Shop Press

Shop Press is the news and idea hub for everything related to working on cars and trucks, focusing on repair, technology, and wrenching lifestyle.

From the creative minds at:

FEATURE STORY

Hot Off the Press

Should You Charge More When Dealing with Tire Sealant? (VIDEO)

Description Aerosolized tire sealant is widely available, and in some vehicles, it is used in place of a full-size spare. While this “tire repair in a can” might be the best solution in a jam, it creates a messy, stinky situation for a tech changing the tire for a...

An Ode to “Car Talk”

Back in the early aughts, I lived in the Washington, D.C. area for about nine years. Since my parents live in Pennsylvania, this necessitated many three-and-a-half-hour drives (as little as three, if I was lucky) back home for holidays or just a regular visit. At the...

Testing Battery State of Charge – ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A and Technician B are discussing battery testing. Technician A says that an open circuit voltage of less than 10.5 volts indicates a bad battery. Technician B says that a reading of 12.5 volts indicates an 80% state of charge. Who is correct?A)...

PSA: Be Safe With Carburetor Cleaner, Too

Recently, I wrote about how brake cleaner can be hazardous if not used correctly, and how you should take safety precautions when using it. One of our readers had an insightful comment on the piece.Now, I think it’s debatable that carburetor cleaner is more hazardous...

The Real Meanings Behind OBD-II Diagnostic Trouble Codes (VIDEO)

Description When the check engine light (CEL) pops up and your OBD-II scan tool displays a code, that’s only the start of the diagnostic process. By breaking down the structures used to create DTCs, you can learn how to “decode” beyond the simple descriptions...

What’s Torque-to-Angle All About?

Torque-to-angle, also known as angle-torque or torque-plus-angle, is a fastening method that combines an initial torque application with a subsequent angular rotation to achieve precise bolt or fastener tension. This technique ensures consistent clamping force,...

Hybrid A/C Compressor Oil-ASE Practice Question (VIDEO)

Description Technician A is working on a hybrid vehicle’s air conditioning system that utilizes a high voltage electrical compressor. Technician B says that only the oil specified by the vehicle manufacturer should be used in the compressor. Technician A says PAG oil...

Troubleshooting a “No A/C Compressor Engagement” Fault

As the weather warms, more and more of your customers will be switching over their HVAC control settings to “max A/C”. If the system doesn’t respond by blowing that refreshing cool air into their faces, they will show up at your door to find out why. When faced with...

Do you mind working on customer vehicles equipped with dash cams?

by | Dec 28, 2023

When you spot a dashboard camera inside a customer’s vehicle, how do you react?

At this point I think we have all seen dash cam videos from customer vehicles that capture what mechanics are saying and doing at work. Some recordings are harmless fun, like this chap singing while bringing a car into the bay and making lighthearted fun of the car’s door sill lights. Others are not funny at all: joyrides, fraudulent work, badmouthing customers, discussions of intentionally delaying repairs, and outright criminal activity. These negative videos, along with some high-profile exposés from major news networks in recent years, are awfully damaging to the automotive repair industry’s reputation. So if you feel a little uncomfortable when you see a dash cam inside the vehicle you just pulled into your bay, that’s an understandable reaction.

Working around dash cams

As an auto repair pro, you can probably spot an aftermarket dash cam easily. You may have already installed a few yourself: up by the rearview mirror, onto the dash itself, around the edges of the windshield, or somewhere in a bumper. It’s trickier to identify them on newer cars that include dash cams from the factory. For example, some Corvettes have built-in recording features that can be activated by a valet mode, allowing owners to see what happened to their cars while separated.

“Think of it as a baby monitor for your car,” said Harlan Charles, Corvette product manager. “Anyone who has felt apprehension about handing over their keys will appreciate the peace of mind of knowing exactly what happened while their baby was out of sight.”

And that customer would have every right to be upset if the camera captured burnouts during a road test or some accidental scuffs while in the bay, but you already know that. Let’s talk about some grey areas involving dash cams and mechanics.

Dash Cam Camera
Photo: iStock.com/photobyphotoboy.

Recording without consent can be legally dicey

In the United States, some states require two parties (or all parties) in a conversation to consent to being recorded before video/audio can be captured. That means it is potentially unlawful for a customer to record what you say and do while you work on their vehicle. (I know I’ve expressed my honest opinions on questionable vehicles while their owners were out of earshot…) If you don’t already know your state’s laws on the subject, get educated. It may not be legal for customers to record you with dash cams in your state without your consent. It’s best to know your rights before an unlikely, but possible, dispute with a customer arises. (See next point.)

Disabling customer dash cams

Disconnecting batteries and pulling fuses is routine work in auto repair, but a few customers might interpret this as an attempt to defeat their recording devices. In reality, “disconnect battery” is simply the first step in countless repair jobs. How about dash cams that pull power from an adapter in the OBDII port? A mechanic would need to unplug the cam to hook up a scan tool, which means the customer will miss all that unbelievable footage of a guy scratching his head and scrolling through menus.

Notifying a customer every time a dash cam loses power is probably overkill, but your shop should have a policy in place regarding dash cams. For example, your policy might state that if a vehicle rolls in with power to its camera, then it must leave with power to its camera. Some shops have a policy of unplugging all dash cams on customer vehicles before service. Alternatively, some state that the customer must disconnect any dash cams before service, which removes the risk of a mechanic damaging the camera or its cables while working.

Whatever your shop’s policy might be, it’s best to have something in place before it is needed. (In two-party consent states, the law may also play a role in deciding your policy.) The policy should be written or published somewhere that customers can see it, and your service writers and managers should be aware that dash cams can be a sensitive issue with some folks.

Flogging a vehicle to fix it

And finally, I think we need to talk about doing things that might seem hard on the car while a dash cam is recording. If the customer states that there is a loud noise under hard acceleration, then the mechanic might just need to do some hard accelerating to find the noise. Suspension clunks while swerving? There’s going to be a recording of some silly driving on the dash cam after a diagnostic road test. If your shop does not disable dash cams, be prepared to explain why you hit every pothole in the street while looking for that annoying sound the customer was complaining about whenever she would hit a pothole. Some videos (or lack thereof) will always look bad without context.

The articles and other content contained on this site may contain links to third party websites. By clicking them, you consent to Dorman’s Website Use Agreement.

Related Articles

Shop Press Comment Policy

Participation in this forum is subject to Dorman’s Website Terms & Conditions. Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline feedback
View all comments