Alldata to Identifix
Good day all,
Our shop was looking to migrate from AllData to Identifix. Any one who has swapped one for the other and would you mind sharing any lessons learned. We will be primarily using this tool for wiring diagrams and labor time. Thank you in advance.
i have access to MOD, Alldata, and Ididntfixit. IMHO Alldata is the easi and best source and Identifix is the least with MOD in the middle
You need both. They both have gaps. I have AD, Identifix, Mitchel Labor, and some OE subscriptions. Still have gaps.
I would highly suggest to do a test drive on it, If you work on all makes and models. One platform is more likely not gonna work. From previous experiences if you are used to alldata will take you awhile to adapt and like identifix or Mitchell. I used both Mitchell and Identifix when I can' find something on one I have the other one as back up. I would highly suggest you to have both. Untill you…
I used both, I fell u need to have several resources in todays world, but if I had to choose one I would pick identifix, just remember when dealing with color wiring diagrams to bounce it off of oem wiring diagrams which identifix has both, I found several flaws in aftermarket wiring diagrams compared to oem diagrams. HTH
Tom, I'm another vote for both/multiple. SI is the most valuable tool in the shop, and pretty affordable when you look at the big picture. One source just doesn't cut it right now. I couldn't begin to recall the number of times I've had trouble locating a spec, a bulletin, or a procedure in one, only to have it pop up right away in another one.
All of them like others here have said. Think about it this way, how much does it cost to have it? How much does it cost to not have it? The first question is definitive. you call, get a quote and that’s that. Around $150-200 a month each. If you are charging a low rate of $100 per hour for diag (this is a very low rate) it would take two hours of your diag to cover 1 per month. now not having…
I use identifix and it’s not great. When I trace a wire from one page to the next it stops on that page. I have to memorize the where the wires go and then highlight that one and so on and so forth. Mitchell doesn’t do that. I’ve been meaning to switch but it’s such a small problem that had I done it over i would have gone with Mitchell. I’ve used all data way back in the day but not recently.
For labor time is way better all data , wiring diagram both are good , identifix will give you real worl technician cases where the engineer did not anticipate it , 1 example ie toyota prius that has the famous p0af engine fail to start, and the service Manual dtc aid gives you 30 possibilities and on identifix is a case like that where they mention that dtc and they said this occurred after…
I use Identifix and Alldata, but prefer Alldata schematics.
Another reason to have both is, many times we find labor time differences of 1-2 hours on a job we have not done before. Having both keeps us from undercharging for our labor. If you can charge a couple of hours a month more because of the labor guides, It pays for itself and saves you headaches of not having the info when you need it. We easily charge 10-20 hours a month more using the…
That is really interesting Robert I would have never imagined that there would be such a discrepancy on labor times between the different SI’s!
I am a 1 man shop. Smog and repair on all non Euro vehicles. I use both AD and Identifix, and Real time labor. When I took 1 out of the mix I lost at least 5 billable hours that month. So I believe it pays for itself.
I use both, though I'm not as familiar with identifix as I am alldata. Too often, techs use identifix as a crutch and don't actually test anything.
Hi Tom, I’m a one-man Mobile tech and I started off with Identifix and then switched to Alldata and then back to Identifix. One thing I likeed with Ali’s ata was the wiring diagrams where you can see and run some wires easily from one section to the other where you couldn’t with Identifix. What I also like about Identifix is the technician reference to certain jobs and procedures that are used…
I have both and when we first signed up with identifix I was considering dropping alldata after 3 months. Since if I had one I probably didn't need the other, right? Well 2 years in and I can still barely find anything with identifix, but I do like the previous fixes. It gives a rough idea where to check and some of the tips guys have left are great. They can really save some time or give you a…
Me too, I find quickly service information on alm data
Hi Tom, I find with one system you will be missing information. especially if you try to work on most makes. I had been using identafix for several years but find that they they have procedures and information missing. I find that if I request information then they take several hours to reply instead of the approx one hour as promised or even the next day for wiring info or procedures. I…
Hi Tom! I have the 3 Alldata, Identifix and Shopkey Pro (Mitchell), honestly I am going to tell you three reasons why I have all three, First I like Identifix because of the archives of real cases it is as if you had a mechanic next to you explaining to diagnose it and repair it, second Alldata for its diagrams you can see them all on the same screen, third Shopkey Pro I like it because of the…
I am a mobile tech that only calls on Repair shops and body shops. We had Identifix and switched to AllData mostly because I was always lacking something. We use OE when we cant find what we need. The OE subscriptions add up fast. They are also not always correct. With Alldata we still lack stuff, but it is not as often. I find they match the OE diagrams more often than identifix ever did. I…
Thank you all for your help. The collective feedback is impressive and as many of you have suggested, I am going to keep both for now so I can utilize each for their strengths.
Recommend you test drive MotoLOGIC. All OE sourced data. motologic.com
One thing about Identifix is that I use my smart phone a lot instead of my computer on the road and opening up wiring diagrams doesn’t work unless I use print preview! Then I can view the diagram properly. I don’t quite remember how AllData was but I’m going to go back to them again to have both as suggested. Besides they are calling me quite a bit to get me to come back on board.
Hi Doug. I'm also a mobile tech. I too have gotten used to using my smart phone to quickly view wiring diagrams. Since Identifix “upgraded” their site, I found I couldn't open a wiring diagram like I used to. A tech at one of my client shops showed me how to open up what I wanted to view by opening the menu on the upper right of my screen and checking off “ Desktop Site”. Then go to what you…
Very good I’ll try that Paul, thank you for the advice! I figured there was some other way I just hadn’t heard of it yet. Be safe sir! and happy new year.
If you are only interested in the labor and wiring you just as well stay with Alldata. If you want to expand your ability to fix cars, use both. You need everything you can afford at the very least.
I have already given a response and after some thought I decided to give you a different perspective. What kind of vehicles are repaired in your shop? What is the skill level? Here is my opinion. If you work on mostly Domestic 2005 and newer vehicles look at motologic'. Otherwise it is junk If your techs mostly need step by step direction for changing components, or rely on guided…
Most shops have both, and some shops have all three …, Mitchell, and Identifix. … really shines when it comes to the wiring diagrams, and factory information. Even if the information is not in there yet there's an option to request the information from us, and we'll go in to the OEM website and send you a pdf of it. Identifix is great when it comes to it's experience-based…
Thanks for that information Eddie! So is there any updates to help fix that?, that was one problem I was having in one reason why I switch back to Identifix. But I am going to go back to Alldata and sign up again for that too while I can afford it! Thanks again be safe and take care! so I just logged in with my iPhone and I do not see any vertical dots on the upper right. I’ll try my android…
No problem, and to answer your question Doug, the big push right now is to take those confirmed fixes and information from inside the ‘Community’ and provide it via the main search function in the ‘Repair’ section. You may have seen some of this already under a category referred to as "Probable Causes". Updates occur monthly with more and more of the info being added, but it's still not nearly…
Will do thanks again Eddy. I will be calling in again soon and renewing my subscription.
No problem. Send me an email when you do, while I may not be the specific rep that handles your area, I'll always try to get you the best price I can. Cheers
Identifix is great but u need Alldata too. Like today i was working on 2016 Mazda 6 and identifix didn't have any information excepts color wiring diagram which is Mitchell. So u need Alldata. Alldata is complete. Identifix is great too, u can find a lot of help from other technicians and it has factory diagrams, factory service manuals and tsb's.So you'd need both for sure. Hope…
Ditto, on having multiple sources for information. Identifix is OK, but sorely lacking on anything late model, and/or Euro, or smaller Asian lines, such as Mazda. I'm mobile. I have AllData, IDFix, and iatn. AD has the most comprehensive coverage. IDFix takes way too long to return emails, and likes to bill for EVERYTHING when you call, even if it's to find things that are almost impossible…