June 2019

T he cause of, and solution to all of our problems is technology. Well, almost, legislation and the physical fact of accessing some parts of the vehicle these days are also a factor. That said, the sheer complexity of vehicles today means you need to know how to find out what the problem is before you can fix it. While appropriate training and having a process that enables you to identify the fault and point towards the solution come first, you won’t get far without the right kit too. Barnaby Donohew, Automotive Applications Specialist at Pico Technology comments: “Legislative changes and vehicle manufacturers’ use of the latest technology to sell their products have created an overwhelming tide of technological advances in the automotive sector. The question is how do we adapt to those changes, not only to keep our skills and businesses alive but also to make a living commensurate with the learning and financial investments involved? “There are many potential investments to choose from. How about wheel alignment and driver assistance calibration technologies? Maybe dealer diagnostic tools to gain access to low-level electronic control unit functionality? The list could go on and on. The key questions for a business owner spending hard-earned cash on equipment and a technician investing time in learning how to use it are: ‘How quickly will I get a return on my investment?’ and ‘How long will that last?’ “ Commenting on the Pico approach, Barnaby says: “At Pico Technology, we believe the corresponding answers are ‘quickly’ and ‘year after year’. Our tools can provide users with the answers to multiple diagnostic problems involving past, present and future technologies. “How can we be so sure? At the heart of every new technology is a physical process. Be it current flowing through a motor circuit, pressure changes in a fuel system, vibration occurring from a worn component, or voltage changes in a vehicle network bus. These physical processes will never change unless vehicle manufacturers find a way to break the laws of physics. “PicoScopes and their accessories connect you to these physical processes so you can watch them in minute detail. Think you’ve got a CAN communication fault? You can check their voltages with a PicoScope. A possible cylinder deactivation fault? Use PicoScope to have a look at the circuit voltages and current. Suspect a blocked DPF? Check out the exhaust back pressure with a WPS500X pressure transducer. Suspect excessive engine vibration transmission through an active mount? Our NVH kit will help you find the culprit. “We could just as easily use these tools to find old-school problems. You can look for an intermittent misfire doing an exhaust pressure check with a WPS500X, or check the coil output voltage with a secondary ignition pick-up. Still not found the problem? Use the WPS500X to do a non- invasive check of the crankcase and intake manifold pressures and find possible cylinder leakage paths. All without needing to strip any components. Whether its application is rooted in the past, present or future, PicoScope is there to help.” But how does this drive profit? Barnaby observes: “Apart from the time saved through non-invasive testing and the forgoing of parts darts, you can save your measurements and provide your customers with irrefutable evidence of your findings. This builds trust in both you and your diagnostic processes, enabling you to charge accordingly at the level of a true diagnostic professional.” Barnaby adds: “Visit www.picoauto.com and see how to future proof your business.” Support Apart from having the right kit, having support to back it up is also vital. “The design and manufacture of The Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS) mega macs range of tools hardware is one thing,” says Neil Hilton, HGS UK’s Head of Business Development, “but building the infrastructure necessary to initiate and then continuously develop the software, as well as support customers in order for them to get the very best from the undoubted capabilities of the equipment, is quite another. “In addition to the immediate solutions the mega macs tools provide during a typical analysis, from the user’s perspective, this support is experienced in several ways. First, the tools themselves provide up to five possible causes to a particular fault, which often is enough for the technician to facilitate the solution. However, should this fail to resolve the issue, the UK technical team is always on hand and possesses a 48 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2019 DIAGNOSTICS Above: HGS mega mega macs 77 in action www.aftermarketonline.net GET AHEAD WITH TECHNOLOGY Having the best diagnostic tooling is vital if you want to keep up with the tech on the cars coming through the door