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April Fools 24
April Fools 24

In the spirit of April Fools’ Day, three of our Tech Tips are true … and two are pranks. But which two? Find out by clicking each one to unlock the true Tech Tips, or the pranks. Ultimately, we know there’s no foolin’ around when it comes to OEM-direct, tech-verified automotive mechanical repairs.

Parasitic Draw
Parasitic Draw

2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 with a parasitic draw


Mario Rojas, ( aka Super Mario Diagnostics) has been repairing cars since 2013, and, for the last five years, has been sharing his repairs on YouTube. Fitting to his username, he primarily focuses on diagnostics and troubleshooting – and he’s garnered quite a following doing so. He currently has over 47 thousand subscribers on YouTube and over five million total video views.

Tech-Assist
Tech-Assist

Have you heard of ALLDATA Tech Assist®? It’s our diagnostic hotline staffed by our team of Master Techs, who can help with anything from advanced diagnostic troubleshooting to step-by-step repair assistance. Plus, we offer live video-streaming so they can show you the solution while you talk to them.

Rescue Lens
Rescue Lens

Staffed by a team of ASE-Certified Master Technicians, ALLDATA Tech-Assist is a diagnostic hotline that saves shops time by providing advanced diagnostic troubleshooting and step-by-step repair assistance.

Brakes
Brakes

If there is one thing that freaks out drivers, it’s when one or more of their brakes seize up or fail. Understandably, they get really upset when the car won’t stop, swerves abruptly, or stops unexpectedly. 

USATNC - Winners
USATNC - Winners

The U.S. Auto Tech National Championship shines the spotlight on the best of the country’s automotive repair professionals. ALLDATA and AutoZone are proud sponsors of this event. Congratulations to First Place winners David Borer (professional) and Yanick Tanguay (student).

Variable Valve Timing
Variable Valve Timing

Have an engine misfire or lack of power? Confused by Variable Valve Timing (VVT) codes? The car may also have cam sensor, crank/cam correlation codes and fuel trim problems.

Oscilloscope
Oscilloscope

So you’ve taken the plunge and decided to buy a Digital Storage Oscilloscope (DSO). Congratulations! This is a great diagnostics asset to have in your belt. But now you may be wondering what exactly you can do with your new tool. Here are five tips so you can take full advantage of your DSO.

Search 101
Search 101

Every manufacturer has a different way of categorizing and displaying their repair information, and ALLDATA standardizes this information without altering the sources. Using powerful indexing and search algorithms, ALLDATA translates the manufacturers’ glossaries into a format that is familiar to most technicians. Here are some tips on how to find the repair information you are looking for – even if it isn’t where you think it should be.

F150 Race
F150 Race

Using Freeze Frame data as a diagnostic tool - Diagnostic Digest Volume 5


In the west Texas town of Midland, football is the town’s number one activity. Ranking a close second is oil exploration. The refineries turn the crude into cheap gasoline and Diesel fuel that moves the Midland population. This is not Austin: a Google Maps view of the Tesla Supercharger on Antelope Trail shows one lone Model Y taking on electrons next door to the Love’s Travel Stop.

Tech Championship
Tech Championship

ALLDATA has joined forces with parent company AutoZone, national account partner Monro, and other industry leaders to sponsor the U.S. Auto Tech National Championship.

Mechanic Training
Mechanic Training

Diagnostic Digest Volume 4


As the lead instructor of a community college automotive technology program, Ben Breedlove often found himself with the unenviable task of fixing students’ mistakes. Ten years ago, he was the shop foreman of a Toyota dealership service department. At least once a week, he had to rescue a dealership technician from the aftereffects of a misdiagnosis or a botched repair procedure.

See Electricity
See Electricity

How many parts get replaced that didn’t fix the customer’s complaint because a technician made guesses instead of an accurate diagnosis? Often those inaccurate diagnoses are a result of not being able to see a complete picture of the reason for the problem.

2008 RAM
2008 RAM

Diagnostic Digest Volume 3

Native Californian Noah Waite built up a solid automotive service business over the last 15 years in the California coastal community of Huntington Beach. Unofficially known as “Surf City USA”, Huntington Beach is famous for its waves. Although the Beach Boys were from Hawthorne, they certainly sung about the main attraction of the town.

Equinox 2016
Equinox 2016

Diagnostic Digest Volume 2


Father’s Day was a few days away at the Kempt Garage. Kyle contemplated the new tie his kids would almost certainly give him; ties were something he only wore at weddings and funerals. As the busy owner of a garage that bore his last name, he was thankful that neither of those events was occurring this week. The temperatures were ramping up and the number of heat-related diagnostic cases increased commensurately. A local mom and high school teacher, Heidi Hagan, had dropped off her 2016 Chevy Truck Equinox SUV earlier that day with a complaint of “air conditioning not working.”

Diagnostics - 600
Diagnostics - 335

In this MotorAge article, Chris Farley describes how “blindly approaching a fault is like jumping into an empty pool … you may quickly get to the bottom of it but it’s probably going to hurt.” For a rear-ended 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee with multiple indicators illuminated and numerous DTCs, he uses ALLDATA to identify connector locations that revealed the cause of the issue.

ASE Tech 600
ASE Tech 335

June is ASE Automotive Service Professionals Month

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has designated June 2023 as Automotive Service Professionals Month.

ASE encourages industry members to use Automotive Service Professionals Month as a way to thank service professionals and conduct recognition events, special programs, and other celebrations.

Motor - 600
Motor - 335

ADAS: What you don't know CAN hurt you!


In this video from ALLDATA, MotorAge’s Pete Meier talks about the growth of ADAS over the years, how performing other repairs can affect these sensitive systems, and why using OEM information helps protect your shop from potential liability issues.

ADAS mirror - 600
ADAS mirror - 335

As technology continues to evolve, Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) have become increasingly common in vehicles, providing drivers with enhanced safety features and driving assistance that have made roads safer for us all.

In the spirit of April Fools’ Day, three of our Tech Tips are true … and two are pranks. But which two? Find out by clicking each one to unlock the true Tech Tips, or the pranks. Ultimately, we know there’s no foolin’ around when it comes to OEM-accurate, tech-verified automotive mechanical repairs.

HV Battery - 600
HV Battery - 335

What happens to a hybrid or electric vehicle’s high-voltage (HV) battery or battery pack at the end of its life? Do they get recycled or tossed into a landfill? The good news is, HV batteries can be recycled, but you must do so using explicit steps and safety procedures.

Global ALLDATA - 600
Global ALLDATA - 335

Interview with President Satwinder Mangat, Part 2

In January, we published Part 1 of our interview with ALLDATA President Satwinder Mangat, which featured a look back at 2022 highlights as well as the trends and technologies affecting the repair industry in 2023.

SatConf - 600
SatConf - 335

Interview with Satwinder Mangat, President, ALLDATA


The ALLDATA News staff recently sat down with ALLDATA President Satwinder Mangat to get his feedback on SEMA, thoughts on technology trends affecting the auto repair industry, and what’s next for ALLDATA.

SEMA 2022
SEMA 2022

The winners of the coveted SEMA Show New Product Showcase Awards were announced November 1 in Las Vegas. ALLDATA won in the ADAS System Category for the addition of ADAS Quick Reference to ALLDATA Repair® and ALLDATA Collision®.

SEMA 2022
SEMA 2022

The countdown is on to the 2022 SEMA Show and there’s plenty to be excited about! Whether you’re a loyal customer or just kicking the tires, stop by ALLDATA Booth #31067 to say hello! Catch up on our latest enhancements and get a hands-on look at our industry-leading OEM repair information products, diagnostic tools, and shop management software. And of course, score the best deals of the year!  

EV Charging - 600
EV Charging - 335

Demand for electric vehicles continues to grow as gas prices hover around a record-high national average of $5 per gallon. Sales in Q1 2022 of 173,561 electric vehicles represents an increase of 76 percent from Q1 2021.

Affordable electric vehicles continue to be in short supply while the Tesla Model Y accounted for nearly one out of every three new U.S. electric vehicles registered in the first quarter of 2022. A recent report tracking car owner ratings, shows Tesla tops the list of most satisfied customers in the entire auto industry.

ASE - 600
ASE - 335

May 18, 2022—The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence has announced the introduction of a new Advanced Driver Assistant Systems Specialist Certification test.

According to a press release, this test is specifically designed to help identify that technicians have knowledge of the skill sets required to service, calibrate, and diagnose ADAS on vehicles.

H Ford Plant 600
HFord line 335

In celebration of Independence Day, we wanted to highlight some contributions that this great country has made to the automotive industry. Although the U.S. was not the birthplace of the automobile (that credit would go to Carl Benz in 1886 Germany), the impact the U.S. has had on the automotive industry is undeniable. Let’s take a look at a few of the many highlights that have made the U.S. an automotive powerhouse.

ALLDATA Tech-Assist 100K
ALLDATA Tech-Assist 100K

ALLDATA’s Tech-Assist team recently logged an important customer support milestone: the 100,000th case solved by the diagnostic and repair hotline service. Since its debut in 2014, Tech-Assist has earned rave reviews for its dedicated team of ASE-Certified Master Technicians, quick response time, and unwavering commitment to solving touch repair challenges – however many calls it takes.

Don't Touch

In the spirit of April Fools’ Day, three of our Tech Tips are true … and two are pranks. But which two? Find out by clicking each one to unlock the true Tech Tips, or the pranks. Ultimately, we know there’s no foolin’ around when it comes to OEM-accurate, tech-verified automotive mechanical repairs.

EV Shock - 600
EV shock - 335

As manufacturers charge ahead with aggressive electric vehicle (EV) plans, the U.S. automotive consumer’s desire – and ability – to jump into the EV frontier lags far behind. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and the subsequent ban on the import of oil and natural gas from Russia to the U.S. – is driving gas prices into the stratospheric range and crippling supply chains. This may prompt more consumers to consider an electric vehicle to avoid pain at the pump, but they’d better be prepared for more shocks: there are major obstacles to owning an EV in the near future.

windshield-600
windshield-335

In 2008, Volvo released “Collision Warning and Auto Brake,” the first automatic braking feature offered on a production vehicle. This early form of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) used radar mounted behind the front grill and a camera located on the rear-view mirror to detect vehicles and pedestrians in front of the car. It would then alert the driver of the obstacle and apply the brakes if the driver failed to react in a timely manner, very similar to the way that present day automatic braking functions.

EV - 600
EV - 335

If you were one of the 112 million viewers watching Super Bowl LVI last month (a safe bet, I assume?) you couldn’t miss all the hype around the commercials. As always, automobiles dominated the ads, but this year, six out of the seven auto ads in Super Bowl LVI featured electric vehicles (EVs). And while spending huge advertising dollars is a sure sign of where the industry is going, the reality is that there’s a long road ahead before we reach the end of the ICE age.

ev-hv-600
ev-hv-335

Industry experts speculate that auto manufacturers will soon be adopting 800-volt electrical systems in their electric vehicles (EVs). The latest research shows that 800-volt electrical systems can lead to smaller, lighter, and more environmentally friendly motors. Vehicles using these powertrains could also be charged faster and travel further on a single charge.

ADAS - 600
ADAS - 335

The Car Doctor interviews ALLDATA VP Robert McBride

Ron Ananian is the owner of R/A Automotive in Waldwick, New Jersey. Since 1991, he has also educated and entertained millions of listeners through his nationally syndicated radio program, The Car Doctor. In December, Ron interviewed ALLDATA Vice President of Product Development Robert McBride on what’s fueling all the interest in ADAS. Listen to the audio from the program, or read on for a slightly edited version.

EV- 600
EV - 335

You’ve seen them driving around town, and hopefully by now you’ve probably encountered a few electric vehicles, or EVs, in your shop. If you’re one of the those that’s still apprehensive about servicing these vehicles, you’re not alone.

Satwinder - 600
Satwinder - 335

Autosphere interviews ALLDATA President Satwinder Mangat

Autosphere Magazine Editor-in-Chief Huw Evans recently interviewed ALLDATA President Satwinder Mangat on what’s down the road for mechanical and collision shops. Read on for their conversation about the increasing demand for accurate ADAS information and the potential for integrating mechanical and collision diagnostics in shops.

New Year 2022
New Year 2022

We all know that the #1 most common New Year’s resolution is to get fit/lose weight? But while everyone is busy signing up for gym memberships and purchasing treadmills, you should be looking at your business and creating your own New Year’s resolution. Chances are you might also want to whip your shop into shape.

Holiday-schedule-600
Holiday-schedule-335

5 Tips for Communicating with Customers

With Halloween behind us and Thanksgiving coming up fast, it got the staff at ALLDATA News wondering … does your shop shut down during the holidays?

ASE Education - 600
ASE Education - 335

An interview with ASE Education Foundation Leaders

ALLDATA’s exclusive interview with ASE Education Foundation President Mike Coley and Vice President George Arrants covers this year’s ASE Instructor Training Conference, the new ASE Adopt-a-School Toolkit program, the revision of ASE’s school accreditation process, and the expansion of school-to-work activities that include a formal apprenticeship program.

BG White

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