Autobody News: Autel Diagnostic Products Help NY Body Shop Decrease Cycle Time, Repair Vehicles Properly

CARLSBAD, Calif., June 26, 2018 (Newswire.com) - NOTE: This June SPS profile was originally published in print in June 2018 and online in May 2018.

At Depalo and Sons Auto Body, the motto has always been: “If we wouldn’t put our family back in the vehicle, then we won’t put yours back in the vehicle.”

Depalo and Sons use Autel's tire pressure monitor system on a daily basis, which allows us to quickly test all vehicles with a lightweight, wireless, touch-screen tablet. I like everything about the product. It's user-friendly, quick and very accurate. It does its job.

Vito Depalo, Jr., Owner, Depalo and Sons Auto Body

The family-run business has operated that way since 1972, when Michael Depalo set up a body shop in Huntington, NY, with three bays. Through the hard work and dedication of Michael and his employees, over the next 20 years, the business grew from three bays to 30. 

“My father and grandfather laid the groundwork, thus installing the core values that have poised us for ‘bursting at the seams’ growth with more than 40 years of new and repeat business,” said Vito Depalo, Jr.  

As a result, the business opened a second location in Huntington Station four years ago.

In addition to auto body and collision repair work, Depalo and Sons offer paintless dent repair, automotive detailing, spray-on bed liners, auto glass replacement, window tinting and pre-lease inspections.  

From the onset, within every aspect of the business, Vito Jr. said Depalo and Sons does things the “right way.”

“We painstakingly take the time to streamline our operations, keeping up-to-date with industry trends,” said Vito Jr., who runs the business with his father, Vito, and two brothers, Edward and Michael.  

He said this includes taking the time to train employees as well as continually reinvesting in state-of-the-art equipment and products, including those from Autel, a leading manufacturer, and supplier of professional diagnostic tools, equipment, and accessories for the automotive aftermarket.  

The collision repair business first learned about Autel products about seven years ago and now uses multiple products from the company. These include the Autel TS508 tire pressure monitoring system and the MS906TS scan tool. Not only has he found that the innovative products are easy to use, but he also said they are cost-effective.

Depalo and Sons use the tire pressure monitor system on a daily basis, which allows the body shops to quickly test all vehicles with a lightweight, wireless, touch-screen tablet.

“I like everything about the product,” said Vito Jr. “It’s user-friendly, quick and very accurate. It does its job.”

Vito Jr. said the Autel product can be used in many vehicles in which certain machines can’t be used.

Another diagnostic tool used regularly by Depalo and Sons is the MaxiSYS MS906TS scan tool. In addition to pre-scanning and post-scanning the vehicle, the complete service tool can reset the airbag lights, service engine lights and do recalibrations. 

“When a car comes in, we pre-scan it to make sure there are no faults,” explained Vito Jr. “After the car is repaired, we then do a post-scan.” 

He said Autel products have helped them make sure the vehicle has a clean bill of health before it is returned to the customer.   

Vito Jr. said the tool has been very dependable and has helped decrease cycle time.  

“We are able to identify issues early on with the repair process as well as increase our CSI index,” he said. 

For the past 12 years, Autel has evolved its MaxiSYS diagnostic tools to meet the needs of collision repairers. The MaxiSYS MS906TS can perform pre- and post-scan auto-scans to diagnose vehicle DTCs and then generate vehicle diagnostic reports. Images of needed parts information and the associated repair costs can be attached before sending the reports to insurers.

The wireless device includes AutoVIN, which instantly retrieves the vehicle ID, make, model and year of the vehicle. The AutoSCAN feature enables a shop to retrieve information from all modules in the vehicles’ systems. A single screen list displays all detected faults and trouble codes, and complete TPMS features include read, activate, relearn and program Autel MX-Sensors. In addition, there is four-mode live data viewing/printing/storing/playback. 

As Autel’s most affordable bi-directional scan tool, it performs the coding and activations collision repair shops depend on. This allows Depalo and Sons to use one tool to quickly diagnosis what is wrong with a vehicle and repair it properly. Autel plans to release its ADAS calibration tool package later this year.  

Since using Autel products, Depalo and Sons has had great support from the company and receives regular training. Vito Jr. said Autel is very responsive and eager to learn about their needs. 

An active member of the community, the body shop is affiliated with the Long Island Auto Body Repairmen’s Association as well as the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. Continuing education is also an important priority for Depalo and Sons. The business regularly shares its knowledge and expertise in collision repair by offering free continuing education classes to assist auto insurance agents and auto claims adjusters maintain their licenses.

“We cannot over-emphasize our commitment to the communities we serve and live in,” he said. “Using products like those from Autel have helped us best serve the greater Suffolk County area.”

Depalo and Sons Auto Body
Location: Huntington, NY
(631) 423-2950
depaloandsonsautobody.com

Company At A Glance...
Type: Collision Repair
Facility Employees: 20
In Business Since: 1972
Number of Locations: Two
DRP Programs: Eight
Combined Production Space: 18,000 square feet

Autel-US
(855) AUTEL-US (855) 288-3587
https://www.autel.com

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Source: Autobody News