Table of Contents
Shop owners and technicians face significant challenges keeping up with the technical complexities of modern vehicles. With increasingly sophisticated systems like ADAS becoming standard, accessing accurate repair information is essential for thorough repairs and happy clients.
Many shops struggle to locate specific repair procedures, often relying on outdated manuals or spending excessive time searching for information that may not be reliable. This creates workflow bottlenecks, reduces profitability, and increases liability risks.
In this guide, we'll discuss everything you need to know about ALLDATA—one of the industry's leading repair information systems—and explain how it can be invaluable for shop owners and technicians.
What is ALLDATA?
ALLDATA is the industry's leading choice for unedited OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) automotive repair information. Founded in 1986 and acquired by AutoZone in 1996, ALLDATA provides technicians with factory-direct repair information for over 44,000 engine-specific vehicles—covering approximately 95% of all vehicles on North American roads today.
Unlike crowdsourced information or generic repair manuals, ALLDATA delivers manufacturer-specific repair procedures, diagrams, specifications, and technical service bulletins in their original format. This ensures repairs meet OEM standards, reducing liability and ensuring quality work.
Popular ALLDATA products
ALLDATA offers several products designed for different segments of the automotive repair industry:
ALLDATA Repair
This flagship product provides comprehensive mechanical repair information directly from manufacturers, including:
- Repair procedures and specifications.
- Technical service bulletins (TSBs).
- Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
- Over 300,000 interactive color wiring diagrams.
- Component locations and torque specifications.
- Maintenance schedules and labor times.
ALLDATA Collision
Specifically designed for body shops, ALLDATA Collision includes:
- Body and frame sectioning procedures.
- Structural repair information.
- Panel replacement guidelines.
- Access to mechanical repair data.
ALLDATA Shop Manager
This shop management system helps streamline operations with:
- Estimate creation with OEM labor times.
- Digital vehicle inspections.
- Repair order management.
- Invoicing capabilities.
- Integrated parts ordering with AutoZone.
- Customer history tracking.
ALLDATA Diagnostics
ALLDATA’s Diagnostics is professional-level scan tool solution that:
- Works on standard tablets (Windows, Android, iPad).
- Includes ALLDATA repair information built-in.
- Offers pre/post scanning capabilities.
- Provides verified repair procedures.
- Links diagnostic trouble codes to probable causes.
Key features that solve shop challenges
ALLDATA has multiple features and products that can solve critical challenges for shops who are trying to offer ADAS calibrations. Let’s look at the key features you can benefit from.
OEM-accurate information
One of the biggest issues shops face is finding reliable repair information that meets manufacturer standards. ALLDATA addresses this by providing unedited repair information directly from a large number of vehicle manufacturers.
This includes the full spectrum of repair information from mechanical specifications to complex procedures for advanced safety systems.
ADAS Quick Reference
Even as ADAS features become standard, many technicians struggle to identify which components require calibration after repairs. ALLDATA's ADAS Quick Reference feature provides one-click access to vehicle-specific ADAS information.
The tool helps shops:
- Quickly identify ADAS components by name and locate them on the vehicle.
- Determine if calibration is needed after specific repairs.
- Access removal and replacement procedures.
This feature is particularly valuable because ADAS calibration requirements vary widely between manufacturers.
Interactive color wiring diagrams
Electrical diagnostics often consume excessive time as technicians trace complex wiring systems. ALLDATA's interactive color wiring diagrams allow technicians to:
- View complete electrical systems with color-coded wires.
- Zoom in on specific circuits.
- Click on components to see additional information.
- Print selected sections of diagrams.
- Access component locations and connector views.
These interactive diagrams significantly reduce diagnostic time, especially for complex electrical issues.
How shops benefit from using ALLDATA
Shops may benefit from using ALLDATA in three key ways: increased efficiency, reduced liability, and more revenue.
Increased efficiency and productivity
By providing immediate access to accurate repair information, ALLDATA helps shops:
- Reduce diagnostic time.
- Eliminate time spent searching for repair procedures.
- Decrease comebacks by ensuring repairs meet OEM standards.
Reduced liability
ALLDATA helps limit liability by:
- Providing manufacturer-required procedures for every repair.
- Documenting that repairs followed OEM guidelines.
- Ensuring ADAS and other safety systems function correctly after repairs.
- Creating a record of all work performed according to standards.
New revenue opportunities
With comprehensive repair information, shops can identify new revenue opportunities with existing customers. This can create additional revenue in the following ways:
- Take on more complex repairs that would otherwise be referred elsewhere.
- Perform ADAS calibrations in-house rather than subletting.
- Reduce parts returns by ordering the correct components initially.
How ALLDATA compares to alternatives
The automotive repair information market includes several options beyond ALLDATA.
Dealer-specific systems provide information for only one manufacturer, which can be helpful for specialized shops but often requires separate subscriptions for each make you want to service. This approach typically costs more for multi-brand shops.
Some aftermarket information systems vary in coverage depth and accuracy. Many edit or consolidate OEM information to create a more standardized format across different manufacturers, which can simplify navigation but may lose important details in the process.
When comparing these options, it's important to consider your shop's specific needs.
ALLDATA vs. Revv
While ALLDATA provides an ADAS Quick Reference Guide that shows users which ADAS systems are potentially on a vehicle, but not which require recalibration. In simple terms: They don’t provide specific calibration identification processes. This is a crucial gap in access to knowledge that shops need to resolve, which is where Revv comes in.
Revv is a specialized platform focused on identifying, documenting, and supporting proper ADAS calibrations in a collision repair or post-accident context. Revv helps shops monetize calibration work, ensure compliance, and support quality, whereas ALLDATA provides a broad service info library for fixing all vehicle systems.
Revv also offers distinct advantages like automated reports for a vehicle’s VIN, fast identification of OEM ADAS calibration requirements, and calibration-specific invoicing. It can help your shop streamline workflows from quotes to invoicing throughout the entire repair and calibration process.
Here’s a quick breakdown of key features of the two products:
Ultimately, you need both platforms for a successful repair in many cases, which is why we provide links in our reports that point to ALLDATA and specific calibration data that comes from the OEM. We’re also actively working on an integration with ALLDATA.
The future of OEM repair information
As vehicles continue to evolve with more sophisticated driving and safety systems, access to accurate repair information will only become more critical. ALLDATA's commitment to providing unedited OEM data positions shops to meet these challenges while reducing liability and improving efficiency.
And when it comes to which tools you need, ALLDATA alone isn’t the answer.
ALLDATA is a comprehensive repair manual platform for general diagnostics and mechanical/electrical work. You also need information about how to actually complete ADAS calibrations. You also need a platform that can help you quickly and accurately identify which calibrations need to happen and how to do so according to OEM instructions. The right suite of tools is essential, and ALLDATA and Revv are a powerful combination together.
Want to learn more about offering accurate and thorough ADAS calibrations to your customers? Check out our learning center for more.
