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
from The Washington Post
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
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Product Showcase:
URG Offers Quality Recycled Parts Search Engine
 United Recyclers offers body shops and mechanical repair shops the ability to search used parts for cars and trucks. Each URG member provides quality assurance to the product. The result is a nationwide label that delivers consistently high quality parts and maximizes consumers, collision center, and estimator confidence. More info
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Why the So-called "Right to Repair" Legislation is Unnecessary
from The Truth About Cars
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
ASA, AMI Now Accepting Applications for NACE/CARS Scholarships
Applications Due Aug. 14, 2009ASA, in conjunction with the Automotive Management Institute (AMI), offers six scholarship opportunities to attend ASA's Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW) to be held Nov. 4-7, 2009, at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center. ASRW co-locates the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) to create an industry-wide event that includes both the collision and mechanical segments of the automotive service and repair industry. More information is available at www.AMIonline.org, or by visiting the Members Only section of ASA's Web site, www.ASAshop.org.
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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
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Product Showcase:
Get the Genuine Toyota Parts You Need Fast
 With the click of a button, independent repair and collision shops can order Genuine Toyota parts quickly and easily. Go online to the Toyota Wholesale Parts website today and register for FREE access. Communicate with your preferred dealer, access the latest technical information, and much more. Don’t delay!
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Nevada Salvaged Vehicles Act Passes Senate, Assembly
ASA 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?
from Master Technician Magazine
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
from Science NOW Daily News
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
from Popular Mechanics
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
from Bloomberg
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
from ABRN
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
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