By John Huetter on August 17, 2018
Virtually every front-end collision will involve elements of either a passenger or engine cooling system — and often, this means components must be replaced, rather than repaired, according to the May Collision Hub “Repair University Live.”
The show primarily focused on the air conditioning system, for repairers tended to struggle with it, Collision Hub CEO Kristen Felder said on the show.
Frequently damaged items include condensers and radiators, CPS Automotive sales and marketing Vice President Chuck Abbot said on the show. Vehicle Collision Experts CEO Mark Olson pointed out that the vehicle seen on the show had an evaporator and lines up front in the line of fire.
Air conditioning lines can’t be straightened if bent by a collision, Olson said. A/C works by expansion, and any bent line creates an additional expansion point and can prevent the system from working correctly, he said. “Any bend at all” should lead to a replacement, he said, for attempting to straighten an A/C line was like “trying to straighten out a copper pipe.” Shops should take care not to bend the lines when storing them during a repair, he said.