(A visual representation of how the J2534 would work)

More than 106,000 Massachusetts citizens have signed the Right to Repair initiative petition for a 2012 ballot question. Now that the Secretary of State has certified the necessary signatures, the ballot question has been transmitted to the legislature. Now state lawmakers have until May 1, 2012 to pass Right to Repair into law. If not, then voters will have the opportunity to pass it on November’s statewide ballot. Remember, the legislature can act now, so tell your legislator to stand up for independent, small businesses, instead of big out-of-state corporations.

Make no mistake about it, the Right to Repair issue will be decided once and for all right here in Massachusetts. The outcome will have a huge impact on every local independent repairer’s business and customers for years to come.

Our opponents, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, say independent repairers or driveway do-it-yourselfer’s should buy as many OEM scan tools as they can afford and limit your success to only those manufacturer brands. OEM scan tools sold to non-dealers sometimes do not contain all of the capabilities and information you need to complete repairs on your customer’s vehicles. The alternative is to use aftermarket scantools, deal with their limitations, and ultimately turn away customers when technicians run into more significant holes in the data.

Right to Repair is the only iron-clad guarantee everyone will have the information needed going forward. So what’s our plan? Our initiative peition will be placed on the 2012 ballot unless the legislature takes their opportunity to pass it into law first. It requires car manufacturers to provide access to all repair and diagnostic information and tools at a “non-discriminatory” price.

What’s new with the ballot initiative is that beginning in 2015, independent technicians will have up-to-date access to each manufacturer’s website or “cloud” containing all diagnostic and repair information using a single interface tool.

Is this feasible? Yes! This universal interface system which has been in use for a decade to access emissions diagnostic information can also be used for all repair and diagnostic information, accessible to anyone for a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly fee. Think about it, no longer will independent technicians need to purchase expensive scan tools and software for cars they service only a few times a year. Those cost savings can be passed along to your customers. Several manufacturers already use this “pass through” technology to deliver repair and diagnostic information to their dealers only. It’s pretty simple; vehicle, interface, lap-top, internet. [See image above].

Make no mistake about it, we believe that one way or the other, there will be a Right to Repair law in Massachusetts by the close of 2012. Please help us help you. Together in Massachusetts, we can make another historic shot heard around the world.