Anyone from Massachusetts know the technical details about ballot measure #1 in the upcoming November elections? Good, technical info is pretty light out there and I want to make sure I know what I'm voting on.
From what I gather, the proposed* legislation would require OEMs to provide indie shops access to an online application that has the same diagnostic and saftey/repair info that dealerships have at a reasonable cost. The onboard info would be pulled from the car via a "J2534 universal pass through interface", meaning that indie shops won't have to shell out for each manufacturer's presumably expensive diagnostic tools and software.
Supporters say that allowing smaller shops to diagnose and repair cars in a cost efficient manner will save consumers money by not requiring them to go to the dealer. Opponents say that small shops already have access to all the info they need via the aforementioned diagnostic readers and the potential for the disclosure of proprietary information (like key codes) make the proposed legislation unnecessary.
Specifically, are independent mechanics unduly burdened by current OEM practices? My e30 is my one and only daily, so I've never had to deal with getting an e46 or an e90 serviced. How is this J2534 interface and software supposed to work? Is there already a standard out there? Who's going to standardize it and will it be better than what an OEM can come up with?
*According to wikipedia, the Mass legistlature passed a Right to Repair bill back in July and it goes into effect November 6, the same day as the election. When Deval signed the bill into law, he made the results of the referendum essentially moot. Why are we doing this, then?
More info
From what I gather, the proposed* legislation would require OEMs to provide indie shops access to an online application that has the same diagnostic and saftey/repair info that dealerships have at a reasonable cost. The onboard info would be pulled from the car via a "J2534 universal pass through interface", meaning that indie shops won't have to shell out for each manufacturer's presumably expensive diagnostic tools and software.
Supporters say that allowing smaller shops to diagnose and repair cars in a cost efficient manner will save consumers money by not requiring them to go to the dealer. Opponents say that small shops already have access to all the info they need via the aforementioned diagnostic readers and the potential for the disclosure of proprietary information (like key codes) make the proposed legislation unnecessary.
Specifically, are independent mechanics unduly burdened by current OEM practices? My e30 is my one and only daily, so I've never had to deal with getting an e46 or an e90 serviced. How is this J2534 interface and software supposed to work? Is there already a standard out there? Who's going to standardize it and will it be better than what an OEM can come up with?
*According to wikipedia, the Mass legistlature passed a Right to Repair bill back in July and it goes into effect November 6, the same day as the election. When Deval signed the bill into law, he made the results of the referendum essentially moot. Why are we doing this, then?
More info
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