Some people in the automotive aftermarket and the garage industry may have heard the word OSCA buzzing around occasionally, and as one of their primary distributors, we wanted to provide a guide into how the OSCA cable can help your business grow. The OSCA cable can help with a myriad of the automotive aftermarket industries’ diagnostic needs, including automotive locksmiths, tow bar installers, body shops, ADAS technicians and general garage professionals. So, in this brief guide, we will outline the benefits you can expect from adding an OSCA cable to your business’s arsenal.
EASY-TO-USE
Using the OSCA cable couldn’t be simpler. Compared to other diagnostics tools, it is simply a case of plugging in the cable and connecting it to your local WIFI network. Once connected, all you need to do is open the OSCA Android app for the original OSCA cable (retailing at £599.99+VAT without a subscription) or the OSCA 2.0 (retailing at £899.99+VAT without a subscription). For a clearer understanding of the process. you can read OSCA’s user guides here or rely on their excellent customer support, where the OSCA team will be more than happy to help!
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OSCA AND OSCA 2.0
OSCA has released two variants of their cable, the original OSCA cable and OSCA 2.0. So what’s the difference? Well, the original OSCA cable requires an Android device in order to access its expansive range of services through the OSCA app, which is only available on Android devices. The OSCA 2.0 cable, however, can be used on any device and provides a more stable connection to OSCA’s team of master technicians. It generally has fewer steps required in order to set up an initial connection and is more reliable.
Another key distinction is that the OSCA 2.0 cable can be used on vehicles with 4 CANBus lines, as well as being DoIP and CAN FD ready. This means that it is future-proofed for working on the most modern vehicles, and as vehicular technology advances, this may be a valuable asset for garages wanting to stay on the cutting edge. Both, however, currently provide the same expansive range of dealer-level diagnostic functions and expert advice from some of the UK’s best technicians.
SUBSCRIPTION OR NO SUBSCRIPTION?
If you intend to use your OSCA cable frequently, you may benefit from an OSCA subscription, and we at 3D Group really don’t know why you wouldn’t frequently use a tool that caters for all your diagnostic needs without the need for the dealer being involved! So, here is OSCA’s subscription model.
The subscription costs £14.99+VAT a month and is a massive cost saving for particularly busy garages, body shops, automotive locksmiths and tow bar installers that will use the cable regularly. It will most certainly be a wise investment as it can save you up to £7.50+VAT per job, which adds up if you are doing many jobs each and every month. There is also the opportunity to save even more with OSCA’s multi-job discount. You can contact the OSCA team for details on how you can save here.
Without the subscription, each job cost £7.50+VAT more than if you had a subscription, but if you don’t use the cable particularly often, it might not be necessary. The subscription is suitable for garages that have a high demand for diagnostic jobs. So, for instance, with a subscription, the ‘New BCM Programming’ procedure on an Audi A1 (8X) costs just £59.99+VAT, whereas, without a subscription, the cost is £67.49+VAT.
TIME-SAVING
An OSCA cable can save both time and money due to the relative simplicity of use. All your technician may be required to do during module programming is to run through an ignition cycle a few times, and OSCA’s technicians do the rest. So, you will have free staff to do your bread-and-butter jobs, and if they need any extra support, OSCA’s technicians are on hand to help them every step of the way. This is a significant benefit given the shortage of skilled automotive technicians in the UK at the moment. So your garage can still thrive even if you are short of skilled mechanics, thanks to OSCA’s technicians.
A final timesaving benefit is that once your OSCA cable is plugged in, you can simply sit on your laptop and wait for prompts from the OSCA team, freeing you up to do paperwork, marketing or anything else to further the growth and success of your business.
BEAT THE DEALER & REDUCE YOUR BOTTOM LINE
We think all garages, ADAS technicians, body shops, tow bar installers and automotive locksmiths should be able to thrive in this challenging economic climate. We want to encourage all garage owners to diversify their offerings in order to keep the industry afloat in these tough conditions.
So, here is a little on how OSCA can save you money. Firstly, if you are paying the main dealer for module programming, you are likely to be taking a massive financial hit, with dealers’ hourly rates on average being in excess of £120+ VAT. Dealers are slow and can often take days, if not weeks, to complete the job, whereas, on OSCA’s application list, the most expensive job is £97.49+VAT for an Abarth 500 used ECM module reprogramming, and that is without a subscription! Most jobs come in at around £50 to £60. Additionally, you will be able to save money on the towing cost to and from the dealer.
OSCA gives a significant advantage over your competition as not only will you not have to pay exorbitant dealer fees for simple module programming, but you will also save time as the average wait time for dealer services has increased to weeks during the pandemic. The OSCA team has all the expertise to offer a dealer-level service at a fraction of the cost, and in a recession, who doesn’t need to save a little bit more money?
This will all contribute to increasing profits, revenue and return on investment for your business, whether you are operating as a Body Shop, ADAS workshop, an automotive locksmith, a Tow bar installer or a normal garage. The bottom line is an OSCA cable will save you both time, money and the cost of expertise.
EXPERT ADVICE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
One of the greatest advantages of working with OSCA is their team of master automotive technicians. Their knowledge is available to you when it’s needed, and they are always happy to help the OSCA cable is a bridge between the vehicle it’s connected to and them.
OSCA’s technicians have a range of varied backgrounds, including seasoned immobiliser specialists that have spent years working as automotive locksmiths, experienced diagnostic experts that can work on almost any module and diagnose faults, veteran mechanics that have been part of the Institute of Motor Mechanics for years and finally a range of partners in the aftermarket that can handle almost any diagnostic and programming job that you can throw at them. So, if you want a leading diagnostic tool as well as expert support, then you need to look no further. This expertise highlights another advantage of the OSCA cable; it mitigates the need to be constantly upskilling your technician with diagnostic training, which can be both time-consuming and costly.
THOUSANDS OF APPLICATIONS TO EXPAND YOUR BUSINESS
Another way the OSCA Cable can give your garage a distinct advantage is through the sheer amount of diagnostic applications it can add to your garage business. With over 5800 unique applications, you will be sure to find something that can help to increase your potential income. If you are thinking of expanding or diversifying, then this tool will prove invaluable to you.
The application list provides an easy-to-use and quick method of finding the exact diagnostic task that you require; it's as simple as searching for make, model, or a specific job. For instance, if you need the front radar module calibrated on a 2020 Ford Puma, you can simply type the details into the search bar, and the job will appear. Have a browse through their full application list here.
This will allow your technicians to quickly find exactly what they are looking for. This application covers both the original OSCA cable and OSCA 2.0.
The list is extensive, containing a list of thousands of jobs, including multiple ECU applications, BCU programming and crash fault code clearing. This will inevitably allow your garage to carry out more part replacements and more jobs in less time, so the opportunities for diversifying and expanding your workshop are endless, and it’s really up to you where you want to invest.
As a diagnostic tool, it covers the full range of functions, so a standard garage that carries regular equipment could easily branch out into a tow bar fitting with the OSCA cable, for example. This would be a simple matter of buying a few pieces of additional equipment and a single technician investing a small amount of time into learning how to do 13-pin wiring for popular vehicles that have demand for aftermarket tow bars. Then the OSCA cable does the rest of the diagnostics, including programming the rear brake light modules, rear sensor modules and transmission module.
ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
OSCA is an excellent addition to your current diagnostic tools. The key thing to take away is that OSCA is more affordable and efficient than a lot of other diagnostic tools. It also saves you time as it doesn’t require much of your technician’s manual input and knowledge and simply requires plugging into the OBD port and connecting to WiFi. Then you can let the OSCA team get to work, freeing up that technician to do other jobs.
For example, an Autel MaxiSysUltra costs £4995+VAT while OSCA 2.0 only costs £1049.99+VAT with a 12-month subscription. OSCA has no costs for updates (an Autel update costs £745+VAT), and you only pay as little as £9.99+VAT, without a subscription, for the jobs you need. These are just a few reasons why OSCA can help your garage, body shop, or automotive locksmith business, making it an excellent addition to your other tools.
Thanks for reading from the 3D Group Team