I was talking to a body shop manager recently and asked him how he’s handling scanning at his shop. He said they only worry about it if there’s a light on the dash. Also, he lets his insurance partners tell him if a vehicle needs a scan or not.

Wow.

We’ve been publishing technical content on scanning and recalibration almost monthly for the last couple of years. We’ve been constantly talking about the “dashlight myth” and how “just because there is no light, does not mean it’s right.” Remember, there are many more fault codes than available lights on the dash.

Letting your insurance partners determine whether a vehicle needs a scan or not…well, isn’t that deferring to their judgment and making them the repair expert? You’re the repair expert. And since performing a scan and/or recalibration may cost them more, wouldn’t they be tempted to decline this procedure more often than not?

If you need more information on scanning and recalibration, please read us every month. Use us as a training resource for your people. Also, seek out other types of training and manufacturer’s repair guidelines. Lives, and your livelihood may depend on it.