Who is Working on Your Van?

Who is working on your van, or how do you know your wheelchair lift mechanic knows what he is doing, is a topic I have written about many times. That's because this topic never seems to go away.

I can think of dozens of stories about mechanics who had no business working on a wheelchair lift. These are the guys who put hand controls on backwards and call up requesting a hydraulic cylinder when they are actually working on an electric actuator.

How does the consumer stop this from happening to them? They take their van to a shop that has an NMEDA certification. The program, called QAP, requires minimum competency in many levels of installation and repair of adaptive equipment. It's also a sign that the owner of the company has a commitment to providing quality repair service to his/her customers.

If you are at a shop that does not meet any QAP or NMEDA standards, look to see that they at least have training certificates from the manufacturer. If you own a Braun lift, for example, or EnterVan, Braun Corporation requires training for the mechanics every three years or this business cannot be a Braun dealer.

The newer your equipment, the more you need good, trained, technicians. Modern lifts and wheelchair vans are crammed full of electronics. The guy with the test light and the bright idea that he can fix anything, is going to have a hard time fixing these vehicles. It takes training and experience.

Experience, however, is not enough. Many older lift mechanics have not retrained to be able to repair the new lifts being marketed since 4/1/05 when lift manufacturers were forced to make their products meet Federal Motor Vehicle Standards 403 and 404.

Recently, we've seen a trend where mobility equipment dealerships are bought and sold to other companies or a new person trying to enter this business. Even though this is a place you have dealt with for years, the experienced mechanics could be gone.

Just make sure you know who is working on your van. If you are not sure, contact the lift or van conversion manufacturer to find the closest service point.