Repair Info - Why Certified Repairs?
What is Meant By "Certified" Repairs?
Recognizing that effective diagnosis and repair of high-emitting vehicles is the single most important factor to AirCare's success, the program administration created a certification program for auto technicians and auto repair shops. Repairs performed by an AirCare Certified Technician at an AirCare Certified Repair Centre are referred to as "Certified Repairs".
Technicians who wish to be AirCare certified must first obtain their B.C. Trades Qualification licence and then challenge a written examination that tests their knowledge of vehicle emissions diagnosis and repair. If they pass the examination with a mark of 70% or better, they become AirCare certified.
Repair shops in the program area who wish to be AirCare certified must have the equipment necessary to perform emissions diagnosis and repair and they must sign a Code of Practice. Also, they must employ at least one technician who has been AirCare certified.
The Advantages of Certified Repairs
There are several important advantages to having repairs performed by an AirCare Certified Repair Centre. They are better equipped to achieve maximum emissions reductions in the most cost-effective manner. Also, if repairs are performed at an AirCare Certified Repair Centre, you will at least get a conditional pass when re-inspected. You don't have to worry about going back and forth between the repair centre and the inspection centre making multiple attempts to repair your vehicle.
Here are some more details . . . .
Technician Qualification
You might think that any technician who has received their trades qualification certificate in automotive repairs would be capable of performing effective emissions repairs. While they may be capable, they may not be proficient at it.
Technicians who have passed the AirCare certification exam have proven they have the know-how to correctly diagnose and repair vehicles that have failed AirCare. The proficiency of these technicians that work at AirCare Certified Repair Centres can be clearly seen in the AirCare Certified Repair Centre listings. Being able to clearly view this performance information is a clear advantage when selecting a technician and repair centre for emissions repairs.
Code of Practice
AirCare Certified Repair Centres must endorse a written Code of Practice which is a set of guidelines designed to ensure that the facility is accountable for providing excellent customer service and high quality emissions repairs.
Mandatory Equipment
AirCare Certified Repair Centres are required to have specialized equipment that is necessary for correct diagnosis and repair of vehicles that fail their AirCare inspection.
Technical Assistance Line
Expert technical assistance is available to AirCare Certified Repair Centres when they encounter difficulties in diagnosing or repairing vehicles that have failed their AirCare inspection.
Repair Effectiveness Monitoring
Each and every diagnosis and repair performed by AirCare Certified Repair Centres is monitored and evaluated. The evaluation of repair effectiveness is based on the emissions readings before repair compared to the emissions readings after the repair. In addition, the details of the diagnosis and repair action are taken into consideration to ensure that unnecessary repairs are not done.
These performance evaluations are used both to incentify better performance and to identify poor performers that may require remedial action.
Performance Incentives
Technicians are incentified to achieve maximum repair effectiveness with Quality Repair Awards. The AirCare program recognizes technicians who consistently achieve the highest ratings with a series of awards leading up to "Master" AirCare technician status.
Remedial Action
AirCare Certified Technicians and/or Repair Centres that are not performing at a level equal to the industry average or better may have their certification suspended or be required to take additional training as a condition of continued certification.
Conditional Pass Availability
If the repairs necessary for your vehicle to be restored to normal emissions performance are costly, motorists are not required to spend more than the repair cost limits. It is certainly preferable to have all of the needed repairs performed but if you cannot afford to, having the option of limiting your repair costs to a maximum amount (click here for the Repair Cost Limits) may be important to you.
NOTE - A conditional pass is only available if the diagnosis/repairs are performed at an AirCare Certified Repair Centre.
When a vehicle has had repairs performed by an AirCare Certified Repair Centre, even if they are partial repairs and the vehicle's emissions are higher than the maximum allowable levels on the re-inspection, the vehicle will receive a conditional pass. A conditional pass makes your vehicle eligible for re-licensing for up to one year, but it also signifies that the emissions problem is not completely repaired.
In Summary
As you can see, AirCare certification is not just a "rubber stamp". AirCare does everything it can to ensure that you get the most effective emissions repairs when you have them performed at an AirCare Certified Repair Centre. Because of that, we can all breathe a little easier.
