December 2020

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 AFTERMARKET 37 parts to inspect for wear and tear, covering a variety of categories, such as general and OEM maintenance, service acceptance check, and seasonal checks including tyres. Users can choose the appropriate level of inspection from a colour-coded menu offering four main options, service maintenance check, summer inspection, winter inspection, and service acceptance check. “No single module is mandatory. The user has complete control over which types of check are applied, and in what order. As a result, Visual Inspection is a hugely flexible tool suitable for any form of vehicle assessment, whether undertaken by mechanics or by dealerships looking to check the condition of part- exchange vehicles.” Gerard continued: “Additionally, its coverage has been expanded to include an estimated 98% of the European car parc, including petrol cars from 2003 onwards and diesel cars from 2006 onwards, with selection options including VIN, registration number or make/model to make it easy for users to find the correct vehicle. Despite its comprehensive nature, is quick and easy to use. Inspections can take as little as 12 minutes, and even a full inspection incorporating the entire checklist can be completed in an hour.” Gerard added: “We have always been proud of the unrivalled functionality and flexibility e-Videns delivers, allowing them to back up DENSO’s OE-quality parts with efficient and easy-to-understand service to the customer. “What we’re most proud of is that e-Videns continues to improve and take advantage of new technological developments to bring even more benefits to workshops. The roll-out of the expanded Visual Inspection ensures that e-Videns remains the most cutting-edge tool of its kind.” Booming Diagnostic tools do not always have to be a brand-new piece of physical kit. For example, Hella Gutmann Solutions (HGS) recently launched mega macs ONE, which turns a tablet with Android 6.0 or higher and minimum 7-inch screen, into a full diagnostic tool. Head of HGS at HELLA Neil Hilton observed: “The increasing use of smartphones in everyday life is reflected in the growing popularity of tablets in modern workshops. Sales of Android devices in particular are booming because they are considered to be fast, affordable, and – due to the multitude of apps available – versatile. Above: e-Videns in the garage With regards to mega macs ONE, Neil said: “All the basic diagnostic functions available on the mega macs ONE are equivalent to those provided by the mega macs devices. These range from displaying the OBD socket location in the vehicle, to reading/deleting trouble codes, Global scan, resetting service indicators, parameter depiction, up to 16 at the same time, basic settings and adaptions, coding and actuator tests. The diagnostic results can be printed out or emailed to customers as a PDF document. “For rapid vehicle selection, VIN- based identification is available. Simply click once to see the OBD socket location and, if the global check option is selected, the system will automatically scan all the existing ECUs at high speed. Helpfully, users can toggle between several functions at any time when diagnostics is in progress without having to repeat the selection. He continued: “mega macs ONE also offers up to date customisation options, such as landscape and portrait screen mode, changing both alarm duration when leaving the VCI wireless range and recording duration of measured parameter values. As is the case with HGS’s conventional mega macs diagnostic devices, technicians also have the option of regular updates and services for mega macs ONE and contacting the HGS technical help line for assistance with diagnostic tasks.” Neil added: “After concluding the licence agreement, technicians will receive the Bluetooth VCI, which mega macs ONE uses to communicate with the vehicle. Once the software has been installed on the tablet, technicians can use it on an unlimited basis.” mega macs ONE