I-CAR now provides new Vehicle and Technology Specific Training (VTST) courses — the majority of which are required for all FCA Certified Collision Care shops. I-CAR is also providing a 15% discount on EV courses through the end of the month.

The VTST courses “ensure that professionals are trained to have the knowledge and skills required to perform complete, safe and quality repairs,” and, as of June 1, six of the eight are required to obtain or maintain FCA certification, according to a joint news release from Stellantis and I-CAR.

“Stellantis’s Service Engineering group has worked closely with I-CAR’s curriculum development team to integrate the latest Stellantis procedures into all new courses,” said Lynn Rogers, Stellantis Technical Service Operations for North Americabody/collision serviceability lead. “As the complexity of today’s vehicle repairs accelerates, we are raising the bar of our training requirements to ensure our entire collision network is at a ‘master class’ level in their knowledge and skills.”

The following courses will be required:

• • FCA wiTECH Scan Tool Fundamentals (a prerequisite for FCA Driver Assistance systems for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Alfa Romeo and FIAT Vehicles) — learn the components, setup, and basic usage of the wiTECH™ 2.0 Scan Tool
  • FCA wiTECH ECU Flashing — learn how to identify the types of Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Flashes, the components needed for an ECU flash, be able to tell if the flash applies to a vehicle, and more.
  • FCA Driver Assistance Systems — learn about the operation and calibration of the driver assistance electronic systems in Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM, Alfa Romeo, and FIAT vehicles.
  • FCA Introduction to Service Library — learn how to access and use the most current service information available on FCA vehicles in a walkthrough of the OEM’s Service Library.
  • FCA Marketing Your Certification — learn best practices to help you begin to market and leverage your FCA Certification.
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee WL — a one-hour course that describes the significant design changes to the WL, the vehicle construction materials, service, repairs, and the electrical and mechanical procedures.

These courses will be part of I-CAR’s VTST portfolio and are linked to I-CAR’s Professional Development Program, which I-CAR told RDN “features distinct training paths that provide each professional involved in the collision repair industry the up-to-date knowledge and skills they need to perform their role successfully.”

VTST courses count toward the fulfillment of role-specific annual training and can be completed by any individual at their FCA Certified Collision Care facility. All the courses are available online and can be completed by anyone in the industry.

Prior course completions will not be affected. In addition, the following are recommended optional courses for FCA Certified Collision Care
facilities to consider: FCA Diagnostic Data Recording with wiTECH (“Flight Recording”) and FCA Creating a Compelling Message when Marketing your Certification.

All eight courses will also be accessible on an optional basis to all students and businesses across the collision repair ecosystem.

“I-CAR looks forward to further building out our Vehicle and Technology Specific Training course portfolio, and furthering our relationship with Stellantis and other OEMs in developing additional courses highlighting new vehicles as they come to market and/or new and specialized repair considerations,” said Bud Center, I-CAR’s Director of Technical Products and Curriculum.

For more information about the program, including the steps to obtain certification, visit certifymyshop.com/chrysler.

Electric vehicle (EV) courses

In recognition of National Safety Month, I-CAR is also offering a 15% discount through the end of June on a package of eight online EV courses. The primary reason for the discount is because of the importance of repairers knowing how to properly fix EVs since “a mistake during the EV repair process could seriously impact the safety of the technician, shop or the customer,” an I-CAR news release states.

“Technicians in the collision industry have typically not been as focused on electrical theory, diagnostics, and repair as mechanical diagnostic technicians, so these courses are meant to provide them with a solid understanding of the foundational knowledge and important safety aspects before they come in for further hands-on training,” Center told RDN.

The courses are:

• • Electrical Theory — covers basic electrical theory concepts, including electricity, electrical current flow, resistance, and Ohm’s Law as well as reviews the different elements of an electrical circuit, the types of circuits, and electrical circuit theory.
  • Circuit Measurements with a Digital Volt Ohm Meter (DVO) — learn how to measure voltage, resistance, and current with a DVOM.
  • Troubleshooting Basic Electrical Circuits — learn the different types of troubleshooting repair documents available, the I-CAR five-step troubleshooting process, and the most common types of faults.
  • Introduction to Electric Vehicles (EV) — find out what types of EVs are on the road today and the purpose of each unique part.
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Initial Inspection and Handling — discusses initial inspection and safety considerations for EV upon arrival at a repair facility;
  • Understanding High Voltage Safety — explains the elements of electricity and the relationship between voltage, current and resistance with high voltage systems.
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) Damage Analysis — reviews necessary safety precautions when working with EVs; and
  • Introduction to Electric Vehicle (EV) Service Considerations — learn how to remove and install (R&I), and remove and replace (R&R), common EV system parts that are associated with collision repairs.

The courses are prerequisites for a soon-to-launch, five-day EV hands-on skills development course led exclusively by I-CAR’s technical experts at the Chicago Technical Center in Vernon Hills, Illinois for which course details and registration information will be announced soon.

“Since we are just launching this series, we aren’t sure exactly what to expect, but we do know this — with the number of EVs on the road today, combined with the 100-plus new electric vehicles coming into the market, the subject cannot be avoided — EV’s are here and I-CAR will continue to invest in educational programming to have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform complete, safe, and quality repairs for the ultimate benefit of the consumer,” Center said.

“Some manufacturers have announced intentions to move to 100% electric vehicles in the very near future, so the need to understand how to repair EVs is right now.”

For example, Ford Blue President Kumar Galhotra announced on June 2 “as part of our plan to drive the future of our industry and to produce a new generation of great Ford products for our customers” the creation of 6,200 new United Auto Workers (UAW) jobs and the investment of $3.7 billion in Ford plants across the Midwest. The new jobs include 1,800 at Ford’s Ohio Assembly Plant where Galhotra made the announcement.

Galhotra said groundbreaking at the Ohio plant, which sits in three cities, will begin later this year and workers will begin building an all-new commercial EV by mid-decade.

I-CAR Technical Products, Programs & Services Vice President Jeff Peevy said the courses are “designed to bring clarity and guidance in keeping technicians safe and to minimize risks and errors when working on any EV vehicle, at any shop or location in the industry.”

I-CAR customers who are already part of a training subscription plan have access to the eight courses in the unlimited live, online, and virtual subscription benefit. Gold Class shops that aren’t part of I-CAR’s training subscription plan will receive a 20% discount on the package bundle. I-CAR Platinum Technicians are eligible for a 20% discount on the package bundle.

To access the 15% package discount, register here by June 30, 2022. For the latest I-CAR EV news, resources, and course offerings, visit Charged For EV.

IMAGES

Featured image: I-CAR logo provided by I-CAR