April 14, 2021 – Morgantown, WV Most of the car folks at AVI like a specific category of vehicle. As mentioned before, Tom Rayk likes trucks, especially those of the diesel variety. Paul Louwers is a Mustang guy. John Forro is a Chevy guy. I like old European cars, especially Series Land Rovers. These unnegotiable […]
April 12, 2021 – Morgantown, WV AVI is branching out, and a lot of this growth has happened relatively recently. Not only is AVI and TGTA moving heavily into expanding delivery methods (see our coaching program and developed live, instructor-led technician training), we’re also looking to support new audiences. Chris Womock is an active firefighter […]
April 5, 2021 – Morgantown, WV The AVI Technical Center in Norton, Ohio, has been completed and is open for business. That is a small sentence that describes a giant leap for AVI and our partners, and is a direct result of a fantastic amount of work from John Forro, instructor extraordinaire. It was John […]
JOIN US LIVE APRIL 14 @ 12:00-1:00 PM EDT FOR THIS PREMIER LIVE EVENT! AVI Instructor John Forro will teach you all about advanced system testing strategies. John will hold a Q&A session at the end of the presentation to answer any questions you have. *Registration info given upon enrollment This course, Advanced System Testing Strategies, brings the […]
March 27, 2021 – Fort Myers, Florida Training day in Fort Myers. I could not attend the training as I flew the unfriendly skies back to Morgantown (three legs and over five hours of layovers) but got a full rundown from John on the day’s events. Once again, the class was very well received by […]
March 26, 2021 – Fort Myers, Florida Florida is a friendly state. Fort Myers is a lovely town. Before starting to work for AVI, I categorized Florida somewhat stereotypically as Disney World surrounded by spring break destinations. In my short time of employment at AVI, I’ve changed my outlook from this uninformed opinion to one […]
March 24, 2021 – Fort Myers, Florida This day went better than the previous day. No surprises. No Moving Parts. No tire failures and somewhat scheduled meals. We started with our previously mentioned planned visit to the Dorman battery remanufacturing facility in Sanford, NC, to show off the Prius and get a first-hand look at […]
In this tech tip sample video from the AVI Diesel Coaching Program, AVI instructor Tom Rayk shows the course students the diesel engine LIVE. NOT your typical Zoom Powerpoint. This is Live hands-on, in-studio shop setting and scenarios.
March 23, 2021 – Sanford, NC If I’ve learned anything during my relatively short tenure at AVI, it would be not to be surprised by changes. One of Paul Louwers’ favorite sayings is very accurate; “There’s always Moving Parts at AVI.” John and I got a couple of Moving Parts today, one good, one not-so-much. […]
March 22, 2021 – Morgantown, WV So, we’re preparing for the last stop on this leg of AVI and The Group Training Academy’s training tour, and I must say things have gone smoother than expected. Other than our flat trailer tire and my royal rumble with Kentucky chicken wings, it was smooth sailing. As mentioned […]
March 19, 2021 – Morgantown, WV Tom loves trucks. I’m, of course, referring to Tom Rayk, instructor extraordinaire and head guru of AVI’s diesel training division. I’ve never been to Tom’s house, but I understand he collects diesel trucks the way I collect Lucas electric components and Paul collects fishing rods and Mustang memorabilia. Tom […]
March 18, 2021 – Morgantown, WV Surprisingly, this first roadshow is almost over. For logistical reasons, we’ve had to push back a couple of dates in the south, and therefore we only have one remaining stop scheduled on this swing which will be held in our home base of Fort Myers, Florida. Home of spring […]
March 17, 2021 – Morgantown, WV In going through the participant reviews we’ve received from our first training tour, we have compiled a list of topics students are requesting from AVI and our live classroom training. We genuinely read and evaluate all feedback we get, both in-person and online. Based on this, we are preparing […]
March 16, 2021 – Morgantown, WV The centerpiece of TGTA’s EV training tour is obvious… well, outside of “the Talent,” that is. I’m talking about TGTA’s Prius hybrid cutaway trainer. Something you might not know is that we’ve been developing plans to offer this specialized vehicle and accompanying automotive curricula to interested parties around the […]
Learn About Our Virtual Coaching Sessions Today! TGTA’s Technician Coaching Program provides an online interactive training classroom where you can interact with the instructor as a group, allowing students to see live hands on instruction with on car demonstrations and testing.
March 13, 2021 – Milford, OH to Morgantown, WV I like chicken wings. Chicken wings are like pizza and craft beer… when I’m on the road, I’m always looking for great local recommendations, so when John and I got a piece of glowing advice from a local on a tasty wing joint, I jumped at […]
March 11 and 12, 2021 – Ft. Wright, KY Day one and two of this tour stop was hosted by Gateway Community College in Ft. Wright, KY, and hosted by our good friends with KOI/Fisher Auto Parts. Working with these guys is fantastic. Anyone who has worked on the road understands how organization and planning […]
Message From Blake Alexander and The Group Training Academy! March 6, 2021 – Palm Beach International Raceway Team AVI & The Group Training Academy spent the day with Blake Alexander and National Pronto Association for the PRO Winter Warmup at Palm Beach International Raceway! Check out some behind-the-scenes photos and keep an eye out for Blake at Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway!
March 10, 2021 – Morgantown, WV to Ft. Wright, KY John did such a great job of putting together the last blog I tried to bribe him into taking the job over full time with a big bag of chocolate cakes and a case of Diet Pepsi, but my offer was kindly refused. Between chews, […]
March 3, 2021 After our long drive back from Pennsylvania to my hometown of Norton, Ohio I had to immediately get ready for a very busy 6 days’ worth of work. On Thursdays fellow AVI instructor holds/tapes his diesel coaching program out of my place, where I lend a hand manning cameras to capture this […]
March 2, 2021 – Courtyard by Marriott, State College, PA Well, our first training stop of the tour is in the books, and we are very excited about how smooth the sessions went. Coupled with the enthusiastic response TGTA received from the participants, we have high hopes that we’re on the right track in presenting […]
When The Group Training Academy (TGTA) announced the idea of a training tour in March to kick-off what we hope will be an opportunity to bring live, instructor-led training to techs across the nation, little did I know my involvement level, both logistically and physically. My name is Micheal Smyth, and I’m the Direct of […]
JOIN US LIVE MARCH 10 @ 12:00-1:30 PM EST FOR THIS PREMIER LIVE EVENT! AVI Instructor Ron Bilyeu will cover the latest PIDs for Ford & Toyota. Ron will hold a Q&A session at the end of the presentation to answer any questions you have. *Registration info given upon enrollment This course, the first part […]
Register for Standard Motor Products’ Gasoline Direct Injection Systems Live February 25th from 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST! Gasoline direct injection is used on most new vehicles and requires a different approach to diagnosis and service. GDI systems have specific failures and require an understanding of how they work and how to test them when they […]
What parts are involved in GDI? In this tech tip, John Forro explains the breakdown of the gasoline direct injection components. Join Us Live February 10th from 12:00 – 1:30 PM EST AVI Instructor John Forro will teach you all about the evolution of fuel systems. John will hold a Q&A session at the end of the […]
How proficient are you when it comes to restricted fuel filters? In this tech tip, instructor John Forro explains in-depth different aspects of the restricted fuel filter. Watch the video here then click to view the class below. Join Us Live February 10th from 12:00 – 1:30 PM EST AVI Instructor John Forro will teach you all […]
Fuel Systems THE FILLING STATION What do we really need to think about when filling our tanks? – First and foremost, it is typically not a good idea to fill our tank when there is a fuel truck filling the underground tanks at our favorite gas station. The primary reason is that when the fuel […]
John Forro presented a class on hands on scenarios with high voltage vehicles. Check out some “behind the scenes” footage!
AVI and Jim Wilson teamed up for this class on labscopes. Check out some ‘behind the scenes’ footage.
This course, “Labscope for the New User,” describes what labscopes are, what they should and should not be used for, and describes the standard features found on all scopes. Instructor Jim Wilson will also talk about the different types of labscopes, procedures to set them up correctly, and follow the necessary activities to self-educate on […]
FCA 3.0L EcoDiesel Have you have seen the 3.0L EcoDiesel from FCA at your shop yet? You probably will shortly as they come off factory warranty soon. The 2020 is the third generation of this engine design and the changes have made this engine even better. Get a look into this powerful 3.0L EcoDiesel during […]
