Diagnostic Info / subscriptions

I am some what new to the diagnostics but not new to to automotive. I recent recieved a OTC Encore which had a 60 day trial of Identifix for repair/diagnostic info. It nice to have access to this type of info but I want to know what people think is the preferred repair /diagnostic info systems ( alldata, mitchell, identifix , etc) ? I also would like to know cost for those. I know identifix is about $180 but didnt know if that was a good deal or not . The info is great to have and makes me really want to fix more vehicles since I dont have to hunt so much for info but $180 is a lot of money to my family so I want to pick wisely. Thanks

Mitchell ProDemand is my source of choice in most situations. It seems to be the most inclusive of all, and I've come to like how the information is organized. Mitchell has something similar to the cool Hotline archives on Identifix, but it's nowhere near on the same level. Looking up TSBss on Mitchell sucks, too. Runs about $160/month.

I do like that Identifix is including more and more service information, but I'm not a fan of how I have to dig for it. A torque spec that takes seconds to find on Mitchell seems like it takes forever to find on Identifix. Relavent TSB's, however, are a breeze to find.

If cost is an issue, you might also consider Motologic . It's about $120/month, BUT has some pretty big gaps in information coverage. A shop I worked for tried it for a few months, and I couldn't justify the cost to the owner.

Short answer: Good info isn't cheap. :lol:

I liked motologic at first. The search function is comprehensive, the diagrams are great but the coverage is touchy to say the least.
We use alldata pro, and while it has almost everything you need, navigating it can be a real pain.
I think it's close to $200 a month

Thank you for all the great info guys. I check out all those other services as well. it seem like a about the same money roughly for all the services and I agree good info is not cheap and probably worth it. I think I can afford it if I can get through a few more repairs each month. Does anyone know if you can stop and start service on a month to month basis. Thanks again

Knoxtech wrote: Thank you for all the great info guys. I check out all those other services as well. it seem like a about the same money roughly for all the services and I agree good info is not cheap and probably worth it. I think I can afford it if I can get through a few more repairs each month. Does anyone know if you can stop and start service on a month to month basis. Thanks again

No problem, sir! Not sure about going month to month. In the case of Mitchell, I think you actually 'lease' the service for a year, and the fee is broken up into monthly installments

I'm sure you've considered something like Mitchell DIY?

Yes I've looked into Mitchell diy and it's actually my go to recommendation for most people that want info but don't request diagnostics or repair service from me. It might work well until I can justify the cost of monthly service but I have to pass the cost of the diy on somewhat to the customer. We will see just need to get some more customers and go from there. In the city I live there is not emission or state inspection so I guess people are ok with the light being on. Thanks