Fixed Ops Journal - February 2018 - 34

FIXED OPS JOURNAL

Software allows
automakers to
communicate
with owners in
their vehicles.

OVER
THE
AIR
Remote software updates help build service business, suppliers say



JIM HENRY

foj@autonews.com

ew capabilities for over-the-air
software updates may have a side
benefit that could help dealerships
retain service business.
In addition to performing updates remotely,
new systems about to reach the market can
gather real-world data from components that
can't be fixed remotely, such as brakes.
Based on such data, automakers could
prompt owners with customized messages directing them where to take their vehicles for
service, according to automotive suppliers.
"That is a big part of it,"
says John Nunneley, senior vice president of engineering for Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas.
"The OEM can inform
the customer: 'This is a
problem you have. This is
the component you need.
This is where you can get
Nunneley:
it,' " Nunneley told Fixed
Guide owners
Ops Journal.
to service.
The same data center
that performs over-the-air software updates
can collect drive-cycle data from vehicles,
such as how hard the brakes are used, Nunneley says. The data also could predict when a
component might fail, he says.
"If you're a dealer, the next thing the car will
be able to do is to tell the driver: 'OK, I'm detecting a knock sensor problem. You need to
go to a service center. Here's a list of centers
within a five-mile radius, with pricing. Would
you like me to schedule an appointment?' "

Cuts both ways
Expanding over-the-air updates could cut
both ways for dealership service departments,
PAGE 34

FEBRUARY 2018

Remote control
Automakers and suppliers are
increasingly using over-the-air software
updates for vehicle maintenance. That
has advantages and drawbacks for
dealership service departments.
Positives
 Easier for automakers to send
"service needed" messages to
vehicle owners
 Convenient for owners
 No mass rush to dealerships of
service customers for software-driven
recalls
Negatives
 Fewer shop visits for software fixes
 Lower warranty reimbursement for
software fixes
 Fewer opportunities for service sales

says Tom Moser, service manager of Jim Burke
Ford in Bakersfield, Calif.
"It would take money from us if the manufacturers could do it directly," Moser says of
over-the-air updates. "We would lose some
warranty dollars, which wouldn't be good."
At the same time, Moser says, big recalls for
software fixes can jam service bays and crowd
out more profitable work, so avoiding those
could be positive. He also likes the side benefit of using updates to prompt customers to
get other types of service "if they can make it
work."
Onboard automotive computers are getting
more powerful, with more memory. That enables cockpit consolidation, in which one
computer-driven controller can run multiple
systems at the same time, suppliers say.
David Taylor, director of product manage-

ment for Panasonic Automotive Systems Co.
of America, says consolidation enables automakers and their suppliers to gain over-theair access to software for systems that today
are inaccessible, such as braking, steering or
propulsion.

Horse's mouth
Owners are likely to give a lot of weight to
service messages from the car or truck itself,
and are tailored to that vehicle and not just
because a certain mileage has been reached,
says Ben Hoffman, president of Movimento, a
subsidiary of Delphi Automotive that specializes in over-the-air software updates.
"If the car says it needs this - a sensor is
bad, or an oil change, or brake wear - by going to a dealership with that knowledge that
the vehicle has told you ... it's a much more
confident and informed customer, instead of
going in there blind," Hoffman says.
He adds: "It develops a relationship among
the OEM, the customer and the dealer when
the customer comes in with more understanding of what they're in for."
Over-the-air updates are old hat in infotainment. General Motors' OnStar
system has provided software
updates since 2009, says GM
spokesman Stefan Cross.
In December, Cross says,
GM added an online commerce feature called Marketplace to millions of 2017 and
2018 vehicles via an over-theair update. 
Hoffman: Over-the-air
updates build
trust among
service
customers.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fixed Ops Journal - February 2018