Garage Support 5 June 2020

Choosing the right diagnostic tool

The last thing you want is to be turning customers away or sending vehicles to other garages because you are unable to provide the right solutions in-house. How can you ensure that your garage is able to diagnose and resolve issues across the vast range of today’s vehicles and changing technology? Having the right diagnostic tools offer this capability.

THINGS TO CONSIDER FROM YOUR DIAGNOSTICS TOOL Along with all of the standard functionality, some diagnostic tools may offer additional features such as full system diagnosis, module coding, programming, data stream reading and Pass Thru enabled technology. ■ How up to date is it? ■ Does it have additional features such as an oscilloscope? ■ Does it have vehicle technical support? ■ Is it future poof? ■ Does it include technical information? ■ Does it have test plans? THE FAULT CODE IS JUST THE START Many tools offer fault code reading, but this is only the start. Making sure the diagnostic tool has the relevant coverage, as well as in- depth descriptions all make the diagnostics process easier. INVESTIGATION ■ Technical Information – it’s almost impossible to diagnose faults without technical information such as component locations and wiring diagrams ■ Test Plans – Prove invaluable in a diagnostic process, knowing what the results should be make it easy to measure and pinpoint the problem

■ Technical Support – It’s inevitable that in some cases you will find yourself stuck, this is where technical support comes in, someone to talk through the fault and tests with you VERIFICATION Once you have gone through the investigation process, identified the problem and corrected the issue you need to verify that the fault has been fixed? FIX ■ The systems check out and the fault has been fixed

BENEFITS

TRAINING

Keeping up to date with ever changing vehicle technology is just one benefit. Having the right diagnostic tools can help quickly and accurately identify problems, which will in turn reduce the amount of technician time spent on each vehicle giving you increased work capacity. ■ Services you offer customers will be greatly increased ■ Ability to provide first fix resolutions ■ Increased revenue streams for your workshop ■ Avoid subcontracting the work out to another garage

The courses offered by Auto Education Academyinclude a range of e-learning and practical content geared towards diesel, electrical and diagnostic. With these courses’ technicians can learn the following:

■ Specific management system diagnostics ■ Parameter, error and state diagnostics ■ Activation diagnostics

■ Diagnostic methodologies ■ Fault diagnostic protocols With these skills your technicians will be able to ensure a first- time fix, saving you time and money.