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Right To Repair - A Hot Issue

575 messages,  Last post on Feb 04, 2013 at 8:06 PM

You are in the Maintenance & Repair Forum.

What is this discussion about? Electrical

Messages Page 56 of 59

#543 of 575 Re: it's law but still on the ballot [thecardoc3] by steve_ HOST

Oct 25, 2012 (6:55 am)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Oct 25, 2012 3:55 am)
don't they tell you to call around for the cheapest price
 
Haven't looked, but seems like many recommend you ask your friends. Getting advice from friends is one of the main reasons people hang out on forums or read Repair Shop Ratings, Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes your friends are idiots, but it's still easier than trying to cold call a few shops for quotes.
 
The question for you the consumer is do you want to support them to their grave
 
I want my car fixed fast, for not a lot of money and I want it done right the first time. I won't put up with indifferent or condescending service. And I'll tell all my friends.
 
Theft deterrent problems? My old '97 Subaru's alarm started acting up (the old 2 am wake up calls for no reason). I got online, found the tech info, opened the black box, changed the DIP switch settings and disabled it.
 
Paying someone to "fix" the alarm on an old car wasn't worth it to me.
 
Having DIP switches tells you how old the electronics are. But why couldn't I hook my slightly newer Quest up to the OBDII port with my laptop and tweak the alarm software myself? It shouldn't be any more difficult or more expensive than training the key fob not to beep the horn when I lock the doors, which I did myself after digging up the instructions.
 
Even if the system failed such that I had to find a tech (to swap out a circuit board ), having access to the works would at least let me shut down the siren or horn until I could get it to the shop.

#544 of 575 Re: it's law but still on the ballot [thecardoc3] by hpmctorque

Oct 25, 2012 (12:51 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Oct 25, 2012 3:55 am)
Customer, consumer, whatever. I'll accept customer, if you prefer, but I think you're blowing the semantics out of proportion.

#545 of 575 Re: it's law but still on the ballot [hpmctorque] by thecardoc3

Oct 29, 2012 (5:07 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Oct 25, 2012 12:51 pm)
Customer, consumer, whatever. I'll accept customer, if you prefer, but I think you're blowing the semantics out of proportion.
 
We can disagree on this, that's fine. But can customers really afford to just sit on ther hands and wait to find out if it's accurate or not?

#546 of 575 Re: it's law but still on the ballot [thecardoc3] by hpmctorque

Nov 02, 2012 (6:02 pm)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Oct 29, 2012 5:07 am)
Fyi Edmunds uses the term "consumer", as in Consumer Reviews.

#547 of 575 R2R Getting what they wished for? by thecardoc3

Nov 14, 2012 (4:53 am)

I visited Service Express today and noticed that ISIS
appears to have more functionality than ServiceExpress and
is available only to Massachusetts subscribers at twice the
price of ServiceExpress for S/T subscriptions. RS, Mass.
 
Reality. The information was available for a price, but only a few made the effort to access it. Now legislation is in place and here they go, the price for the information has nearly doubled. ( in Massachusetts that is). Shops who weren't buying it in the past, still won't buy it. Shops that were are going to have to dig even deeper to continue to do so.
 
And the winners are;
Shops that were never buying the information in the first place.
 
The losers are;
Shops that were buying what they needed to in order to the whole job for their customers and of course the customers (consumers).

#548 of 575 Service Express VS ISIS by thecardoc3

Nov 17, 2012 (2:24 am)

https://techinfo.honda.com/Rjanisis/logon.asp?Region=US
 
This is just service information, on top of the expense for services like Mitchell On Demand or Alldata.
 
Remember that the O.E. scan tools, training and reflashing software are additional expenses for each manufacturer that a shop chooses to try and support on top of having scan tools like Snap-On's Solus, Modis, Verus; OTC's Pegasys, Launch, ISCAN, Autel Maxidas etc.

#549 of 575 shaking out the vote by steve_ HOST

Nov 17, 2012 (7:07 am)

"Massachusetts voters resoundingly passed the “Right to Repair” ballot question, meaning the new law requiring automakers to provide independent repair shops as well as dealers with easy access to the computer codes needed to diagnose complex car problems will need to be reconciled with compromise legislation passed after the ballots were approved.
 
Under the ballot legislation, automakers are required to make diagnostic and repair information available to independent shops and dealers through a universal system by 2015. The compromise legislation, passed in July, gives automakers until 2018 to comply with new regulations.
 
Tuesday’s margin of victory proves “that this is something Massachusetts is leading the way [on] and there ought to be access to this kind of information in every state"
 
Voters approve ‘Right to Repair’ ballot question (bostonglobe.com)

#550 of 575 Re: shaking out the vote [steve_] by hpmctorque

Nov 20, 2012 (7:55 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Nov 17, 2012 7:07 am)
Good! Maybe Edmunds can support passage of similar legislation in the other states.

#551 of 575 Re: shaking out the vote [hpmctorque] by thecardoc3

Nov 21, 2012 (6:02 am)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Nov 20, 2012 7:55 pm)
Good! Maybe Edmunds can support passage of similar legislation in the other states.
 
To what end? I guess you don't see where this is going to raise costs for shops who try to be able to fully serve the publics needs, and therefore cause higher prices to the public? Remember the lowest denominator of shops will simply raise prices when they have the room to without adding any more capability for the public. Or worse they hold their pricing and take an even larger share of the easy work and then the top shops will either be forced to get out of the technology race and join the others at the bottom or they will have to be able to command a much higher price for the more technical stuff. No matter how you slice this the legislation can't and won't make things better. Your only going to see higher costs, and even fewer shops that can do all of the work a consumer may need.

#552 of 575 Re: shaking out the vote [thecardoc3] by steve_ HOST

Nov 21, 2012 (7:23 am)

Replying to: thecardoc3 (Nov 21, 2012 6:02 am)
What I'd hope to see would be cars designed by the factory to be easier and cheaper to fix, with more built-in diagnosis and repair functions. Telematics is getting there already, what with people being able to call OnStar and get their doors opened and codes read.

Messages Page 56 of 59

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