CRACKING THE EUROPEAN DATA SAFE

Motor,  Dec 2003  by Seyfert, Karl

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It's no longer necessary to keep a stack of magazines piled up in the corner for future reference. All of the information found in the last several years of MOTOR can also be found online at www.motor.com. A comprehensive index will help you find the information or article you're looking for, which can be especially helpful a few years after the article was originally published. Other trade magazines offer similar online services.

Some of the European OEMs have entered the world of trade publications as well. They recognize that the aftermarket is a major source of parts sales, as many of their vehicles are being serviced and repaired at independent shops. Providing service information to the aftermarket in these publications assures that their vehicles are repaired properly, regardless of where the work is done. And just maybe you'll remember where the information came from and reward the dealer with some of your parts business.

StarTuned, & quarterly publication from Mercedes-Benz, is aimed directly at after-market techs and shops that service the company's vehicles. The free publication includes service information and dealer listings, interspersed with advertisements from the company and its suppliers. Check with your M-B dealer for StarTuned subscription information. Volkswagen and Volvo also offer publications designed to serve the needs of the aftermarket tech. Your local dealership parts department is your point of contact for further information about these publications.

Hotlines

No matter how good you are, surely there will come a time when you're unable to diagnose and repair a problem vehicle. Rather than beat your head against a wall, the most time- and cost-effective solution may be to enlist the help of an automotive hotline. Identifix, the most recognized name in hotlines, is staffed by more than 30 factory-trained technicians who each specialize on tracking, diagnosing and repairing problems on just one make. Each technician averages over 9000 calls per year on that make.

Identifix also offers three other diagnostic services: Repair-Trac, Diagrams-Online and Direct-Hit. Repair-Trac is a 24-hour, call-on-demand voice databank of proven fixes for hard-to-diagnose "pattern failures" on cars with 50,000-plus miles. These fixes were compiled from over one million service calls to the Identifix repair hotline. More than 20,000 vehicles from 1988 through 1998 are covered.

Diagrams-Online is an on-demand, 24-hour service that provides techs with more than 40,000 high-quality diagrams by fax. Domestic cars from 1988 through 1998 and domestic light trucks and imports from 1994 through 1998 are covered.

Direct-Hit, recipient of a 2003 MOTOR Top 20 Tools award, provides online access to diagnostic and repair information. The Carline Specialists at Identifix have helped technicians solve over 2 million repair problems since 1987. From their experience they designed Direct-Hit to help you get the job done faster and reduce the frustration that comes with fixing cars. Rather than working through your problem over the phone, Direct-Hit directs your diagnosis by walking you through a troubleshooting process.