With increased vehicle complexity, the need to access and follow OEM repair information has never been more critical to be able to perform complete, safe and quality repairs. It's part of what FenderBender has promoted in our inaugural Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award. At the beginning of April, I-CAR rolled out its Repairability Technical Support (RTS) Portal mobile app for technicians, available for Android and Apple products at Google Play or the App Store, respectively. It's enhanced the desktop version of RTS, which has been around for about 10 years and was first offered for free to the industry as part of I-CAR's COVID-19 Industry Relief Program before the complimentary access was extended in perpetuity.
This is important because many technicians and other production staff may not have ready access to a computer, but they do have a cell phone in their pocket. The app is easy to navigate and includes features such as access to short technical articles and OEM information such as requirements for calibration, partial part replacement, restraints system part replacement, hybrid and electric vehicle disable procedures, glass replacement, and general best practices.
Users can search "Ask I-CAR" for the most common inquiries for specific collision repair information, and can submit a new question, if needed. The app is only beginning, says Scott VanHulle, manager of Repairability Technical Support (RTS) and OEM technical relations, with additional functionality to come. As an example, the app currently allows the user to take photos of collision repair work with the mobile device and save them to the app. In the works is the ability to scan the VIN instead of typing in each digit.
For more information or for a download link, go to rts.i-car.com.
