Diagnostic Milestones & Standards
SAE standards, emissions rules and industry milestones that changed tooling.
When did electronic stability control become required in the United States?
Short answer: Electronic stability control helps prevent skids by braking individual wheels.
Electronic stability control helps prevent skids by braking individual wheels. It became required on new U.S. passenger vehicles by the 2012 model year.
How did airbags change service procedures?
Short answer: Airbags became common in the 1990s. Their arrival required new diagnostic procedures, special handling, and steps such as disconnecting the battery and waiting before service to avoid accidental deployment.
Airbags became common in the 1990s. Their arrival required new diagnostic procedures, special handling, and steps such as disconnecting the battery and waiting before service to avoid accidental deployment.
What law led to TPMS in the United States?
Short answer: Tire pressure monitoring systems became required in the United States after the TREAD Act of 2000.
Tire pressure monitoring systems became required in the United States after the TREAD Act of 2000. The requirement phased in over later model years and created demand for TPMS service tools.
Who developed the CAN bus?
Short answer: Controller Area Network was developed by Bosch in the 1980s as a vehicle network protocol.
Controller Area Network was developed by Bosch in the 1980s as a vehicle network protocol. It allows control modules to share data and became widespread, later becoming required for OBD-II communications on U.S. vehicles from the 2008 model year.
How did hybrid vehicles change shop tools?
Short answer: Hybrid vehicles, which reached mass-market sales around the turn of the twenty-first century, introduced high-voltage systems.
Hybrid vehicles, which reached mass-market sales around the turn of the twenty-first century, introduced high-voltage systems. Shops needed insulated tools, high-voltage gloves and meters with appropriate category ratings, along with new training. Only trained technicians should work on high-voltage systems.
How did electric vehicles change diagnostic tools?
Short answer: Electric vehicles required diagnostic tools for battery management, high-voltage isolation and charging systems.
Electric vehicles required diagnostic tools for battery management, high-voltage isolation and charging systems. As EVs grew in the 2010s and 2020s, shops added insulation testers and EV-specific software. Only trained technicians should service high-voltage systems. Proper training and protective gear reduce the risk of injury.
When did ADAS features spread through new vehicles?
Short answer: Advanced driver assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping spread through new vehicles in the 2010s.
Advanced driver assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking and lane keeping spread through new vehicles in the 2010s. Their cameras and radar sensors created new calibration needs after repairs.
Why did ADAS calibration become a new shop specialty?
Short answer: Cameras and radar sensors used by driver assistance systems must be aimed precisely.
Cameras and radar sensors used by driver assistance systems must be aimed precisely. As ADAS spread in the 2010s, calibration after windshield, alignment and collision repairs became a specialty requiring targets, frames and scan tools.
When did remote diagnostics emerge in automotive repair?
Short answer: Remote diagnostics let specialists connect to vehicles through internet-connected interfaces.
Remote diagnostics let specialists connect to vehicles through internet-connected interfaces. The approach emerged in the 2010s, especially for programming and ADAS work that individual shops lacked tools for.
How did pressure transducers extend the lab scope?
Short answer: Pressure transducers convert pressure into a voltage that a lab scope can display.
Pressure transducers convert pressure into a voltage that a lab scope can display. Technicians adopted them to view cylinder, intake and exhaust pressure waveforms, extending diagnostic methods once limited to gauges.
How did the role of the mechanic change with computer controls?
Short answer: As vehicles added computer controls, technicians needed electrical and diagnostic skills in addition to mechanical skills.
As vehicles added computer controls, technicians needed electrical and diagnostic skills in addition to mechanical skills. The job title "technician" became more common as diagnostic work increased.
What was the significance of the 1981 GM computer command control?
Short answer: General Motors introduced Computer Command Control broadly in 1981 to manage fuel mixture and emissions.
General Motors introduced Computer Command Control broadly in 1981 to manage fuel mixture and emissions. It was part of a broader move to computer engine management.
Why did technician certification develop?
Short answer: As vehicles became more complex, the industry needed a way to verify technician knowledge.
As vehicles became more complex, the industry needed a way to verify technician knowledge. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 to certify technicians.
When was ASE founded?
Short answer: ASE, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, was founded in 1972.
ASE, the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, was founded in 1972. Its certification tests became a widely recognized credential, and the blue seal became a familiar sign at repair shops.
How did diagnostic information move online?
Short answer: Repair information moved from printed manuals to CDs in the 1990s and to online subscriptions in the 2000s.
Repair information moved from printed manuals to CDs in the 1990s and to online subscriptions in the 2000s. Online systems made updates and wiring diagrams more accessible.
General guidance only. Follow the vehicle and tool manufacturer's procedures, and confirm vehicle coverage on the tool maker's list before buying.