diagnosticssupplement2023 - 12

UPTIME BEST PRACTICES
multimeter for electrical testing, a load
tester, and pressure gauges.
" Diagnosing commercial vehicle issues
can be challenging, but finding and
following a good repair path will avoid
headaches and help technicians solve
even the most complex problems, " Albin
said. " Having a playbook for diagnostics
and triage is what returns vehicles to service
faster. "
Maximizing triage efficiency
For triage and diagnostics to be done
quickly and efficiently, technicians need
to rely on a few basic tools.
" A battery tester and a diagnostic code
reader are essential for any heavy-duty
shop, " said Jennifer Grabowski, product
manager, Bosch Automotive Service
Solutions. " Before starting a diagnostic
scan of the vehicle, a battery tester
should be used to test the state of health
and state of charge percentage of the
battery. It's important to make sure the
battery is properly charged before using a
diagnostic tool, as a low battery can generate
erroneous trouble codes during a
diagnostic scan. "
An effective triage process combines a
thorough vehicle scan with a diagnostic
solution for all makes and models, Jason
Hedman, product manager at Noregon,
said. " Using a single application for
triage, diagnosis, and troubleshooting
makes the entire repair process more
streamlined and efficient, " he explained.
" Rather than using countless component-based
applications, a single application
for all steps of maintenance simplifies
training and gives technicians a
holistic view, leading to a more effective
triage process, " Hedman added.
It is essential to have software that can
examine the entire vehicle, noted Diesel
Laptops CEO Tyler Robertson. " The majority
of commercial trucks on the road
today have various manufacturers of
brake systems, engines, transmissions,
collision warning systems, and cab/chassis
controllers, " he said. " You need to
make sure you have the proper software
that allows you to connect to the vehicle
one time and read all the data on all the
components. "
" A heavy-duty code reader for Classes
4-8 vehicles that can read trouble codes
is a must-have for any shop, " Grabowski
agreed. " It's a portable, handheld device
that can diagnose ABS, transmission,
and engine issues quickly, and it can
12 Fleet Diagnostics * October 2023
Photo: Missy Albin
" Before starting a diagnostic
scan of the vehicle, a battery
tester should be used to test
the state of health and state
of charge percentage of the
battery.
"
-Jennifer Grabowski, product
manager, Bosch Automotive
Service Solutions
help troubleshoot the complexity of the
issue and help technicians determine if
it is easily fixed or may require a fuller
diagnostic scan. "
A heavy-duty code reader is not a
replacement for a full-function bidirectional
heavy-duty diagnostic system,
Grabowski added, but it can quickly pull
codes as well as read, record, and play
back live data streams for further analysis
and diagnosis.
With diagnostic software tools, a roll
call of all vehicle ECUs can be taken
at startup, according to T.J. Thomas,
director of marketing and customer
solutions, Controls Group, at Bendix.
" Diagnostic software can generate very
comprehensive reports that show important
component information, active
and inactive DTCs, and other event information, "
he explained.
" The reports can be run before and
after troubleshooting has been completed
to enable a clear understanding of
some of the critical information on the
vehicle before and after it entered the
shop, " Thomas added. " This can be very
helpful when reviewing vehicle records
for trends at a later time. "
Fixing vehicles correctly
When a truck rolls into the shop with an
issue, maintenance technicians know
their goal is to fix that vehicle correctly
and get it back to work in a timely and
cost-effective manner. How to go about
that isn't always so clear, even with the
power of modern diagnostic tools and
streamlined triage processes.
Incorrectly determining the cause of
a problem has costly and time-consuming
consequences. That not only puts the
truck in the triage bay again, preventing
the fleet, the driver, and the shop from
making money, but also jeopardizes the
reputation of the shop.
The key is in knowing all of the information
that is needed. Effective triage and
diagnostic processes, the use of the right
tools, and the assignment of the job to the
right technician can effectively define and
address a truck's issues or help determine
if it needs to be escalated to a more extensive
repair.
An efficient repair practice identifies
and determines issues quickly, improves
shop productivity and efficiency, and
minimizes customer downtime. ❚
diagnosticssupplement2023

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