WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dale Feste, owner of an independent automobile repair shop in Hopkins, said that two or three times each month he couldn't fix a vehicle because manufacturers wouldn't give him access to the tools or computer codes needed for the job.

On Thursday, he said the problem had been fixed.

Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., announced that auto manufacturers have agreed to grant mechanics access to the diagnostic tools and service and training information needed for vehicle repairs. Manufacturers must comply by August 31, 2003.

"I think this is a huge step," Feste said. "This really bodes well for everybody."

In June, Wellstone introduced a bill that would have forced manufacturers to share the codes. He said he would no longer push for passing the legislation.

"This was about getting results," said Wellstone, adding that sometimes "you can use the legislative process to raise the profile of an issue and bring people to the table to negotiate."

Wellstone said the deal would keep many repair shops in business and benefit vehicle owners by increasing their options. When manufacturers restricted access, he said, only dealerships -- which often were located far away and charged higher fees than small repair shops -- could perform needed maintenance.

Wellstone called the deal "pro-competition" and said it would help all independent mechanics. "The really frightening prospect, without this agreement, was that they were going to get essentially locked out."

Roots of the conflict stem from the 1990 Clean Air Act, which required that all vehicles built after 1994 include a computer system to measure vehicle emissions.

As the technology improved in recent years, those computer systems were designed to control vehicle functions, such as brakes, air bags, steering mechanisms, and ignitions. As a result, auto manufacturers were able to control the computer codes necessary to run diagnostic tests and perform repairs on newer-model vehicles.

Scott Lampert, executive vice president of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, downplayed the significance of the deal, saying many manufacturers already shared repair information and equipment. He said the problem that repair shops face is not about access but about being able to afford the diagnostic equipment -- often specialized to a particular vehicle make -- used to read the computer codes.

"That's the bigger problem for everybody, for the franchise dealer and the independent shops," he said. "It's getting expensive to maintain cars."

But Robert Redding, a Washington-based spokesman for the Automotive Service Association (ASA), disagreed. While some manufacturers have been open with their codes and equipment, he said, the list of such companies was not long enough.

Redding said that based on ASA studies, independent mechanics were losing $18 billion annually because of limits on access.

Redding credited Wellstone for playing a major role in triggering the deal.