2011 01 02 Action

January/February 2011

ACTION™ P.O. Box 88 Lansdale, PA 19446

Printed in USA

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Permit No.4475

January/February 2011

Reader Reply No. 3

Reader Reply No. 74

4 ACT I O N • January/February 2011

Cooling Corner 34

Virtual View 18

News & Updates 20

Quick Check 4 3

Association News 4 4

New Products & Services 4 6

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Mobile Air Conditioning Society Mission StatementTo be the recognized global authority for the mobile air conditioning and heat transfer industry by:

• Providing training and education for the mobile air conditioning and heat transfer industry.• Providing a forum for exchange of trade information on a regional, national and international basis.• Facilitating business between all segments of the industry.• Providing information on legislative and regulatory initiatives that affect the industry and advocating

for the industry to legislative bodies.

Januar y/Februar y 2011 www.macsw.org

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS 24

2010 PIONEER AWARD HONOREES 36

COLUMNS

MACS Tech Help NumberMACS Members please note: The phone number for technical help is

866-502-0068.It is available Mon-Fri, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central time.

OutlookAndrew Fiffick 6

Expansion ValveJim Taylor 8

Technically RELAY-tedPaul DeGuiseppi 10

Under The Southern CrossKen Newton 12

Leonard’s LawKeith Leonard, Esq. 14

Last WatchElvis Hoffpauir 54

On the cover: Future MACSmember Elliot Kotz plays the roleof baby New Year.Elliot was born August 30, 2010.

Classified 52

There’s something

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There’s something

Reader Reply No. 54

Hopefully, if you are reading this issue, you are attending the 2011 MACSWorldwide Convention and Trade Show in Florida. We welcome you toour 31st annual event! Back home, one of our keys to success is keeping at

the forefront of technology and training while making sure our shop has theproper equipment to be profitable and successful. The MACS Convention andTrade Show allows us to gain this knowledge all in one place in just a few daysand at a great value.

This past A/C season was another trying one and we, along with most of theautomotive aftermarket repair industry, were caught off guard when we couldnot get many needed parts on a timely basis to serve our client base. Therefore,I’m going to concentrate on lining up my suppliers and purchase some new andupdated equipment for the next A/C season while attending the Trade Showand I would suggest you do the same or get right on it once you are back home.

Since it is impossible for one person to gather in all of the available train-ing at the Convention, I always bring along two of my top technicians so we cancover all of the training available. The old adage, “You don’t know what youdon’t know” comes to mind, and we need to make sure we take advantage of thetraining available. We must do everything possible to compete and prosper in ourhometown shop. We need to learn what we don’t know to keep maximizing ourbusiness opportunities – and I know that coming to the MACS Convention isthe least expensive way to train my staff and myself.

Of course, this will not be all work and no play. I always look forward to theinteraction with all of you during the Convention. Talking shop with the bestshop owners, technicians and trainers over lunch or during the many socialevents gives me an insight into the industry that I cannot get anywhere else. Ialways come away with new ideas and procedures to implement when I get backhome.

If you see me milling around the Convention or Trade Show, stop me andintroduce yourself. Let me know if we as an association are meeting your expec-tations, wants and needs. And please tell me what you think of our Conventionand Trade Show. The staff and I are always open to new ideas and viewpoints.

On behalf of the MACS Worldwide staff, thank you for attending this year; and we lookforward to seeing you in 2012 in Las Vegas. By the way, make sure you plan on staying for thebonus training session on Saturday afternoon. �

Sincerely,

AndyAndy Fiffick

[email protected]

Outlook

Andy FiffickMACS Chairman

Mobile Air Conditioning Society Worldwide (MACS)

Andrew FiffickChairman & CEO

[email protected]

Elvis HoffpauirPresident & Editor-In-Chief

[email protected]

Jim TaylorEditor

[email protected]

Marion PosenVP Sales & [email protected]

Laina CaseyGraphics & Design Manager

[email protected]

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January/February 2011 Volume 11, Number 1

ACTION magazine is published seven times per year bythe Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide,225 S. Broad Street, Lansdale, PA 19446.While MACS Worldwide takes reasonable steps to makesure that the information reported in ACTION is accurate,errors can still occur. The accuracy of all informationcontained in ACTION should therefore be independentlyevaluated by the reader. Since conditions of its use areoutside of the control of MACS Worldwide, MACSWorldwide assumes no liability for the use of such infor-mation or any damages incurred through its use or appli-cation. Nothing contained in such information is to beconstrued as contractual or provide some form of war-ranty on the part of MACS Worldwide.The opinions expressed in guest editorials are not nec-essarily endorsed by MACS Worldwide. MACSWorldwide is not responsible for any claims made in orby advertisements or press releases published in ACTION.All company names, products and product names,emblems, logos, images, trademarks, service marks andtrade dress appearing in this magazine are the propertyof their respective owners and are protected under fed-eral laws of the United States and international agree-ments. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The ACTION logoand MACS globe emblem are property of MACSWorldwide.

Reproduction of contents without permission is prohibit-ed. Send requests for permission to copy or reprint [email protected] or to ACTION Magazine, Box 88,Lansdale, PA 19446.

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Welcome to WaltDisney World!

2004-09 IAMAAwards Winner


Reader Reply No. 35

“If I’d known I would live this long,” said the great jazzpianist and composer Eubie Blake on his 100th birthday,“I’d have taken better care of myself!” Mercy! It’s 2011already and it seems as if the millennium was just yesterday.

Regardless of when you started counting it – 2000 or2001 – it’s been quite a decade, hasn’t it? Computers didn’tcrash from the feared Y2K bug, but soon after airplanes andtall buildings did. The dot-com bubble burst but theInternet survived; international governments rose and fellbut nations survived; wars started, ended, or continued withsurvivors being counted as lucky. U.S elections came andwent (who survived painful new strains of attack ads?), andsome industries crumbled while others soared. Various mar-

kets went boom or bust or both, and some haven’t yetrecovered. Some have few survivors.

A look at the ten-year graph for the Dow Jones indus-trial averages shows an alpine landscape with enough peaksand valleys to challenge any financial skier. Even 2010’syear-to-date graph would make a good thrill ride if youcould convert the blue trace into rails; plenty of ups andplenty of downs. It makes an interesting analogy as bothinvestors and rollercoaster riders scream during the steepdrops.

At this moment in late 2010, things seem to be lookingup, but “past performance does not indicate future results”— they’re required to say that when selling financial prod-ucts. However, there’s another adage we all know: “Thosewho ignore the past...” Are we doomed or do we make ourown luck?

Obviously, the past can teach us if we’re smart enoughto learn from it. Does it indicate the future? Maybe, butonly under the same circumstances, and whatever we didthen controlled that outcome. New ideas and new oppor-tunities can lead in different directions, and require differ-ent and often bold actions.

Those new ideas and new opportunities provide ourfocus this month. We asked a variety of MACS members –each a success in their own right – to review their recentbusiness year and then tell us what they see as their oppor-tunities ahead.

The results were as varied as the participants, and notalways what you’d expect. For example, although many do,it’s plain that not everyone foresees either a new refriger-ant or the hybrid and electric vehicle boom as the “nextbig thing” for their operation. Some plan to crack new salesmarkets, expand their product offerings, or even just domore of what they’re already doing.

Additionally, many respondents included sound financialmanagement in their plans for another year, along withstaying on top of the game through technical training,offering quality products across the board, and keeping aclose eye on the competition.

Sounds like a plan. What’s yours? �

You can reach Jim [email protected]


Plans and IntentionsJim Taylor

Expansion Valve

Reader Reply No. 90

Reader Reply No. 37

Technically RELAY-ted

Paul DeGuiseppi

This past September, I once again tookthe trek to Lake Harmony, Pa. to par-ticipate in IMPA (International

Motor Press Association) Test Days. Ifyou’re a “car whack” (as I am), it doesn’tcome much better than this – IMPAmembers get the opportunity to drive abroad variety of the newest offerings frommost vehicle manufacturers that sell in theU.S. market.

Here are the vehicles I drove, and myimpressions of them. I’ll give you this upfront – their individual missions consid-ered, not one of them was bad. However,some were “badder” than others.

Volkswagen Jetta TDI SEL – I’ve beenreading many good things about thenewest VW diesels, so I chose this as thefirst car to drive. It turns out that all thegood things I read are true. The averageperson would never know it was a diesel.It had almost imperceptible turbo lag, andaccelerated briskly, with a nice torqueyfeel. To me, it’s the perfect anti-hybrid. Ilike that.

Volkswagen Jetta 2.5 SEL – It was inter-esting to drive the gas engine Jetta direct-ly after stepping out of the diesel. I didn’tsee much difference in dynamics betweenthe two, with the exception that the gascar’s torque curve seemed to be moreequally distributed over the engine’s rpmrange.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0 TR Spec –The absolute sports car bargain for theday, perhaps the 2011 model year. Thisvehicle has a base price of $24,500, and it’sa quite nicely equipped RWD looker atthat. The car Hyundai provided had onlyone option; carpeted floor mats for $105.I drove nothing else that matched this car’sperformance-for-the-price quotient.

Mazda3 2.5 Five Door – Another case ofa very satisfying-to-drive car for themoney. Very crisp steering and handling,and not too shabby acceleration either.Couple its great ergonomics and nicelyappointed interior with the fact that youcan even haul stuff, and you have a fantas-tic all-around daily ride.

Camaro SS – This was the first of thethree American pony cars I drove, oneright after the other. It accelerates andbrakes pretty well, but its interior is a shal-low chasm, and its instrument panel is acartoon. Especially in light of its competi-tion, this car (with a sticker price around$38K) did not appeal to me in any way.

Mustang GT – Ford marked 2011 withthe return of the 5.0 in the Mustang. Asgood as the 4.6L 2005-2010 GTs of thecurrent platform Mustang were, this onenudges the dial to “11.” Fantastic acceler-ation, braking, steering, handling, seats,outward vision and sounds. With a stickerof $40K, it’s a car so much better than the

Camaro for only two large more..Dodge Challenger RT – My absolute

favorite of the three ponies. While it’s alittle slower than the Camaro orMustang, this car just has a certain charmthat the other two don’t. Its sight lines,larger dimensions and pistol grip shiftercatapult my mind back to lighter times.For me, that makes its sticker, which was$1K higher than the Mustang’s, wellworth that small difference

BMW 335iS Coupe – This car’s dou-ble-clutch seven speed is the fastest-shifting automated manual transmissionthat I have ever experienced. Coupledwith the 320 horsepower from its

torquey twin-turbo, inline six, it helpsshoot this car from a standing start like it’sa Ruger .204. Of everything I drove thisday, this would be the one I’d have takenhome.

Mazda2 – This new-to-the-U.S. marketsubcompact could be the ultimatedemonstrator of the adage “it is more funto drive a slow car fast than a fast carslow.” Its exterior dimensions also belie itsinterior roominess. Overall, a pleasant lit-tle thing.

Audi A3 TDI – If you like the dieselengine in the Jetta (or Golf), but want anicer car wrapped around it, you needlook no further.

Chevrolet Cruze LTZ – Word up toCivic, Corolla, and a few others: be afraid.Be very, very afraid.

Mini Cooper Clubman S – I’ve partakenof one of these every time I’ve attendedthis event. It just wouldn’t be Test Days ifI didn’t. I’m happy to report that the pol-ish is still on the apple. Driving one ofthese might even be more fun thanwatching mid-term election results onTV.

Lexus ISF – This is the only Toyota Idrove because it’s basically the only ToyotaI like — excluding, perhaps, the essential-ly “constructed of unobtainium” LFA. Ilike this one because it doesn’t feel like aToyota. It actually feels (dare I say) sort oflike a BMW or Benz. Its 5.0L, 416 horse-power V-8, eight speed automatic trans-mission, and RWD layout certainly con-tribute to my fondness.

Suzuki Kizashi – I challenge you to finda $24,000 car with a nicer interior. It’s alsoa pretty pleasing (if not exciting) drive.This car is truly the anti-Camry-Accord-Altima. Anyone considering the purchaseof a mid-size Japanese sedan really needsto check this out. �

You can reach Paul [email protected]

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Reader Reply No. 159


Under the Southern Cross

Who’s next?

Succession plans are all very well, but all the best con-ceived plans in the world still won’t find you someoneto replace you after you’ve gone – not really gone, I

mean retired, had enough, taken your marbles and gonehome.

The secret to succession plans is that you have to findsomebody to replace you, and that’s the really hard part.

Either lack of a succession plan, or inability to findsomeone to walk in your shoes is the reason why, in thiscountry anyway, most small businesses don’t change hands.As happened with a couple of our top VASA membersrecently—they advertised nationally, they looked under thelocal rocks, and couldn’t get anyone remotely interested intaking over well run and profitable workshops. They justauctioned off all their equipment, closed the doors and wenthome.

Sad really, that private companies that build up a greatname over half a century or so just disappear off the map.

What’s the thread of this article, you’re asking aboutnow. I was leading up to saying that you’ll find the same sce-nario in many voluntary organisations. The new reason fornot being involved, for not joining something and not goingto meetings or even social outings is, “I’m time poor.”

What does that mean? Isn’t life about setting priorities?You don’t just run out of time to do things, do you?

So here we are at a recent VASA board meeting, with adebate raging on the subject of how to encourage any mem-ber of the association to take a real interest in the adminis-tration of the company. Like nominate for a position on theboard of directors, or put a hand up to help out at the nextconvention, or anything.

I reminded the board that only once in VASA’s 17 yearhistory had anybody outside the incumbent directors eversent in a formal nomination for a board position. I addedthat not once in VASA’s history had the annual generalmeeting of members experienced the thrill of having to cast

Ken Newton,CEO, VASA

Reader Reply No. 28

ACT I O N • January/February 2011 13

a vote to choose one out of two or more nominationsfor the board.

If you really want the truth, the VASA board hasbeen ‘stacked’ from Day One, and we want volunteers– you, you and you!

Current VASA president Ian Stangroome is a verythoughtful guy, and he knows only too well that astale organisation is not a productive organisation.The board members agreed. New blood, they said, isneeded.

I jumped in again to remind the directors that Ihad placed a passionate plea in our last VASA newslet-ter for young guns in the association to considerbeing groomed for directorship and the result was, asexpected, zilch.

While everyone in the room was either lookingat the ceiling in the hope that somebody’s namewould be written by an unseen hand, or was pouringanother cup of hotel swill, president Ian said, “I real-ly don’t think any member understands what it is wedo. If only they could listen to our debates and watchhow complex issues are decided, it might encouragethem to join in the game.”

Great idea, they all said. VASA has now adoptedtwo very bold succession plans.

The first is that each director will nominate alikely candidate from the membership in his or herzone. (Yes, we have our first female director.Catherine Tocker represents our New Zealand mem-bers – say hi Catherine.)

For every board meeting, one of the names willbe drawn out of the hat, and that member will beinvited, all expenses paid, to the next meeting wher-ever it is held. They’ll be flown in, accommodated,wined and dined and invited to join in any of thedebates if they wish. The hope is that the chosenmember will then go back to their local communi-ties, if not with a desire to seek higher office then atleast with a better perspective on VASA’s role in theindustry.

The next plan is already taking off like a rocket,and why not?–it’s free! We have invented a newStudent Associate membership, where auto studentsare offered free membership while they are stillstudying. When they get their certificates or theirdegrees, they will be invited to join up as a full pay-ing member.

The hope is that through receiving newsletters,invitations at low rates to training sessions and accessto our technical pages on the website, they will learnto understand the value of being in an industry net-work with a bit of clout and a good brand name.

Now if I can only find someone to replace me! �

Southern Cross



There once was a car chase movie that became the second high-est grossing film of that year. The movie was Smokey and theBandit and the year was 1977. For those who have never seen

the film, two men agree to drive from Georgia to Texas and backagain within a limited period of time, bringing back a truck loadof Coors beer at a time when Coors was not available east of theMississippi River.

The two end up being chased by, but escaping from, aboutone-half of the police forces south of the Mason-Dixon line anddelivering the beer in the nick of time. The movie’s popularityresulted in two sequels and an enormous increase in sales of the carfeatured in the film – the Pontiac Trans Am.

Over my Christmas break in 1976-1977, some college friendsand I went on a road trip from Pittsburgh to New Mexico andback again. As in the movie, we picked up some Coors beer dur-ing our trip for our return to our college, though we brought backconsiderably less than a tractor trailer load. We did not pick up awoman who had run out on her wedding and we certainly did notget chased by police. However, we did learn a very important les-son during that trip.

That valuable lesson was not to drive an air-cooled vehicle (aVolkswagen van – “I call red punch buggy and no punch backs!”)across the country during a time when most of the country wasexperiencing record cold. At the best of times the temperatureinside the van was probably only five degrees warmer than the out-side air; causing the beer to almost freeze inside the van.

That story is not an attempt to imitate or one-up the storiesof my father’s or grandfather’s generations (“...back in my day, wewalked to school ten miles in snow...”) Instead, it is my off-handway of expressing my gratitude to people like Thomas Ahearn andRobert Ballard for every time I have gotten into a vehicle in thewinter since that road trip.

As we all know, vehicle technology has substantially advancedsince vehicles were invented. The first cars were mostly open-bod-ied, with no windows and certainly no heat. They were not a bigstep forward from horse-drawn carriages. The first enclosed cars,with glass windshields, emerged in 1907.

One important advance in technology has been in the area ofclimate control inside the vehicle. Mr. Ahearn is the inventor of theelectric car heater and he did it in 1890. However, he developedthat invention for use in electric streetcars traveling along the streetsof Ottawa, Canada. Regardless, the heater was invented for cus-tomer comfort, and as the inevitable change of seasons takes us intowinter, those of us in the northern half of the United States cer-tainly appreciate the fact that we can be kept warm while we drive.Early cars used portable gas lamps and burners to warm up theinteriors – I am not sure about the safety of using a flammable liq-uid inside a car to keep us warm!

In the early 1900s, interior heat was oftentimes produced byexhaust gases circulated into pipes inside the vehicle. Into the1920s, companies like Sears Roebuck still sold heaters that carriedheat from the exhaust manifold into the passenger compartment.And there was no carbon monoxide alarm in the interior of thosevehicles.

Another attempt to warm up the inside of a car was the hotwater car heater introduced in 1926. However, during that sameperiod, inventors were designing a heating system that redirectedcoolant from the engine to the interior of the vehicle, providingsome level of comfort to the otherwise frost-bitten driver and pas-sengers. By the 1930s, the first designs of the now-standard heatercore (using heat from the engine coolant to produce heat for theinterior) were coming into production. The core acts as a heatexchanger, removing heat from the engine compartment anddirecting it into the interior of the vehicle.

Electric cars and hybrids, without the hot fluids and gases froman internal combustion engine, still use the heater core design.Therefore, most electric cars use positive coefficient electric heatersthat are similar to the heaters used in many homes.

In the late 1930s, Nash Motors introduced filters, more refinedclimate controls and an optional conditioned-air heating and ven-tilating system as features in its automobiles. Dual temperature con-trols for the driver and front passenger would have to wait untillater in the twentieth century; but proved to be an invention thatdid a lot to save many a marriage.

In 1951, Mr. Ballard invented the heated seat for motor vehi-cles, another practical invention for drivers and passengers through-out the world. An even more recent invention is the heated steer-ing wheel. This advancement allows the driver to avoid the choiceof discomfort (a freezing steering wheel) or the potential hazard ofdriving with gloves.

All of this technology has provided a safer and more comfort-able time for both driver and passengers. Global warming or not,winter, cold weather and snow in many parts of the United Statesand elsewhere around the world confront all drivers equally. Ofcourse, we can all also rely on the change of seasons to bringwarmer weather around again; and soon enough the need for airconditioning. Luckily, we have MACS’ members to keep us warmor cool in our vehicles. �

Leonard’s Law

Keith N. Leonard,Esquire

Remember that laws are constantly changing and are often not uniform through-out the United States. Do not place unqualified reliance on the information inthis article. Always contact legal counsel for detailed advice.If you have a particular issue, law or problem you would like to see addressedin a future column, please contact me at [email protected], or Leonard,Sciolla, Hutchison, Leonard & Tinari, LLP, 215-567-1530.

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Reader Reply No.66

This site is openly designed to sell repairparts, and the site content purports to help aconsumer perform repairs at home. The sitecontains little A/C information except as apromo for parts sales. Tabs across the topinclude “Auto Repair” and “How Cars Work”among others. A click directs the user towww.automd.com, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofUS Auto Parts Network, Inc. AutoMD claimsto be “the most comprehensive and unbiasedfree online automotive repair resource...”

Their “How-to” section asks for basicdata on the car to be repaired; we entered a2003 Honda Civic Si and then clicked oninstructions for “How to replace an A/C com-pressor.” The resulting steps are disappointing,and suffer from a “one size fits all” approach.The repair steps are generic, and the same pic-tures always appear. A later search on a 2008Ford Explorer XLT SportTrac turned up

instructions identical to the Civic Si:1. Open the hood and locateyour vehicle’s A/C compressor.2. Remove the A/C belt fromthe A/C compressor pulley.3. Evacuate the A/C system usinga refrigerate [sic] recoverymachine.4. Disconnect the negative bat-tery cable.

There’s nothing actually wrong here, butit’s not very helpful either. The compressor onthe Civic is underneath and can barely be seenfrom the top. And doesn't everybody have arecovery machine just lying around? And afterrepairs we’re told:

13. Evacuate air in the A/C sys-tem with an A/C servicingmachine14. Pull a vacuum on the system

to check for leaks.15. If the system holds the vacu-um, charge the system with A/Cservicing machine.

Again, not wrong but not rightenough—how to pull the vacuum? And forhow long? How much gas to recharge or howto know capacity? Interestingly, the $5100RRR machine is listed in the “Tools youneed” section, but the “Estimated cost ofrepair” for the DIY compressor repair is$31.60. If anybody comes into your shop say-ing they can replace their own compressor forthat price, you’ll know where they’ve been. �

Note: Websites are updated or changedfrequently. If you visit one of our finds,don’t be surprised if the informationdoesn’t match what we found.

The Link: Familycar.com and AutoMD.comThe Grade: C- / D. Too vague, too general, and not helpful. Inaccurate pricing.


Reader Reply No. 5

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Reader Reply No. 78

Jack Chisenhall honoredLifetime achievement award

The Hotrod & Restoration Trade Showand the Petersen Automotive Museumwill award the 2011 Robert E. PetersenLifetime Achievement award to long-time MACS member and Vintage Airfounder Jack Chisenhall on March18th. The award will be presented dur-ing the show’s opening ceremonies inIndianapolis. Chisenhall is credited with creating awhole new market sector and being afounding member of the Street RodManufacturers Association (SRMA),now a SEMA council. He started hisbusiness, Vintage Air, in 1976.After finding that there were very fewparts available that could be used to aircondition hotrods and specialty vehi-cles, he worked with his brotherGordon and friend Milton Jones toproduce some basic but custom airconditioning products.He took the original products to the1976 Street Rod Nationals, where theymet great reviews from custom carowners. Chisenhall soon bought outhis partners and expanded his business.Today, Vintage Air is housed in a large

facility in San Antonio, Texas. In 1995, Jack took his street-driven1953 Studebaker to Bonneville and ran219.585 mph — with the air condi-tioning on. Jack Chisenhall receivedthe 2001 Pioneer Award from theMobile Air Conditioning Society forhis industry innovations.

California: Prop 23 defeated inNov. electionsAB 32 will continueIn the November elections, Californiavoters roundly defeated the state’sProposition 23, a proposal whichwould have suspended the state’ssweeping global warming law (knownas AB32) until the unemployment ratedropped to 5.5 percent. At the time,California’s unemployment rate wasabout 12 percent. Voters downed theidea by an approximate 18 percentmargin, 59–41.Buried deep with the many pages ofAB32’s requirements for reducinggreenhouse gasses are specific require-ments for low-GWP vehicle refriger-ants and various restrictions on manu-facture and sale of small cans ofreplacement refr igerant. Had theproposition passed, the state’s refriger-ant mandates would have been put onhold along with the larger and morevisible industrial controls.Supporters of Prop 23 had argued thatcompliance with many of AB32’s pro-visions to reduce industrial and trans-portation emissions would place anunfair burden on business and industryand result in more lost jobs as business-es left the state to avoid the costs ofcompliance.Much of the funding for the proposi-tion came from large national andinternational transportation, energyproduction, and petroleum companieswith operations in the state. There wasbig money on both sides of the battle,and in this case the opponents raisedand spent nearly three times the cash ofthe supporters.Opponents of the proposition (andtherefore supporters of AB32) seeimplementation as the first step in a

new wave of alternative energy tech-nologies and increased jobs via newmanufacturing. Some more provisionsof AB32 begin to phase-in during2011, and will require large emitters tobegin reducing air pollution from theirprocesses and plants. California’s goal isto reduce greenhouse gas emissions byroughly 30 percent within ten years.

Diagnostics from DENSO Denso Sales California recently intro-duced three new technical trainingseminars for technicians. The seminars,taught by professional trainers and notsales people, focus on service, diagnos-tic and repair best practices and will beavailable beginning in 2011.The eight-hour classroom-style cours-es, to be offered by local parts distrib-utors and held on-site throughout theU.S. and Canada, will focus on topic-related service, diagnosis and repairprocedures for today’s domestic andAsian vehicles.Each of the three seminars— “AdvancedElectrical Systems Diagnostics,” ‘ NetworkSystems Diagnostics” and “AdvancedOscilloscope Diagnostics”— will incor-porate case studies and real-world shopexperience to help technicians use the labscopes and scan tools that they have avail-able. More information is on the TechnicalTraining page at www.densoaftermarket.com.

Bosch buys RTIExpands in automotive air conditioningservice marketIn early December, the Bosch Group’sAutomotive Aftermarket businessannounced it has acquired RTITechnologies Co., Ltd. based in York,Pennsylvania. RTI develops and dis-tr ibutes automotive maintenanceequipment including air conditioningservice, recovery and rechargemachines. Terms of the sale were notdisclosed but Bosch said it will retainall of RTI’s 36 employees.Robert Bosch GmbH noted that “thebusiness is uniquely positioned to pro-vide access to the technology for newair conditioning service machines todeliver the new refrigerant R-1234yf,



which will be introduced into the market beginning in 2011in Europe.”

International enforcement Nets large haul of ozone depleting substancesA joint global customs enforcement operation initiated bythe World Customs Organization and the United NationsEnvironment Programme (UNEP) led to the confiscation ofmore than 7,500 cylinders of CFCs, HCFCs, and otherozone depleting substances (ODS).A number of seizures were reported from Europe, Africa andCentral Asia, but the majority took place in the Asia/Pacificregion, notably in China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and India.Royal Thai Customs netted 1,200 cylinders of ODS, andFrench Customs successfully stopped the illegal export of 44tons of HCFCs in two incidents. Customs administrations were actively supported by eachcountry’s National Ozone Unit – the government entityresponsible for managing national compliance strategiesunder the Montreal Protocol.

Red Dot Expands Test FacilitiesIn December, Red Dot expanded its advanced engineering and

test center in Seattle to include dedicated facilities for conduct-ing vibration, acoustics, electromagnetic and radio frequencyinterference (EMI/RFI), and blower-lifecycle validation tests.The new labs will allow Red Dot's mobile HVAC engineers toaccommodate the increasingly sophisticated performance andreliability requirements demanded by their commercial and mil-itary customers, including NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness)and EMI/RFI emissions.The company said having these capabilities in-house will reducethe time and cost involved with validating Red Dot products andcomponents from outside suppliers. The vibration, acoustic, andblower test cells are operational now, with the EMI/RFI testcapabilities available starting in early 2011.The new facilities are part of the company’s H.G. RunningsTechnical Center, which includes a full-vehicle environmentalchamber, advanced thermal imaging, and a dual-chamber HVACsystem calorimeter.

Industry Briefs• During the Aftermarket Industry Week last November, theCar Care Council Women’s Board announced Katie Noga’sselection as the group’s 2010 “Aftermarket Woman of theYear.” Ms. Noga has held her current position as SKF’s man-ager of communications and motorsports marketing since

Reader Reply No. 7

Red Angel A/C Stop Leak & Conditioner has the remarkable ability to repair and seal leaks in condensers, evaporators, connection hoses, gaskets & o-rings. It contains no solid or particulate matter that will clog your A/C system or harm the recovery unit. Red Angel forms a chemical weld sealing leaks in both R-12 or R-134a systems. It’s safe and easy to use and best of all — it’s a permanent seal. For more information, please call 888.863.0426 or visit us at www.USAsealants.com.

Visit USA Sealants at Booth #109 during 2011 MACS show. Free samples and information available.

Reader Reply No. 1322 ACT I O N • January/February 2011

NEWS & UPDATES

1992. She is responsible for supporting the NorthAmerican automotive, NAPA and heavy-duty distribu-tion/OES markets as well as overseeing the company’smedia relations, sales promotions, websites and the SKFNASCAR Sprint Cup program.• In November, SPX Corp. re-affirmed its long-termcommitment to China with a ground-breaking cere-mony marking the construction start of the company’snew 53-acre China manufacturing campus. The projectrepresents a three-year, $40 million investment to sup-port the SPX’s expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, andcompletion of the first phase is scheduled for the end of2011. SPX has been in China since 1994.• Maxzone Auto Parts Corp., the U.S. subsidiary ofDEPO Group, recently moved and expanded its distri-bution hub in Norcross County, Georgia. The newfacility is more than twice the size of the previous one.The company held a grand opening celebration andribbon cutting ceremony on October 29, 2010. Notingthat the Georgia hub is a critical transportation center,DEPO/Maxone said it will bring better service andhigh quality parts to local distributors. • The Car Care Council Women’s Board recently elect-ed Ruth A. Ehlinger as its new president for a threeyear term. Ms. Ehlinger has been a Women’s Boardmember since 2001 and is AAA’s manager of Auto

Repair Network Programs and Services. She is activewith several organizations including JuniorAchievement, the American Red Cross and theAmerican Cancer Society.�

Phoenix forum 2010: Emissions and measurements



An entire industry is hard to represent on a chart, andreports from the front lines are often much more valuable. SoMACS contacted members in each of our main types—Service/Installers, Distributors, and Manufacturers. We askedeach the same questions about their business, their vision for2011, and where they see opportunities for success.

The responses to most questions were spirited, interest-ing and quite varied, but all agreed on one point: businesswas up across the board, and 2009 was so bad that the suc-cessful 2010 season was a welcome relief. MACS extends ourthanks to all who took time to provide their insights.

Service and Installers For this group we talked to three people on the front

lines of retail service: Andy Fiffick, R.C Schirmer, and DonWeaver. Andy, of course is the elected Chairman and CEOof MACS, but he also operates Rad Air Complete Car Care,an expanding chain of eight retail shops in Cleveland, Ohio.R.C. runs Glen-Ray Rad and CDS, a specialty heating andcooling shop in Wassau, Wisconsin, and Don Weaver is aworking technician at Rutt’s Machine in Elizabethtown,Pennsylvania. Rutt’s began repairing A/C on off-road vehi-

cles after their machine shop customers men-tioned that they couldn’t find anyone torepair their mining and quarry equipment onsite.

Was your shop successful this year, and howdo you measure your success?

Andy Fiffick: We were successful. We

have three rock-solid guidelines:we must fix thecar right the firsttime, we makesure our customersare satisfied andhappy when theyleave, and wecharge a fair pricefor our work. In2010 sales wereup, we have a shop comeback rate of 0.3 percent, and sever-al of those comebacks were actually a parts warranty matter,not workmanship or diagnosis.

R.C Schirmer: It was not the worst year, but certain-ly better than last. Our car count is up. We have a varied cus-tomer base that includes light vehicles, heavy duty and agri-cultural vehicles.

Don Weaver: This year was very good—we’re pleasedand business was up.

How was last year for you and what’s ahead? Depending onwhat you read or hear, the answers will vary from horren-dous to spectacular. Is the stock market up or down; theeconomy expanding or contracting; is our industry healthyagain or still in malaise? You can always find someone to

say yes or no, and usually with statistics to support their argument.

Andy Fiffick



Opportunities for success

What changes did you make from previous years to make thisyear successful?

Fiffick: We went back to TV advertising and it yieldeda banner sales year. We didn’t do any in 2008 or 09...It’s veryexpensive. But in our area, the economy may have begun toget a bit better and we gambled on the ads. We ended upwith a 7 percent increase in gross sales.

Schirmer: We didn’t have to change anything. We havegood word of mouth, and we only do minimal local adver-tising. We’re a specialty shop and the only one in our area.

Weaver: We continued doing what we do, but incorpo-rated many of the tricks and tips we get at the MACSConvention and show. In general, we maintained an evenkeel but we’re always trying to find new customers.

What held you back this year or what could you have donemore of?

Fiffick: I always like to do more advertising; we see itas an investment not an expense. But it requires doing a cost-benefit analysis and figuring out what works.

Schirmer: Nothing! We’re doing exactly what wewant, and it’s working.

Weaver: Most of our work is in places likes mines andquarries, and many operators have their own technicians. Wedon’t even get a chance. There’s lots of potential there, butthere’s a lot of competition, too.

Where are your new opportunities for growth and success?Fiffick: Opportunity comes from change, and comes

with maintaining technical knowledge and productivity. Alarge percentage of our customers’ cars are 8-12 years old,and we’re learning the details of those model years but wehave the newer cars for routine mainte-nance, too, so we have to stay up todate there as well.

Schirmer: We’re moving intoclean diesel service, and have added theCDS to our shop name. The new dieselparticulate filters will need interval ser-vice and cleaning. Other places rou-tinely just use high pressure air to cleanthem, but since we already have a kiln,we can bake them first and accomplishmuch better cleaning. On big diesels,some of the filters can cost more than

R.C Schirmer



$4,000, so service is much cheaper than replacement.We’re also continuing with our line of reproduction

Mopar radiators, and licensed to us by Chrysler. We do goodbusiness at Mopar meets with owners and restorers.

Weaver: We have to crack that “private market” at a lotof sites and get more customers. It’s what we do; we don’teven work on over-the-road trucks unless we’re specificallyasked to by a customer.

Overall, where do you see new opportunities for shops and theindustry in general? What’s the next big thing?

Fiffick: Sometimes I get scared for our industry. Theaftermarket faces a lot of competition from the dealers whoare making more effort to keep their customers. But the usedcar market remains huge, and second owners are fair gamefor us. Our industry needs to be perceived as at least equalto dealerships in terms of convenience, knowledge, equip-ment, accuracy and courtesy. A happy customer will comeback to your shop.

Schirmer: We want more old cars! The owners are will-ing to spend the money and the car is usually straightforwardto work on. I don’t know about the next big thing; it’s tooearly to tell. Keep up your training, stay current and watchthe industry...we may be dealing with different refrigerantsin coming years. [He did note that fewer shops are stillworking with R-12.]

Don Weaver was all over this one—the vehicles in hismarket are starting to appear with more computer controlsand digital dashes. The lack of diagnostic info, even wiringdiagrams, drives him crazy. “We can get into some real jams,”he said. “We compete with the dealer, so where do we getthe training to fix this stuff? Each manufacturer uses theirown proprietary diagnostic tool, so we need all of them tofix any of them. I’m not seeing any industry standards here.We need training!”

What’s your advice to somebody just starting out in this busi-ness?

Fiffick: Hire the best technicians you can find and don’tbe afraid to pay them. Advertise like hell and know yourcompetition.

Schirmer: Be conscientious and keep your nose to thegrindstone, but also keep an open mind because this businessalways changes. Always learn the basics of heat exchange. Bewilling to invest in good tools and quality parts; you’ll alwaysget your investment back quickly.

Weaver: “If he’s close by, nothing!” he said with a laugh.“But otherwise, learn everything you can and learn fromothers. I’ll help anybody if he’s not a competitor, and a lot ofpeople have helped me.”

DistributorsMembers in this category get squeezed from both sides;

they have to deal with suppliers and manufacturers caught bya tight economy and still provide affordable and reliablecomponents to their downstream customers. It’s not always

an easy path to follow.We talked to Fritz Slagle, of Aaron Air Distributors in

Miami Florida, a large regional distributor, and Jeff Shie,regional sales manager for RadPro Distribution, a consor-tium of WDs with markets in the U.S and Canada.

Was your business successful this year, and how do you mea-sure your success?

Slagle: This business is “exceptionally weird.” 2010 wasbetter than ’09—we’re in business 40 years next year, and2009 was the hardest year in our expe-rience. We’re doing a little bit betterand just happy to still be in business. Wemust be doing something right, becausea lot of others have left. I think thosethat left simply didn’t plan ahead andprepare for poorer times.”

Shie: It was a recovery year formost, and certainly better than the pre-vious years. The summer heat gave us awelcome boost. I look at our sales, ourgross profits and the number of invoic-es written.


Slagle: We’re listening to our customers more, andreacting to their needs instead of our business needs.

We’re changing with the times and paying attention tothe quality of our parts as well as tightening the belt; everypenny counts and the small stuff adds up. We saved somemoney simply by reducing the size of our trash dumpster.

Shie: We understood where we needed to be. We did

Fritz Slagle

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Reader Reply No. 39

Reader Reply No. 55



some “in your face” marketing through both our outsidesales force and our direct marketing program.


Slagle: We can’t stock as much inventory as we’d like,and we can’t predict what will move. But we can’t be stuckwith what doesn’t move.

Shie: We do have to be fiscally responsible; if there wasanything else we could have done, we would have done it!But everybody had inventory problems this year – previousyears were so soft that when it took off, nobody could keepup.

Where are your new opportunities for growth and success?Slagle: The Internet is astounding, and a customer can

find anything there at almost any price. It’s blurring the tra-ditional distribution lines, and we have to fight to keep ourcustomers. We have a website and we’re improving it.

We also still stock and sell stand-alone, add on A/Cunits to be fitted into cars without A/C. Many of our cus-tomers tell us they plan to ship the unit to Cuba for instal-lation on their fleet of older cars. I’m not sure how the kitsget there, but if trade with Cuba ever opens up, adding A/Cto those cars could be a big market.

Shie: We’re looking into more offerings and expandingour parts lines as well as developing new markets.

Overall, where do you see new opportunities for the industryin general? What’s the next big thing?

Slagle: I’m hoping the next big thing is the new refrig-erant. It will create new tools, machines and training oppor-

tunities. Banning consumer purchase of refrigerants in smallcans will help too.

Shie: There are opportunities, and we’ll react to indus-try demand. Providing what the industry needs is standardbusiness practice. We don’t know enough yet about whathybrids or electric vehicles will need in the future

What’s your advice to somebody just starting out in this busi-ness?

Slagle: Buy your parts right, and hire or train knowl-edgeable employees. Always have a back-up plan and putmoney in the bank. You can’t run a business on a shoestringany more.

Shie: Keep your nose to the grindstone—those boxeswon’t sell themselves. You need a strong industry sales forceand a direct marketing program. There’s a lot of competitionout there!

ManufacturersWe spoke with Peter Coll, Refrigerant Analysis Division

Product Mgr, for Neutronics, Inc., the maker of refrigerantidentifiers; David Jack, Manager, Aftermarket Planning forDenso Sales California, a company with a large industryfootprint for both its thermal and electrictronic products;and we received a prepared statement from Frank Ordoñez,president of Delphi Product & Service Solutions.

Was your business successful this year, and how do you mea-sure your success?

Coll: This year we met all ourgoals, and business was up across all thecompany divisions. We judge our suc-cess by product volume and how wellour distribution system expands.

Jack: We exceeded both our dollarand units goals in our Thermal Productsline. We modified many of our productofferings and introduced new ones.

Ordoñez: Our rich OE heritageplays a critical role in our success in twokey areas: providing quality parts withhigh standards, and providing techni-cians with diagnostic tools and training.


Coll: Many factors affected our year and some of themwere outside our company. First, the general economyimproved – particularly as the auto industry stabilized – andthe freefall of a couple years ago seems to be stopping. Thathelped, but additionally, we expanded our focus on newworld markets and used favorable exchange rates to allowour customers to buy at very good prices.

Jack: We took a major step this year; we converted ourcompressor line from remanufactured to new product acrossabout 95 percent of the line.

Peter Coll




Coll: Our division handles both stationary and mobileHVAC markets, and some of our product development wasslower than we planned. This was partially due to the eco-nomic climate of previous years, and it was probably theright decision at the time, but thereduced R&D meant slower develop-ment.

Jack: We could have sold more ifwe had more inventory. We made salespredictions based on the previous year(which wasn’t the best), and orderedbased on that. But the combination ofa hot summer and the appearance of alot of delayed repairs was more thanwe expected.

Where are your new opportunities forgrowth and success?

Coll: Our primary opportunity will be the release ofHFO-1234yf, whenever and wherever it appears in theworld. Right now, nobody is sure who will be first on thestreet with it, and we’re not certain what the various over-sight groups will require. The R-134a market is fairly matureand stable, but the new refrigerant will bring new opportu-nities for all the tool and equipment manufacturers.

We’ll also continue to expand our international market,but that will be limited somewhat by our resources. We onlyhave so many people to put to the task.

Jack: We will be acquiring new customers and offeringmore products. We are going to enhance our offerings andexpand our aftermarket line to include more OEM items.

Ordoñez: We are focused on expanding our productcoverage, but every Delphi part must adhere to the compa-ny’s global technical standards for performance, noise anddurability.

Overall, where do you see new opportunities for the industryin general? What’s the next big thing?

Coll: For the next few years, the big industry opportu-nities will be in all phases of the HFO–1234yf. It’s all newand we’ll have to gear up for it. Also, I think the next gen-eration of hybrids and all-electrics will present some oppor-tunities in terms of new or clever cooling systems, perhapsfor batteries or drivelines and other newer HVAC technolo-gies. The present generation is again pretty well developed,but there’s a lot of new technology coming out.

Jack: The new refrigerant will have a huge impactacross the industry. It will be the biggest hurdle, too.

Ordoñez: We have the benefit of foresight into OEtechnologies for 2015 models being worked on today. I havetalked to the industry for several years about the VehicleElectronics Revolution. This year I said it is now the VehicleElectronics Reality.

We believe training, education and awareness are threekey elements to keeping up with the vehicle electronics real-ity. Training is never ending. There will always be an ongo-ing influx of vehicles with new technologies entering theaftermarket.

Any high-level advice to the industry at large, or somebodyjust starting out?

Coll: Don’t focus on a single refrigerant; the environ-mental protection movement is big now and will get biggerand it will continue to affect our industry. Take a global view,and view the concept of refrigerants — and their effects—asa whole.

Jack: Don’t just buy on price—provide quality productscustomers can rely on. Stay current on developing technol-ogy and take advantage of the training many quality suppli-ers now make available. Treat your cus-tomers like family.

Ordoñez: Quality parts. We believeit is our responsibility to apply our OEengineering standards to all parts webring to the aftermarket. As an industry,if we don’t take this responsibility seri-ously, we can over time drive the con-sumer away. Suppliers must make sureproper basic steps are being followed tomake sure the parts we put in the vehi-cle are of the proper chemistry—whether it be steel, aluminum, or plasticwith the strength required to withstand a harsh vehicle envi-ronment. �

David Jack

Frank Ordoñez

Reader Reply No. 33


Ford goes orangeWe mentioned this briefly in the last issue but thought the topic

was worth a longer look.Ford refers to their recommended product as E-OAT, with the E

representing the fact that the product is already in use in Europe. TheOAT designates the familiar term "organic acid technology" and refersto a product generally free of silicates, nitrates and borates in the chem-istry. The industry in general, and GM in particular began to move to anew chemistry several years ago.

OAT coolants pose a good news-bad news situation for a manu-facturer. They can provide better lubrication and longer service life, but,being an acid, they can also attack seals and gaskets not made to with-stand them. That's why mixing coolants types (colors) isn't recom-mended on most cars; you may introduce a problem into a system thatcan't handle it.

The MSDS for Ford's Motorcraft coolant reveals that it is mostlyethylene glycol, with 2-5% 2-EHA (you may see that on the jug's label)added. The extra chemical is a salt form of the organic compound 2-ethylhexanoic acid and you'll find almost that exact mixture in a Dex-Cool product, give or take a few minor variations.

So has Ford gone all GM-ish on us? Mostly not, because most peo-ple forget that “Dex-Cool” is actually a specification, not a distinct prod-uct. Any product produced for GM and meeting the performance spec

can be called by that name, and many chemical companies produce aqualifying product. Moreover, Ford acknowledges this right in theirMotorcraft parts catalog and other materials, noting:

“Meets the requirements of WSS-M97B44-D, GM 6277M andASTM D 3306. Compatible with DEX-COOL® engine coolants.”

But also, Ford is concerned that this specialty orange coolant notbe used elsewhere. That 2-EHA additive is also a plasticizer – meaningit's capable of making things soft or pliable. That's not a good idea where gas-kets and seals are concerned, so the new Ford orange is being phased-in aftereach engine family has been revisited and updated to accommodate thefluid.

There's another effect to consider – the 2-EHA acts as a cleanser onthe internal metal of the system. No problem there, a clean system is a happysystem. But if the coolant level drops and air replaces the coolant in thosepassages, the shiny clean surfaces begin to rust almost instantly. When (or if)the correct coolant level is restored, the rust gets washed off and generates abrown sludge in the system. Seen that before?

Don't mix coolants by type or color, particularly (now) on Fordengines. Use what the car was designed for, and if you're not sure look it up.

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Reader Reply No. 31


On Friday, January 28, 2011 the Mobile AirConditioning Industry Pioneer Award will be presented tothe following four individuals at the MACS WorldwideDelphi Keynote Luncheon during the MACS 31st annualConvention and Trade Show.

Dave RudykDave Rudyk has been a manufacturer member of the

Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide since1984. He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and is a 1971 grad-uate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After college,Dave worked for Goodyear selling air conditioning hose as

one of his primary products. Dave joined Parker Hannifin in January,

1979 and automotive mobile air condition-ing markets became his primary job focus. Inhis 32 years at Parker he has held the titlesaftermarket sales manager, business unit man-ager, and he is currently the GlobalAutomotive Business development manager.

Dave has been involved with all channels of our indus-try from shop owners to the largest OEMs both here andabroad. Some of his key accom-plishments include leading thedevelopment and promotion ofthe universal accumulator in the70’s, a combination of aluminumcan and several tubes to covermany part numbers and reduceaftermarket inventory. Dave wasinstrumental in the initial offer-ing of a composite air condi-tioning hose that combined thelow permeation levels of nylonwith better moisture ingressionproperties of blended rubbercompound. He also worked onthe successful acquisition of theUniroyal air conditioning hose business and Eaton’s expan-sion valve product lines.

The Mobile Air Conditioning Industry Pioneer Award wasoriginally established by IMACA –the International MobileAir Conditioning Association – in 1988. In 2003, MACSWorldwide assumed the role of continuing the tradition ofrecognizing individuals who have made outstanding career

contributions to the mobile A/C and heat transfer industry.

by Marion Posen, Vice President Sales and Marketing

Reader Reply No. 10

Dave is proud of the development and growth of theMACS organization. He remembers, “I was in attendance atthe very first MACS convention at the Shamrock Hiltonhotel in Houston, Texas. In fact, when convention expensesoverran the initial budget, I personally contributed in a ‘passthe hat’ fundraiser. I was a four-year member of the MACSboard of directors and served as secretary.

“I decided to leave the board when I returned to schoolto pursue my MBA. I was honored to represent MACS at aFar East summit held in Singapore to plan the transitionfrom CFCs in mobile air conditioning. Simon Oulouhojian,Ward, Atkinson and Dr. Steven Anderson from the EPA wereco-presenters.”

Dave’s advice for his peers: “After what we have experi-enced in Detroit in the last few years, nobody needs toremind me how difficult our business is—at all levels. Still, itmakes each day go better if you have a passion for the busi-ness. Do more than your job. MACS is just one example ofan organization that needs your support and resources.”

Dave is humbled to receive the Mobile AirConditioning Industry Pioneer award and salutes his fellowhonorees. “To be in the company of Paul Weissler who sat inthe first row of every seminar I gave and always asked thehard questions, Mike Sunday who had the foresight over

thirty years ago, before starting his own business, to see thepotential of HVAC service for trucks and off-road vehicles,and Ed Swenson whose son Gus served on the MACS Boardwith me makes this award even more special.”

Dave resides in Cleveland, Ohio and emphasizes,“Family remains my most important focus – my wife Karen,who has been so supportive through assignment changes andrelocations, and my daughter Jennifer now a senior at theUniversity of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and my son Jeffa junior at Ohio State University.”

Michael SundayMike Sunday has been a distributor member of the Mobile Air

Conditioning Society since 1990. He was born in Austin, Texas andgraduated from Southwest Texas State University with a degree inaccounting. Today, Mike lives in Fort Worth.

In 1968, Mike joined United Compressor, a small Dallas compa-

ny that was later bought by the Murray Corporation. Mike becametheir office manager and accountant, charged with establishing anaccounting system to update the costs of rebuilding compressors. In1970, the remanufacturing plant was moved to Palestine, Texas. Mikeadvanced with the Murray Corporation to be operations manager,assistant general manager, and then general manager.

In 1976, Mike joined the Signal Stat, Cool Cab organizationwhere he constructed the first heavy duty catalog and marketingprogram of A/C replacement parts for the heavy trucking industry.Then from 1980 to 1982 he worked for Evans Products where hecreated a new program of A/C replacement parts for the heavy dutymarket.

Sunday and Associates was born in 1982 to provide sales repre-sentation for Draf Tool, Refrigeration Sales and DCM Motors. In1984, Sunair Products opened for business selling o-rings, seals, andgaskets to the mobile air conditioning industry.

Among his achievements, Mike developed quick-disconnectreceiver driers with Parker Hannifin, designed to allow replacement ofa receiver drier without losing the refrigerant charge. Later the sametechnology was used to develop a complete evaporator package forheavy-duty trucks that could bereplaced without losing the refrigerantcharge.

Sunair Products currently holds apatent for a replacement compressorfor the A6 which has been used byGeneral Motors, John Deere, Case,Caterpillar, Carrier, and many othercompanies since the middle 1960s.

Mike’s advice to his industrypeers is, “Remain creative with newproduct ideas and marketing strate-gies.”


1 800 C-Parkerwww.parker.com

Parker, the global leader in motion and control technologies, is pleased to congratulate David J. Rudyk for being named a recipient of the Mobile Air Conditioning Industry Pioneer Award. Dave has worked for more than 30 years in the automotive and mobile industry. His vast experience and keen understanding of customers has allowed him to work side by side with Parker engineers to develop and promote groundbreaking technologies. Congratulations Dave!

Together, we can take note of those that have infl uenced the industry

2010 Pioneer Award honorees

Reader Reply No. 36

No-Idle A/C Introducing Red Dot’s R-1200 battery-operated

A/C for all makes of commercial trucks and

tractors. There’s no better way to maintain a

cool, comfortable cab and sleeper environment

without the expense of idling, maintenance,

or a complicated installation.

Manufactured by IndelB, known worldwide for

innovative refrigeration and A/C systems, and

distributed and supported in North America

by Red Dot Corporation, the leader

in heavy-duty mobile

climate control.

R E D D O T C O R P O R A T I O N

www.RedDotCorp.com/NA-Dist.html 1-206-575-3840Reader Reply No. 29

Edward SwensenEdward Swensen was born in July, 1930 in Columbus, Georgia.

After high school he enlisted in the army and served in the KoreanWar. When he returned home from Korea in 1954, he marriedWillodean Thorpe and went to work for Royal Crown Cola in therefrigeration department. His innate and life-long interest in fixingthings led him to further his education in electricity and refrigerationat Columbus Technical College.

During his tenure at Royal Crown Cola, Ed’s interest in auto-mobile air conditioning blossomed. He was able to apply his refriger-ation knowledge to mobile A/C repair. There were no air condition-ing specialty shops in the area so he began his new mobile A/C careerworking in his driveway. After about two years of practicing on hisfriend’s and neighbor’s cars, he decided to venture out and open hisown automobile air conditioning shop. This was truly a pioneeringdecision and had never been done in Columbus.

His shop, Cool Car Auto Conditioning, opened in the spring of1970, and for the first year, the shop was only open part-time whilehe continued to work with Royal Crown Cola. It wasn’t long thoughuntil he came to be known as the best auto A/C serviceman in thearea. Some say he is still deserving of that title.

The business flourished and it became necessary to add additionalbays, warehouse space and lease additional land. Eventually, Cool Carhad the largest shop as well as the largest A/C parts inventory any-

where south of Atlanta. Sixteen-hour work days became the norm. Specialty tools were sometimes so scarce that he had to invent the

equipment needed to serve his customers. One of his early designs wasan R-12 recovery machine that was later used to recover contaminat-ed refrigerant.

Cool Car grew to three locations with over 40 employees and 21full-service bays in the metro Columbusarea. One of the company’s other special-ties included aircraft A/C systems, andcorporate planes such as AFLAC’s KingAir would fly in from all over the south-east to have Ed repair their A/C systems.

Edward Swensen has now retired tohis pecan orchard, pulp wood farm, lakes,chickens, ducks, and turkeys. He enjoys hisbird dogs and geese as well as quail hunt-ing, fishing, and traveling. However he stilllooks forward to the summer when he




15 locations in 6 states!Covering the Southeast & Midwest

[email protected]

888-572-3776Reader Reply No. 19

can get back to work at the family A/C business. That business, nowowned by his son Gus, has expanded into a full-service garage thatspecializes in A/C service and repair.

Paul WeisslerA well known automotive journalist for over 30 years, Paul

Weissler has been MACS’ technical correspondent since theAssociation’s inception in 1982. Paul has been a newspaperreporter, an auto mechanic, and a repair shop owner specializingin foreign cars. He is a native of New York City and a graduateof City College of New York. He also attended automotive tradeschool.

Paul is also a former endurance rally driver, having won theNew England Winter 24-hour rally in 1968 and winning theNortheast All-night Rally Championship Series in 1969.

Paul writes for MACS Service Reports, the members-onlytechnical newsletter, and MACS’ ACTION magazine. He con-tributes to MOTOR magazine, Popular Mechanics, SAE’sAutomotive Engineering International and other journals. Hiswork for MACS Service Reports received an IAMA “Best of2005” award for best technical newsletter of the year.

MACS Service Reports was recognized at the 2010Automotive Communications Awards, winning the best busi-ness-to-business magazine article and “Best of Show” in business-to-business communications.

Paul Weissler has been a member of SAE since 1963 and is amember of the SAE Interior Climate Control Committee. Hereceived the EPA Global Climate Protection Award in 2007 forhis work in developing SAE J2788, the engineering standard forrecovery/recycle/recharge equipment. He has worked on theSAE standards that cover HVAC service and equipment since1990 including; J2788, J2851, J2791,J2912, J2913, J2927 and worked onnumerous other ICCC standards aswell.

Since 1994, he has been amember of the North AmericanCar and Truck of the Year jury, thegroup of 50 journalists who deter-mine the award winners, and isproud to evaluate every new car thatcomes out. An avid baseball fan, Paullives in Freehold, New Jersey. �


Reader Reply No. 21ACT I O N • January/February 2011 41

The listed vehicles, with HVAC sys-tem front A/C, manual temperature con-trol or heater only, may experience fail-ures of the blower motor. The cause ofthis problem may be a faulty blowermotor resistor.

Replace the blower motor resistorand module connector using the follow-ing procedure:

1. Remove the blower fuse.For full-size pickups andSUVs: “Htr A/C” & “HVAC1” fuses. For midsize SUVs:“Blower fuse 35”, located inthe underhood fuse block.2. Lower the hush panel orclose-out panel enough togain access to the resistormodule connector, then dis-

connect the resistor module.3. Remove the tape from thewiring harness to expose thewiring, then cut back thewires far enough from theconnector to eliminate anymelted insulation.4. Install the new connector(P/N 15862656) and theincluded yellow splice sleeves.Use the old connector as aguide for splicing the wires forthe new connector.5. Install a new blower motorresistor (P/N 89019088 or89019089 – depending onVIN for full-size pickups andSUVs, or 89019100 for mid-size SUVs).

6. Reinstall the fuse and testthe blower motor for correctoperation at all speeds.7. Once you have verifiedcorrect operation of the blow-er motor, replace the hushpanel or close-out panel. �

GM Truck blower motor failures:Blower motor works on low speed only or is inoperative.2004-2006 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, TrailBlazer, TrailBlazer EXT and 2007 Chevrolet Silverado (Classic)2004-2006 GMC Envoy, Envoy XL, Sierra, Yukon, Yukon Denali, Yukon XL and 2007 GMC Sierra (Classic).

Use the old blower resistor con-nector as a splicing guide.

Reader Reply No. 99 ACT I O N • January/February 2011 43

MACS Service Report is “Best of Show” atAutomotive Communications Awards

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide hasbeen honored with two Automotive Communications Awards forits technical newsletter MACS Service Report. The September,2009 issue of the MACS Service Report covering A/C perfor-mance in hybrid vehicles was the winner in the business-to-busi-ness technical magazine article category and was chosen best inshow for the business-to-business communication category. Theawards were presented during the Car Care Council Women’sBoard reception on Tues, Nov. 2 at the Sands Expo Center duringthe Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX).

“MACS is proud to have been recognized with these awardsfor our mobile A/C technical content. Congratulations to MACStechnical correspondent Paul Weissler for his excellent article onmobile A/C in hybrid vehicles. Paul is an exceptionally talented andexperienced automotive writer and we are fortunate he has sharedhis talents with MACS members for over thirty years,” said ElvisHoffpauir, MACS president and COO.

The Automotive Communications Awards are sponsored bythe Car Care Council Women’s Board and supported by theAutomotive Communication Council. The awards applaud compa-nies and agencies that provide automotive information through

outstanding advertising, marketing and public relations efforts.

MACS Mobile A/C Boot Camp, March 4-5, 2011Friday and Saturday, March 4 and 5, 2011, the Mobile Air

Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide is hosting a two-dayboot camp training weekend at the MACS training facility.Beginning on Friday afternoon, Paul DeGuiseppi, MACS managerof service training, will instruct attendees on Section 609 refriger-ant recovery and recycling procedures and discuss the proper use ofa refrigerant recovery machine.

Bright and early Saturday morning, Paul will teach a mobileA/C best practices and compressor replacement procedures class.Paul says, “When adhered to, the procedures outlined in this pro-gram should help assure more accurate diagnoses, high-qualitylong-lasting repairs, reduction of comebacks and increased cus-tomer satisfaction. Its boot camp-style approach delivers ‘everythingyou need and nothing you don’t’ in a fast-paced, highly informativemanner.”

In the afternoon MACS instructor Peter Orlando will answerthe questions, “Have you ever unplugged a failed component andplugged it back in to find it works fine now?” “Ever replaced acomponent that tested bad, but the vehicle is still not fixed?” “Doyou have repeat electrical component failures and can’t figure outwhy?”

Mobile A/C Boot Camp registration is available on the MACSwebsite at www.macsw.org or by calling the MACS office at 215-631-7020.

Where are they now?After selling their City Auto Radiator business to C and R

Acquisition Corp. five years ago, Ron and Judy Matlack are happi-ly retired and living in their native Bristol, Pennsylvania. Ron calledrecently to let us know they often think about their many MACSfriends.

Ron was one of the group of 27 Charter Members of MACSwho contributed the planning, direction and seed money neededto get the Mobile Air Conditioning Society up and running backin 1981, and he remained an active, contributing member until hisretirement.

Ron had been a member of the Bristol Township schoolboard, among other civic groups. Currently he is a member of theBoard of Directors of the Pennsbury Society and is a volunteer tourguide at Pennsbury Manor.

The 43-acre historic site, administered by the Pa Historical andMuseum Commission, closely reflects the forty acres William Pennhad originally cleared. Ron says his volunteer work requires him tospeak and dress as a colonial settler and the tours, exhibits andworkshops share the colonial world of Pennsylvania’s founder. Youcan reach Ron and Judy at [email protected].

MACS Training Clinics Visit Canada in 2011Montreal and Toronto, Canada are on the itinerary of MACS

training clinics in 2011. MACS visits the Montreal, Quebec area onWednesday, May 18, 2011, 6:30 p.m., at Spectra Premium(Boucherville) headquarters. The clinic presentation on compressor



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replacement procedures will be conducted in French.On Thursday, May 19, MACS manager of service training Paul

DeGuiseppi will visit Toronto, Ontario to conduct a 2011 MACSMobile A/C Update clinic. This seminar will be conducted inEnglish.

Topics to be covered in Toronto include: mobile A/C serviceand repair case studies lessons learned, compressors without pistons,electrical troubleshooting tips, engine coolant update (And It’s a BigOne!), scanning and flashing GM vehicles, those “weird” alternatorpulleys, what’s happening with the new refrigerant, working onhybrid HVAC systems and many more MVAC repair related top-ics will also be covered.

Attendees will be able to register for these events through theMACS website at www.macsw.org after February 1, 2011. Keep trackof the MACS training schedule by visiting the training calendarpage on the MACS website under the training tab.

MACS Member Benefits: Health Insurancefrom MMIC

Today’s health care plans are changing rapidly. The new healthcare reform legislation will affect members’ coverage options, how-

ever, many of the provisions will not take effect for several years.Plans sold on or after September 23, 2010 have the following

key provisions:1) Unlimited lifetime maximum benefit2) Preventive care services payable at 100%3) Pre-existing condition limitations will not apply to

a covered person under Age 19.4) Expanded dependent coverage5) New patient protections6) New limitations on rescission

Important: Members enrolled in a medical plan on or beforeMarch 23, 2010 will be protected under a “Grandfather” provisionwhich allows keeping most of your current benefits and several ofthe new health care reform changes will not affect them.

As an affinity partner for dues-paying MACS members, MassMarketing Insurance Consultants, Inc. can provide efficient andcost-effective health insurance quotes at no cost for your review.Visit this website for a quote: www.mmicinsurance.com/MACS.All health insurance quotes will be e-mailed within 48 hours.Questions? E-mail MMIC at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-349-1039. �


Bergstrom adds options forNITE

� MACS ExhibitorBergstrom Inc., of Rockford

Illinois, has announced the availabilityof shore power and hotel-load capabil-ities for its NITE no-idle systems usingthe Tundra inverter and shore powerkits. When added on to the company’sNITE, a battery-powered no-idle sys-tem, the shore power kit and invertersmake it even easier for resting driversto comply with anti-idling regulationswithout sacrificing comfort.

The shore power feature allowsdrivers to connect their parked truck togrid electr icity when available. Itincludes an extension cord and aswitching box that automaticallydetects 110V AC power, providing thevehicle with both AC and 12V DCpower. An optional pre-assembled

inverter installation kit is available,allowing quick, easy and safe installa-tion without special tools.

R.R. No. 101

General Automotive offerscabin air filters

General Automotive of Orlando,Florida, has announced the launch ofits complete line of cabin air filterproducts for distribution in the U.S.The new program offers complete cov-erage for domestic, Asian and Europeanmakes.

The company announced that thenew products will be made to meet orexceed OE specifications, and will becarried in inventory at its Orlando,Fla., warehouse and distribution facili-ty.

R.R. No. 102

CLIPLIGHT introduces new leakdetector

�MACS Exhibitor

Cliplight Manufacturing Company hasreleased its new model 580951 refrigerantdetector, capable of detecting all refrigerants– CFCs, HCFCs, and HFCs. The new unituses a sensor with a digital display that isindependent from the audio alarm and sen-sitivity level, allowing the precise pinpoint-

Start saving today, contact Jenny Wu /Managing Director

Tel: 886-2-2205-6120Fax: 886-2-2205-1943 • Email: [email protected]

Procar

Procar, Taiwan is your source for OE parts! Procar also designs and builds new compressors and is a compressorrebuilder. Procar manufactures casted shells, pulleys, clutches, oil and lip seals, coils, connectors, plugs,temperature sensors, steel gaskets, O-rings, caps and more.

Reader Reply No. 22 Reader Reply No. 48

ing of the leak source.The new detector has been certified to

comply with the SAE InternationalStandard J2791, published in September of2008 and created for an improved class ofelectronic probe refrigerant leak detectors.Tools meeting this specification are capableof finding very small to moderate leaks.

Cliplight’s new heated-sensor 580951unit offers detection sensitivity of 0.05oz/yr for R-134a, sensor life in excess of3000 hours, instantaneous response time,and a battery life of eight hours continuous.The tool is available individually or in kitsthat include additional accessories.

R.R. No. 103

HD Essentials from Snap-onSnap-on’s 2010 Heavy Duty catalog is

now available, featuring the latest in Snap-on technology and innovation for the heavyduty tool user. It is a must-have for those

looking for heavy duty tool solutions toimprove efficiency and productivity.

The new catalog features an assortmentof hand tools including the latest in ratchettechnology, a fine collection of heavy dutysockets, and superior impact wrenches andcordless drills in the power tool section.There is also a section on shop and special-ty tools and heavy duty tool storage unitsincluding the mobile workstation and roadchests.

R.R. No. 104

Santech’s handy A/C tool cart �MACS Exhibitor

Santech Industries has been working

with technicians in the field to developsolutions for everyday service and repairproblems for 40 years. Have you everstruggled to keep the refrigerant cylinderhandy but out of the way and find some-where to hang your gauge set duringrepairs or diagnosis? Until now, there wasrarely a perfect place for both.

Santech’s MT7000 A/C Tool Cart

re-defines “Keep it Simple” and providesstorage and portability for your everydayA/C equipment.

The wide, low base and unique casterdesign provide smooth movement thatturns on a dime and reduces jarring ofyour expensive equipment Wheninstalled, your gauge set is accessible andeasy to read at 42 inches; no more search-ing for a place to hang the hook.

Your scale, refrigerant cylinder andvacuum pump are all within easy access,too. Depending on your equipment, youcan set the cart up for continuous refrig-erant and vacuum hose hookup – nomore moving the service hose betweenthe cylinder and vacuum pump.

The useful tray bin on the back of thehandle is the perfect place to keep smallitems or tools instead of risking losingthem under the hood.

R.R. No. 105

Diagnostics from Denso�MACS Exhibitor

DENSO enhances compressor programDenso Sales California has announced sig-nificant improvements to its 2011 FirstTime Fit compressor program. The com-pany had converted its compressor pro-gram from mostly remanufactured tomostly new product in 2009 and reducedprices as well.

For 2011, even more reman compres-sors have been replaced with new prod-uct, and the company states that this yearnew compressors will account for 97 per-cent of Denso’s compressor line-up. The2011 conversion involves 114 model SBand SE compressors for popular makesincluding such as Toyota, Lexus, MercedesBenz, BMW, Audi and Honda.

Denso’s program now covers 91 per-cent of the company’s OE market and 65percent of the entire market. Their cover-age includes 11,000 applications for morethan 149 million import and domesticvehicles.

Detailed information for Denso’s2011 A/C program can be found atwww.densoaftermarket.com.

R.R. No. 106


NEW from AIRSEPTNEW from AIRSEPT

NEW! COMPRESSOR GUARD OE-FIT FILTER PLATESPROTECT YOUR COMPRESSOR REPAIR FROM DEBRISOE-fi t fi lter plates for

- ‘93-’08 GM Car, Truck, SUV

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NEW LINE SPLICE SIZESREPAIR DAMAGED METAL LINES IN 5 MINUTES

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Reader Reply No. 2

Tracer : You can hear 'em now!

�MACS Exhibitor

Tracer Products has introduced theTracerline TP-9370 Marksman ultrasonicdiagnostic tool, a highly accurate instru-ment that converts and amplifies inaudibleultrasonic sound into audible “natural”sound. Now, service technicians can easilyhear sounds that signify problems such asair brake leaks, gear and bearing wear, aswell as vacuum, EVAP system, exhaust,refrigerant and passenger compartmentleaks.

The Marksman uses a two-tieredprocess to ensure accurate diagnosis. First,the receiver unit converts inaudible soundinto audible sound using a process knownas heterodyning, and then the receiver’sSound Signal Technology fine-tunes thesignal into the natural sound emitted bythe defect itself. A 10-bar LED displayindicates the intensity of incoming signalsfrom the problem source to ensure error-free diagnosis.

The Marksman master kit includes areceiver, full-sized headphones, twoanodized probes and an ultrasonic emitterthat allows technicians to perform addi-tional tests in unpressurized enclosures.Standard 9-volt alkaline batteries areincluded for both the receiver and theemitter. All components are packed in asturdy storage case with foam insert.

R.R. No. 107

New line at Spectra Premium� MACS Exhibitor

Spectra Premium Industries hasannounced their new line of dual-coated,corrosion resistant FN574 filler necks.

Built to meet and exceed OE specifica-tions, Spectra Premium filler necks helpprevent fuel pump failure, expensive fuelleaks, and unnecessary comebacks. Forcomplete information please contactSpectra Premium Industries.

R.R No. 108

Worldwide leader in the manufacturing of heavy-duty compressors for the mobile air-conditioning

and transport refrigeration industries.

U N I T E D I N Q U A L I T Y

ASKFORQUE.COM | [email protected] | 972.731.9494


BEHR HELLA adds more than 225parts

�MACS ExhibitorBehr Hella Service (BHS), a North

American joint venture for thermal man-agement between Behr (vehicle air condi-tioning and engine cooling) and Hella(lighting technology and electronics) has

just added more than 225 new part num-bers for its thermal management parts pro-gram.

The new parts include engine coolingSKUs for passenger cars, parts for passengercar air conditioning, and heavy duty vehiclecomponents. These additions complimentBHS’s existing lines of more than 6,500

OE-quality thermal management prod-ucts, air conditioning parts, radiators,VISCO clutches and fans, tools andPAO-Oil 68.

The company’s 2011 full-line catalogfor Passenger Cars and 2011 Heavy DutyTruck catalogs are now available. BHS isalso planning an A/C Pre-Season promo-tion, which will include attractive dis-counts and payment terms for all BHSA/C parts. More information is availablefrom Behr Hella sales representatives.

R.R. No. 109

HD actuator from Red Dot�MACS Exhibitor

Red Dot Corp. now offers a sealed,microprocessor-controlled rotary actua-tor designed specifically for heavy-dutymobile HVAC systems. Designed forcommercial trucks, military vehicles, andoff-highway equipment used in construc-tion, agriculture, and other demandingenvironments, Red Dot’s actuator is idealfor managing air-distribution doors,water valves, and other functions wheredurability and precise, electronically con-trolled actuation are required.

The rugged unit is vibration testedto 9.8G and it can operate in tempera-

Reader Reply No. 6050 ACT I O N • January/February 2011

OE Engineering.It’s in our DNA.

OE engineering experience. It’s what sets our team apart from the competition. Our design engineers have the expertise to guarantee OE fi t, form and function. First time. Every time.

That’s why you need VDO – the brand that delivers best-in-the-business quality, service and coverage to keep you ahead of the competition.

Get the OE engineering advantage. Go with VDO.

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Reader Reply No. 61


tures between -40° and 185° F. It is rated at 300,000 cycles and themicroprocessor control can maintain constant torque across therange of operating voltage and automatically reduce torque in astalled condition.

The Red Dot actuator (Part No. 71R3577/RD-5-12450-1P)is environmentally sealed to IP68 standards (+/- 5 psi internal orexternal pressure) to resist moisture and other contaminants foundin harsh operating conditions. The unit is manufactured in Seattleand is available for aftermarket or original equipment installation.Contact your Red Dot distributor for more information.

R.R. No. 110

UView releases new oil and dye kit for hybrids �MACS Exhibitor

UView Ultraviolet Systems Inc. has announced a new OEM-approved Hybrid AC Oil and Dye kit to meet the unique require-ments of today’s hybrid vehicles. This ester oil kit uniquely address-es two fundamental problems: waste of product and high cost perapplication.

Hybrid A/C oils are hygroscopic and can absorb moisturethrough their packaging, including the traditional plastic bottles. Inaddition, typical package sizes contain up to 8 oz. and instruct thetechnician to discard any unused portion — a typical 1 oz. appli-cation means 7 oz are literally wasted.

UView’s new hybrid A/C kit solves these problems in threeways. First, the oil cartridges are protected by a moisture-resistantpouch to ensure longer shelf life and improved oil performance.Second, the kit offers single-use, 1 oz. cartridges so there is nowaste or risk of overfilling. Additionally, the Eco-Twist injectionsystem makes the injection process safe, simple and cost effective,with no risk of cross-contamination.

The new Hybrid A/C kit, part number 321400H, is availablefor shipment immediately, and includes 1 oz. of OEM-approvedhybrid oil, one-quarter ounce of OEM-approved dye, one Eco-Twist injection tool and one applicator hose. Replacement oil anddye cartridges are also available.

R.R. No. 111

New Sizes for AirSept’s LineSplice

�MACS Exhibitor

Rub-through damage, pinhole leaks,and cross-threaded joints are no problem forAirSept’s Line Splice. The company’s new3/4”, 7/8”, 15mm, and 16mm sizes allowtechnicians to repair damaged A/C low sideand other large metal lines. The Line Spliceis also available in sizes to fit 5/16”, 3/8”,1/2”, 5/8”, 10mm, and 12mm (O.D.) lines,and every one works with an open endwrench – no costly crimping tools arerequired.

With the Line Splice technicians canrepair the damaged line in five minutes andavoid the labor time of complete lineR&R, selling a job that might otherwise becost-prohibitive – in particular, the lines tothe rear evaporator on a large SUV. TheLine Splice works on steel or aluminumlines, including A/C, transmission, heaterand power steering lines.

A new sealing sleeve, up to eight timeswider than a standard o-ring, seals againstirregular tubing surfaces, to prevent leaks.The wider sleeve also helps resist vibrationthat creates leaks. A slotted tension ringcoupled with a tapered nut guarantees atight grip on the tubing.

R.R. No. 112

SPAL meets extreme applica-tions.

�MACS Exhibitor

SPAL USA has introduced itsadvanced brushless DC technology foradvanced vehicles.

The company plans full serial pro-duction of the new, completely sealedbrushless motor, meeting IP6K9K pro-tection standards, in 2011.

The state-of-the-art SBL300 tech-nology is available in both axial fan andcentrifugal blower configurations to suita variety of needs. Development of thenew brushless SBL300 technology,focused on all design aspects includingperformance, weight reduction and safe-ty features.

SPAL’s brushless motor is 25-40%more efficient than an equivalent DCbrush motor and features fully-integrat-ed control electronics to increase relia-bility and reduce system complexity. Theefficient and reliable design exceeds30,000 hours in most applications andcan also exceed 10G+ requirements.

R.R. No. 113

Classified


Send information on your new product or service [email protected]. All releases may be edited andpublication does not constitute endorsement byMACS Worldwide.

Project ManagersBergstrom Europe have been successful with new businessventures in new and emerging markets including India,Russia and Turkey. We are at a point in business develop-ment where local representation is required to progressboth existing projects and new opportunities.The company is seeking to fill 3 Project Manager positionsthat we are currently recruiting for. Due to the position hav-ing to operate across different time zones it is beneficial forthe company that the role is based in the UK. These posi-tions will be based in South Wales, United Kingdom. Theseare permanent positions and re-location packages would bediscussed.The Project Manager positions will support engineering,commercial and project management functions. A broadbackground in engineering, manufacturing and a commer-cial awareness is paramount to the success of this role.Extensive travel at minimum notice will be a fundamentalaspect of this role, and it may be suitable for expatriates ofthe above mentioned emerging markets looking for theopportunity to work and travel between the UK and theemerging market countries. Qualifications / Education and Training• Experience of automotive projects and/or HVAC would be beneficial.

• Ability to regularly travel overseas and at short notice.

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering which has encompassed the

subjects of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics is preferred.

• CAD; particularly Pro-Engineer, experience is highly desirable

although training will be made available to otherwise exceptional candi-

dates.

• Desired commercial exposure:

• Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) exposure.

• Regular contact with both customers and suppliers on both technical

and commercial issues.

• The ability to work in a fluid and changing environment.

• Project/programme management experience.

• Proficient with the Microsoft Office suite of software including

Microsoft Project.

• Full driving license.

• Ability to speak/learn appropriate foreign languages is desirable.Key areas of responsibility

New Product Introduction (NPI) responsibilities to include: • Build relationships between Bergstroms Joint Venture (JV) and manu-

facturing partners

• Co-ordinating activities between the Bergstrom JV or partners and

other Bergstrom facilities

• Lead and take an active involvement in cross functional teams (CFT)

for new projects

• Determination of customers heating and air-conditioning require-

ments.

• Creating system specifications

• Creation of system layouts and technical calculations

• Participation in the preparation of multiple concepts for the applica-

tion.

• Preparation of commercial quotations for the concepts.

• Project review meetings with the CFT.

• Participation in design review meetings with Engineering.

• Participation in Design Failure Mode Effect Analysis (DFMEA) reviews

• Monitoring and reporting Changes in Scope relative to original specifi-

cation.

• Creation and maintenance of timelines in accordance with project

requirements

• Recording and monitoring all open issues for the NPI project.

• Establish and monitor the return on investment (ROI)

• Ensuring that Design, Verification, Plan and Report (DVP&Rs) are

created for of all new projects.

• Ensuring all relevant customer sign-off documentation is completed.

• Liaising with the Engineering Manager on final design details for man-

ufacturing.

• Arrange and chair End of Phase reviews (EOPR’s) with CFT and

senior management

• Ensuring that all the procedures within the NPI process are followed.

• The ability to manage multiple activities within very short deadlines

Customer liaison/visits in order to:

• Build relationships between Bergstroms JV and manufacturing part-

ners

• Offer technical support for existing and potential new customer

• Present both engineering and commercial solutions to potential and

existing customersPlease direct resumes and enquiries to:[email protected]

Wanted to buyI buy overstock and obsolete radiators, condensers, gas

tanks, heater cores and radiator memorabilia.

Please contact St. Louis Joe at [email protected] call 314-776-6677.

Reader Reply No. 72

The Choice isUp To You!

Find out more about the new SAE standard and the Robinair 34288 or 34788. Call 1-800-533-6127.

Only Robinair offers a choiceof two SAE J-2788 compliant ACRecovery/Recycle/Recharge machines—there’s a RRR unit just right for your shop.Our new 34288 combines simple manualoperation with superior accuracy. Our popular 34788 provides programmable fully automatic functions—just set it and walk away. Both units let you recover 95% or more refrigerant faster with greater charge accuracy (± 1/2 oz.). This means it willcost you less to recharge the system while minimizing dreaded come-backs. In a word—faster, more efficient A/C service means more “green” for your shop’s bottom line. So, you decide—34288 or 34788—both comply with the new J-2788 standard and help you make money in the process.

Robinair – it’s what you’ve come to expect from the leader.

Robinair gives you a choice in AC Recovery Machines

Robinair Leads the Way in J-2788 Compliance:

• Semi-automatic or Programmable Fully Automatic Functions

• Recover 95% or more refrigerant (20% better than other units)

• Charge accuracy to ± 1/2 oz.

• Eliminates cross contamination between traditional and hybrid vehicle A/C systems

• Large user display

• Advanced monitoring of filter life

• Can pay for itself in 4-months or less

©2010 SPX. Robinair is a registered trademark of SPX.

34288 (Manual)

34788 (Automatic)

www.Robinair.com

Reader Reply No. 32

As of 2009 an estimated one-quarter of the Earth’s population used the ser-vices of the Internet, and you can bet that many of your potential customersdo too. What they find there influences not only their choice of goods and

services but their general attitude toward vendors like you as well. As part of a larger project, ACTION editor Jim Taylor devoted quite a few

hours to trolling the electronic ocean. His catch was a mixed bag, to say theleast.

In a report summarizing his findings, he notes: “The World Wide Web hasbecome a tangled place, but it is still often the first place a home mechanic ordo-it-yourselfer (DIY’er) will turn for information. ... On overview, the qualityof the information found ranges from truly excellent to downright ghastly anddangerous. Each site and video presents itself as a source of “expert informa-tion,” but it is clear that an uninformed consumer attempting a driveway repairmight not recognize which procedures are reasonable and which pose a varietyof hazards.”

On the consumer’s perspective, JT observes: “In spite of the industry effortsto improve its image, many consumers believe that every technician and shopwill ‘rip them off ’ or otherwise treat them badly. These statements and com-plaints almost always revolve around charges and dollar amounts rather thanshoddy repairs or unreliable parts.”

We’ve previously encouraged our readers to develop a web presence and telltheir own story. While no single entity can correct what JT identifies as “half-truths and not-quite-right advice,” your efforts to provide accurate informationto consumers may help many to avoid bad choices and could help bring themto your door.

Like the classic western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Internet searches arebasically about a treasure hunt; some of the nuggets are gold, others not somuch.

For these reasons, with this issue ACTION we are introducing “Virtual View”to help you better understand your customers’ perspectives as they are coloredby the WWW so you can plan how best to address their expectations andneeds. �

Elvis Hoffpauir,Editor-in-Chief

You can reach Elvis at [email protected]


Advertiser Index1-800-Radiator & A/C..............................2

Air Parts, Inc. ....................................10

AirSept, Inc.........................................48

Arizona Mobile Air Inc.......................44

Behr-Hella ..........................................11

BVA Oils ............................................43

Cintas Corporation ............................15

Cliplight Manufacturing Company ..23

CSF......................................................19

DENSO................................................56

DTAC ..................................................31

Doc’s Blocks ......................................12

Eaton ..................................................25

Four Seasons ......................................7

Global Air Inc. ..................................45

Global Parts Distributors ..................46

Gold Auto Parts Recyclers ..............41

Johnson Manufacturing Company ..13

Koyo....................................................40

Longson..............................................22

MACS Worldwide........................ 34, 42

MEI Corporation ................................33

Omega ..................................................5

Parker Hannifin Corp ........................38

Procar International ..........................46

Que Products ....................................49

Radpro ................................................40

Ranshu ........................................center

RedDot ................................................39

Robert Bosch LLC ............................37

RTI Technologies ........................16-17

Santech ..............................................50

Spectra Premium ..............................35

SPX Robinair......................................53

SunAir ..................................................8

Tracer Products ................................18

Trans/Air Mfg. ....................................52

TSI Inc./SuperCool ..............................3

TT AC/Parts ........................................47

TYC Genera ........................................55

Universal Air Conditioner ..................9

USA Sealants ....................................21

VDO Continental ................................51

UView..................................................27

To request information from our

advertisers visit www.macsw.org and

click on the ACTION Reader Reply

button

Last Watch

The Good, the Badand the Ugly Elvis Hoffpauir

Reader Reply No. 75

Faster installs.Fewer comebacks.More time foryour favoritepastime.

It’s DENSO, relax. DENSO First Time Fit® A/C compressors draw on everything we know as an OE

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www.densoaftermarket.com.

a/c compressors & components | cabin air fi lters | air fi lters | fuel pumps | oil fi lters | ignition wire sets | oxygen sensors | spark plugs | starters | alternators | wiper blades

©2008 DENSO Sales California First Time Fit is a registered trademark of DENSO Sales California, Inc.

2011 01 02 Action

Business

Transcript of 2011 01 02 Action