The Tool
Following the release of its ProDemand auto repair information software, Mitchell 1 introduced more exclusive features, including interactivity that connects the diagrams directly to component information. The update is designed to increase efficiency, as technicians can access component repair information from inside the diagram without having to initiate a secondary search. Technicians can click on any component within a wiring diagram to learn more about specifications, component location, connector views, guided component tests, and more. There is no need to exit the wiring diagram to find related information needed to diagnose the issue. Additional features include a simplified view of complex diagrams with highlighting that extends across all the pages until the wire reaches its termination point; zoom and orientation are maintained across multiple pages, streamlining navigation; and during deep dives into a wiring diagram, hidden wires appear faded but do not disappear entirely, providing detail while preserving the big picture view.
The Review
Information is a key component in diagnostics, but information is everywhere … and it’s sometimes difficult to access. During a complex repair most technicians will agree easy-to-access repair information is extremely beneficial. With key details all in one place, technicians can find answers quickly, helping to ensure a thorough repair in a timely manner. This can affect everything from service outcomes, to cost savings, and return customers.
“Today, service technicians are subject to volumes of information; knowing how to locate it is key,” says Scott Brown of Connie & Dick’s Service Center in Claremont, California. He adds, the interactive wiring diagrams work especially well if the technician arrives via search.
Brown tapped into the software while working on a 2003 Ford Explorer with an intermittent loss of voltage to the fuel pump. He explains the pop-up feature helped him locate the relay he was looking for to complete the necessary tests.
“I searched for the fuel pump relay because I wanted to go right to the wiring diagram section. When I hit the wiring diagram tile, I landed on the diagram containing the Fuel Pump Relay. Once I clicked on the diagram, I was looking at the interactive diagram where all the circuits leading in and out of the relay were automatically highlighted. Since I already knew that the relay was in the under-hood fuse/relay box, I really needed to know which relay it was.
“[Mitchell 1] now offers a link right on the relay [with] a pop-up menu that provided a quick link to the component locator. One click on that and I found the layout of the under-hood fuse box. I now knew what slot the relay was in, and I was then on my way to perform the testing I know I needed to do.”
Technicians can access these features with a simple web browser and login credentials.
“It’s pretty simple,” says Brown. “Just like any application, one should spend some time getting familiar with it, so they know how to work efficiently.”
Features that really resonated with the shop owner were the automatic circuit highlights, and the software’s ability to link diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) with component(s) when searching by DTC.
In a working world where dual monitors are becoming the norm, Brown said it would be nice to open all the associated diagrams in a new browser window so he could span the information across both screens.
Aside from that suggestion, Brown was very satisfied with the one-stop-shop nature of this repair information software. Says Brown, “Knowing how to get around in the software can save you a lot of time.”
