Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Initiative

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1 Business briefs Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Initiative Mercedes-Benz of North America, Inc. has announced a new wholesale parts marketing program that will allow authorized Mercedes dealers to substantially increase their parts sales to independent service providers (ISPs) and repair shops. The Mercedes-Benz Wholesale Parts Initiative includes a comprehensive business plan for dealers, direct-mail marketing support and, perhaps most important to your business, a special no-fee Visa card that can be used to purchase genuine Mercedes-Benz parts from Mercedes dealers. This no-fee Visa card will allow independent shops to purchase genuine Mercedes-Benz parts with minimal administrative work, while maintaining thorough record-keeping. The business-to-business purchase card eliminates the need for dealerships to extend credit to ISPs that have the card. There is no annual fee for using the Mercedes Wholesale Parts Card, and no interest charges, since the monthly balance must be paid in full. There is also an opportunity for ISPs who are using the Mercedes Wholesale Parts Card to get a low 1.55% transaction fee on Visa and MasterCard purchases made at their location. There are several other benefits for ISPs who use the Wholesale Parts Card. Using the card consolidates the charge invoice onto a single monthly statement, and quarterly reports tabulate all expenditures. Equally important for the ISPs is that once they have the Wholesale Parts Card, it can be used at any participating Mercedes-Benz dealership. The card may also be used to purchase automotive parts and supplies from other vendors. Examples of potential additional uses for the card include: Automobile and Truck Dealers (new & used) Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores Wrecking and Salvage Yards Towing Services Automotive Paint Shops Automotive Body Repair Shops Automotive Tire Stores Tire Retreading and Repair Shops Miscellaneous Automotive, Aircraft and Farm Equipment Dealers Wholesale Hardware Industrial Suppliers Automated Fuel Dispensers Benefits To Mercedes- Benz Owners The Mercedes-Benz wholesale parts initiative is designed to ultimately benefit Mercedes owners. Because many ISPs work on older Mercedes-Benz models, there is a potential for improving the relationship between Mercedes-Benz and these customers. While they may not bring their cars to authorized Mercedes-Benz dealers for service, they are still part of the Mercedes family and the company is committed to their ownership satisfaction. The Potential Market Mercedes-Benz sells approximately $800 million worth of genuine Mercedes-Benz parts in the U.S. each year. Independent European repair specialists make up the single largest segment of the Mercedes- Benz wholesale parts customer base, concentrating mainly on European luxury cars. Many already maintain a significant parts inventory. Other potential customers for genuine wholesale Mercedes- Benz parts include general repair shops that work on European cars and collision repair shops. The Wholesale Parts Initiative was introduced during September 1997, and represents Mercedes- Benz effort to increase wholesale parts sales while increasing vehicle owner satisfaction. If your shop is not already participating in the program, contact your Mercedes-Benz dealer to receive a purchase card application, or call First U.S.A. at

2 Timing Belt Tensioner Tool Replacing the timing belt on Toyota 5VZ-FE, 3.4 liter V-6 engines is a very difficult task. Prior to the introduction of the Schley Products, Inc. Toyota Timing Belt Tensioner Compressor tool, the professional technician had no means to effectively compress the hydraulically activated belt tensioner, without spending additional time removing engine components. In operation this tool is placed between the belt tensioner and the water pump pulleys. The technician places the supplied locking pin into the hydraulic piston push rod. Once the locking pin is in place the tensioner compressor can be removed and the timing belt placed on all appropriate pulleys. Schley Products, Inc. Circle No. 161 Heat Seeker Thermometer/ Pyrometer Four Seasons has introduced the Heat Seeker Thermometer/Pyrometer. Accurate to within plus or minus three degrees Fahrenheit, the Heat Seeker can instantly spot hard-to-find air conditioning system blockages and condenser hot spots. The large LED display area reads the temperature in Fahrenheit or Centigrade, and the hand-held battery operated Heat Seeker provides over 100 hours of continuous usage before battery replacement is necessary. The Thermometer/Pyrometer is user-friendly and comes complete with three special plug-in probes, plus a rugged four foot extension cord for those hard to reach places. Four Seasons Circle No. 162

3 1998 Gasket Installation Tips Booklet For years, technicians have requested and relied on the helpful hints provided in the Fel-Pro Gasket Installation Tips Booklet. The 1998 edition continues the guaranteed to match OE in fit and function, and to meet or beat OE in performance. Blue Thunder wire sets carry a limited lifetime warranty and are guaranteed against defects for as long as the customer owns the car. BWC s coverage includes application listings for European and Asian vehicles - both vintage and late models. Beck/Arnley Worldparts Corp. Circle No. 164 tradition by offering information on new materials and technologies, including Fel-Pro s multilayer steel and PermaDryPlus gaskets. It also includes coverage on Fel-Pro s Engine$aver products. Each section of this booklet is designed with step-by-step instructions, photos, illustrations and information on specific gaskets or gasket sets needed for each job. Visit us on the World Wide Web at Fel-Pro Incorporated Circle No. 163 Blue Thunder Ignition Wire Sets Beck/Arnley Worldparts Corp. (BWC) announces Blue Thunder ignition wire sets. Every set is

4 Deluxe Refrigerant Identifier Developed by Exton, the Snap-on Deluxe Refrigerant Identifier combines advanced refrigerant contaminate measurement technology with an automatic airpurge capability to remove air from pure R-12 and R-134a refrigerants. The airpurge system is not pressure/temperature dependent and operates under all normal shop conditions. The self-calibrating purging system is based on infrared, optical technology and requires no costly sensor replacements. The compact measurement system also alerts technicians to the presence of potentially flammable or explosive contaminants with both a visual red light and an audible signal. The unit comes in an eight-pound portable carrying case and is available nationwide exclusively through Snap-on dealers. Snap-on Tools Company Circle No. 165 Tire Pressure Monitor System Offered as the Securitire option on the 1996 and 1997 Lincoln Continental, SmarTire can help protect tire and wheel investment by simplifying tire maintenance through a convenient means of continuously monitoring tire pressure and temperature. The system relies on state-ofthe-art sensor and wireless radio technologies to continuously monitor the pressure and temperature of each tire on the vehicle while it is in motion. Sensors mounted inside the tire on each wheel transmit tire pressure and temperature data to an interactive display module located in the vehicle. The display module both alerts the driver of abnormal pressures or temperatures and provides a convenient means to manually check values from within the vehicle. SmarTire technology is suitable for a wide range of transportation applications including passenger cars and light trucks, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, buses, commercial trucks and even heavy construction equipment. The product is covered with a three year/50,000 mile limited warranty. Visit their website at SmarTire USA Inc. Circle No. 166 Illuminating Screwdriver Mac Tools has introduced a high quality, illuminating screwdriver designed by noted inventor and race team owner Darrell Gwynn, specifically for the automotive aftermarket. The illuminating screwdriver has a lens system and battery-charged light built in the handle to locate screwheads in dark recesses while performing repair work on automobile engines and systems. Gwynn s screwdriver has a heavy duty shaft with a magnetic bit holder. The rugged handle of the screwdriver is made of ABS high impact plastic, which resists fuels and oil. The ON/OFF switch is recessed in the handle to prevent accidental on when not in use. The high-intensity bulb and shield is designed to provide maximum candlepower, directed towards the application. It uses a 1/4 inch socket bit. The bits in the kit are six Torx bit sizes (T-1O, T-15, T-20, T-25, T-30 and T-40); five slotted bit sizes (7/64, 9/64, 5/32, 3/16 and 7/32); and four Phillips bit sizes (#0, #1, #2 and #3). Mac Tools Circle No

5 Battery Tester Even on batteries that have been discharged to as low as one volt, the new hand-held Accuracy battery tester from OTC gives its user a charge it up or junk it answer in barely 17 seconds. The tester is capable of testing both 12-volt and 6-volt batteries and the Accuracy s test range is 50 to 2,000 cold cranking amps and 1.0 to 14 volts. Powered by an internal 9-volt battery or by the battery being tested, Accuracy is ideal for roadside service calls. Its power-down feature prolongs battery life. A bright, 1-line 16-character display is easily readable, even under extreme lighting conditions. OTC Circle No. 168 Spanish Edition Timing Belt Manual The 1998 edition of Autodata s best-selling Timing Belt Manual is now available in the Spanish language. The manual covers R&R procedures for all SOHC and DOHC timing-belt-driven engines marketed in the USA from 1974 thru This comprehensive service procedure manual has 768 pages of technical content. The clear line drawings show belt routing for timing and balancer shaft belts, engine positioning and locking methods, and camshaft and crankshaft timing marks. Tightening torques are given on the illustration page. Information for most engines is carried on just two facing pages, eliminating the need to turn pages during the job. Autodata Circle No. 169