If you didn't attend the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and I-CAR annual meeting, both held in San Jose, California, in August, you may have missed out on some useful news and information shared at the meetings. 

Here's a collection of some brief ideas and tips from those meetings that didn't make our earlier reports on the events.

Warning about air pressure sensors

During one of several dozen mini- clinics offered by automakers, equipment manufacturers and other vendors at the I-CAR annual meeting, Ray Coker of Mercedes-Benz cautioned that some of its 2006 and 2007 models include air pressure sensors. As part of the SRS control system, the sensors measure the volume of the air in all of the doors under normal operating condition. If one of these sensors detects a sudden increase in air pressure - generally caused by an impact - it serves as the first signal of a side impact.

"It doesn't deploy the air bags, but it sends a signal to the SRS control unit which is responsible for deploying the air bags," Coker said.

That means it's critical to put all the rubber plugs back in the car, putting the belt moldings on and ensure that door seals are intact, Coker said.

Such sensors are standard in the 2006 S-class (model 221) and ML (model 164), and will also be in the 2007 R-class (model 251).

No charge for GM repair info

At another OEM tech clinic this summer, a General Motors representative said he hopes that all of GM's collision-related repair information will be made available online at no charge by later this year. GM's Bob Hartman said more collision information is being shifted to the free "Goodwrench" web site (www.gmgoodwrench.com) rather than just being available on the subscription-based GM technical information web site www.GM-techinfo.com.

Hartman said the company is also working on a marking system to identify the various metals used in its vehicles. Right now GM doesn't use any boron steel in the structure of its vehicles, Hartman said, but it is coming.

"With new roll-over standards, definitely by 2009 model year vehicles," he said.

"So what we're working on is trying to do an ID stamp, similar to what they do for plastic parts. You'll see that stamp on the production part, so you'll be able to identify it."