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In my hometown, my barber must have a state-issued license to cut what little hair I have. The person who fixed my home heating system must have several licenses

Did you know that the average comeback costs a shop $237? We're here so you can fix it right the first time

Having access to OEM repair information has many benefits for those in the collision repair industry. Not only does it ensure a vehicle is repaired properly for the customer, but it can also potentially limit liability for a body shop and the insurance company, according to Satwinder Mangat, president of ALLDATA, an AutoZone Company.

The trouble code you extracted from that car seems to point you to a bad sensor. You replace the sensor and the code quickly comes back. Hmm, must be a bad module! So that gets replaced as well. No one is more surprised than you when the original code comes back. Well, that leaves the wiring and connectors. You disconnect the harness at the sensor and the module end and check for wiring and connector continuity. Your meter shows zero Ohms resistance. You determine it cannot possibly be the wiring or connectors. Or could it be?

ALLDATA’s Diagnostics tools pay for themselves every month after just three days, according to Bayside Body Shop owner Brian Holland.

Welcome back to Part 2 of Sensor Testing Secrets. We trust you were able to use some of the tips to better diagnose vehicle electrical issues with temperature and position sensors.

SEMA season is upon us, and ALLDATA is celebrating by showcasing its newest product release: the award-winning scan tool solution ALLDATA Diagnostics. Our SEMA booth will feature videos and knowledgeable ALLDATA personnel who will demo this device that turns a tablet into a professional-level scan tool – the only one with the power of ALLDATA built in.  

As always, our friends at I-CAR provide the collision industry classes and programs that promote safe collision repair and profitable shops. At SEMA Education Days, I-CAR comes out huge with 13 courses that are structured around individual roles within the industry. Additionally, passing these courses will count to your I-CAR Gold and Platinum Class programs, giving attendees the ability to enjoy SEMA and further their industry credentials. In the interest of promoting best practices in the collision industry we have provided the class list for your consideration.

ALLDATA was recently recognized for its contributions to innovations in our industry: in August alone, ALLDATA received innovation awards from both PTEN and NACE Automechanika Atlanta.

Every year, PTEN recognizes the industry’s most innovative products of that year. Their panel of judges consists of techs and shop owners, and this panel evaluates each nomination for their contribution to the vehicle diagnosis and repair process, as well their ability to increase shop productivity. This year, ALLDATA won two 2018 PTEN Innovation Awards: one for ALLDATA Collision Advantage in the Computers and Software Category, and one for ALLDATA Diagnostics in the Scan Tools Category.

ALLDATA recently won two 2018 PTEN Innovation Awards; one for ALLDATA Collision Advantage in the Computers and Software Category, and one for ALLDATA Diagnostics in the Scan Tools Category.

This year, the publication received a total of 142 product nominations. Top products in 27 categories have been recognized.

For nearly forty years, I-CAR® has provided industry-recognized training solutions for the collision repair inter-industry. And now, they’ve gotten even better.Starting in the first quarter of 2019, I-CAR is making some key enhancements to serve this industry’s rapidly evolving needs.

Aaron Stokes is the epitome of the busy and successful entrepreneur. Not only is he the owner and operator of six repair shops and a rental car company, but he is also an active family man and the host of the popular radio show “Fixin’ Cars with Aaron Stokes” on Nashville’s 99.7 WTN. He is the founder of Shop Fix Academy, and travels frequently to speak at events and venues throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Recently, we were able to interview him and ask him the question we all are thinking: how does he do it ALL?

Aaron Stokes is the epitome of the busy and successful entrepreneur. Not only is he the owner and operator of six repair shops and a rental car company, but he is also an active family man and the host of the popular radio show “Fixin’ Cars with Aaron Stokes” on Nashville’s 99.7 WTN. He is the founder of Shop Fix Academy, and travels frequently to speak at events and venues throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. Recently, we were able to interview him and ask him the question we all are thinking: how does he do it ALL?

It’s been about an hour, and you are no closer to finding the problem on that 2012 Equinox. The Internet was a waste of time, the diagnostic trouble-tree led to a dead end, and your fellow techs are no help. This is when most techs should look to a hotline to help solve the mystery.

April is the optimum time to remind your customers to get their cars ready for spring driving, summer road trips, and to deal with any lingering issues they might have put off over the winter months.

That’s why April is highlighted as National Car Care Month by the Car Care Council. Their goal is to focus attention on the importance of car care and preventative maintenance.

College Driver

Some of your customers will soon experience their child leaving for college. In many of these cases, these young adults are taking the family car with them. Unfortunately, many of your customers have not prepared their children for using and maintaining that car while it is far away from home (and from you).

As their trusted automotive service expert, you have the opportunity to provide them guidelines for their child’s use of the car – which could also potentially build stronger customer relationships.

The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS); or in GM jargon SIR (supplemental inflatable restraint system) uses more components than just airbags: modules, crash sensors, seat weight and position sensors, seat belt switches, warning lights and pre-tensioning devices are all used to protect and enhance the safety of the driver and passengers.

Mode $6 monitor status reporting could be compared to a high school report card. Think back, you’ve just finished your junior year and with trepidation you open your report card. Surprise!

International Marketing Research, Inc. (IMR, Inc.) has paired with AutomotiveResearch.com and released their findings about how shops are investing in their businesses and what these shops consider their greatest threats. One of the biggest takeaways: everyone is worried about equipment cost but not everyone is investing in it.

Maaco of Regina, Canada has undergone an extreme makeover, taking a shine to improving its customer service and business operations. Since the ’80s, the Maaco Collision chain of franchised service centers has been focused on lower-cost refinishing of cars as a business model. This changed for General Manager Joe Cardiff when he attended a car convention in Moose Jaw and sat in on a presentation by Leanne Jefferies, Vice President, Canadian Operations Assured Performance Network. Since then, Joe hasn’t been content with being a minor player in the major collision repair market.

With Solo: A Star Wars Story releasing on May 25, the fans are getting treated to a plethora of geekdom in the form of memorabilia, interviews and grand scale activations. 

Nissan has upped the ante as well, revealing a Millennium Falcon-dressed Nissan Rogue for Star Wars aficionados to either pick apart or adore.

Temperatures are climbing, HVAC units are getting fired up and customers’ air conditioning complaints fill the warm air. Yes, A/C repair season is here. That time of year when suddenly car owners suddenly realize their cars are not cool enough.

Before you break out your A/C gauges and refrigerant recovery machines, there is some new technology that you may want to be aware of. An ALLDATA customer gave us this great example recently.

Spring has sprung, and drivers across the nation are planning their summer roadtrips and vacations. They look forward to driving to far away mountains, lakes, and beaches just to enjoy the summer heat far from home. You’ll want your customers’ vehicles to be ready for these journeys before they head out, which could mean extra service work coming in for you. Of course, you also want them to have a great time once they’re out on the road.

Richard Kniesel opened his first collision shop in Citrus Heights, Calif., in 1968. It was an expansion of his mechanical repair business and the beginning of an enterprise that would touch customers and the surrounding community for the next 50 years and counting. In that time, Richard Sr. would pass on his commitment to excellence to his son Gary and grandson Brent, and expand the business, opening five more collision locations.

The Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) has been tracking refrigerant use by vehicle manufacturers for quite some time and, as expected for the 2018 model year, we have seen a few more manufacturers choose to change over a few or even all of their US offerings to use the new refrigerant HFO-1234yf.

ELK GROVE, Calif. – Feb. 26, 2018 – ALLDATA, an AutoZone company, announced the promotion of Satwinder Mangat to President, ALLDATA. He was formerly General Manager, ALLDATA North America.

In his new role, Mangat is responsible for ALLDATA’s North American (U.S., Canada, and Mexico) and European operations, and is also a member of the AutoZone CEO Team. He reports to Tom Newbern, AutoZone Executive Vice President, Store Operations, Commercial, Loss Prevention and ALLDATA.

Memphis, Tenn., – Aug. 7, 2017 – AutoZone®  has been awarded a multi-year contract as the exclusive provider for automotive parts and supplies by Region 4 Education Service Center, Houston, TX. The agreement is available through the cooperative purchasing organization, National Intergovernmental Purchasing Alliance (National IPA™).

Cologne, Germany, 6 February 2018  – ALLDATA Europe GmbH, an affiliate of ALLDATA LLC, an AutoZone company, has signed a reseller agreement with Autologic Diagnostics Ltd. headquartered in Oxford, England. Autologic is a world leader in advanced aftermarket automotive diagnostics.

ELK GROVE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2017 – ALLDATA, an AutoZone company, announces its ‎newest technology platform that features extensive, integrated updates to ALLDATA Repair® and ALLDATA Collision®. One of those is the addition of Interactive Color Wiring Diagrams that give technicians the option to work with non-OE AND factory-direct wiring diagrams, functionality exclusive to ALLDATA. This integrated technology platform now offers customers:

Did you know that the average comeback costs a shop $237? We're here so you can fix it right the first time

ELK GROVE, Calif. – Feb. 26, 2018 – ALLDATA, an AutoZone company, recently expanded its diagnostic and repair hotline service, ALLDATA Tech-Assist®. The company hired additional technicians at its Elk Grove headquarters and at new hotline call centers in Georgia and Texas.

For many of you this is old news. You’ve been programming modules to do the right thing at the right time for years. But for some of you, just disconnecting a battery gets you thinking, “What will this break?” Welcome to the world of relearning and reprogramming.

A growing issue shops face is the increasing cost of the research and documentation to certify they have repaired the car to OE specifications. AutoBodyNews.com has written an informative article about the surprising results in 2018’s first “Who Pays for What?” survey. It also quotes Mike Anderson of Collision Advice about his observations regarding how shop estimators and sales are directly impacted by today’s environment.

In the spirit of April Fools’ Day, four 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.

The Car Care Council highlights two months during the year to focus attention on the importance of car care and preventative maintenance – National Car Care Month in April and Fall Car Care Month in October.

April is the optimum time to remind your customers to get their cars ready for spring driving, summer road trips, and to deal with any lingering issues they might have put off over the winter months.

ELK GROVE, Calif. – Sept. 24, 2018 – PTEN (Professional Tool & Equipment News) magazine recently announced that ALLDATA, an AutoZone company, had won two 2018 PTEN Innovation Awards; one for ALLDATA Diagnostics in the Scan Tools category, and one for ALLDATA Collision Advantage in the Computers and Software category.

Windham Body Shop, located in New Albany, Miss., has gone through a few location changes but is currently housed in a 6,000-square-foot building that employs eight. In the past year, the shop has implemented new processes, including blueprinting.

Who ya gonna call? ALLDATA Tech-Assist®. Especially now that ALLDATA has expanded its diagnostic and repair hotline service, hiring additional technicians at its Elk Grove headquarters and at new hotline call centers in Georgia and Texas.

One of the biggest trade shows in the automotive industry is right around the corner: SEMA 2018 is taking place October 30– November 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. With over 3,000 products in the New Products Showcase, educational seminars, product demonstrations, special events, and networking opportunities, the list of stuff to do is overwhelming. We’ve done the research and compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your SEMA experience.

U.S. used-vehicle sales will rise in 2018 on swelling off-lease returns, while new-vehicle volume will decline modestly, forecasters say.

Because dealerships typically generate bigger margins selling used vehicles than new ones, U.S. franchised dealers will be better positioned for the change than the manufacturers and suppliers of new vehicles.

Today, the number of screens people will interact with is more than at any other time in history. From smartphones to computers, and tablets, there is no shortage of technology for us to have to keep an eye on. However, there is one more medium adding another screen consumers have to pay attention to.

As Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc throughout the Texas and Florida regions, they left a tremendous amount of destruction and debris in their wake—including nearly 1 million damaged or submerged cars, with Hurricane Harvey destroying between 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles and Hurricane Irma destroying another 200,000 to 400,000 vehicles.

BG White

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