Improving the user experience with remote diagnostics
Remote diagnostics are great, but as with any new product, it is important to consider how it functions in the real world
Published: 20 April, 2023
Remote diagnostics allow a trained technician to find issues within a vehicle remotely and then implement the correct calibration to ensure the vehicle can safely go back on the road as quickly as possible.
Having access to remote diagnostics allows businesses to open a whole new menu of services, while also enabling repairers to bring the calibration services in house, which offers two distinct benefits. The first is that the business can keep the revenue in house. The second is that it means the business does not need to employ a third party to do the work or send the vehicle to a dealership, which leads to a reduction in key-to-key times.
Businesses must invest in training because it ensures that technicians and apprentices have a good understanding of the tools and the necessary skills and knowledge to do the job. With training, it is important to not just offer a one-size-fits-all offering. This is because each business will have their own unique requirements, which is why Repairify offers vehicle-specific training to ensure the calibrations align with the manufacturer approvals the bodyshop may have. In addition, the training will help upskill the workforce to bridge the skills gap within the industry that shows no sign of closing anytime soon.
With regards to training, it is not just important for end users, it is important for the product providers as well. This is because as new models come onto the market and diagnostic processes continually evolve, it is more important than ever to be aware of any changes. To keep abreast of this, Repairify’s experienced technicians are constantly researching and communicating internally and with outside sources to ensure they have the most up-to-date database, knowledge of vehicles and ADAS systems on the market. This ensures the training is as current and high-quality as can be provided.
Another way to improve the user experience is through implementing and constantly updating the features within remote diagnostics. This includes improving the responsiveness of the live chat function. Doing this will ensure the user is talking to a human rather than a chatbot that sees them click or type in questions to get the answers they need. In addition, having a system that offers a multilingual service means that the product can be used across multiple continents and countries.
Remote diagnostics are here to stay but it is important that the product both on-site and behind-the-scenes continues to evolve to help the user be as productive as possible when using the product.
- Core Diagnostics appoints Neil Hilton
Neil Hilton has been named as Technical Sales Director at Core Diagnostics, which is offering cloud-based solution for programming and coding of new parts, along with remote support for ADAS calibrations.
- Plug and play
Cheltenham-based electric vehicle specialists Cleevely EV were the hosts for the recent unveiling of a new battery testing device being brought to the market by Maverick Diagnostics.
Austria-based battery diagnostic specialists AVILOO have joined forces with Maverick to bring their new Flash test to the UK, through which users can assess the condition of the battery on an EV in three minutes. The tool assesses vehicle communication, battery controller, HV battery state, LV system and battery history, which enables it to produce a score between one and 100, rating the condition of the battery. The user can then provide the score and overall findings to customers via a report.
The company has developed the Flash test, building on the foundation offered by the more in-depth Premium test. This requires the car to be driven so that the battery can drain from 100% to 10%. A full state of health (SoH) result can be garnered from this. The sheer mass of data that AVILOO accrued testing thousands of EVs has enabled the company to get to the point where it can offer the faster snapshot provided by the Flash test. While the result is more comprehensive, the Premium test does takes several hours to perform, and for garages and other users that might need a more rapid picture of the condition of a battery, a speedier offering was required.
The Flash test comes in two parts; The Aviloo box hardware that collects the data, and the AVILOO platform, which receives it and provides the result. There is also the AVILOO app. These are the key components enabling users to perform the Flash test.
AVILOO Chief Technical Officer Nikolaus Mayerhoffer demonstrated live how the test is performed. To use the Flash test, the user connects the AVILOO box to the vehicle via the OBD port. Then, a flashing yellow LED light says the test is starting. The user then starts the vehicle. The LED turns green when the test is complete. The report is then created and sent to the e-mail address synced to the device.
Solution
At present, AVILOO can test around 80% of current EV and plug-in hybrid models. Explaining the company’s background, AVILOO MD Dr Marcus Berger commented: “We are based in Austria. The company was founded by my brother and our Chief Technical Officer Nikolaus Mayerhoffer. The aim was to do battery software. We have 30 employees and we believe we are market leaders on battery analytics especially with EVs. Our office is in a KIA showroom. We can drive cars in. It us a typical start-up. The AVILOO flash test is a quick test. in three minutes, you get an assessment. The Premium test has led to the flash test.”
According to Marcus, the issue that the Flash test offers a solution to is very easy to grasp: “The key problem is battery life. It is familiar to anyone who has a phone. We started with the Flash test in late 2021. We are now in the UK with Maverick Diagnostics. All of our activities are being managed through Maverick.”
Solution
According to AVILOO’s Nikolaus Mayerhofer, regular battery testing is very important: “Traction batteries are chemical energy storage devices that are subject to a natural ageing process due to load and lose their storage capacity over time. Likewise, usage behaviour, such as permanent driving in the upper power range or frequent charging with high charging powers, can lead to faster battery ageing.”
He continued: The AVILOO Premium test was the origination of our company. This was the original idea; If you buy a used EV, you need to know the battery’s state of health. If it is not good or you can’t get the range you have not spent the money properly. If you want to swap the battery, it could cost several thousand pounds.
“We took this product to the market, but dealers said ‘we cannot drive the car down to 10% to test it. We need something faster’. So, we developed the Flash test. You just need to plug it in for three minutes” Because it is a rapid test, a different way of gauging the information was needed: “Far less data is being collected, which is obvious, so you can’t do a full state of health, which is why we developed the AVILOO score, which gives you a decent idea of the battery.”
On how this is made possible, Nikolaus said: “Because we have all the data from the Premium test, we can take this data and use it, interlinked with the flash test. This is why it is so difficult for the competition to deliver something similar. We have collected data for thousands of different cars.” On what makes it so useful, he noted: “SoH varies at 100,000 kilometres from 98% to 68%. This is why we believe there is a huge need for a battery test. Many people do not understand this. They think, as with combustion engine vehicles, you can assess a car on age and mileage. With EVs you need to consider how it was charged.”
On how the different offerings are being taken up, Nikolaus said: “The Premium test is very much a consumer product. Although we have been offering it to car dealers, typically consumers are the ones buying it.” On the wider offering, taking in the Cloud platform, Nikolaus said: “Our cloud platform can be offered to workshops to find the root cause of the battery problem.” This shows where a car is being driven, and how the battery is charging or discharging, and also shows the voltage spread from the highest to the lowest.”
This has led to some surprising real-world results, as Nikolaus explained: “One customer came to us, with a range issue – the car had half the range it should have. He had taken his Nissan Leaf to two dealers but they could not help him. His Leaf displayed a transference state of health, but it was not the truth. We proved Nissan was completely off. Also, when he was accelerating without eco mode for 30 seconds the car would stop suddenly. To prove this is super-complicated because it takes hours to test. In this case he put the Flash test box inside the car. We then told the customer to provoke the problem. Eventually climbing a hill, we had the result. The cell voltage had dropped to 1.4V. We proved there was major damage in the battery. We could replicate the event, and we proved there was no fault code for this either. We also showed there was a safety risk and risk of fire. After six months, the driver got a replacement battery from Nissan.”
Accurate and reliable
The system is already available in Austria, Germany and across Scandinavia, and now the UK. On the team-up with AVILOO, Andy Brooke, Managing Director at Maverick Diagnostics, added: “Our partnership with AVILOO represents a game-changing opportunity for workshop owners and technicians. This is the first test of its kind. Customers can now see, in the simplest form, what condition their EV or plug-in hybrid’s battery is in. The technician can then use this accurate and reliable information to make a reliable assessment and, potentially, justify a battery replacement.”
Users lease the AVILOO box for the Flash test, and pricing is on a subscription model, with a range of prices based in usage. The Premium Test is available for £99.
For more information, visit: www.batterydiagnostics.co.uk
- Secure gateways: You shall not pass?
The inclusion of secure gateways placed in cars to prevent the untrained or DIY technician from performing vehicle diagnostics, causing them to potentially be unsafe and fail their MOT, means, theoretically, only trained technicians with the proper tools can carry out the work.
These systems prevent aftermarket tools having access to simple diagnostic repairs that up until now, were able to be completed. As data becomes more commoditised, it allows dealers to maintain control over what information can be accessed from that software and how it is used. On top of this, there is now more demand for the use of secure gateways to protect against people interfering with the software, and manufacturers are also making secure gateways harder to access. As a result, dealers are becoming more reluctant to release the software that can make the relevant diagnostics available. Thus, limiting the work that repairers can undertake, hampering their ability to diagnose and repair these vehicles, leading to them being off road for longer, and it restricts workshops revenue streams, driving even more work to the main dealers.
However, there is an effective solution for repairers. The relevance and availability of asTech diagnostic tools from Repairify has never been more important. They provide garages and bodyshops, with access to every OEM manufacturer diagnostic tool, alongside a fully trained OEM technician, to assist remotely without having to buy the tools themselves. Even for a true and thorough pre-scan, the range of asTech products has demonstrated their importance in identifying faults that cannot be picked up by aftermarket tools with no access to these modules, protecting repairers’ businesses.
- Draper Expert Diagnostic and Electronic Touch Screen Service Tablet
The Draper Expert automotive range now includes a new wireless Diagnostic Tablet. It covers 48 vehicle manufacturers, including American, Asian and European vehicles. The device offers complete OBDII diagnostic functions, and comes with 12 months of free updates. The tablet will quickly read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, making it suitable for MOT tasks as well as servicing requirements as well as advanced electronic maintenance and diagnostics. Technicians can record selectable multi-channel, real-time diagnostics information for subsequent analysis. It can also be customised to print detailed diagnostics reports for customers featuring a company name, logo and contact information. It is also a fully functioning Lenovo Android tablet, so technicians can take photos and record videos with sound. The tablet comes supplied with a carry case, ID Vehicle to VCI adaptors, USB power cable, 230V to USB plug and Wireless Bluetooth DBS connector.
www.drapertools.com
- New year, same vehicle faults
I should begin by explaining what I am doing with my time currently, I need to go back to the beast of the past; COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, I was traveling through Australia delivering various training programmes to some incredible independent vehicle repairers.
Then Coronavirus came, and I barely escaped the total lockdown there, which lasted beyond two years, by a handful of days. I will not make that mistake again. This left me without any training events for over two years. Many of the leading trainers took to delivering online training programmes with remarkable success, however this was not my style, as I prefer being face-to-face with hands-on delivery
Mentor and advise
Three years on, in defacto semi-retirement and enjoying less technical challenges, David asked me to mentor and advise at Eldon Street Garage, the third garage acquisition in the ADS Group.
I should begin by explaining the profile of the business and how it differs from ADS. This is a local business founded around 1980 with a loyal and regular clientele. The vehicle parc reflects what I call utility owners, relying on vehicular transport with may I say limited value. That said they are prepared to invest, when and where necessary, in maintenance and repairs. Recent media reports identified that many PCP owners are struggling to meet payments, therefore repairs and maintenance are taking a back seat. Older vehicles are currently enjoying a premium value.
The business provides a wide range of services; MOTs servicing, repairs, tyres, and limited diagnostics. The service bay has four ramps, four techs, with a separate tyre and MOT workshop. They are well equipped for general service and repairs, with diagnostics relying on Topdon, Snap-on, serial tools and me. Their work ethic is exceptional, and they provide excellent quality of workmanship, with evolving organisational discipline. So, I began my duties very much at the coalface, reviewing the tool inventory, and general workshop efficiency. Like many similar garages, they had been acquiring tools over 40 years, so my first task was filling the scrap bin until I was faced with a veritable mountain. I must say that 40 years of grime did not part company with its environment easily; Endeavour always prevails especially when the brush is in my hand.
Updated technical work ethic
My next task involved advising, training, and developing an updated technical work ethic. The average vehicle age is between 8-15 years. My first shock was experiencing the appalling state of previous repairs. I had assumed that the dark ages of vehicle repair had passed us by with the advent of technology. Sadly, this is not so; It has just found new depths of incompetence to dive.
I would like to take this opportunity in debating recent events in the workshop which I believe are related to an article in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday 10 December. The focus was the demise of diesel vehicle sales and their potential value in the current climate.
Reflecting on the fuel price differential around £1.60 petrol, £1.84 diesel together with media disapproval internal combustion engine vehicles, sales have fallen by 17.6% in the last 12-month period. Coupled with my earlier comments on PCP ownership problems, manufacturers and dealerships are I believe conducting covert policies forcing premature vehicle scrappage. Let me explain my thoughts and reasons. Example one; Vauxhall Antara CDTI 2012, requiring both lower turbo intercooler hoses, cost from the dealerships £524.00. Please refer to Fig. 1. Example two; Vauxhall Corsa diesel 2013 with a badly blocked DPF. My initial intention was to provide a new genuine DPF, cost via the dealership circa £3,000! This is not a miss-print, this was the actual quote given. Please refer to Fig.2. This was a simple close-coupled DPF. My assumption, like many other recent price hikes, leads me to suspect a determined intent to force older vehicle owners to scrap in favour of new replacements. Please contact Aftermarket with your experiences and raise debate on this vital issue for the aftermarket.
Recent repairs
To continue I would like to share some of my recent repairs which involved a Volkswagen Golf mk5 fuse box. Please refer to Fig.3. The owner of this vehicle was experiencing fuse overload when using the hvac blower motor. Some bright spark determined the solution was a bigger rated fuse. The additional current won the battle with the fuse panel insert as the image shows. My task was to integrate the front panel fuse holder with the wiring matrix whilst in situ. Not an easy task. Please refer to Fig.4.
Another memorable vehicle presented to us following previous repairs from the dark side of the universe was a Land Rover Freelander. Several previous repairs included a new handbrake cable. Note that it has been run from the lever then left tie-wrapped to the original without connection with the brake calliper.The same vehicle had an ABS MIL lamp error suggesting a wheel sensor fault, observing the wiring showed the appalling state of previous repair attempts.
Finally, the same vehicle had repairs to the hydraulic brake hoses, apart from questionable routing length note the steel bracket without the correct support restraints. These experiences remind me that we still have a long way to go if we are to gain professional recognition as an industry. I place the blame and responsibility firmly on all the various industry organisations in their failure to implement mandatory professional qualifications and standards. I have worked within this industry for 55 years and think the time for excuses has long passed.
