Type S Zero

ok so i typed a long text about Autel and my browser froze before posting...... i was saying, i used it twice and liked it, owners of DS708 i met really like it for the price, but not loving it : doesn't do eveything. DS708 from US retailer : from $1300 to $1600 with Autel USA support and updates DS708 Asia/China orders : from $980 to $1300 - no support from Autel US, updates from Autel China or something.. BUT, now they have the MaxiSys on the market which is better: - quad-core processor on Android platform, with a solid state drive - built in Li-ion battery - Auto-VIN detection - Bluetooth connectivity with VCI, so you walk around the car with the scanner - no wire from screen to DLC - J-2534 reprogramming comes with Pro model - remote access from Autel tech - and has SCOPE ! prices i've seen lately Mini MS905 : $2200 (only has OBDII 16 pins connector) MS908 : $3000 MS908 Pro : $4000 with today's technologies and low cost productions, i don't know how competitors justify those $8K~$12K scan Tools, and even less prices of Euro packages and updates. i was thinking the release of MaxiSys would make a price drop of MaxiDas....but not yet. so i was aiming at MaxiDas, but getting tempted by MaxiSys..

the 2 places i've seen them recently, Chrysler and Acura dealerships that installed the machine in the drive-through. unless your repair shop have lots of spare area (and also a high volume of cars getting in everyday), i don't think you'll be paying that equipment very soon only price i could find while doing a quick search on Google : Models1-WQ332DU Drive-under System $21,970 1-WQ332DT Drive-Thru System $21,970 1-WQ332FCM3 Mobile System $21,970 so 3 different configurations, but all the same price. Boosting your alignment sales is one thing, but how many do you need to do to clear that cost....and then make some money. just throwing out numbers for fun.... $70/alignment means 314 alignment jobs......$60/alignment means 366 alignment jobs to pay that machine.....not counting actual labor cost and other expenses. maybe i'm seeing it wrong, what's the best way to calculate that ? when i was at Acura, in the "tire seasons" (winter tires oct-nov-dec and summer tires april-may-june), the service dept, offered free alignment readings.....which sold pretty good and almost half the work was done. the alignment machine i want to buy gives the readings in 3 minutes with the new "no rollback feature".

Wow so useful !! THANKS for sharing !!

Nice web site guys ! easy to use and read, nice graphics and pictures = modern look !

indeed !! sometimes we think we are so far apart, when we actually are so close !!

Yes ! it's about 45 minutes from my place, i sometimes deliver/pick up cars in Joliette

uh ? i'm in the province of Quebec, right above the state of New York

oups wrong forum, i wanted to put this in Tools and equipment

OK - found additionnal info : while searching the web, i found out that Autel USA wants to protect their local market, thus preventing US users who bought from China to update their unit.... sorry for the "false alarm", guess i was too excited to find such a good deal ! i also had a chance to read reviews from people using it and comparing it with snap-on, otc, etc... they say it's not top of the line, but is pretty decent for the price (that's exactly what i thought it would be, as i'd start my repair shop with it for about 3~4 first years) from a US seller (eautotools.com), it's currently reduced at $1500....the lowest i could find yet. i also tried to find a higher end used scanner, but i'm not convinced it's a good move.

As i'm currently into a lot of shopping and comparing, anyone looked into this scanner/analyzer ? if yes, what were the prices you have found ? do you like using it ? about every online selling price for the DS708 is $1995..... i also found a new one on eBay for $1695. BUT, dinodirect.com Holiday special + coupon code (xmas003) = $1036 there's a possibility that you can have it for $984, but you have to subscribe to a monthly $6.99 crappy-look-a-like membership thing... I'm SERIOUSLY considering it (only thing holding me back is my current very low budget), because i compared, made my choice and was planning about buying it in the $1700~$2000 neighborhood. my ex-co-worker from acura is now a teacher at mechanic school, and told me the Autel ones are best-bang-for-the-buck scanners (they have like 4 different Autel models, the lowest one in multiple copies), going through rough use with teen students who don't care. They also have BlueStreak's, snap-on's and other big brand names acquired over the years to compare with. i also have a friend of a friend (he's been a little over 10 years at the bmw dealership i worked for (so also my ex-co-worker, but in a 55 tech shop, you're not close friend with everyone of them), and does mostly euro cars in a warehouse he rents) that just got his DS708 llately and he is pretty amazed at the ease of use and multiple fonctionalities for the price. what's your thoughts ?

Nice !! Most of the time the process of hiring someone is "time consuming vs results" and frustrating Up here we have a web site called http://www.auto-jobs.ca in which auto shops can post when hiring, and work searchers apply with their résumé online, so you can start filtering quickly from your office. (charging extras, the website company can provide criminal records and driving records of applicants) Good luck with your new people !

Wow !!! touching, motivating, inspiring !! Thanks for the share

if you are looking at buying his equipment only, make a list and see how much it would cost you with new stuff. i'm also an ex dealer tech currently in the process of opening my shop, but of all the complete shop to single used equipment ads i've searched, the owners think about how much they paid 10-20 years ago and ask for ½ of that. that tire machine he paid $5K 10 years ago, you can get a brand new copy for $1K (or a very nice one for $3K) Wheel balancer he paid $8K, you can have similar one below $2K new. on the other side, a shop press is not really something that'll break (except ram replacement maybe), but that too you can get for quite cheap now. the market has changed, china manufacturing has a lot to do with cheap cost, but more accessible r&d + manufacturing technologies (faster, more precise, cheaper processes). Also anything electronic has gone down in price. 20 years ago, shop owners had to rely on their local tool suppliers (autopart shop, Snap-on guy, Mac Tools guy) with very limited choices in brands and models (+ they had very little competition compared to today's accessible wipe open maket). You can easily compare many brands/models/prices from your home/office. I wouldn't like those Snap-on and Mac guys to loose business, but on the other hand, you are paying for his truck, his franchise fees, their marketing, those nice shiny flyers, etc....some of their offerings are really good and usually come with good customer service (usually i'm saying, not always), but some other are not, and at the bottom, we are the ones paying/have the final word where money goes. buying used might look like lowering your investment cost, but when it needs repairs the same year you bought it or the next, you'll regret not buying new. (since there is already some that needs replacement right now, i guess you'll have to fork out a few bucks in the next 5 years for the other ones) I'm not saying buying used shop equipment is a bad idea, what i mean to say is be careful and have a comparison point. you need to find a good deal + how much can downtime can hurt you when it needs repairs. Type that same list in an Excel chart to add up a total for new equipment (build your price list using gregsmithequipement.com - metro-lifts.com , etc) + additionnal amount for install/electrician if required (i'll do the installs myself + part of electricity as i won't be overloaded with clients when opening)

my interpretation of those CPA clips : we developped a connector's design that we know it ain't adequate, so we spent more time and money "engineering" somekind of locking clip and so true about those clips/retainers : even with a plethora of various reatainers, you never ever have the right size needed right now lol

we used to be 10 techs at my local Acura dealership, they are now down to 7, and when i payed them a visit this last June, 3 were home for a few weeks because work was that low !

Hi ! i've been around for a few months but never took the time to introduce myself. i've been reading the ASO topics since May, 2012 and i'm catching so many helpful informations, this forum is a must read for a car repair shop owner ! While at mechanic school, i started my automotive shop life at GM goodwrench (also only job i could find that i could fit job+school in the schedule, as school was from 4pm to 11pm). After graduating from school, i went to my local Acura dealer as the tire guy (harsh Canada winter means everybody changing tires twice a year). I had very small chances to stay at this place because there were more mechanics than there were shop bays (2 guys off everyday on a rotation)....but a guy leaving, another off for injury, one guy started his repair shop at home : i finally got my spot ! I stayed there for 7 years (2 last years as a team leader). I left for BMW as the new service manager at Acura was a real pain in the a*$ (he got thrown out from his last 2 dealerships by the whole shop teaming up against him.....we unfortunatly found out why on the long run !) Stayed at BMW for nearly a year, but didn't like the product and manufacturer's vision + i started dreaming about owning my own shop, but equipment prices quickly discouraged me. I left BMW after a friend talked me into car transportation : easier physically and better salary. There was so much work, transporters were cutting prices to get more clients, but the recession hit later than the US, the market went down and now we're into low transport rates + very few cars to carry.. So i'm back to my "3 years ago dream", currently under government programs for business starters....not yet completely approved, but slowly in the steps of opening my repair shop. (i also have to sell my 53' trailer, F350 dually, summer car and that'll help me financially) I thought there were forums on the net for about every subject we could think of, but i never thought about shop owners sharing tricks and ideas to help other owners ! Congrats to the ASO owners for this great idea and initiative !! ps. today i declined a job offer: my local Acura wants me back

Great discussion here ! with all the feedbacks from the beginning of this thread, i thought i'd be able to make an easy choice, but none of them are avalaible in french (i'd rather pick a a software discussed here, but i don't want to get into trouble with local laws, nor with picky customers). so i'll have to analyse locally developped french software, but they're all on a monthly fee basis, i prefer to buy once.

Yikes !! that's one big problem ! i'm speechless ! i'm very curious to read what the others with more experience will have to say about this

Kaos i like the fact that your website is easy to read and go through. When trying to show too much, i get a little lost/dizzy looking at web pages. So yours is clean and simple : that's what i like. i know you are not done yet, is it normal that the bottom links don't work (Welcome/Schedule/Team/Managment/Map/Address/Contact Us) Good Work !

i've never had a comeback with a plug, though on my car hauler with 80psi tires, the plug gets out slowly while driving (still gets me through the day). so i go plugs on small car tire punctures, patch-plugs on trucks and high performance cars

So, Joe.....what did you guys do to her door on her previous visits ??!

depends... 2 possibilities : - he left once, you can't rely on him for staying long - he thought it would be better elsewhere, he went and tried it to find out it's way better at your place, makes him think twice if he has an offer from another place in the future (learning from that bad move experience) in your case, you describe him as "fit our culture, was a productive worker and a competent tech", there would be no reason for him to seek elsewhere unless wage is much higher at that other place, but i'm sure you treat your employees right and make him comfortable in your working environment. just before hiring back, i'd ask him what are the reasons he left.....and that will tell you a lot on your future with him.

So True ! i realized that when i did the accounting of my car hauling company (F350 + 53'/56' car hauler), and i told myself : my time would be more efficient/rewarding servicing cars....so it made me take the decision to move away from car hauling (i'm still hauling now, currently in the process of financing/permits/paperwork). i knew i'd make a little less money than mechanic but with easier/more relaxed work.... was wrong ! (+ double wrong when i thought i could do 90% of my accouting fast/easy.....my mom is an accountant, i'm at a very basic level of apprentice) being able to identify the tasks at which we are more efficient to focus on and find a solution/persons for others we're slower/not so good at, is a great quality for good management !

i left my infos on their website, a rep from Identifix called me explaining the whole service, told me it's $170/month (first 3 months at $140/month) maybe because i'm in Canada ?!? i have other things to take care, but you guys have sold me on this, i'll be getting it when i can.

I'm up north from you Joe, here in the province of Quebec, salt + calcium + other abrasives + high humidity % makes a lot of people having their car sprayed with different types of products, some doing it yearly (oily products that gets washed with time by driving in slushy + rainy conditions). I've been doing it at Acura when i got out of mechanic school, and it's quite messy : ideally, you need a stall dedicated almost exclusively for that job. i'm currently in the project of opening my shop and i gave a thought about offering rust-proofing if business is slow at first, but in my situation, i won't have that much space to dedicate square footage for spraying + configuration of the shop for an adequate exhaust system installation adds complexity/costs. Since i'm in a "rusty" area, there are businesses doing exclusively rust-proofing, other shops doing fast moving work also offer the service because there is a good demand for it. prices range from $70 to $90 Dealerships also offer 10 years warranty against body panels perforations on rust-proofing new cars..... it's parrafin-based for body panels and tar-based for underbody and fenders.... but new car buyers get to finance/pay mostly for the warranty since it's sold for $400~$500. Do you have any competitors in your area offering this service ? if not, it would be a great opportunity for you to step ahead of others and promote the advantages of it. As most people got to replace their cars on a shorter elapsed time from 1998~ish to 2009 or so, rust-proofing was an expense they set aside because they knew their cars wouldn't rust before replacing it (in 2008 here in the province, the average was that drivers were buying new cars every 3.7 years if i remember correctly). Now that the situation changed, i'd say there is place to re-educate people about the Pros of rustproofing. They probably forgot about it because they haven't had it done in the past 10 years.