Mobile Diagnostics: An Idea Whose Time Has Come
from AutoInc.
For those of you who do not know or have never heard of a "mobile diagnostics professional," here's a brief explanation: A mobile diagnostics professional is a technician/business owner who owns a van or truck stocked with original equipment manufacturer and aftermarket scan tools, oscilloscopes, personal computers and other diagnostic and programming equipment, software and information systems. MDPs use these resources to provide client shops with diagnostics and programming services, usually for a flat fee. More

GM Close to Bankruptcy After Debt Exchange Offer Fails

Bondholders have rejected a debt exchange offer from General Motors that expired at midnight last night, the automaker said, moving the company closer to a bankruptcy that could result in the U.S. and Canadian governments owning three-quarters of its stock. The Obama administration is drafting a bankruptcy restructuring proposal that effectively would nationalize the border-straddling industrial colossus and put most of the rest of the company in the hands of a union trust fund. More

ASA Announces New Web Feature, Customized Content for ASA Members Using AutoNetTV
from Automotive Service Association
ASA has announced updates to its member benefit agreement with AutoNetTV. Multimedia Web site content can now be obtained through AutoNetTV's new Web Tools. Using AutoNetTV Web Tools, an ASA member's site will be automatically updated with articles, automotive news and video. With new content added weekly, a shop's Web site can become the "go-to source" for prospects and customers alike. This special feature will be included with an ASA member's AutoNetTV subscription if obtained by Aug. 1. More

Why the So-called "Right to Repair" Legislation is Unnecessary

For the past eight years, a group that represents aftermarket parts suppliers has lobbied in Congress and state houses across the country for legislation that would give them free access to the intellectual property of automakers. Automakers spend more on research and development than any other industry. The proponents of this legislation can’t keep up. More

Failed Dealership Creates Business Opportunity
from KGO-TV
The Lynch family of Gilroy, Calif., owned and operated the Gilroy Ford Dealership for 38 years before selling the business in 2007. When it abruptly closed this year, it was decision time. The family still had an auto body and paint shop next door. They dared to hope an auto repair shop could fill a void the dealer left behind. It ended up being a mini-stimulus for what could have been an economic graveyard. More

Nevada Salvaged Vehicles Act Passes Senate, AssemblyASA Urges Governor to Veto Bill
from Automotive Service Association
The Automotive Service Association (ASA) has urged Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, in a letter, to veto Nevada Senate Bill 360, the Salvaged Vehicles Act, because it is anti-consumer and not in the best interests of the collision repair industry. The Salvaged Vehicles Act revises provisions governing the sale and title of salvage vehicles. More

What Happened to 42-Volt Systems?

A few years ago, we were told that all vehicles produced worldwide would be equipped with 36/42-volt electrical systems by the end of this decade. It isn’t going to happen – not for a long time, at least. It may eventually come to fruition, but a lot more research, development and industry cooperation will be needed. The big question at this juncture: Is it needed? More

A Shake May Prevent a Crash

You're driving down the highway late at night, talking on your cell phone and fiddling with the radio. As you begin drifting into the lane on your right, your steering wheel suddenly vibrates, and you swing back to the left, narrowly missing a car you never saw. Such tactile warnings may be more effective than are audio or visual cues in preventing collisions, according to a new study. More

2010 Lexus IS 250C and IS 350C Test Drive: Convertible Lexus Has World's Fastest Folding Hardtop

With the pricey convertible Lexus SC430 finally showing its age, and luxury manufacturers jumping one by one to release entry-level hardtop convertibles, Lexus has made the decision to chop the top (and two doors) from its popular IS sedan. But this is more than a simple hardtop hack job: The chassis has been optimized for topless duty, and unlike other manufacturers, the segment's fastest folding hardtop has been designed in-house by Lexus. More

AutoZone Profit Rises as More Consumers Repair Cars

AutoZone Inc., the largest U.S. auto- parts retailer, said third-quarter profit rose 9.5 percent as some consumers repaired their vehicles rather than buying new ones. Net income for the quarter ended May 9 advanced to $173.7 million, or $3.13 a share, from $158.6 million, or $2.49, a year earlier, the Memphis, Tenn.-based company said in a statement. Sales increased 9.3 percent to $1.66 billion. More

Six Steps to Going Green

Many business are looking for ways to “go green” by adopting environmentally friendly business practices. Collision shops, which already have to comply with a variety of state and federal environmental regulations, have not always been seen as the most forward-thinking businesses when it comes to the environment. But a number of shop owners across the country found ways – some simple, some quite elaborate – to reduce their impact on the planet, attract eco-conscious customers and save money in the process. More