If your scan tool is capable of reading a data stream, there are a couple of tests you can perform that will save you time when you’re dealing with a complex diagnosis.

Sixty-one percent (more than 3 in 5) of shops said in the latest “Who Pays for What?” survey that they are researching OEM repair procedures on “all” or “most” of the vehicles they repair. That’s a nine percentage point gain since 2020. The survey was conducted in the spring by Collision Advice and CRASH Network. About 700 shops participated.

Typically, when we feature an auto repair shop, it almost always includes a structure with ample workspace, air-tools, lifts and a waiting room. Black Top Auto Repair has set this standard on its ear with an exceptional mobile approach. The concept of ‘mobile mechanic’ has a long history with varied connotations, and owner/operator Dylan Loebel-Begelman understands this perception. This is why his mobile business incorporates a custom-built trailer, outfitted with a lift, air compressor, tool storage, waste tanks, leveling jacks and internet hotspot.

ALLDATA President Satwinger Mangat, along with the company’s Sales and Marketing Directors, travelled from the USA on May 8 to visit three Quebec City-area workshops for discussions with their managers. The tour was coordinated by Philippe Blouin, ALLDATA’s Business Solutions Consultant for the Quebec City region.

Like many in the automotive industry, Joshua Day was born into it. In 1979 – three years before Josh was even born – his father, Paul Day, became the very first mechanic at the then newly-opened Big O Tire^{® franchise in Woodland, Calif.}

ALLDATA Repair Planner is a new add-on product for ALLDATA Collision®. Part of ALLDATA’s integrated repair platform, it automates the collision repair planning process with OEM accuracy to help shops save time, limit liability, and boost profits. 

Customers who need replacement catalytic converters often prefer the lower cost and greater availability of the aftermarket part rather than the recommended OE option. Unfortunately, these aftermarket catalytic converters often have bad reputations of quickly failing, and many assume it’s because they are not made with the same quality standards as their OE counterparts.

Stellantis Ventures, the automaker’s corporate venture fund, has invested in SteerLight — the developer of a new generation lidar sensing technology. Employing silicon photonics technology, which combines a universal semiconductor material with the speed of photos, SteerLight’s lidar senses the surrounding environment in 3D with higher resolution and precision, and at a lower volume production cost, than other lidar systems, according to a news release from the companies.

New research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found drivers who use advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) grow more comfortable with the technology over time---sometimes too comfortable. After weeks of using ADAS, attention to driving tended to drop. However, these drivers also used ADAS more when highway demands were lower.

Independent contractors, marijuana users, and those with criminal records are a few of the human resource issues collision repair shops need to pay attention to in 2024, according to Cory King, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete partner.

King spoke during a meeting of the Collision Industry Conference in Palm Springs, California on Wednesday.

Auto Beauty Center in Independence, MO, started out offering quick services like alloy wheel restorations and paintless dent repair. It later bought a mobile business offering detailing and minor collision repair, and brought those services into its retail location, along with mechanical repair.

TechForce Foundation’s new technical education campaign, “Grab the Wheel,” launches this Labor Day to usher 1 million new entry-level automotive, collision, and diesel repair technicians into the industries over the next five years to meet the looming workforce demand.

A recent New York Times article focused on the ever-increasing costs of vehicle collision repair has caught the attention of the industry.

Shared several times by our readers, the article reported by The Times says that the average cost of repairs has soared 36% since 2018 and could top $5,000 by the end of this year, according to Mitchell International. And increased repair costs mean increased insurance premiums too, which according to the article, increased 17% between May 2022 and May 2023.

Slow connection to the internet, weak Wi-Fi signal, and dead spots in Wi-Fi coverage are all common problems in many shops. With sources of electromagnetic interference and lots of metal surfaces, a shop can be a Wi-Fi nightmare. Since so much of what we do in automotive repair requires reliable internet access, here are some ways to improve existing Wi-Fi coverage or add new service.

A recent New York Times article focused on the ever-increasing costs of vehicle collision repair has caught the attention of the industry.

Shared several times by our readers, the article reported by The Times says that the average cost of repairs has soared 36% since 2018 and could top $5,000 by the end of this year, according to Mitchell International. And increased repair costs mean increased insurance premiums too, which according to the article, increased 17% between May 2022 and May 2023.

How to test a 2002 Thunderbird
instrument cluster that’s not backlit

Mario Rojas, known as Super Mario Diagnostics on YouTube, has been repairing cars since 2013. Fitting to his username, he primarily focuses on diagnostics and troubleshooting – and he’s garnered quite a following doing so. He currently has over 39 thousand subscribers on YouTube and nearly 4 million total video views.

Kyle was hoping for a quiet Friday afternoon at the Kempt garage. He was still recovering from a bad sunburn and the aftereffects of overeating incurred during the recent Memorial Day weekend. Any hope of a quick and peaceful end to the workweek ended when a local farmer, Ben Gleaner, drove up in a 2011 Ford Super Duty truck with a 6.7L Turbo Diesel. 

Always check OEM info for one‑time‑use parts

One-time-use parts (aka non-reusable parts/single-use parts) are parts that manufacturers have designed to be used only once. Therefore, when a one-time-use part is removed, it should be replaced versus being reinstalled.

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.

Northside Collision Paint & Body Inc. in San Antonio, TX, was established in 2001, when Mark Gutierrez - a longtime Allstate agent with no collision repair experience - purchased a small body shop, determined to set a higher standard for collision repair in the area.

ALLDATA Collision^® has increased its lead as the #1 choice for OEM repair information. According to the results of the 2023 Who Pays for What? Frame & Mechanical Operations survey, 76% of auto body repair shops use ALLDATA to research OEM repair information, up from 73.9% in 2022.ALLDATA Collision^® has increased its lead as the #1 choice for OEM repair information. According to the results of the 2023 Who Pays for What? Frame & Mechanical Operations survey, 76% of auto body repair shops use ALLDATA to research OEM repair information, up from 73.9% in 2022.

You know how much hard work it takes to get customers’ vehicles back on the road safely. When it comes to maximizing your return, it pays to know how often other shops across the country are being reimbursed by the insurers for the same procedures.

Luckily, the results of the latest Who Pays for What? survey do just that, providing a goldmine of valuable information that could directly improve your bottom line.

2022 FenderBender Award winner Mike Schoonover

Mike Schoonover, owner/operator of Schoonover Bodyworks & Glass in Shoreview, Minn., is the winner of the 2022 FenderBender Award for the “Finest in Collision Repair,” an honor he describes as “Very humbling, and also very cool.” In addition to being a loyal ALLDATA customer for more than 15 years, Schoonover attributes his shop’s success to always focusing on what’s right for the customer, always doing high-quality work, and always providing great customer service.

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!  

A successful repair starts with the right parts, the right training, the proper equipment and an understanding of the latest repair procedures. As vehicles on the road today become more and more sophisticated with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), lidar-based autonomous driving systems, and other new technology, the proper OEM repair and calibration procedures have become ever more ...

College collision repair department heads and a recent graduate say the industry as a whole needs to get behind pulling kids’ interest to the skills it takes to become technicians at younger ages.

And that’s just what Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, Nebraska is doing through its summer camps focused on kids ages 10-12, called “College for Kids,” and “College for Teens” for ages 14-17. The first group of 10-12-year-olds spent a day last week learning about the uses of and differences between rigid and flexible foam with an I-CAR frame rail demonstration. They also learned about tools used in collision repair. The same topics will be covered with a second group this week.

Last month, we reported on results from the Who Pays for What? survey by Collision Advice and CRASH Network that showed the use of OEM information on the rise and ALLDATA’s continued dominance (73.4%) as the #1 choice for that essential repair information. Now let’s see what collision shop owners and techs had to say pre- and post-repair vehicle “health scans” and DTC research.

When it comes to getting paid for your work, it helps to have the top tools at your disposal. The Who Pays for What? survey shows that ALLDATA continues to be the most popular choice among body shops for researching OEM repair information and procedures. It also reveals how often shops are being compensated for dozens of collision-specific procedures and materials, from seat calibration to sound-deadening. For now, let’s take a closer look at what’s trending for OEM repair information. Next month, we’ll dig into shops’ feedback on pre- and post-repair vehicle “health scans” and DTC research. 

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.

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.

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.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are designed to improve driver safety through the application of several technologies developed during the last two decades. ADAS has been implemented on vehicles of all price and performance levels; it is no longer only for high-end cars and trucks.

When Mark Ventrillo joined Quality Color & Collision in Greenwood, SC, as its fixed operations director in early 2021, his assignment was to improve its management of the collision repair industry's most valuable resource---time.

ALLDATA Collision delivers OEM diagnostic information in a consistent format for each manufacturer, so you can easily find the information you need to inspect, estimate, and properly repair each vehicle in your facility. Includes OEM Position Statements, scan tool requirements and positions, DTC code charts and procedures, system wiring diagrams, and more.

ALLDATA Collision covers 95% of all vehicles on the road today, including German manufacturers Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi, with the critical OEM information, procedures, and graphics you need for accurate estimates and repairs.

See how to get the OEM documentation you need, quickly and accurately. In addition to OEM position statements, ALLDATA Collision includes OEM repair matrices, collision bulletins, body repair manuals, body guides, and more.

To streamline your initial damage assessment routine and ensure estimate and repair accuracy, we’ve gathered the OEM inspections required after a collision in one easy-to-access grouping within the vehicle’s repair procedures.

A quick tour of the OEM information ALLDATA Collision provides for required PDR operations, including scanning, as well as manufacturer information on vehicle construction, how to identify panel materials, safe battery removal/reconnection, and more.

In less than two minutes, you’ll see how simple and straightforward it is to access unedited OEM collision repair data direct from the manufacturer. Ensures you’ll always have the information needed to troubleshoot, estimate, and repair Subaru vehicles.

Material identification is key to determining repairability on today’s vehicles. See how to quickly access OEM Repairability Guidelines that identify what an OEM will and won’t allow on today’s repairs – information that’s critical for proper collision repair planning and execution.