Car Repair Data Must Be Shared With Garages : Automotive: Wilson signs bill forcing manufacturers to allow independent shops to obtain needed technology.

Automobile manufacturers will have to share valuable repair technologies with independent car repair shops after Gov. Pete Wilson’s approval this week of legislation the garages called critical to their survival.

Both sides claimed victory in the compromise legislation. While the independent service stations will now have access to information that previously was hard to obtain, the car makers rebuffed the garages’ campaign for the data needed to fix computer-controlled systems on late-model vehicles.

Garage operators contend that manufacturers have sought to dominate the repair market by steering business to their dealers, who have had access to the most advanced technology. But the car makers have insisted that they developed both the on-board computers and related repair systems and therefore had the right to retain them as trade secrets.

“We worked long and hard with the sponsors of the bill and achieved a compromise on the legislation,” said Dave Ackerman, a lobbyist for Gardena-based Nissan North America. “It is definitely in the interest of the manufacturers to furnish the independents with the necessary information.”

Wilson signed the measure, AB 2852, into law Thursday.

“This new law preserves the independent repair shop industry, saves thousands of jobs across the state and upholds California’s commitment to clean air,” said the bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Martha Escutia (D-Huntington Park).

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The bill enhances legislation passed earlier this year that overhauled the state’s smog check program to comply with the federal Clean Air Act.

To do the emissions testing mandated by the new smog-check system, the several thousand independent service stations that repair more than 75% of all vehicles in the state claimed they needed easy access to the car makers’ most up-to-date repair technology.

Otherwise, independent service stations said, they would not be able to repair cars properly--and would often be forced to send them to competing car dealerships.

“We wanted to make sure that (the automobile manufacturers) did not withhold this information that will help us,” said Ed Little, owner of Ed Little Auto Services in Culver City. Little wrote about 50 letters to legislators asking them to support the bill and persuaded several other businesses to do the same. “The consumer is much better off when everyone is able to repair the cars correctly.”

Also supporting the bill was the Automotive Service Councils and Automotive Trade Organization, which together represent more than 5,000 independent service stations and garages in the state.

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“People would have been furious if they had to drive 25 miles down the road to the dealer instead of five miles to the neighborhood (garage) and then pay much more than what they should have,” said Tom Riley, a lobbyist for the groups.

Riley said the organizations were disappointed in not receiving the computer reprogramming information. But Riley said it is possible the Environmental Protection Agency will force automobile manufacturers to provide the information in a rule it is expected to issue later this year.