This month, we take a break from our regular distributor profile to bring you a special report on future tool technologies, with an emphasis on tools that support remote diagnostic capabilities. The ability for technicians to “talk” with another technician and/or expert based at home, or in a mobile office, is the future of automotive repair. You’ll see this feature continue to appear in scan tools, scopes, etc. throughout the industry. The benefits are many, including thorough, documented information and a faster repair-- either by an expert guiding the hands of the local technician, or the expert taking control and completing the repair from miles away.
This makes sense, as today’s vehicles (and therefore repairs) require mechanical and electrical chops. Think of Driver Assist features, and the many instances in which computers must talk to each other.
I recently spoke with Bernie Thompson, shop owner and owner of Automotive Test Solutions, Inc., a company that designs and manufactures training and diagnostic equipment. Thompson points out vehicles are undergoing some major changes, and therefore, the methods to fix them are changing, too.
“There’s some complicated stuff on cars, and [technicians] really have to understand electronics,” Thompson says. He adds that even the way in which a car is put together has changed.
“OEs are using computer-aided diagnostics … manufacturers are now plugging a virtual engine in a computer and looking at possible faults before the car even rolls out onto the street,” Thompson says.
After the car hits the streets, remote technicians can now log into their computer and take control of a scope to dive in and perform a thorough system inspection.
It’s certainly a fascinating direction for automotive repair. Still, it’s important to remember that products with remote features by no means take qualified technicians out of the picture.
“I still believe a real technician has to be under the hood to augment the information coming from the vehicle … Data by itself does not always understand a corroded wire or other issues seen with a simple visual inspection by a trained technician,” says Ben Johnson, director of product management for Mitchell 1.
The takeaway -- today’s technicians have multiple tools at their disposal to receive help or advice in the repair process.
“We used to call [a colleague] who was generally in the same town,” Johnson says. “Now the answer could be states or even countries away.”
Repair and body shops require plenty of tool and equipment types to do the job -- not just diagnostic -- and there are a lot of options out there. We’ve put together a listing of some of these items in our annual Innovation Awards Nominees section. Get a first-hand look at products that were released within the last year, starting on page 20. You can catch the second half in next month’s issue of Professional Distributor.
