Professional Distributor - 46

DIAGNOSTIC DISCOURSE
needed, whether for technicians, shops,
vehicle owners, or insurance companies.
It's still up to the knowledgeable technician to translate vehicle symptoms
based on the scan data and present the
customer with a diagnosis in consumerfriendly language."
Michael Flink, Autel's Director of
North American Sales, says the Autel
Maxisys line of tools "has done this type
of report from the beginning (6 years
ago). In our diagnostics menu there is
an 'Autoscan' or all system scan feature,"
Flink says. "After running [the scan], at
the bottom is a 'Report' button which
produces a printable PDF of the scan
results, all the codes by module, with
date, time, and VIN listed. Autel has
now added an actual 'Pre-scan and
Post-scan' button that performs and
saves this report automatically on models popular for the collision industry."
This feature also files reports by VIN
and RO number.

PRE-SCAN
So, why pre-scan? These days it is
essential. A pre-scan is more than
the obligatory walk around the car,
where you are marking any defects so
you're not held liable for them or making sure the shop camera is operating
and recording. A full 'health check'
with the scan tool can reveal a lot
more than codes. All the interconnections of computer data can be simplified through performing a full health
check: such as a service code that seems
so far-fetched that it shouldn't have
anything to do with the problem the
customer mentioned, but turns out it
really does. Never underestimate the
code definition until you've read up
on the actual function and reasons for
the code.
A perfect example of this was a
diesel pickup that came in to the shop
with a customer complaint about the
air conditioning not working correctly.
There was only one code stored in the
powertrain control module (PCM) for

p The auto industry is joining other industries in offering mobile payments. The company
BOLT ON TECHNOLOGY has added mobile payments as an added feature of its post-scan
report. Text To Pay is offered along with the company's post-scan software and allows customers to pay on the go, making it more convenient for both customers and shops.

the high-speed coolant fan. Upon further testing, it was determined that a
faulty connection was present at the fan
motor. Once this was repaired and the
code was cleared, the air conditioning
system returned to normal operation.
A code indicating the lack of a coolant fan can cause comparative issues
to that of a faulty fan motor connection. The lack of a fan leads to a hotter
condenser core, which leads to higher
head pressures and no air conditioning.
Even though there may be similarities
between some codes and the actual
problem, many codes have no obvious
connection from one certain system
to another initially. That's why a full
health check of all operating systems
is essential, and we shouldn't ignore
the pre-scan information or skip over
any of it.

POST-SCAN
The post-scan is just as important. Not
just to verify the repair, but to indicate
that something else hasn't been left disconnected or has gone out of calibration
as a result of the work that was performed. Keep in mind, a lot of the issues
in today's cars have a certain drive time,
mileage base, or other requirements that

46 Professional Distributor I June 2019 I VehicleServicePros.com

will only show up after a proper test
drive has been completed.
The post-scan can be a teaching
aid for younger technicians, as well.
This is the time when everything
should be functioning properly, and
knowing how systems are supposed to
work or be displayed on a scanner or
scope is a great teaching tool for everyone involved.
Autel's Michael Flink agrees with
using the post-scan as a teaching aid.
"This is a huge need, especially in the
collision industry. Every shop should be
having their diagnostic person mentoring someone," says Flink.
Bosch's Haskin also advocates for
diagnostic scan education. "Successful
technicians are those who never stop
learning,. There's no better way for a
younger tech to learn than by getting
involved from the beginning so they
can see how the vehicle evolves from
the initial pre-scan, during repair, and
the post-scan. Each step is critical and
provides unique learning experiences.
A developed apprenticeship program
would benefit many and provide consistency in the educational programs."
For a customer it's not about the
scanner screen display; they are more

http://www.VehicleServicePros.com

Professional Distributor

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Professional Distributor