Tips to help you acquire OEM repair information without spending a fortune

Now think about a modern vehicle. With all the electronics, space-age materials and construction, and safety features built into cars, it'd be almost impossible to complete many required service procedures without the help of OEM (original equipment manufacturer) reference material or training. As with all aspects related to modern automobile construction, OEM reference information doesn't come cheap usually.

Some shops prefer to guess during certain operations, and it costs them much more than the cost of the education. Improper repairs on a modern vehicle can, and do, cost lives. Don't let your shop be part of this group. I understand margins have become much smaller during the past few years, and it's very difficult to come up with extra funds to pay for training and reference, no matter how valuable or important it is.

Remember, all vehicle manufacturing companies are in the business of making money. They have design and engineering teams that spend countless hours developing new technologies to help put them ahead of the competition. They're not fond of giving away technical information when they've spent so much time, effort and money to develop it. To obtain this information, you can purchase several programs that are great sources of information and are helpful to have in a modern shop.

I'm a huge advocate of this software and have used it many times in my shops. The only negative about using these systems is cost. In a world of shrinking margins, shop owners and managers need to look closely at every dollar they spend. Consider these tips to help you acquire accurate OEM repair information without spending a fortune.

Leverage dealer relationships

All collision shops buy parts – many parts. For a new car dealership, the parts department is a valuable source of revenue. Out of all the parts a dealership sells outside of its own store, collision-repair parts comprise the largest group on average. Because you, as a repairer, buy most of those parts, you are, by default, a valuable customer to most dealership parts department managers, general managers and owners.

Leverage the relationship with the dealerships you buy through and ask them for access to the reference material you might need about certain models when working on one. I've done this many times successfully. If you have a good relationship with your dealership vendors, it should be easy to acquire information from them when you need it. The downside is it may take more time than you'd like. Usually, your contact has to work through several different channels in the shop to get you what you want. Even so, it's still a great option for no cost except time.

Other vendors' information

Many collision shops work with many other vendors during the repair process. Often, the alignment or tire shop you use will have ALLDATA or another similar reference source at their location. Again, if you have a solid relationship with other vendors, you may be able to ask them for reference information at times. Usually, this will be mechanical data, and not much will be related to collision repair unless the vendor has purchased that option. You won't know unless you ask.

Cost reduction

If your shop and another in your area get along well, you can split the cost of reference material. It may cause logistical issues, but it will reduce the cost of purchasing the reference product yourself. In a world of e-mails and computers, information can be moved between locations easily. With a few mouse clicks and a scanner, pictures, PDF documents and technical information can be forwarded in seconds. You can do this with other shops in your own group as well, if you own multiple locations.

Auto technical schools

Partnering with an area automotive technical school is a great idea. Not only can you become a valuable partner for the school by providing a real-world training environment for the students in classes, but you'll have a great source for employees if you need them. In addition, most trade schools have a wealth of OEM technical information available.

By partnering with the school, you may have the ability to access that information when needed. Trade schools love affiliations with good shops, and good shops should love them as well. A great relationship is a win-win for everyone involved, especially the students. Most communities have these types of schools near/in them. High schools are a valuable resource, too.

Current software

If you are using a management system, you may have access to OEM information through your management system provider. There are several systems that have a technical or a tech advisory site that is a mouse click away from the main screen of the system. Some information is available if an extra fee is paid, but the cost is low and well worth the expense.

I've used several in recent months and have been impressed with the type of information available and how easy to use the solutions are. You have access to restraint system information, vehicle dimension information, electrical wiring diagrams and specialized repair procedures by vehicle.

Because the information is available through the management system, it's almost effortless to use. If you have a system provider that offers this option, consider it. Most providers will demo this for you for free. If you don't have a system and are looking into one, consider one of the several available with this information portal as an option.

Consolidated data

Each year, most Asian, European and U.S. auto manufacturers meet quarterly at an OEM roundtable to discuss issues that affect their customers. At one roundtable discussions held during Industry Week in Las Vegas, independent collision repair operators voiced frustration about what they felt was a lack of sufficient vehicle repair information available on each automakers tech websites. They said none of the data was consolidated in one easy-to-use portal.

OEMs were surprised. They spent millions on technical websites and produced countless books designed to help make repairs properly to the vehicles they built; and yet, they were getting mountains of negative feedback that suggested otherwise. For an average shop owner, time spent searching for each manufacturer's respective website, and searching within the site, meant valuable time away from repairs.

The OEMs heard and responded by collecting data from almost 35 auto manufacturers and collaborated to launch a new website – OEM1STOP.com. The site allows the user to toggle between different manufactures with a few mouse clicks. I've found the site to be worthwhile and informative. Much of the information available on the site is free.

The GM sites feature important and relevant free repair information. Some other manufacturers' sites listed require payment. Many sites allow you to pay for small blocks of access time, enabling you to acquire information when you need it, without paying for a yearly subscription.

Education providers

All shops should be familiar with I-CAR, formed by the collision industry in 1979 as an international, nonprofit training organization. Its goal is to help the collision industry achieve a high level of organized, recognized technical training. It has become an industry leader in providing repairers and insurers a resource for proper vehicle repair and training information. The organization has pioneered specific repair techniques. I-CAR holds formal classes that cover almost every aspect of the collision repair industry, and its website, www.i-car.com, provides a wealth of repair information.

After logging into the site, navigate to the technical information tab. Six choices allow you to research a large volume of information, including specific repair procedures from many OEMs. The Advantage tab is valuable and is being updated constantly with current information. It's easy to navigate and is a great tool for all repairers with Internet connections. The website information can be accessed for free.

I-CAR also will help answer specific repair information questions through an instructor or technical advisor over the phone. I've called one of my local instructors many times with technical questions and have received valuable information readily to allow me to safely complete many repair scenarios.

The Automotive Technical Education Group, or ATEG, has been providing OEM repair information to collision shops for a minimal cost for years. Classes usually cover four or five specific new OEM vehicles and the specialized repair methods pertaining to those models. Much of the information provided at the classes is new and may not be available elsewhere. I've been to four or five classes and have found them to be informative, helpful and reasonably priced.

Education is a necessity to help maintain our competitive edge rather than an expense. However, it can be costly. Yet having no education will be much costlier if an improper repair causes injury or death.

Repairing a vehicle is serious business. It is my hope that my suggestions will save you a few dollars and provide a safe, quality repair. Our customers deserve and expect no less.