C.A.S. 'Connections'

Issue 2013-08

August 2013

Hello and welcome to this month's 'CAS Connections' newsletter!

This August 2013 newsletter highlights a number of current topics that we think are important for you to be made aware of.

Please take a minute to review the topics below that relate to the scan tools you presently own or may be considering purchasing in the near future.

Sincerely,

The CAS/OEMTools Sales and Support Team

IN THIS ISSUE

TECH ALERT - IDS Users

TAS/BB - What is it?

G-Scan Software Update

'LIVE-On-LINE' Support

TECH TIP of the Month

TECH ALERT for IDS Customers with VCM-I

Attention all IDS customers! There has been a lot of talk and some confusion about the idea that the Ford IDS group is discontinuing and obsoleting their IDS interface device, the VCM. This is also referred to as the VCM-I.

We have spoken with the IDS product manager at Ford and he assures us there are no current plans to discontinue support on the VCM-I device. The product manager also stated that the VCM-I hardware device will be supported at least until the end of 2014. There is currently no plan to obsolete the device then, but he states that trying to predict what they will do regarding the VCM-I two years from now is just too difficult to forecast.

Note: Ford has recently begun producing and shipping the VCM-II interface. Starting in early 2013 all CAS supplied IDS packages started shipping with the newer design VCM-II interface device.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding your VCM-I or VCM-II, please contact your local CAS rep or call our main office at 1-877-263-4897. We are open 8:30AM till 5:00PM EST M-F.

CAS introduces 'Balanced Billing' for all renewals!

4,911....Total number of shops that have purchased products from CAS and OEMTools.com over the years. Included in this group are lots of subscription based scan tools, both laptop based and handheld.

We hear again and again from the shop owners asking about when their subscriptions are due and what the cost will be. With many OEM level tools an expired subscription often results in a 'limited function' or 'shut down' tool. In some cases penalty fees can be assessed to reinstate the subscription. CAS has now started providing a unique solution for this situation, our Total Annual Support/Balanced Billing program! (TAS/BB)

Starting just about 1 year ago, we began offering a 'Balanced Billing' payment plan for all customers with multiple subscriptions to keep current. Under the TAS/BB program, the CAS sales rep reviews all subscriptions the shop has, when they expire and what the renewal costs will be. Plus he reviews what pieces of hardware are used with the subscriptions. (PC platforms, Hand Held Scanners, Vehicle Interface devices, etc.) A fixed total annual renewal fee is then calculated and the shop is offered a no interest, 12 month pay plan. The shop owner now has all software renewals being tracked and automatically renewed by CAS. Plus, all hardware is now under extended warranty and there will be no unexpected expenses for for repairs over the next year!

Customers who have been offered this program almost universally have signed up saying things like; "Finally, someone is watching this part of the business for me!" or "What a great idea!". One shop owner said; "I would be an idiot to not sign up for this plan!". In that situation the rep simply smiled!

If you have multiple tools and subscriptions in your shop, and would like to discuss a TAS/BB program, please contact your local CAS rep or call our offices at 1-877-263-4897.

GIT releases 3rd Quarter 2013 Update for G-Scan!

Heads Up! GIT has recently announced their 3rd quarter software release. If your G-Scan is under a current subscription, you can go to GIT-America's web site and download this latest update! visit www.gscanusa.com and click on the [Download] tab at the top of the web site.

To see what's been added with this newest release, click on this link; What's New' release bulletin to our OEMTools website. Once there, look for the link on the web page to see the latest release information!

If you are not currently under a subscription program, please contact your local CAS rep to be renewed. Don't wait until you hit a car you can't service!

CAS 'Live-On-Line' Support - It's Everywhere!

Technical assistance is becoming more and more important for any shop striving to keep up with the technology explosion that's coming through the bay doors today. Laptop applications for scan functions are expanding and with this new development the technical 'sandtraps' are also growing. Windows Operating Systems errors, hardware failures and technical issues all confront automotive techs every day.

CAS customers can take advantage of our 'Live-On-Line' support function which allows both our field and office based technical reps to remotely access your CAS supplied laptop for immediate and live assistance. It's like having one of our technical specialists right there with you as you service the vehicle! Hardware issues, help with a reflash process or just guidance for a 1st time user are all available to our customers as part of our annual support package that is included with every new laptop application we install. Next time you need "Tech Support Right Now!" simply contact your local CAS rep or call our office...1-877-263-4897 Ext. 3...We're available Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00!

This Months 'Tech Tip'!

This months 'Tech Tip' from the CAS Technical Support Department is about updating your IDS.

Our customers often call in to ask if they need to immediately download and install every update that shows up as being available for their IDS. Often times, the service tech using the IDS gets the "There's an Update Available" message when he turns on his IDS to use it on a vehicle in for service. Doing an update at that moment may not be convenient due to workload and deadlines in the shop. The answer to this question is simple: You do not need to download every update as soon as they are made available. In some cases we have found that holding off on an update for a few days makes more sense. Why? Because some updates come out with undiscovered 'bugs'. Once released to the field and the 'bugs' are discovered, Ford typically issues a new 'incremental' update almost immediately. So, holding off on updating can sometimes prevent adding 'bugs' to your IDS's operation.

However, you should do updates on a regular basis to prevent losing the ability to reflash. In this scenario, failure to download and install any updates for an extended period of time will cause your reprogramming capability to be disabled. When this situation happens you will see a message saying; "Selection not available" when you attempt to do a reflash. This condition will remain until the latest software release is installed.

Any time you have a technical question simply contact your local CAS rep or call our office...1-877-263-4897 Ext. 3...We're available Monday-Friday between 8:30am-5:00pm!

Providing Tools, Information and Training to the Automotive Aftermarket