"Plus, a generation of newer cars that are highly resistant to being worked on without equipment and information that the manufacturers won't give them"
Thanks for the support. The above statement is really something the public is mislead on. As it stands now the only tooling I can't buy is the access to security issues on my DAS tool I bought from Mercedes Benz. This is the diagnostic computer that the dealer will tell you can't be had. I have bought such diagnostic tools same as the dealer uses for MB, BMW, Volvo, Lexus, Saab, and Honda. I am working on a used tool for Porsche at the moment and plan to get Jaguar within the year. They are all available now if one has the money. Of the .5m in tools we own almost .1m is in diagnostic computers: scanners by another name.
The dealers tell folk independents can't buy them. That is mostly because being a dealer employee is kinda like the dark ages in auto repair information. With the internet the factory relationship is not what it once was. If a shop is not internet savy they might also be in the dark ages and not know these tools are available, or they may just tell you they can't buy them. Not including the finish to the statement that the reason is because they are cheap, or maybe I should say they are cheap because they have a small business with cheap customers.
I am the Chairman of the Communications Committe of the IAIBMWSP
(
www.iaibmwsp.com ) which also includes being the membership chairman. We represent about 150 shops specializing in BMWs, almost everyone of the members has a GT1 BMWs $17,500 diagnostic computer. Just like my shop many of these shops do MBs also. Our group is so strong that BMW sent representatives to our last national meeting and will again this year.
I am just not certain that a dealer tech's hot line capability is anywhere near as strong as the daily email pouring out of problems and fixes in groups such as ours and the archiving and networking that results. I am really popular (as my chairmanship shows) and have a great resource for BMWs since I freely help so many in the group with their MB problems.