Mitchell 1 ProDemand offers complete OEM repair information with exclusive experience-based knowledge from SureTrack, the company says. This comprehensive solution delivers all the information needed to complete the job in a single lookup. Features include: 1Search Plus; SureTrack; quick lookups; tire fitment; OEM coverage; parts and labor; lifetime maintenance services; interactive community; scalable wiring diagrams; component search; and more.
The review
For a general repair shop, a diagnostic reference that offers OEM-level coverage for all makes and models is a must-have. Lee Standiford of DriveTec Automotive appreciated the comprehensive coverage that Mitchell 1 ProDemand offers.
“It works great,” Standiford says. “We use it every day, all day long. We’re general repair, so we work on all makes and models, which makes [ProDemand] a good tool for us because unlike a dealership where you’re concentrating your focus on one OEM, we don’t work on the same manufacturers every day. The versatility of having all the repair information at our disposal and having it quickly is especially useful.”
Standiford has been in the industry for 38 years, and has used a lot of different programs, he says. When he first made the switch to ProDemand, he found that there was a bit of a learning curve involved with learning the program and how to use each feature. But, he confirms there is plenty of online help and customer support to assist with that transition, and once he understood the format, he found the program intuitive and easy to use.
For Standiford, standout features include the wiring diagrams, (which he uses to highlight and target circuits), information lookup by plate or VIN and SureTrack Real Fix information.
For example, Standiford says, when a vehicle comes in with a check engine light on, they are able to pull the code and use ProDemand to determine what the most probable causes are for that particular make, model and year. So, if the code is triggered by a sensor, and the SureTrack Real Fix information shows a probable cause for that issue, it saves technicians the diagnostic time for determining whether the sensor is faulty, or whether the code is actually a symptom of a larger underlying cause. This saves time because it allows technicians to test for the most probable real-world cause of the problem first, instead of following the standard diagnostic process.
“The 1Search Plus is very handy, as well as having the most common failures and fixes come up automatically, along with the factory information and all the technical service bulletins,” he adds. “It’s nice to have everything you need to know a click away without having to search it out for 10 minutes. To me, that’s a pretty powerful tool.”
Standiford says that he hasn’t found anything about this tool that he dislikes. He has no suggestions for improvement, and finds that the product functions well.
“Just for ease of use and adding the component test features, and having everything pop up immediately, it just overall is a very handy product,” he says.
He also appreciates that the tool is constantly being improved and updated so that it stays current for every vehicle he uses it on.
“In this industry, information is our most powerful tool. And so, from my standpoint, I think this is the best product I’ve ever used,” Standiford concludes.
