Category: GM owners

Cadillac Says You Should Not Use Salvage or Recycled Parts in Collision Repair—Here’s Why That Matters

Salvage and recycled parts can’t compare to OEM parts in collision repair.

Nearly every car manufacturer releases “Position Statements” that instruct body shops in how to perform repairs on their vehicles to the highest standard.

While all body shops should have access to this vital information, not all shops take the time to read the statements and follow the directions expressed by the manufacturers. At our shop, we closely examine these statements because we make it our mission to provide the best possible repair to our Cadillac customers.

In a statement released by GM, they explain in detail why they do not recommend the use of salvage or recycled parts in Cadillac repairs:

“General Motors does not support the use of salvage or recycled parts due to the sensitive nature of the safety and performance of General Motors vehicles. Salvage or recycled parts are defined as parts removed from a previously damaged vehicle and then re-installed on a different vehicle.”

Salvage and recycled parts come with a lot of risk.

Salvage and recycled parts can often have a questionable history. They might have been involved in a previous collision or damaged during normal wear and tear. They might have been in storage for a while or exposed to extreme temperature variations.

Because of these factors and the questionable conditions that the parts might have been exposed to, it’s nearly impossible to predict their durability and structural integrity. Even the most minute disparities can lead to problems during assembly, as well as issues with the reliability of your repair.

GM specify the following in their Position Statement:

“The use of non-OEM structural components may compromise the overall crashworthiness and occupant safety of General Motors vehicles in a subsequent collision.”

They are saying that, above all, salvage and recycled parts can pose a risk to your safety due to their unpredictable nature.

Why new OEM parts are the best:

It’s extremely important to use the best replacement parts for your Cadillac when repairs are needed, and the best parts are always new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) parts.

According to GM:

“Genuine GM Parts are designed and constructed using metals with specific properties, thicknesses and stamping features built to perform in a consistent and predictable way during a collision event. GM recommends the use of Genuine GM Parts in repairs to help ensure the vehicle is returned to pre-collision condition.”

The engineers at GM have rigorously designed, tested, and manufactured the parts for their specific vehicles. They only trust the parts they have produced to meet the qualifications necessary for your specific make, model, and vehicle year.

You’ll need new OEM parts if you want your vehicle to be as good as new after your collision repair.

We take these guidelines seriously at our shop.

We take all manufacturers’ Position Statements very seriously at our shop, because we care about your safety AND your wallet.

Despite the recommendation to use new OEM parts in repairs, some shops will continue to use salvage and recycled parts, even though this choice can jeopardize your vehicle and your safety. It might shock you to learn that body shops are not forced to abide by the manufacturers’ guidelines.

When you take your Cadillac to us for repairs, we will use only new Cadillac OEM replacement parts so that you don’t risk future problems with your car that could potentially lead to an accident.

There is no guarantee that every shop will make the smartest and safest choice for your car, but rest assured, we always will.

February 22, 2021
Why It’s Essential That GM Recommends Pre- and Post-Repair Scans for Your Chevrolet

Pre- and post-repair scans are necessary for getting your Chevrolet repair right.

If your Chevy has been in a collision, there are very specific steps that an auto body shop needs to take in order to optimize your vehicle’s repairs.

One of the smartest things that a shop can do is to review the manufacturer’s Position Statement regarding the type of repair needed. While every shop has access to this communication from each manufacturer, not every shop abides by the recommendations provided.

At our shop, however, we take this information very seriously, since we want to give you a safe and reliable repair.

In the case of your Chevrolet, GM has issued a statement explaining why they strongly recommend pre- and post-repair scans in the event of a collision. If you are not familiar with these procedures and why they are important, keep reading for our explanation of the key points expressed in GM’s Position Statement.

Scans can provide shops with crucial diagnostic information.

Prior to conducting any repairs, we take the time to run a scan tool in order to uncover any damage to the vehicle’s internal systems. The scan tool will provide diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) that tell us exactly which systems are having issues. When armed with this crucial information, we are better equipped to get to the source of any malfunctions.

Of course it makes sense that a shop would need to scan a vehicle to diagnose and repair damage after a collision, but it’s equally important for us to scan a vehicle AGAIN after we have made repairs. Why? Here’s what GM says about it:

“Even minor body damage or glass replacement may result in damage to one or more safety-related systems on the vehicle. Any action that results in loss of battery-supplied voltage and disconnection of electrical circuits requires that the vehicle is subsequently tested to ensure proper electrical function. Many safety and security-related components, sensors and Electronic Control Units (ECUs) require calibration and/or learns when replaced. These systems must be repaired according to the corresponding GM repair procedures in Service Information (GMSi).”

What GM means is that any collision repair can impact the electronic systems within a vehicle—even when those systems are not the specific items needing repairs.

As cars have become more sophisticated and technologically advanced, they are now equipped with more wires and sensors that can easily be disrupted when certain areas of the car are being addressed by an auto body technician. Repairing a dashboard or replacing glass could potentially lead to a disruption of the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), for instance.

All parts of your Chevy are designed to work together. When one part is impaired, this can affect a slew of functions within your car’s systems.

Another issue that can happen after a repair is that a system might need to be recalibrated. Cameras and sensors, for example, require very specific positions in order to function as needed. After a repair, it’s imperative to ensure that every part is calibrated to the precise measurement.

One of the best ways for us to ensure that a repair was done properly is to run a scan tool afterwards to ensure no diagnostic codes appear. This will let us know if all systems are functioning as they should.

The best way to scan for DTCs is with a factory scan tool.

Every car manufacturer has its own unique scan tool that can identify codes applicable to its own vehicles. General Motors is no different and recommends that shops use its scan tool (MDI or a J2534 device) and its own diagnostic software (GDS2 or Tech2/Tech2Win).

Using any other scan tool or software can cause less accuracy in diagnoses.

The utmost safety and quality performance of your Chevy are the reasons why our shop goes above and beyond with every repair.

If a shop makes the choice to skip the crucial steps of pre- and post-repair scans, they are risking the safety and overall performance of your Chevrolet.

It might be hard to believe, but some shops try to shave off repair time by avoiding these necessary procedures. At a minimum, this might lead to minor inconsistencies in your vehicle’s performance. At worst, however, this could lead to catastrophe.

If your collision detection sensors aren’t calibrated properly or your cruise control is defective due to wiring issues, for instance, you could end up in an accident. We don’t think it’s worth the risk to you or to your car to ignore the manufacturer’s recommendations.

At our shop, we make pre- and post-repair scans a priority.

February 21, 2021
Buick Only Approves New Genuine GM Parts for Use with ADAS: Here’s Why That’s Important

https://youtu.be/rL9sEYkxzPA

Buick wants to protect your Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

When you take your Buick to a shop for repairs, it’s imperative that the shop follows the guidelines specified in General Motors’ Position Statement. Every shop has access to this information, but not every shop follows what the manufacturer says.

GM makes it clear that all shops should follow their instructions for how to properly repair Buick bumpers/fascias on vehicles that are equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and there are several reasons for this.

If you’re not familiar with what the ADAS does, it is the modern technology that can help you avoid collisions, park easily, switch lanes safely, and more. It can include sensors, cameras, alerts, and navigational help.

Depending on the GM model and the year it was manufactured, your vehicle may have a very different level of ADAS than another GM vehicle.

Many components of a vehicle’s ADAS are embedded within the bumper and fascia, and because Advanced Driver Assistance Systems can be very sophisticated, it’s crucial to use the precise parts necessary for repairs.

Why aftermarket, reconditioned, and salvaged parts just won’t cut it.

The biggest reason that GM wants you to use only new Genuine GM parts is because they have been designed and manufactured for your Buick’s specific system.

GM explains, “General Motors (GM) vehicles, systems and components are engineered, tested and manufactured to protect vehicle occupants based upon both government mandated and internal corporate requirements relative to durability, Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH), occupant protection, and vehicle safety. The overall structural integrity of the vehicle is dependent on maintaining its inherent design specifications.”

Basically, they are saying that it would be taking a huge risk to use aftermarket, reconditioned, or salvaged parts, because those part might threaten the performance of your ADAS.

While Genuine GM parts have been made to fit your system like a glove, aftermarket parts are intended for use in a broader range of makes and models. They’re also usually made with cheaper materials than OEM parts.

As for salvaged parts, it’s often hard to determine their history and current structural integrity, so it’s difficult to predict how they’ll hold up.

The same goes for reconditioned parts, which may have been rendered less effective through the reconditioning process:

GM says, “Reconditioned Bumpers/Fascia’s available in the aftermarket may have been repaired using substrate repair “filler material” or reinforcement tapes and as such General Motors does not endorse the use of reconditioned ADAS Bumper/Fascia systems. Only Genuine GM ADAS Bumpers/Fascias and components are tested and validated as a safety system.”

The process of reconditioning bumpers/fascia is generally disapproved of, because it can affect the stability of the components, rendering them unreliable.

Safety is always first when it comes to repairs.

In no uncertain terms, it can be very dangerous to cut corners with your bumper/fascia repair if your car is equipped with ADAS. Using the wrong parts could cause a cascade problems for your system, leading to a possible collision.

Imagine driving on the highway and your cruise control malfunctions or your emergency braking fails or your blind spot detection acts up. Any one of these issues could lead to catastrophe.

“At General Motors, safety is our overriding priority. With the safety of our customers at the center of everything we do, we are limiting repairs to Bumpers/Fascia’s with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to topcoat refinish only. Further, topcoat refinish material thickness of repaired ADAS Bumper Fascia systems must not exceed 13 mils in thickness. Any repairs such as gouges, tears or damage that requires the use of substrate repair material or reinforcement tapes must be avoided.”

As you can see, GM has specified that only very superficial cosmetic procedures are permitted in repairing your Buick’s bumper/fascia.

Any repairs that might be necessary beyond these cosmetic procedures would warrant all-new OEM replacement parts in order to maximize your car’s performance and safety.

Save time, money, and possibly your life by choosing a shop that follows GM’s guidelines for how your Buick is repaired.

We take a fine-tooth comb to every manufacturer Position Statement that comes our way, because we want to make sure we deliver the best possible repair to every customer.

Some shops don’t pay attention to what the manufacturer recommends or they simply disregard the information, even though they know better. We would never take that chance with your wallet or your safety.

You can trust us to treat you and your vehicle with the utmost respect and care.

February 21, 2021
Why Buick Recommends Only New GM Air Bag Components and Why That’s Important to You

https://youtu.be/7aqKn6YAmWY

Auto manufacturers provide crucial information about collision repair in their position statements.

In the auto body repair industry, we are provided with manufacturers’ Position Statements that describe each auto maker’s recommendations for how those repairs should be done. General Motors has released a detailed statement explaining why they prohibit the use of any parts other than genuine GM warranted parts in the repairs of their vehicles.

If you own a Buick and need to have your air bag system replaced, it is crucial to follow the guidelines set forth by GM.

Safety is the biggest reason for using new OEM parts.

According to General Motors:

“Air bag system components are carefully developed and specifically tuned for the specific vehicle environment. Corresponding air bag system components from other models or other model years may appear similar from the outside, may even fit the vehicle, but different internal elements or calibrations may result in degraded restraint performance.”

GM is explaining that new OEM parts have been designed and manufactured specifically for the make, model, and year of your vehicle using the highest quality materials.

Using aftermarket parts, salvaged parts, or parts from previous model years could jeopardize your entire air bag system, potentially risking your safety.

The last thing you would want is for your air bag system to fail when you need it.

Safety and reliability go hand-in-hand when it comes to your vehicle. GM makes an important point about the reliability of salvaged parts:

“Reuse of used or salvaged components brings into question the conditions under which the components were obtained and stored prior to use. Components could have been damaged or stored under unfavorable conditions that could compromise performance and reliability.”

They are saying that it’s often difficult to determine the history of the car from which the salvaged parts came. Who knows if that car was previously in an accident or if the air bag components were compromised in some way?

A vehicle is a finely-tuned machine that functions well when all the parts work properly together. Using a salvaged or used part could throw the whole system off.

Failure to use new OEM parts on your Buick could void your warranty.

It’s pretty standard for manufacturers to stipulate that new parts must be used in order for them to honor your vehicle’s warranty.

This is no different for GM, which states, “The use of these new parts is consistent with the vehicle factory warranty and extended warranty programs.”

You can count on us for a repair that follows GM’s guidelines about air bag components.

The reason why we explain the manufacturer’s Position Statement to you is that we want you to understand why we take it so seriously ourselves.

Some shops don’t really care what the manufacturer says and they use whatever parts they can get their hands on. We simply refuse to take such a chance, because we don’t believe it’s worth the risk to your safety, your warranty, or your vehicle’s performance.

We deliver only the best repair for your Buick.

February 21, 2021
GM Is Specific ADAS Calibrations On Their Vehicles, Here’s How That Affects You

https://youtu.be/a8FXAKoG0-8

As the owner of a GM car about to get collision repair, you need to know that GM is very specific about their repair procedures. It is vital because not every auto body shop in this area follows the OEM procedures. Believe it or not, the body shop has a choice in how they fix cars. They can guess and just cut out the damage and weld in new parts (which is cutting a lot of corners), or they can take time, research the procedure, and fix the car the way the factory wants it. Which method do you think yields the safest and must undetectable, longest-lasting repair?

How This Affects You

What is even more concerning is the fact that when you guess how to fix a car, you have about a 100% chance of doing it wrong. This is because your vehicle is built from over 15 different high strength metals, and each type of steel has rules for how it can be heated, cut, hammered, or even if it can be welded or hammer and dollied at all. Bodymen are craftsmen, no doubt, but they are not engineers, so any time a body man guesses how to make a repair, they are putting your safety at risk. Maybe you will never get into another accident in this car, but do you want to take that chance?

Your GM vehicle is built with highly “Advanced Driver Assistance Systems’ Or ADAS for short. This includes the cameras and proximity sensors that operate everything from the backup camera, the parking assist, the steering, the brakes, the blind-spot monitors, and more. In fact, depending on how your vehicle is equipped, most new fully equipped cars could drive themselves with just a software upgrade. The technology is already built into your vehicle. Every mile you drive, your GM vehicle writes more code than a Boeing 747. We’re talking thousands of lines of code every minute. And if anything is off in those sensors as a result of the accident you just had or modifications you made to your car, the systems may not be functioning properly. And you won’t even know it in most cases because ADAS system malfunctions do not set warning lights like your engine does.

Body shops have to pay for access to the GM OEM repair procedures, and it is an expense that not all shops make. GM realizes this, and so they recently put out a free Advanced Driver Assistance Systems overview guide. This is not meant to be a substitute for the actual OEM procedures, the “Driver Assistance Systems” document will be a valuable means for shops, insurers, and consumers to learn the broad strokes.

The guide lists the official name, abbreviation, and “regular production option” code of each ADAS feature and explains what it does and what systems it relies on. It also describes when calibration will be required and the cause of calibration issues for certain parts.

How This Affects Your Auto Body Repair

Calibrations are necessary because after your car is repaired, all of the affected ADAS systems have to be recalibrated. This is a precise process and involves setting the car level, usually with a full tank of gas, and can even involve a lengthy road test. Sometimes the vehicle needs to be taken to the dealer to have the calibrations performed, and in some cases, we have a specialist that comes to the shop to perform our calibrations. This process can take several hours.

GM tells you what to look for, provides the RPO code on top of the information available through the VIN, and offers the actual brand name of the ADAS to search for in the repair procedures.

As a vehicle owner who may be comparing estimates from two body shops, here is what to look for to know whether your car is getting a proper OEM repair and calibration:

Does the estimate say R&R or R&I windshield?

Was a “collision repair” conducted?

Did an airbag blow?

A forward collision usually requires a recalibration of the “Frontview Camera – Windshield,” according to GM.

Even in minor collisions, GM warns against assuming that the camera is properly functioning, and the shop might have to verify its status with a scan.

In terms of the actual windshield camera calibration, the GM document states the technician should program the camera if necessary and research the full OEM procedures.

Some GM vehicles can start reprogramming themselves after the camera is replaced, but other GM models will need the GM scan tool to start the calibrations. It is important for the technician to know that they need to check the OEM repair documentation for your vehicle and ask your shop if they are doing so before you drop off your car for repair.

Other parts on your GM vehicle are equally nuanced in their repair requirements.

Park assist sensors need calibration on some vehicles but not others. A short-range radar sensor module doesn’t need calibration but must receive SPS programming as described in the OEM procedures if it is replaced.

If your vehicle is equipped with lane departure or blind-spot monitoring systems, GM says that no specific calibration is required as a part of service, simply drive the vehicle to begin calibration, but SPS programming is required after replacement.

Summary

Some of this information be a little technical for some, but it is important to know that unlike years past, collision repair has become extremely more complicated and involves way more technology, research, equipment, and expertise than in years past. That’s why we take the time to break it down for you and explain what is important to know, and why. And most of all, it is important that you ask your repairer these questions to determine if you are dealing with a shop that follows the correct process or a shop that cuts corners in order to meet tight deadlines in the name of production. We hope you found this informative and helpful.

September 15, 2020