Want to Increase Diagnostic Accuracy and Efficiency?
Want to Increase Diagnostic Accuracy and Efficiency?
Take a Walking Tour of SureTrack
As vehicles and vehicle issues become increasingly more complex, so, too, are the challenges you’re facing in the bay. What if you had a source of expert knowledge combining diagnostic experience with repair timesavers and detailed parts replacement records available just a click away inside your repair information software? SureTrack™ puts these tools right at your fingertips to help you accurately diagnose a symptom and complete the repair as efficiently as possible.
Let’s walk through a real-world example to see how it works. In our scenario, a customer brings in her 2001 Chevy Tahoe (125,000 miles) with the check engine light on. Upon reading the code, we find that P0101 was tripped.
TSBs and Recalls
The first thing we do in SureTrack is look through the list of TSBs and Recalls to see if the OEM has issued any information related to this code. In this particular case, the OEM didn’t provide any TSB information, but it’s always a good idea to check here first.
Simple Search
Our next step is to perform a search for the P0101 code. SureTrack makes it easy by providing a “simple search” function where we type in a code or symptom. As we type, SureTrack returns any results back in a “type-ahead” feature. As you can see below, we’re presented with a number of options for P0101.
Common Replaced Parts
Now we want to find the root cause of the problem. With the exclusive Common Replaced Parts feature in SureTrack, we see which parts are most frequently replaced at various mileages. In our example, SureTrack has data from 131 repair orders suggesting three most likely components to investigate: Air Intake Duct/Boot, Airflow Sensor and PCV Valve.
Real Fixes and Related Tips
Next, let’s check to see what has worked for other technicians who had the same code. SureTrack brings together vehicle-specific data generated from millions of successful real fixes across the country. The data has been analyzed and confirmed by expert techs, so we can feel confident in our diagnosis.
For our Chevy Tahoe, we see that another technician in the field has had a similar code and confirmed the mass airflow (MAF) sensor as the source of the problem. If we want additional information, we can just scroll down the page to find other real fixes and tips related to the exact issue we’re dealing with in our Tahoe.
Guided Component Tests
Next up in our process is the Guided Component Test specific for each component and each vehicle. To deliver quick results, SureTrack’s guided component tests include component operational descriptions, best test locations and connection diagrams. For our Chevy Tahoe, SureTrack provides the exact information we need to identify the component location and test the vehicle.
Waveform and Graph Images
In our scenario, there is a waveform associated with our code. No simulations here – SureTrack’s comprehensive collection of test results is gathered through actual on-vehicle tests, so we know exactly what to look for. Data graphs and scope waveforms provide a point of reference to verify faulty parts. Now we can compare the test that we’ve just run on the mass airflow sensor to the known good values from the waveform library and confirm our diagnosis.
SureTrack Community of Experts
By now we’ve probably got all the information we need to complete our repair with confidence. But, if we still need additional help after viewing all other sources of information in SureTrack, we simply post our question to the thousands of technicians in the SureTrack Community. Responses typically start arriving by email in just a few minutes.
And that’s the walking tour of SureTrack — now available as a special free preview in ProDemand.
Click for more information about SureTrack: www.mitchell1.com/suretrack
