Recently, scanning has become a new (and expensive) need in car repair. The costs for scanning have caused some insurance companies to deny paying for this service, leaving it up to the customer to pay. But if customers don’t know what it is or why it is critical for your car repair, they may not realize just how important it is for your overall safety.
What Is Vehicle Scanning?
When technicians use an electric tool to diagnose what repairs must be done to your car, this is also known as “vehicle scanning.” This can be achieved by a technician hooking up a scanner to the diagnostic port on your car, which will give several different codes. These codes, also known as Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC for short), give the technician an idea of where they should start working on your car and what needs to be done. There are some cases where the vehicle’s control modules might need to be reprogrammed/recalibrated, depending on what appears in the DTC (and as mentioned below).
You might have even read our blog post back in May on the importance of diagnostic scans before and after any repairs. Your safety is our number one priority here and we believe in allowing the customer to know about specific repair procedures so you have a better idea of what is (or isn’t) happening to your car.
Honda/Acura’s Position Statement on Pre-and Post-Repair Scanning
One of the biggest reasons why car manufacturer’s released updated position statements is to eliminate any guesswork in the repair process. Often times, technicians will repair a vehicle solely on “experience” instead of following precisely what the manufacturer instructs. In fact, the state of Pennsylvania does not require technicians to be licensed to perform an auto repair. It’s up to the body shop to invest in technicians training so that they repair your car exactly as the manufacturer tells them to.
Let’s use as an example what Honda/Acura wrote in a recent position statement for repair procedures on vehicles damaged from a collision. Note that Honda/Acura determines a collision as “damage that exceeds minor outer panel cosmetic distortion.”
Honda/Acura’s May 2019 Position Statement stated the following:
- “A preliminary diagnostic scan during the repair estimation phase to determine what diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may be present, so proper repairs may be included.
- A post-repair diagnostic scan to confirm that no DTCs remain.
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- Any repair that requires disconnection of electrical components in order to perform the repair will require a post-repair diagnostic scan to confirm if the component is reconnected properly and functioning.
- Damage that requires the replacement of body parts will always require a post-repair diagnostic scan.
- Any repair that requires disconnection of electrical components in order to perform the repair will require a post-repair diagnostic scan to confirm if the component is reconnected properly and functioning.
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- Some safety and driver-assistive systems (such as ADAS) will require inspections, calibration, and/or aiming after a collision or other body repairs.”
The ADAS system in your car is a very difficult area to repair, as it may not always show any Diagnostic Trouble Codes in the preliminary scan, “unless there is damage to the applicable system.” If no DTCs appear, calibration may be required in order to assess the damage to the systems. A lot of technicians will assume that if a code doesn’t appear, that there’s nothing to be repaired. However, as you just saw above, this is not necessarily the case. Technicians who have received extensive training know this and will do all the necessary steps to ensure you have a safe and quality repair.
Because of the complexity in modern-day car repair, every car has its own unique repair procedures from the manufacturer, known as OEM repair procedures. These repair procedures detail exactly how your vehicle should be repaired. They are the safest and highest quality repairs out there for your vehicle. If you recently bought a car over the past five years, chances are your vehicle is equipped with some form of ADAS technology. Some of the most common ADAS features seen in today’s cars are:
- Blindspot detection
- Lane departure assist
- Backup camera
- Forward collision warning
OEM repairs also ensure the ADAS features continue to perform their designated functions. A repair that doesn’t follow what the OEM says can actually cause these safety features to no longer work, increasing the risk of you getting involved in an accident.
With how important OEM repair procedures are, you would think that every auto body shop would follow them, right? Unfortunately, this is not the case, and most technicians will approach a repair out of “experience” instead of looking up what the car manufacturer instructs for a repair. You only want to take your car somewhere that knows the importance of following OEM repair procedures and will never take any shortcuts in the repair process, no matter how much experience a technician might have.
What Does This Mean For Pennsylvania Honda/Acura Owners?
It’s been almost half a year since this position statement was released and we realize that none of our customers are keeping up with the latest news in collision repair. Here at 3D Collision Centers, we are constantly up-to-date on repair procedures and statements so we know how to best serve you, our customers.
Each one of our technicians has gone through extensive training and are I-CAR Gold Class certified, which is the highest level of certification an auto repair technician can receive. We follow OEM repair procedures and aim to give you the best possible repair for your car. We will also work with you throughout the entire repair process to ensure a stress-free repair!
We also know you have several choices on where to take your car to be repaired in Pennsylvania. Luckily, we have 7 different locations across Delaware, Montgomery, and Chester counties. We want to make the repair process as stress-free as possible for you, which is why we feel confident you can trust us with your auto body repair needs.
Feel free to give us a call at anytime at (877)-692-7776. Or, for a list of the numbers for each of our locations, click here. We look forward to hearing from you!
