Subject: | General Motors Dealership Critical Equipment Requirements and Recommendations |
Models: | 2005 and Prior Cars and Light Duty Trucks |
| 2005 and Prior Saturn Vehicles (Canada Only) |
Critical Equipment
As established in the Dealer Sales and Service Agreement, in addition to required essential service tools, the dealer agrees to provide such other tools and equipment as reasonably necessary to fulfill its responsibilities to properly diagnose and service
General Motors vehicles. This bulletin is intended to provide General Motors dealerships with requirements and recommendations for service equipment that has been identified as critical equipment necessary to properly repair and maintain General Motors vehicles.
The proper maintenance and/or replacement of existing equipment with General Motors approved equipment (available through GM Dealer Equipment) will ensure proper serviceability and contribute to improved customer satisfaction and dealer profitability.
Equipment Maintenance
Regular maintenance and calibration is essential to assure the use of equipment results in high quality and satisfactory repairs. Most manufacturers recommend weekly or monthly cleaning and inspection of equipment with repair or replacement of worn or
damaged parts as needed. Annual or semi-annual calibration of equipment is also recommended, depending on frequency of use. The manufacturer of your equipment will have specific recommendations and, in many cases, can provide inspection and calibration services.
Brake Equipment
GM Equipment Requirements*
• | Capable of producing rotor surfaces with less than 0.051 mm (0.002 in) assembled runout. |
• | Capable of producing rotor surfaces with less than 0.025 mm (0.001 in) lateral runout (as measured on the lathe arbor - bench lathe) |
• | Capable of producing flat surfaces (no dishing). |
• | Capable of producing rotor surfaces with less than 0.0076 mm (0.0003 in) thickness variation. |
• | Use secondary non-directional surface finishing tools. |
• | Capable of producing surface finish of 40 Ra (Roughness Average) or less (after secondary finish operation). |
• | All adapters, vibration dampeners, hardware and cutting inserts in good condition. |
• | Measure and document brake rotor original and refinished thickness. |
• | Use Essential Cleaning tools J 42450A and J 41013 to clean rotor hat and hub surfaces before rotor machining. |
• | Measure all brake drums prior to installation to ensure drum is not beyond maximum dimensions. |
• | Measure all brake rotors with a dial indicator and index that rotor on the hub to correct excessive lateral runout. |
• | Use the proper Brake-Align shims to correct lateral runout when necessary. |
• | Use "Torque Sticks" torque limiting sockets or torque wrenches on all wheel nuts. |
• | Operators properly trained and ASE certified (U.S. only) in brake service. |
*Equipment meeting the requirements above supports procedures specified in Service Bulletin Number 00-05-22-002D or newer - Brake Service and Procedures. Essential tool CH-47661 - Pro-Cut PFM 9.2 Auto-Compensating On-Car brake lathe meets the
requirements above and supports Service Bulletin Numbers 00-05-22-002D or newer - Brake Service and Procedures and 03-05-23-005 - On-Car Brake Lathe for Colorado and Canyon trucks.
GM Equipment Recommendations
• | Positive Rake tool holders and bits |
• | Single spindle speed, single feed rate |
Tire Changers
GM Requirements
• | Current design with operator protection features. |
• | Side-mounted bead breaking to reduce stress on wheel and tire. |
• | Protective devices which prevent damage during mounting and dismounting operations. |
• | Regulated air pressure to protect user and wheel assembly. |
• | Approved lubricant to avoid wheel slip and damage to tire and wheel. |
• | Run Flat capable (desired) without damage to wheel or tire. |
• | Operators properly trained and ASE certified (U.S. only) in wheel service. |
GM Recommendations
• | No metal contact at any point to the wheel including clamping jaws. |
• | Operators properly trained (desired) and certified on current low aspect ratio tires and EMT designs (Run Flat). |
Wheel Balancers
GM Requirements*
• | Unit must be a computerized model. |
• | Capable of static and dynamic wheel balance modes. |
• | User calibration functions. |
• | Cones and adapters in good working order to ensure wheel protection. |
• | Two-plane dynamic with accuracy to 0.1 ounce (2.83 g). |
• | Capable of balancing flangeless wheels, with adhesive weights. |
• | Operators properly trained and ASE certified (U.S. only) in wheel service. |
*Equipment meeting the requirements above supports procedures specified in Service Bulletin Number 00-03-10-007G or newer - Shake/Vibration in Steering Wheel, Floor, Seat at Highway Speeds on Smooth Roads (Diagnose/Balance Tires/Wheels).
GM Recommendations
• | Additional weight storage trays |
• | Match mounting capability |
• | Capable of measuring free run out of assembly and optimizing results |
• | Capable of measuring force variation and optimizing results |
Alignment Equipment
GM Requirements
• | Computerized four wheel alignment system. |
• | Computer capable of printing before and after alignment reports. |
• | Racking system must have jacking capability. |
• | Racking system must be capable of level to 1/16" (1.59 mm). |
• | Appropriate wheel stops and safety certification. |
• | Wheel clamps capable of attaching to 20" or larger wheels. |
• | Racking capable of accepting any GM Passenger car or Light Duty Truck. |
• | Computer capable of time and date stamp printout. |
• | Operator properly trained and ASE Certified (U.S. only) in alignment. |
GM Recommendations
• | Racking should have front and rear jacking capability. |
• | Build in turn plates and slip plates |
Coolant Exchangers
GM Requirements*
• | All GM Dealers in areas which state/local ordinance prohibit unlawful discharge of used coolant must have a coolant exchanger. |
• | Must be "exchange/transfusion" style, where new coolant displaces (pushes) the old coolant out of the system, resulting in higher exchanger efficiency over vacuum style machines. |
• | Vacuum feature to allow easy "burping" of cooling system and less messy engine/cooling system R&R. |
• | If unit is a coolant exchanger/recycler combo, it must be a GM approved recycler if the recycled coolant is to be used in a vehicle under warranty. |
*Coolant exchange equipment meeting the requirements above supports equipment requirement specified in Service Bulletin Number 00-06-02-006A or newer - DEX-COOL® Engine Coolant Information.
GM Recommendations
• | Service complete alarm/light |
A/C Service Equipment
GM Requirements*
• | Meets current SAE specifications. |
• | Single Gas (R-134a only) |
• | Automatic air purge system |
• | Charge accuracy +/- 1 oz (28.3 g). |
• | Recovery accuracy +/- 2 oz (56.7 g). |
• | Integrated gas identifier |
• | Maintenance-free vacuum pump |
• | Provides print-out of operating conditions |
• | Provides code for warranty claim requirements |
• | Meets government regulations for refrigerant handling |
• | Operator properly trained and ASE Certified (U.S. only) in Air Conditioning |
*Essential Tool J 43600 - ACR 2000 meets the requirements above and supports Service Bulletin Number 99-01-38-006B or newer - Essential Refrigerant Recovery/Recharge Equipment.
GM Recommendations
• | Integrated flushing capabilities |
• | Enhanced diagnostic capabilities |
Fluorescent Leak Dye Injector
GM Requirements:
• | Ability to inject a charged system. |
• | Meet current SAE specs. |
• | Does not change oil charge amount over 2 oz (59.1 ml). |
GM Recommendations:
• | Limits amount of dye in a charge |
• | J 41459 - R-134a Tracer Dye Injector |
Leak Dye
GM Requirements:
• | Meet current SAE specs |
• | Meet OEM manufacturing requirements |
• | Fluorescence rate 3+ years |
• | Compatible with lubricant |
GM Recommendations:
J 41447 - R-134a Tracer Dye
UV Lamp
GM Requirements:
• | Meet current SAE specs |
• | UV wavelength range of 407-455 nanometers for A/C dyes |
• | UV wavelength compatible with other system dyes (engine oil, coolant, etc.) |
• | Luminance sufficient for outside use |
GM Recommendations:
• | Impact/shock-resistant design |
• | J 42220 - Leak Detection Lamp |
Leak Detection Equipment Electronic
GM Requirements:
• | R12 and R134a detection |
• | 0.454 kg (1 lb) / 40 yrs. sensitivity |
• | Meet current SAE specs |
• | On-site reference accuracy validation |
GM Recommendations:
• | Both audio and visual feed |
• | J 46054 - Refrigerant Leak Detector |
Emission Packages
GM Requirements:
• | Meet state/provincial certification requirements |
GM Recommendations:
• | Wide wheelbase and weight limit to facilitate most vehicles |
• | Upgradeable to handle other grades of emissions tests (ASM, RG240, IG240, BAR1, etc.) |
• | High-speed, inertia and horsepower capabilities |
• | Maximum safety features such as locking wheel chocks, roll covers, and vehicle restraining systems |
• | Operator properly trained and ASE Certified (U.S.only) in emission service |
Service Department Computers
GM Requirements:
• | 1 computer to 2 technician ratio |
• | Business grade PCs or Laptops |
For additional details, go to www.gmde.net.
Business Grade PC Specifications
PCs that are not business grade are considered "non-supported hardware". Unlike a home grade PC, a business or commercial PC is specifically configured for use in a business network environment.
PCs in this class have components
designed and supported for use in a network environment. Additionally, they have greater life cycle stability due to "designed-in" serviceability. Techline applications will not function properly on typical non-business grade hardware.
Desktop PCs
Important: Reference these specifications when buying new PCs for the Service Department
Recommended PC Specifications
Recommended PC Specifications
CURRENTLY TESTED BUSINESS PCs
| HP dc5000 Series, IBM ThinkCentre, Dell Optiplex, Gateway E Series, Nobilis
|
CPU
| *Intel Pentium® 4 3.0 GHz, 865G chip set. 800 Mhz or greater front side bus, 1024 KB L2 cache
|
*Important: Non- Pentium processors such as Celeron®, Cyrix and AMD are NOT compatible with Techline software
|
Hard Drive
| 40 GB Smart III ULTRA ATA/100 or greater
|
RAM
| 512 MB RAM or greater
|
Graphics Memory
| Integrated AGP with 64 MB memory or greater
|
Audio
| Integrated 16 bit Audio with Internal Speakers or greater
|
Optical Drive (CD-ROM/DVD)
| 40X/16X CD/DVD combo drive
|
Network Adapter
| Integrated 10/100, PCI or ISA Ethernet Network
|
Communications Port
| 1 Parallel, 1 Serial, 1 USB or more
|
Monitor
| 17" SVGA or greater
|
Operating System
| Microsoft Windows XP® Professional SP2 with Internet Explorer 6.0
|
Anti-Virus Software
| Current Virus Protection installed and updates should be run on a regular basis to ensure the latest virus detection/removal is available.
|
System Recovery
| Full operating system recovery package. Ensure the PC manufacturer or reseller provides the necessary recovery software to restore the operating system in the event of a major software failure.
|
Minimum PC Specifications For Techline Applications
Important: Non Pentium processors such as Celeron®, Cyrix and AMD are NOT compatible with Techline software.
The following specifications are the minimum required to effectively run all Techline applications. Any PC that is below this specification may not perform adequately as a service PC.
Minimum PC Specifications For Techline Applications
CPU
| *Intel Pentium® III 1 GHz
|
Hard Drive
| 20 GB ATA
|
RAM
| 128 MB SDRAM
|
Video Memory
| 16 MB DRAM
|
Optical Drive (CD-ROM/DVD**)
| 40X/16X CD/DVD combo drive
|
Network Adapter
| PCI or ISA Ethernet Network Interface Card
|
Communications Port
| 1 Parallel 1 Serial
|
Monitor
| 17" SVGA
|
Operating System
| Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional or XP Professional
|
Internet Browser
| Internet Explorer 6.0
|
Anti-Virus Software
| Current version of commercially available virus protection
|
System Recovery
| Full Operating System Recovery Package
|
*The minimum PC specification is subject to change more frequently due to changes in new technology and product end of life cycle.
**DVD drive is not currently required in Canada.
Laptops
The Hewlett Packard NC6000, NC4010, Gateway 450 E/X series, Nobilis CL51, Dell Latitude D800 / D600, and Panasonic Toughbooks CF-29/CF-51 are currently the only laptop PCs validated to function with all Techline applications including TIS Service Programming
System (SPS). Other laptops may not support SPS or communicate properly with the Tech 2 and will not be supported for hardware communication issues.
Minimum Laptop Specifications for Techline Applications
CPU
| *Intel Pentium® M / Centrino 1.3 Ghz or higher
|
Hard Drive
| 20 GB Ultra ATA
|
RAM
| 256 MB DDR
|
Video Memory
| 32 MB DDR
|
CD-ROM
| CD/DVD-ROM Drive Combo
|
Network Adapter
| NIC Ethernet Integrated 10/100, *Wireless NIC optional
|
Communications Port
| 1 Serial, 1 Parallel, 2 USB, 1 Type II PCMCIA slot
|
Monitor
| 14.1" XGA
|
Operating System
| Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional or XP Professional
|
Internet Browser
| Internet Explorer 6.0
|
Anti-Virus Software
| Current version of commercially available virus protection
|
System Recovery
| Full Operating System Recovery Package
|
*The HP NC4010 and Nobilis laptops are the only Techline validated laptops that do not have a built in serial port and must use Quatech SSP-100 RS-232 single serial port card for TECH 2 communications.