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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Some Model S drivers or passengers have complained about damp or wet front footwells. Water ingress issues can cause intermittent or permanent loss of door functions, such as window and lock control. Tesla released a Service Bulletin (SB-22-10-003) which details materials and repair procedures.  

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Some 2018 Equinox owners have reported that their steering columns and seats are moving on their own. Fears of hackers taking over are premature, the actual cause are faulty or missing water plugs in the A-frame, causing corrosion in the affected modules. 

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.

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Some Tacoma owners have heard a random 1-3 second whistle coming from their air conditioner vents. The siffleur surprise may occur as the compressor cycles on and off and is more prevalent with increased engine RPM during hot days.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Rear seated passengers of the 2021-23 soft-topped Ford Bronco have complained of a detaching headliner. This hair style-altering stalactite may be due to a faulty factory installation process which over time has caused the headliner to droop down in the rear of the vehicle, over the rear passenger seats and cargo area.

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.

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.

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.”

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Rear seated passengers of the 2021-23 soft-topped Ford Bronco have complained of a detaching headliner. This hair style-altering stalactite may be due to a faulty factory installation process which over time has caused the headliner to droop down in the rear of the vehicle, over the rear passenger seats and cargo area.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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White knuckled customers have complained that their F-150, while using the active adaptive cruise control, unexpectedly decelerated while passing large vehicles (tractor trailers).

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Some Cadillac Escalade owners (2021-23) may complain of a hoot, howl, or whistle-type wind noise coming from either the left or right side of the dash / front end while driving at highway speeds.  This noise may change depending on the HVAC setting being set to either fresh air or recirculation mode. In some cases, the complaint could be a squeak or creak noise from the I/P dash, which could occur while driving at any speed.  

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.

In March, Hyundai released collision repair information for 20 Hyundai and Genesis models, including 2019-2023 models. ALLDATA Collision now includes these new structural repair procedures, material guidelines, and more for all 20 vehicles to enable shops to repair them safely and accurately.

How ALLDATA Inspections streamlines your workflow

When your customers come in for repairs, is your shop still handwriting vehicle check-ins and inspections? If so, you’re not alone. It is estimated that about 25% of shops or more still do. But that’s changing!

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Numerous Chevy Volt owners have complained about a clicking sound that comes and goes while driving, occasionally illuminating the Stabilitrak lamp. The lamp will sometimes reset after an ignition cycle.

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Explorer owners have complained about a buzz, vibration or rattle below the left rear door at engine idle or low RPM.  Ford has issued a Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2135.

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.

New add-on product for ALLDATA Repair provides OEM labour times for accurate estimates

COLOGNE, Germany – Feb. 1, 2023 – ALLDATA Europe GmbH, an affiliate of ALLDATA LLC, an AutoZone company, has announced ALLDATA Labour Times, a new add-on product for ALLDATA Repair^® that provides quick access to OEM labour times.

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.

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.

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.

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.