The 21st century has brought a real revolution in the automotive sector. Rapidly advancing digitalization has not bypassed new cars – every model now has a diagnostic interface, and without a computer in the workshop you can’t work as well as without a set of keys. Below, we will briefly tell you what has changed in car diagnostics over the past several years and what trends have been shaping the automotive market recently.
Both in Europe and around the world, the same trends for new cars and the overall automotive market have prevailed for several years. As the experience of those in the industry shows, these factors are shaping the situation in Poland with some delay, related to the dominance of used car sales in the Polish market.
The main topic concerns the reduction of CO2 emissions and harmful combustion products. Current standards and laws impose much greater restrictions on the car manufacturer compared to previous years. This necessitated retrofitting the engine with additional accessories such as EGR valves, SCR catalytic converters and NOx sensors.
On the other hand, in an effort to maintain profitability, manufacturers have begun to optimize auto production. Turbines made it possible to reduce engine capacity, and dual-mass clutches made it possible to reduce gearboxes. This reduces the consumption of raw materials and reduces the weight of car components at the design stage.
CO2 reduction promotes alternative propulsion vehicles (APVs) – usually hybrids or all-electric cars. Existing legal solutions mean that manufacturers of all brands are now reaching for solutions of this type to ensure a lower average CO2 production rate. What does it look like in Poland? According to the report “Automotive Industry. Q4/2020 Edition” last year saw a 28.5% increase in sales of alternatively fueled cars compared to 2019.
There has also been a marked development of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), The well-known active cruise control, blind spot monitoring and lane assist are just the beginning. The ISA (Intelligent Speed Asisstance) system, which self-adjusts speed to road conditions and sign restrictions, is expected to be mandatory in the EU as early as 2022.
The development of 5G wireless technology also opens up new possibilities – potentially cars will be able to communicate with each other and other traffic participants, which could improve safety. Vehicles already use wireless communications to communicate with the manufacturer’s service network. New cars are increasingly reporting defects remotely and telling you when to schedule a workshop appointment.
Thanks to the presence of increasingly sophisticated on-board computers with which new cars are equipped, checking the condition of vehicles is seemingly simpler. Computer diagnostics can now be performed without disassembling any part – you just need to have the right equipment and software to perform the test.
While typical problems can be successfully diagnosed by this method, there are many situations where additional equipment and user knowledge are necessary. This is a matter of course for vehicle service technicians, but not always for drivers, who sometimes think that a “computer test” closes the subject.
Performing car diagnostics professionally prevents unnecessary replacement of working parts (which, contrary to appearances, happens quite often), saving mechanics’ time and drivers’ money. It is worth choosing to invest in tools and knowledge to provide better services and improve company performance.
Any analysis of the condition of the car should begin with a test through the diagnostic interface. Due to the possibility of performing the test at almost any auto repair shop, it is worth going there when you observe:
It’s also worth bearing in mind to do the research when you are considering buying an aftermarket car. A used car can be a great choice, but in this case it is especially important to check the offer for defects such as hidden defects.
Car diagnostics is not only diagnostic interfaces . DTE offers a range of dedicated devices that allow m. in. examine the condition of the batteries (DBT-12+ tester) or check the operation of various sensors in the car (QST-5). We offer a tester that allows you to test the state of pressure in the injection system (e.g. RPT-5) or used to electrically test injectors (SIT-12). For these devices, software is often available in the form of a PC program or mobile app, which allows you to analyze the collected data more accurately, gaining the ability to archive the results and print reports.
In our opinion, oscilloscopes for automobiles (diagnoscopes) are worth special attention. They make it possible to measure voltage in vehicle circuits, covering all their components such as sensors (e.g., crankshaft position sensor or MAF flow meter), actuators (such as injectors, exhaust gas recirculation valve actuator), data buses (CAN and LIN). Diagnoscopes streamline work by matching oscilloscope measurement parameters to a specific component. The range of oscilloscope devices includes both portable stand-alone devices (such as Scope DT or DM-1) and those that work with a computer (ScopeTester 5). By betting on oscilloscope diagnostics, we ensure access to independent diagnostic data.
A separate group of products are testers designed for the turbo industry. The offer opens with a tester that allows to test the operation of turbocharger controllers (VNTT-PRO). By being able to diagnose these components, services gain the ability to optimize repairs. Another device dedicated to turbochargers is a programmer (TurboProg), which allows programming the operating range of supported controllers. The greatest capabilities are provided by the TP-TACT tester, which integrates the functionalities of both testers giving turbine service technicians the greatest capabilities.
Author: Product Engineer Piotr Libuszowski
DeltaTech Electronics to polski producent i ekspert w branży automotive, który na bazie ponad 25 lat doświadczenia wyznacza trendy w innowacyjnej diagnostyce samochodowej.
To, co nadaje rytm naszej pracy, to wsłuchiwanie się w potrzeby klientów oraz śledzenie aktualnych problemów, z którymi mierzą się warsztaty samochodowe. Owocem tego jest oferta skrojona idealnie „na miarę” ich oczekiwań.
Cały cykl życia produktów od momentu projektowania rozwiązań, poprzez produkcję, kontrolę jakości i opiekę posprzedażową odbywa się w Firmie. Jakość tego procesu dokumentują liczne nagrody branżowe.
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