REGIONAL NEWS | BRITISH COLUMBIA

By RENE YOUNG

Arguably, the most valuable tool in your workshop is information. The days when a “mechanic” could store in their head most of the information needed to properly repair a vehicle are long gone. The most complex thing they might have needed was a wiring diagram, and they would find one in a printed repair manual. Most often, the manuals were produced by third-party publishers, and that wiring diagram would have been redrawn from the original OEM diagram. Today’s technicians are dealing with vehicles that are vastly more sophisticated and the volume of information published by automakers has grown exponentially year over year. Information is constantly being updated, something that never happened to a manual once purchased.

There are many reasons why access to accurate and current information is paramount. You want to do the job right the first time to avoid comebacks and unhappy customers. You want to protect yourself and your business from liability. The repairs must be performed in a safe manner, protecting the technician from possible injury, the vehicle from damage, and the customer from an unsafe vehicle.

Furthermore, many certification programs insist that you follow OEM repair procedures. And as if all those reasons aren’t enough, your technicians don’t like doing guesswork, so employee morale can also be affected by the quality of information being used for repairs.

All third-party information products (you know their names, so I won’t mention any here) are conveniently packaged, in terms of coverage, format, and price, but they all just recycle information that originated from the automakers, used under license. These products satisfy the day-to-day needs of most shops, but situations often arise where they fall short. If the repair requires that you upload a software update or perform an initialization procedure for a module in the vehicle, that update may be referred to in the third-party application, but not provided.

There is, however, an information provider that has it all, and it is always the most current information available: the automaker itself. The original source. All mainstream automakers selling or distributing vehicles in Canada maintain a technical information website where independent repairers can obtain the same repair information that is available to franchised dealerships.

This was made possible by the Canadian Automotive Service Information Standard (CASIS), an agreement reached in 2009 between the associations representing Canadian automakers and the independent repair industry.

Each manufacturer’s website is unique to their own brands. Some are easier to navigate than others. The OEM technical information websites are subscription-based services and prices and terms vary between manufacturers. But the point is, independent repairers have access. So, how does an independent repairer find the website of a particular vehicle make?

The National Automotive Trades Association (NATA), one of the CASIS signatories, developed a website to serve as a portal to the OEM technical information websites. The portal website, OEMRepairInfo.ca, was launched in 2016. It was built on the common platforms of the times, but it had become outdated and difficult to manage.

A new, improved version was commissioned by the Automotive Retailers Association of B.C., a NATA member, and it was launched in June 2024. The new website incorporates modern design techniques and is built on the world’s leading web platform, providing a seamless and efficient user experience. This portal it is a free service available to all Canadian automotive professionals, providing quick and easy access to the OEM technical information websites. It is enhanced with third-party resources, where available, and it includes tips on how to find specific types of information in the OEM websites.

You begin by clicking one of the manufacturer buttons on the Home page. This takes you to a page for the respective manufacturer. There you will find a description of the types of information available from the manufacturer, how to register for an account with that manufacturer, and a link to the respective technical information website. There are answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful information.

Further development will see the addition of new features over the coming months, including a feedback form for users to report gaps in information they may have discovered on an OEM website.

Security-related information is not covered by the CASIS agreement. Some manufacturers do provide a method of accessing vehicle security information (key codes, immobilizer reset procedures, etc.), while others do not. On each manufacturer’s page, OEMRepairInfo.ca indicates whether this information is available to Canadian repairers.

OEMRepairInfo.ca is designed to be a one-stop source for OEM service and repair information, enhanced by the inclusion of third-party resources where available. Canadian repair professionals are encouraged to visit and explore the site and bookmark it for future use.