Diagnostic trends in Europe: last 5 and next 5 years

• Hand-held testers are the trend
  • Simulators
  • Multimeters
  • Scopes
  • Gas analysis
  • Code reading – huge expansion of systems and features
    • 3 systems now 20 for 1 marque
    • 20 codes now 80
    • 10 components now over 60
    • programs now 10 times bigger per application
  • Reset tools for service, rain detection, lighting systems
• Rapid expansion of electronic systems on vehicles
  • diesel grown to same as petrol in 2 years
  • acceleration in the pace of change
• changes to “block exemption” will help the Independent Garage by making sources of information more accessible…but not free!
• Growth in Internet as a support – technical help
• Potential for frequent software updating using the Internet and support web sites
• Links to workshop PC will be important
• Links to information data bases will be important
• Need for training even more important
• Need for frequent, up-to-date, service information even more important

Steve Davies

September 2003