Downtime costs money, and fleets are looking for quick and efficient ways to diagnose and program equipment to keep vehicles on the road. Technicians are turning to tools to help improve uptime and lessen the amount of time in the shop, and customers are increasingly requesting remote capabilities. However, it not uncommon for users to confuse the various remote solutions available to fleets and vehicle owners.
“For example, remote diagnostics imply that fault-based diagnostic information is available to remotely monitor or manage the health of the truck. This is vastly different from remote programming, which is essentially an over-the-air software update,” said Jason Hedman, product manager at Noregon Systems.
Benefits of remote diagnostics
With remote diagnostics, equipment is continuously connected to an onboard diagnostic tool in the vehicle. “This is what we do with our telematics hardware that is ready to perform remote diagnostic functions,” said Bruno Gattamorta, VP of sales and marketing for Cojali USA Inc. “There are thousands of scenarios where remote diagnostics is the solution to optimize their fleet and their business.”
See also: Data from a distance
Cojali built a diagnostics tool, put an antenna on it, and put it on the truck. “We’re connecting directly to the ECM and not the CAN bus. It reads it when it is going down the road,” Gattamorta said, adding that Cojali’s diagnostic tools read fault codes, monitor the inputs and outputs to the ECM, vehicle trip data, and perform DPF regenerations and other bidirectional routines.
Brandon Alexander, marketing manager for Thinkcar, said he has seen increased demand for field diagnostics. “This ability to perform remote diagnostics is very helpful in determining the severity of the issue and if the vehicle can continue to be driven,” he said.
Having the health status of the vehicle readily available speeds decision making, Gattamorta said. “Additionally, we have developed predictive maintenance based on artificial intelligence models and big data due to the vast [amount] of information collected every minute from the vehicles,” he explained. “We need to give the fleets actionable information to make educated decisions.”
Alexander said demand for remote diagnostics and tools that support remote diagnostics has been steadily increasing, and he expects the trend to accelerate as newer technologies continue to be introduced. “Elements such as ADAS require specialized expertise to perform the calibration process after a repair has been completed,” he said.
Online programming of the numerous modules within vehicles has also added to the demand for remote diagnostics. “More and more technicians are relying on remote services, which have easy access to vehicle manufacturer software and can quickly perform this process,” Alexander said.
However, Gattamorta said remote diagnostic solutions cannot replace off-board diagnostics equipment. “It is a different approach, and in most cases, it is a complementary tool for technicians and fleet managers to be able to read the fault codes and schedule when the vehicle should approach the bay,” he explained.
One of the main limitations on remote diagnostics is the ability to feel how the vehicle is operating and directly manipulate the physical elements of the vehicle, Alexander said. The process is also restricted by the availability of and speed of the internet connection.
Increased demand for remote programming
Hedman said in-shop diagnostic applications typically cannot remotely program a vehicle component. That requires a separate OE application. However, in-shop OE applications can reprogram a component while connected to the truck, and it is typically considered best practice to do so when in the shop for preventative maintenance or other scheduled services.
Noregon has developed a combination of hardware and software that can remotely adjust parameters, such as max road and cruise speeds and idle shutdown times, but there’s a major difference between parameter adjustments and reflashing or programming a module, Hedman said. “A remote parameter adjustment sends a command to the vehicle to change a value, but a reflash requires the OE to release its new software version to a particular module, such as an engine, for an update,” he said.
Hedman said customers are asking for increased remote programming capabilities, but fleets don’t have many options when choosing an application that remotely programs their trucks that can also be their main tool for remote diagnosis. “Aftermarket providers offer applications like TripVision that remotely monitor all components on their truck for faults, but remote programming must be done through the OE’s tool. These tools are usually also limited to the brands and their components,” he said.
However, diagnostic tools can aid in overall remote programming, said Allison Whitney, a content manager for Autel. “A diagnostic tablet capable of performing an all-system scan of all the available systems on the vehicle is essential to pre-scan and gauge the status of the vehicle prior to determining if a module needs to be flashed or replaced, and to perform a post-scan to ensure the programming efforts have resolved the initial issue and that no issues have been created as a result of programming,” she said.
Autel has rolled out a Remote Export platform for passenger and light-duty vehicle module programming and hopes to expand the service to commercial vehicles, which Whitney said are more complex, toward the end of the year. Via the platform, technicians can post vehicle and ECU-specific programming tasks directly from one of the Autel Ultra Series tablets. “Experienced expert programmers with subscriptions to OE software can then ‘pick up’ the job and negotiate a price with tech,” Whitney said. “Once confirmed, the expert connects to the vehicle in need of service via a hardware and software configuration that includes the use of J2534 programming devices and the technician’s tablet.”
Autel ensures ECMs are programmed correctly by using the correct OE software and ensuring that the server connection is strong and consistent to enable the software to be installed successfully and completely. “On both ends of the remote programming operation, we highly recommend the connection is hardwired to the internet modem to ensure successful module programming,” Whitney said.
Remote support for technicians
Technology providers said they’ve also built in remote support options. “We have a remote technician function where our support personnel can remote into our tools and take over the control of the tool from a desktop,” said Victor Rivilla, marketing director for CanDo International. “We can then show users where certain modules and functions can be found in the tool, and if they so choose, we can perform those functions for them.”
Examples include locating the proper path to clear codes and perform a DPF reset and regen, Rivilla explained. “It is more to help novice technicians or new users of our tool,” he said.
Thinkcar’s professional diagnostic tools feature TeamViewer, which allows access to the tool from any desktop or laptop computer. “In addition to viewing recorded/live data and reports, the remote technician can directly control the tool while connected to the vehicle,” Alexander said, adding that for a more comprehensive remote diagnostic solution, Thinkcar designed the X5 and X10. “These tools combine video and voice communication with professional level diagnostics. The remote technician can not only view and control the tool but can also speak to the field technician, hear the vehicle, and visually observe any issues.”
