December 2021 - 44

SCAN TOOLS
DEMANDING MORE
FROM SCAN TOOLS
Scan tools have advanced significantly in
recent years.
" Originally, there were simple engine
code readers that were essentially used
to detect emissions issues and resolve
issues preventing vehicles from passing
state inspections. Next came four systems
readers to detect faults in engines, transmissions,
ABS (braking systems), and SRS
(airbags), " Autel's Whitney says. " Today,
technicians need all-systems scanners
that can detect faults in every available
system on that vehicle. "
With more electric components
comes more information, trouble codes,
inputs, and outputs that technicians have
to decipher.
" When an input or output fails, that's
when you get that trouble code, " NEXIQ's
Kotenko says, adding that the code will
identify the area or sensor experiencing a
failure. " The trouble code would state the
O2 sensor has trouble. As you drill down,
it could be the wire or something else,
but it will certainly give the technician a
general area of where to seek that fault. "
Not only are there more ECUs or
modules, but the systems are talking to
each other, which means the health of the
CAN bus is critical, Kotenko says.
A good diagnostic tool should identify
the fault, enable the tech to view the
associated system operations at the time
the code was set, and test individual components
to see if they have failed. " More
advanced tools should support accessory
diagnostic tools such as battery testers,
oscilloscopes, and CAN bus testers,
enabling technicians to take a deeper dive
into the communication and hands-on
component testing, " Whitney says.
Autel's MS909CV tool, which
includes a module topology map and
ADAS calibration, will automatically
identify the vehicle identification number
(VIN), then scan all modules within the
vehicle system and show a single screen
visual map of how all the modules are
connected on different lines to each
other. Using color-coded identification,
the technician can see which modules are
operational or have different issues, or if
they are present but not responding at all,
giving technicians a new way to diagnose
possible vehicle issues.
PREVENTING MISDIAGNOSIS
Increased information can help technicians
minimize the risk of making a
mistake. For example, Noregon's Watson
says a technician who doesn't know
how to diagnose an A/C system with a
variable compressor could easily make
a misdiagnosis.
" Having a scan tool that will give them
all the correct data of the A/C system,
including inputs and output data, and
utilizing the correct tools to validate the
pulse width modulated solenoid that
controls the flow rate that is built into
the compressor with a tool, such as the
Robinair EVDC100, that can help validate
that solenoid as well as the wiring to and
from the body control module and the
A/C compressor, " Bosch's Watson says.
Because demands on vehicle battery
systems have increased, battery analysis
tools are becoming more critical. Autel
offers a line of starting and charging
analysis tools that can walk technicians
through the process of analyzing each
of three components that comprise the
starting and charging system - the battery,
the starter, and the alternator - providing
an analysis of each system along the
way. The testers use adaptive conductance
to measure battery health, comparing its
ability to conduct energy today to when
it was purchased, Autel's Whitney says.
SAVING TIME
Uptime is critical for fleets, and diagnostic
tools are designed to help technicians
diagnose and repair equipment faster.
Noregon's Hedman says a technician
using a diagnostic application will locate
44 PTEN DECEMBER 2021 VehicleServicePros.com
the root of a failed sensor exponentially
quicker than one without, while committing
fewer mistakes during the process.
Noregon's JPRO includes a troubleshooting
module called " fault guidance "
that guides the user down the optimal
troubleshooting path to find the
root cause.
" Without that guidance, a technician
may attempt various repairs until something
works, " Hedman says. " A technician
might try replacing six different
sensors and a wiring harness before the
problem is corrected. Introducing guided
diagnostics to the equation lets the
user determine the cause of the failure
before replacing a failed sensor or wiring
harness. "
Bosch's ADS525X and ADS526X
tools provide a large amount of live data,
so technicians visually see what is happening,
Watson says. " These same tools
can be outfitted with electrical wiring
diagrams right on the tool to help them
trace or track electrical issues as well as
having a built-in Bosch repair source
that can give step-by-step diagnostic and
repair procedures right at the scan tool, "
he explains. " They no longer have to leave
the vehicle and possibly lose their focus
going to another computer or book to find
this information. "
STAYING CURRENT
Close working relationships with equipment
manufacturers are critical to securing
the latest information and updating
technology, NEXIQ's Kotenko says.
Cojali's Gattamorta notes this is an
ever-evolving industry, so tools have to
be updated as equipment advances. " Our
tool updates three times a year, " he says.
Autel releases software updates to its
tablets monthly, enabling users to perform
the needed diagnostics and services
on the latest vehicles as well as the systems
updated by the OE, Whitney says.
Mindy Long is a freelance journalist
covering the transportation industry.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2021
