Entering Vehicle Information

The most common way to enter a new vehicle is during customer intake. First select the customer, then create the new vehicle by clicking the New Vehicle button on the Vehicle List window.

The Vehicle List showing one vehicle found and the New Vehicle button circled.

The Edit Vehicle window opens to the Vehicle tab. R.O. Writer supports both Epicor and ACES vehicle information.

The blank Edit Vehicle window.

Video Overview of Entering Vehicle Information

Watch the following video to see customer and vehicle entry options.

Title Bar

The title bar of the Edit Vehicle window displays

The left side of the Vehicle tab with the vehicle information in the title bar circled.

The title bar of the Edit Vehicle window always matches the vehicle in the vehicle section of the Parts/Labor tab.

The vehicle section with the vehicle link circled.

Edit Vehicle Tabs

There are three tabs to each vehicle record:

Vehicle Tab

The vehicle record opens to the Vehicle tab, which contains the most important information about the vehicle.

The blank Edit Vehicle window.

The Vehicle tab contains the following sections:

The left side of the Edit Vehicle window provides you with the tools to enter the most accurate vehicle information.

The left side of the vehicle tab with callouts explaining parts of the window.

Ways to Enter Vehicle Information

You can enter vehicle information:…

Type of Vehicle Information to Enter (Epicor, ACES, and Custom)

To Enter Epicor Vehicle Information

If Epicor is installed and configured in R.O. Writer, the following occurs:

To Decode the VIN via Epicor

The cars The Epicor VIN decode button. button after the VIN field is active only if Epicor is installed and configured.

Complete these steps:

  1. Enter the VIN. You can type in the VIN or scan it in with a barcode reader.
  2. When a VIN is entered, Epicor immediately begins validating the format of the number. Only 17-digit VIN numbers can be valid.

    • The green checkmark. means the VIN code is valid.

      The VIN field with a number entered and a green checkmark.

    • The red X means the VIN code is invalid.

      The VIN field with a number entered and a red X.

  3. Click the cars The Epicor VIN decode button. button. If the VIN is found in the Epicor database, the Vehicle information is populated with Epicor vehicle information automatically.

    The VIN button with a green checkmark pointing to the Epicor fields completed.

    Epicor returns the Year, Make, and Model, and most often the Engine.

    • If the Engine does not return, select the engine.
    • The vehicle is validated for Epicor when the engine is selected.
    • The Epicor link turns green when the vehicle is validated for Epicor. For label information see: Epicor Label Indicators.

    Epicor does NOT return

    • The Sub-Model. This field is inactive for Epicor.
    • The Transmission. This is a static dropdown list with only two options: AUTO or STD.
      Select AUTO or STD manually.
    • License plate information. You need to enter the license plate manually.
  4. The VIN is checked against VIN numbers already stored in your database. If a duplicate is found, the following prompt appears.

    the duplicate VIN prompt

  5. Click Yes to use a duplicate VIN (not recommended!).
    Click No to enter a new VIN.

To Enter Epicor Vehicle Information Manually

When the Epicor link is selected, the dropdown lists are populated by your database, which needs to be updated with Epicor information regularly.

Complete these steps:

  1. Type in the last two digits of the year in the Year field. The Make dropdown list is updated with makes for that year.
  2. Select the Make. The Model dropdown list is updated with the models for the make and year.
  3. Select the Model. The Engine dropdown list is updated with engines for the model, make, and year.

    The Vehicle section with the Engine field expanded showing the engine options for the year, make, and model.

  4. Select the Engine.
    • The vehicle is validated for Epicor. (Vehicles are not valid for Epicor until the engine is selected.)

      The Vehicle section with the Epicor link blue and the Engine field completed and circled.

    • The Epicor link turns green . For label information see: Epicor Label Indicators.
    • Epicor validation has no impact on ACES validation.
  5. Select the Trans(mission): AUTO or STD.
  6. At this point, you can

    • Click OK to save and close the Edit Vehicle window.

    • Enter the rest of the information for the vehicle and then click OK to save and close.

  7. The Epicor vehicle information displays in the Vehicle Section of the Parts/Labor tab.

The next time you open the Edit Vehicle window, the Epicor information displays in the title bar.

To Look up the VIN by License Place - CARFAX QuickVIN Lookup

If CARFAX is included in your license, the Quick VIN section is active. You can enter the license plate number and submit it to CARFAX, which decodes the license plate to the VIN and enters the vehicle information into the fields.

The Quick VIN section with the VIN Lookup button and vehicle specifications button.

Enter the License plate and

NOTE: QuickVIN works with both Epicor and ACES; however, the VIN can be decoded only to Epicor vehicle information. If Epicor is not installed, the information from CARFAX is entered and the vehicle information is saved as a custom vehicle.

To Enter ACES Vehicle Information

If Epicor is installed and configured, you need to click the ACES link to enter ACES vehicle information. When you click the ACES link,

The aces vehicle field partially completed from the epicor information.

If Epicor is not installed and configured, ACES is the only vehicle information available on the window. The vehicle dropdown lists are populated with ACES information automatically.

The aces vehicle fields populated with aces vehicle information.

For more information, click the following link: ACES Vehicle Information.

To Enter Custom Vehicle Information

Custom vehicle information

Complete these steps:

  1. Type in the last two digits of the Year field.
  2. Type in the Make instead of selecting it in the dropdown list.
  3. Type in the Model instead of selecting it in the dropdown list.
  4. If the Sub-Model field is active, type it in instead of selecting it in the dropdown list.
  5. Type in the Engine instead of selecting it in the dropdown list.
  6. Type in the Trans(mission) instead of selecting it in the dropdown list.
  7. At this point, you can
    • Click OK to save and close the Edit Vehicle window.
    • Complete the other items on the window and then click OK to save and close.

The next time you open the Edit Vehicle window for this vehicle, the title bar and items in the dropdown lists have an asterisk.

The Vehicle tab for a custom vehicle.

To Convert Custom Vehicles to Standard Vehicles

You can convert custom vehicles to standard vehicles - both Epicor and ACES - by selecting information in the dropdown lists that do NOT have an asterisk (*). Then, click OK to save your changes.

License and State

The License and State fields

The Quick VIN section.

R.O. Writer Configuration has a required setting on the License field. If set to warn or required, the License field label is red.

If set to warn you,

If set to required,

The prompt that says you must enter a license plate number.

CARFAX Service History Button

Click the CARFAX Service History button The Carfax Service History button. to obtain a service history report for the vehicle. You must first enter either a valid VIN or License and State on this window; otherwise, CARFAX has no information to search.

Mileage

The Mileage section helps you manage vehicle mileage.

The Mileage section.

The following table describes the Mileage section.
Field Description

Mileage

You can type in the mileage.

You may be prompted for the mileage when creating and/or finalizing a repair order.

Tracking mileage is especially important when using the Mileage In/Out feature.

Annual Mileage and Mileage/Day

Annual Mileage is a data entry field.

Mileage/Day is a calculated field that you cannot alter.

If this is a new vehicle, the following information is entered by default when you click OK to save the vehicle information:

  • Annual Mileage is 12,000 and
  • Mileage/Day is calculated as 33.

When mileage in and out is consistently entered over time, these numbers become more accurate. The Annual Mileage is used when setting up shop codes for Marketing by Mileage in the Marketing/Followup module.

Additional Vehicle Information

These fields enable you to enter and track even more vehicle information.

The following table describes the additional vehicle information fields.
Field Description

Last Inspection

Enter the date of the last inspection.

User Defined

These fields appear with whatever names have been entered in the Vehicle Field Names setting in Configuration. If no names have been entered, these fields appear as follows:

The User Defined fields all labeled as Other 1,2, and 3.

These fields appear on the printed repair order and invoice.

Fleet/Unit No

Enter the fleet or unit number if relevant to your business.

Bar Code

You can associate a barcode with the vehicle. This enables you to create a new repair order for the customer and vehicle just by scanning the customer's loyalty card or ID.

To enter the UPC of the barcode,

  • Type the numbers into the Bar Code field OR
  • Place the cursor in the Bar Code field and scan the customer's loyalty card or ID until the numbers appear.

NOTE: The barcode is associated with the vehicle and not the customer because customers can have multiple vehicles, but a vehicle can be associated with only one customer. Saving the barcode to the vehicle makes sure R.O. Writer knows what vehicle to select for the repair order. (Repair orders cannot be created without a vehicle.)

Notes Tab

Enter any information you want to associate with the vehicle record.

The Notes tab with a note entered.

This information that appears here also appears in the Vehicle Notes section of the Notes Tab as well. When information is added or edited here, it appears there automatically and vice versa.

TIP: This information does not print on tickets.

Epicor Tab

The Epicor tab is active only if Epicor is installed and configured. It displays the answers to the Specific Condition Questions that pop up for the vehicle in Smart eCat. You can edit those answers here.

The Epicor tab with an answer to a specific condition question circled.