"What's the gap on these points supposed to be?" When is the last time you heard that question asked in the shop?

It has been almost 30 years since ignition points were used in automobiles, and carburetors have all but become extinct. Automotive ignitions and carburetors have evolved into complex computer-controlled ignition and fuel management systems with self-diagnostic capabilities.

To diagnose and repair a car today, a technician needs a toolbox full of diagnostic test equipment and a comprehensive data information source instead of a set of feeler gauges, timing light and a quick tune-up guide. Americans are buying 15+ million new cars and light trucks each year, an increasing percentage of which are imports. The parts used in these complicated vehicles have to last at least as long as the prescribed warranty period.

But take heart. Beyond that, vehicle owners will rely on you to provide the extensive diagnostics and repairs required to keep these vehicles on the road. As technology has advanced, so has the need for more elaborate parts inventories. In place of a carburetor, you must now carry injectors, electronic control units and a huge assortment of sensors.

Instead of a few sets of points and condensers, you now are stocking ignition control modules, crank and cam position sensors and power transistors. New 100,000-mile guaranteed $8.49 apiece super plugs have replaced those antiquated $1.79 each resistor-type spark plugs.

"At least the old cap and rotor are still around," you say? Actually, their demise has already begun. To offer more precise ignition timing for each cylinder, distributor-less ignition systems, basically comprised of one small ignition coil per cylinder or one coil for a bank of cylinders and an electronic control module, are becoming more commonplace.

It is important when making your estimates or ordering parts to be aware of which vehicles have distributors and which do not. Here are a few examples of Asian import manufacturers using distributor-less ignition systems during the last 10 years.

As a shop owner, investing in competent technicians and utilizing quality, up-to-date diagnostic test equipment is only part of the formula for a successful automotive repair shop. To diagnose problems accurately, you also need a cutting-edge automotive information database like ALLDATA.

Current, easy-to-access information will give your technicians the background knowledge they need to get the job done right the first time. Because automotive electrical systems are becoming more complex, performing accurate diagnoses during the initial inspection phase is paramount. You need to discover the reason why the component or system failed.

For example, what appears to be a simple ignition-module failure may have been caused by a charging-system malfunction. Discovering this early in the diagnostic process can save time and a lot of embarrassment.

In the future, the day-to-day operations of a successful repair shop will not change that much. Keeping up with technology and diagnostic techniques will. Should complex computer-controlled ignition systems scare you? Not really…however, being unprepared should!