco serpentine belt kits offer OEM quality replacement components to restore the drive system to like new, providing extensive flexibility and longer service life, while handling higher workloads and temperatures,” explains Rosen.

The company’s demanding drive kits are specifically designed for vehicles with noisy accessory drives. These types of situations, where the belt or drive system is notorious for making noise, “require a specially formulated belt to ensure a quiet, problem-free belt drive system,” says Rosen. Additionally, he notes that by purchasing a complete kit, there is a 10% cost savings over buying each component individually, meaning that for the shop and for the customer, it’s also more economical to do the complete FEAD system repair once and do it right.

Peak performance

In an era where household budgets are still being stretched, it can be tempting for customers to try and go with a cheaper option when it comes to replacing vehicle components, including accessory drive parts. Yet this doesn’t tend to produce any savings at all, quite the contrary. That’s why Rosen stresses the importance of service advisors discussing the benefits of quality replacement parts when it comes to vehicle FEAD systems. “The cost of quality replacement parts becomes insignificant if the job has to be done twice using inferior components,” Rosen explains. “Using a Global OEM/OES supplier like Dayco assures both the technician and the consumer that only the best quality parts are being used to restore a vehicle system to peak performance.” Additionally, he notes that for added peace of mind, all Dayco Light duty (LD) products are durability tested for 160,000 km.

Besides educating customers and proving complete FEAD kits with quality components, it’s also important for service centres, as well as the jobber stores and distributors that supply them, that inventory is effectively managed, so that any gaps in coverage can be quickly identified.

Inventory solution

In 2023, Dayco launched AutoPartIQ. It’s a tool that’s specifically designed to help customers analyze their existing Dayco-specific inventory, so that they can identify possible gaps in coverage, as well as new opportunities or unproductive inventory that could be shifted to another location where it would be more efficiently utilized.

“AutoPartIQ provides coverage reviews for every designated market area in the U.S., 211 in all—as well as 35 CMAs in Canada,” Rosen explains. “Once the appropriate information is entered into the database, Dayco sales team members can provide comprehensive reports that analyze specific product lines and part numbers against Vehicles In Operation (VIO) in given markets.”

He notes that an added benefit of AutoPartIQ, is that it can prove very helpful in quickly identifying in market coverage and placing new orders where such gaps exist.

“It’s a light lift for customers too,” states Rosen. “They simply need to provide current Dayco inventory, as well as their min-max level and 12 months sales for us to pull a report from.” He says this represents a huge benefit, not only because AutoPartIQ includes Jobber and WD net pricing, but that it also adds Dayco New Product Introductions (NPIs) in real time. “So, for instance,” explains Rosen, “this year, our team has incorporated almost 90 new part numbers to date which are quickly implemented into the system.”

Training and repair information

Besides offering OEM-quality components and complete drive kits to facilitate a smooth installation and optimal reliability for motorists, plus highly efficient inventory management solutions to ensure complete coverage for the vast majority of vehicles on the road (specifically 1995 to 2020 model years), Dayco also goes to great lengths to ensure technicians have access to quality training and service/repair information.

“It starts with having the right people on the team,” explains Rosen. “Our Dayco technical team is comprised of six individuals with more than 150 years of experience combined in vehicle service and repair,” he says. Additionally, many of these individuals are also vehicle hobbyists, performance tuners and/or involved in motorsports. “We live and breathe this stuff,” Rosen states. Having such a depth of knowledge and experience fueled by passion helps ensure a top-tier level of training knowledge and content that’s second to none—cementing Dayco as a leader in the marketplace.

“Not only do we offer webinars for customers on virtually any topic related to our products,” explains Rosen, “we have a rich Tech Hub portal found within the Dayco North America website that we continue to keep fresh.” He says that at the time this story went to press, there were no fewer than 30 tech articles, 16 quick tips videos and 13 more in-depth training videos, plus several written training modules that visitors to the site can easily download. “All of our content is designed to provide the best repair practices and techniques on diagnosis and repair as well as parts replacement and all of it is presented by Dayco’s tech team in layman’s terms.”

Beyond FEAD

Besides complete FEAD kits, Dayco has also continued to grow its line of timing belt kits (currently more than 200 SKUs) as well as a line of high-quality timing chain kits that cover more than 153 million vehicles in operation. Like the company’s accessory drive kits, these timing belt kits (which come both with and without water pumps) and the timing chain kits come with all the parts needed for a complete and thorough system repair. “This is a focus for us because we believe that simplifying the installation process by providing all the necessary components removes potential room for error while also offering a great business growth opportunity for shops,” explains Rosen. Additionally, solid warranty coverage is another aspect that’s highly appealing and Dayco offers some of the best in the business. “Our timing belt kits include a 125,000 mile/200,000km extended warranty, while our timing chain kits have a two year or 60,000 mile/96,000km parts and labour warranty,” says Rosen. So, there you have it: Quality parts, solid inventory management, top-tier training and robust warranties—in essence, the Complete Package.

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