MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — AASP-MN has announced its Fall 2010 "World Series of Seminars."

Leading off the series is "Social Media 101," from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sept. 15 at Luther Collision Center, Plymouth, and Sept. 16 at AmerPride Services, Minneapolis. This session is designed to acquaint attendees with the different social media options available today, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

The session will cover:

• How social media tools work and how they should be used
• Which services will work best for automotive shops
• Specific strategies that work best for the automotive service industry
• Factors to consider when deciding whether to DIY or outsource
• Other services that can help besides the "big 3"
• Efficient ways to use all or most of these services

Second up is a triple session of "Hazardous Materials Security Training." The first session will be held Oct. 5, from 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., at Master Collision Center, Plymouth; the second, Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., at PPG Training Center, Edina; and the third will take place, Oct. 7, from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., at LaMettry’s Collision, Maplewood.

Federal transportation regulations that require employees who have any responsibility for the transportation of hazardous materials must be trained on safe transport and security. That covers any employee who signs for or unloads shipments of paints, thinners, compressed gas cylinders or other chemicals, or who is responsible for pick-up of hazardous waste (e.g., signs hazardous waste manifests).

Shops should attend this training to ensure that they are in compliance with all of the requirements of this regulation and get the answers to any general hazardous waste questions they may have.

The third session, "CAN Systems & Diagnosing Scan Tool ‘No Communication’ Problems," will be held Nov. 16, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis. This class is about practical analysis, not serial data theory. When a MIL is lit, the scanner is normally the first tool of choice to i.d. DTCs and data stream. But when the scanner does not communicate or if series network codes are set, it can often leave a tech with no direction. This class is designed to help the technician attack a no-communication problem with confidence, by learning and understanding how onboard computers are tied together with Multiplex Networks.

The 1996-2009 networks covered include:

CCD PCI Class 2 SCP CAN UART and more!

CAN (Controller Area Networks), is the latest communications network, which has been phased into to ALL cars by 2008. This class will cover the 2-minute Mechanics’ Education Association (MEA) diagnostic test, which will put techs quickly on the right path to diagnosing these systems.

Rounding out the line-up is "Top 10 OBD II Codes & Fixes," Nov. 17, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., at Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park. This class covers the top 10 OBDII failures and their fixes. Both import and domestic cars will be covered. This class will guide attendees through the most common OBD codes (based on the most frequent Hotline calls received by MEA) to help them quickly diagnose and repair these vehicles. Some of the failures covered include: P0420 P0171 P0325 P0133 P0300 P0401 and many more.

In addition to AASP-MN, these educational offerings are supported by the association’s 2010 Educational Partners: 3M, aaa Auto Salvage, AASP National, AkzoNobel, Alldata, Associated Insurance Agents, AT&T Mobility, Bill Smith Foundation, CCC Information Services, Dupont Performance Coatings, Erickson Tech Service, Factory Motor Parts, Hunter Engineering, Keystone Automotive, Lowell’s Performance Coatings, Meadowbrook Insurance, Metro Technologies, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Pams Auto, PPG Automotive Finishes, Press Gold Group, R.O. Writer/ASMATS, Security Planning Company, Sherwin Williams, Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), Suburban Chevrolet, Total Automotive, Twin City Wheel Repair and Uni-Select/Auto Plus.

For more information or to register, contact the AASP-MN office at (612) 623-1110 or 800-852-9071 or register online at www.aaspmn.org.