by Dean Law, Owner,
Law’s Automotive, Portage La Prairie, Man.

EV repair is not like working on ICE-powered cars. There’s a ton of disinformation out there, mixed with solid insights, making it tough for technicians to separate what’s true from what’s misleading. 

One thing is clear: high-voltage systems are dangerous if handled incorrectly. This isn’t a case of just swapping out parts. Proper training, OEM partnerships, and access to the right tools are the way technicians can fully diagnose and repair EVs safely and effectively. 

And credibility matters. Dealerships won’t sell EV parts to just anyone – only shops with certified technicians and official partnerships gain access to proprietary vehicle software, repair data, and OEM parts. If you’re serious about EV repair, aligning with an OEM-certified program is really helpful. 

Top EV Diagnostic Tools

EV diagnostics make or break repair work. Without the right tools, troubleshooting EVs is basically guesswork, and that’s bad for both safety and business. Here’s a breakdown of some top-tier OEM tools: 

OEM Tools

• Tesla Toolbox: Critical for Tesla-specific troubleshooting. 
• Nissan Consult III+: Full access to Nissan EV error codes and software updates. 
• BMW ISTA: Essential diagnostics for BMW i-Series EVs. 
• GM GDS2: A must-have for diagnosing GM electric models like the Chevy Bolt. 
  
  These tools unlock proprietary manufacturer data, helping technicians run advanced tests and software updates that aftermarket scanners might miss. 

Advanced Aftermarket Tools

Shops without OEM access can still diagnose EVs properly with high-quality aftermarket tools. Here’s two we’ve done a deep dive on.

• Autel MaxiSys Ultra EV: Covers inverter diagnostics, DC-to-DC converter tests, and battery health analysis. 
• Launch X431 EV Diagnostics: Specializes in high-voltage insulation tests, ensuring no dangerous current leaks into the chassis. 

One often overlooked diagnostic tool? Fluke meters and megohm testers (also known as megohmmeters), which catch insulation breakdowns before they become a safety hazard. 

You also need to have an infrared thermal camera to find hot spots in battery packs, inverters, and chargers. The top pick for that is the FLIR thermal camera.

Battery Health: a blind spot, and an opportunity

EV batteries aren’t just plug-and-play – their state of charge and balance charging are critical to long-term health. 

People don’t understand that the battery charger is inside their car, and that what they plug in is just a utility cord. Also, it doesn’t matter whether you have a Type I or Type II charger; it’s the Battery Management System (BMS) that controls flow.

It also doesn’t matter if you have a stage three or stage two charging system; it’s only going to allow a certain amount of charge to come into the battery.

So, checking battery health is critical.

Tools like the GRX-5100EV from Midtronics (which we’re getting) and Topdon BT Mobile Pro S provide deep charge testing, resistance checks, and capacity profiling – essential for assessing battery pack health. 

While getting the equipment and training can be expensive, you can charge for this stuff! Pre-owned EV buyers want confidence in battery health before purchasing a vehicle, which presents a great business opportunity for repair shops.

• EV Pre-Purchase Inspection: $200-$300, complete battery diagnostics included. 
• State-of-Charge Analysis: $125-$250, to detect battery aging before it leads to performance issues. 
• Cooling System Flush & Infrared Scans: $100-$250, to prevent overheating problems. 

We are just starting to work on them now, but it’s taken a few years to get the training, and the tools.

A lot of shops are just starting to see more EVs, but we can see that things are coming up fast! And training programs are backlogged; everybody is rushing to get in.

My advice: You don’t need to send everyone. What I would recommend shops do, or even techs who could talk to their bosses or the owner, is don’t send a ton of people to go get certified. Send one tech and then let that tech train the rest of the others in the shop.

That’s the best way to do it. Have at least one top-tier tech who wants to take the hit when things go wrong – kidding! – and then they will train the next in the shop.

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Get your CAN bus skills up!

Controller Area Network (CAN bus) data analysis is becoming one of the most critical skills for technicians, especially as EVs and advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) take over the market.

• Reading live data is still one of the best ways to diagnose real-time communication issues between vehicle modules. The Controller Area Network (CAN bus) relays critical system data.
• Monitor real-time EV system behaviour beyond basic error messages.
• Reverse-engineer failures by tracking how signals change over time.
• Detect intermittent communication faults between control modules, preventing misdiagnosed repairs.

Some of the best tools for CAN bus analysis include:

• CANalyze: Great for decoding network traffic in EV systems.
• OpenGarage: Helps independent shops monitor EV communication patterns.
• SavvyCAN: An open-source tool for reverse engineering CAN signals.

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This article also appeared in the May/June print issue of Indie Garage. READ THE DIGITAL EDITION HERE.

It is a companion article to an episode of The Great Canadian Aftermarket Podcast.
Listen to the entire podcast on SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, or on the podcast website