Last modified: Tuesday, October 2, 2007 12:11 AM EDT Decoding a right to car repair BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF When the brake light bulb went out on his wife's Volvo sometime back, Stan Morin thought it would be no big deal to replace it. Morin, a longtime automotive service manager, installed a replacement bulb purchased from a Volvo dealer. It didn't work. It turns out, Morin said, that a code has to be entered into the car's computer system before the new bulb will work. Because he didn't have the code, Morin ended up paying the dealer $85 to perform the necessary electronic procedure. Computers in cars are nothing new. Beginning in the 1970s, electronics became more and more integral to the operation of autos and trucks. Manufacturers say the average American automobile now contains more computing power than the Apollo lunar lander. But some in the automotive service industry complain Detroit and foreign manufacturers aren't making it easy for them to obtain vital car-fixing codes and software. They fear they will be cut out of the business as repairs increasingly must be done by dealers. Now the auto repair industry is embroiled in a pitched battle with auto manufacturers over so called "right to repair" legislation that would require auto makers to provide crucial data to independent repairmen. The European Union, where right to repair is also a hot topic, issued a decision last week requiring Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, General Motors and Fiat to provide such information. The ruling is subject to an arbitration procedure. Morin, general manager of New England Tire, said the right to repair raises a number of questions: not only who should be allowed to repair today's high tech vehicles, but who really owns the cars and trucks consumers drive. "We can repair the consumer's car, given the information we need," Morin said. "But the message the consumer is being given is, 'You need to bring your car to a dealer.' "If there's only one place the consumer can go for that service, and it's the manufacturer, then do they really own the vehicle they're driving?" Independent service stations can still fix a lot of technical problems by accessing information from third-party databases. But Morin, a member of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, says not all repair codes are published by the manufacturers. Computer codes are needed to fix an increasing variety of problems in some cars, from replacing headlights to repairing flats in some high-end vehicles equipped with tire pressure sensors. Auto manufacturers say they are already co-operating with independent repairmen and that the problem, if any, lies with the databases' difficulty in keeping up with the sheer volume of information coming from new car manufacturers. Manufacturers say they're also concerned about divulging technical secrets that could be used by third parties to manufacture knockoff parts. "We think the right to repair legislation is a solution in search of a problem," said Charles Territo, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. "Manufacturers are committed to supplying service providers the same service and technical information they provide to their own dealers." Although there are some unavoidable gaps because of the volume of information, Territo says manufacturers provide backup databases on their Web sites - sometimes at no charge, other times for a fee. In addition, he said the National Automobile Service Task Force, which includes the auto repair industry and original equipment manufacturers, was set up to correct data problems. Nevertheless, many in the car repair industry see themselves at a disadvantage. Morin and allies, including the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality, say they see the recent EU decision as an important development that will eventually push forward legislation in this country. "We're very hopeful," Morin said. The state Legislature is also considering its own right to repair bill. Sandy Bass-Cors, executive director of CARE, said the decision by the EU Commission held that the manufacturers did not provide enough technical information to independents - precisely the charge that American repairmen have leveled. "We think this is going to create a lot more pressure for legislatures to act," she said. RICK FOSTER can be reached at 508-236-0428 or at rfoster@thesunchronicle.com.