ACtion Magazine - April 2013 - (Page 28)

Heavy duty/off road technical session by Scott Weaver G much quicker and easier than ever before. JPRO is aimed squarely at commercial fleet and Heavy Duty/Off road service centers. To finish the morning session, Instructor Tony Yerman with TLY Consulting schooled us in RV air conditioning repair issues. Tony told us right at the start, “It’s not the air conditioning that is necessarily going to be your problem, but the way it is configured in the vehicle.” He explained the difficulties are due to the variety of manufacturers Morning classes started with Mike Maxwell and Tom Wilkins and the types of A/C systems, and the numerous locations. He from Noregon Systems, introducing the company’s newest diagnostic reminded us that RV owners may mistakenly block vents, slack tools for the heavy duty technician. The JPRO Commercial Fleet on general maintenance, or perhaps be the recipient of some Diagnostic system allows a tech to interact with all major heavy duty construction material left in the ducting, and that animal intrusion, engine platforms, ABS, transmissions, and HVAC systems. Over a insects or accident damage can also add up to poor air flow. dozen OEM and independent manufacturers’ scanner information Unlike a passenger car, where there is only one source of electrical can be integrated to the JPRO software running on a Windows power, a motorhome has several options for supplying energy to platform. With just one click on the easy-to-read screen, a technician operate the A/C. These all can be potential sources of voltage and can go from engine back to transmission without ever having to amperage problems. change scanners. “It’s not uncommon to have a wire color change several times As Mike and Tom said, “You can’t fix what you can’t see. The from the front to the back of the unit, depending on how many subJPRO allows you to link all of the systems under one application. assemblies and/or vendors a certain system had to go through,” Tony Every Truck, Every Time.” With over 2,800 OEM codes in use went on to say. today, plus the fact that some of these codes can only be seen on A typical engine-mounted system may have the compressor and certain platforms, the ability of the JPRO to interact with all of these a section of the pressure hoses supplied by the chassis vendor, while different software applications makes the technician’s diagnostic chore the evaporator core, condenser, or drier units may be supplied by a different vendor. Even the dash controls might come from a different source than everything else. As Tony reminded us all at the end of the session, “Think out of the box in order to start your diagnostic testing.” The afternoon classes had a lot to offer as well. Al Leupold, a long time presenter at MACS (now with Bergstrom), was up first; he brought us up to date on A/C preventive maintenance issues. “HVAC system repair ranks 3rd just behind tires and brakes respectively,” Al told the group. Finding the proper tools and information and avoiding poor product information were just some of the topics Al’s detailed lecture covered. He went on to tell us, “The ultimate goal is to satisfy the customer. Look at the cost of NOT training your technicians rather than the cost to train them.” I totally agree; the lack of training only means a lack of satisfactory results for the customer. Al also focused on the importance of maintenance, and that more than 75% of most A/C breakdowns could have been avoided if proper maintenance had been done. These maintenance RV air conditioners have more than one source of electrical power. issues not only involve the customer’s car but also TYL Consulting illustration etting information to the individuals who need to know is what the technical sessions at the MACS convention are all about, and the Heavy Duty/Off Road session was no exception. New techniques, advanced testing procedures, and overviews of existing procedures were all part of the topics covered in this year. 28 ACTION • April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - April 2013

ACtion Magazine - April 2013
Contents
Outlook
Freeze Frame
Virtual View
Under the Southern Cross
Leonard’s Law
News & Updates
State of the Industry
R-1234YF Design and Service Considerations
Heavy Duty/Off Road Technical Session
Hybrid Evolution Continues
Modern Automotive HVAC Systems
Old-Timers, Team Players, Slackers and Kids: Do Your Employees ‘play’ Well Together?
Cheap Isn’t Always Best
A/C Season Check List: Is Your Shop Ready?
MACS 2013 Training Event Social Wrap-Up
Wallace Talks Up Big Brother
Association News
Quick Check
New Products & Services
Last Watch

ACtion Magazine - April 2013