January 31, 2014

Good news from America

Goings-on the America's corridors of power may well have a positive outcome here for owners of 4WDs and other vehicles not wanting to have their servicing done at a dealership. According to the SEMA organisation, major trade groups representing vehicle manufacturers, independent repair chains and retailers have reached an agreement to end a dispute over standardised access to on-board diagnostic (OBD) service repair information. 

The agreement was triggered by legislation in Massachusetts to mandate uniformity and availability of the information. The agreement will require all automakers to make available to repair shops the same vehicle repair information they provide to their dealers. In addition, the deal allows repair shops to purchase that data with a computer over a standardised, Internet-based service. Starting with the 2018 model year, manufacturers will be required to offer a non-proprietary interface for diagnosing problems with vehicles.

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