december2022 - A4

EDITOR'S NOTE
Diagnosing Progress
We are at the cusp of a new era in diagnostics and computer control.
By Brendan Baker, Editor
BBaker@EndeavorB2B.com
I
n the early days of EFI, and
OBD-I, there were no real standards
for getting data from the
ECU. My brother and I raced
a Honda Prelude in the IMSA
Firehawk Series for showroomstock
cars that were modified for
safety and that's about it. You
weren't allowed to make performance
modifications outside of
the stock specs. But some teams
figured out how to skirt the rules
and modified the baseline ECU
maps by having them reflashed
to specific parameters such
as removing the rev limiter or
advancing the timing for a certain
rpm range.
The GM cars that raced in the series
had a distinct advantage because they
were equipped to connect to a laptop
through the ALDL port (the DLC before
OBD-II). This allowed teams to make
adjustments at the racetrack with a few
taps on the keyboard; it was mind-boggling
at the time. Honda teams banded
together to swap ECUs as some were
reflashed and worked better than others.
However, we weren't able to change
anything on the fly like GM teams.
My dad, who began racing in the
mid-'60s before I was born, was from a
different era. In his day, all of the adjustments
were mechanical. Need more fuel?
Change the jetting and read the weather
to get the right air/fuel ratio. You can
feel it in your hands. You'd give it a
tune-up, as they do in drag racing. But
my dad thought that the new electronic
4 DECEMBER 2022 VehicleServicePros.com
Baker Motorsports - IMSA Firehawk
code readers and scan tools were like a
genie in a box that fixed everything. Not
quite. At that time, scan tools were in
their infancy and mostly just to read the
emissions codes and little else.
Today, the idea of connecting a bidirectional
scan tool to diagnose a vehicle
and make the repair is the norm. Nearly
every shop has a diagnostician on staff
to troubleshoot and decode all of the
data that is available to technicians. As
we move further into what is ostensibly
OBD-III, technicians, shop owners, and
service advisors are going to be dealing
with more data than ever. But data is only
good when you know how to use it.
Next-level diagnostic tools and even
connected machines like tire changers,
inspection tools and brake lathes can
help shop owners deliver higher profits
and ROI. Techs can connect remotely to
customers' vehicles to do an initial diagnosis
before it arrives in the shop. And
EVs are starting to creep into service
bays across the country. It's as exciting
as it is trepidatious.
There is a lot of opportunity for technicians
and shop owners alike, but there
are many challenges ahead. The technician
shortage is real and appears to be
getting worse. There are more cars and
fewer shops doing the work. We are also
seeing a changing of the guard in shops
as many owners are at or near retirement.
Yes, the tools today are amazing and
complex and require more training. ADAS is
going to be mandated on all new cars soon.
So, shops must be prepared to invest in the
next level of equipment and tooling, but not
everyone will make that leap of faith.
When you need $30,000 worth of
ADAS equipment to change a windshield
or repair a bumper, that tells you what is
ahead for the industry. ADAS is somewhat
a precursor to EVs and autonomous
vehicles. There are far more sensors in
vehicles today than a decade ago, and it's
only going to increase in the years ahead.
My dad had the right idea about what
a scan tool should do, but he was a little
ahead of his time. We've certainly come
a long way since the '90s.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
december2022

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