THE ROLE OF ON-BOARD COMPUTERS AND NETWORKS FOR FAULT DETECTION AND ISOLATION

It is widely accepted that electronics will be used extensively for control functions on future vehicles. It is customary for such systems to include a certain amount of Built In Test (BIT) capabilities. The electronics are capable of providing the BIT fault codes and a wealth of additional data to the mechanic, through either a direct connection to the controller or an on-board network. This data can be extremely valuable for assessing the condition of the vehicle and performing diagnostics. Scan tools are available which can connect to the controller or network and enable the mechanic to easily access these BIT fault codes and data. The present danger to the successful maintenance support of these vehicles is that there may be a misunderstanding of what additional information and tools will be required. BIT by itself, even with a scan tool, cannot provide full diagnostic and related maintenance support for future vehicles. Additional off-board equipment and maintenance support will be required which is capable of performing functions such as diagnostics and electronic manuals.