asTech, a Repairify company, has released its fourth Rules Engine case study from the asTech Institute.
This case study demonstrates the importance of Rules engine and how, without it, a shop utilizing an aftermarket post-scan can miss crucial steps in the repair process.
In developing the Rules Engine, Repairify performed tens of thousands of vehicle scans against the active car parc and engaged in extensive research to identify which of the top aftermarket scan tools field the same results as authentic OEM tools.
For one test, Repairify technicians post-scanned a repaired 2021 Ford Escape with the authentic Ford OEM factory tool. The scan identified two historical fault codes in the Occupant Classification System Module (OCSM), which includes the seatbelt tension sensor.
In this scenario, Ford states that a technician should clear the codes and inspect further to determine if they reappear during or after a test drive.
Repairify technicians then immediately scanned the same Escape with a leading aftermarket tool (referred to as "Brand Z") to compare the results.
While the Brand Z aftermarket scan picked up on the two historical codes, it "passed" the vehicle without recommending further inspection. This result did not match the authentic Ford tool scan's recommendation.
A shop relying on Brand Z's scan for the 2021 Ford Escape could run the risk of skipping further inspection of the seatbelt tension, possibly returning an incompletely repaired vehicle to the customer.
The vehicle would potentially need to be returned for supplemental repairs, which could mean lower CSI scores and reimbursement difficulties for the shop.
Rules Engine reccomends a choice of asTech certified scan tools to repairers for each specific vehicle they're working on, down to the trim level:
- An authentic remote OEM diagnostic scan through asTech's patented technology.
- A verified OEM-Compatible aftermarket scan. This a scan that has been certified and warrantied to provide results that are equivalent to the authentic OEM tool scan.
With the Rules Engine, a shop would not be able to select Brand Z's aftermarket tool for the 2021 Ford Escape because of the discrepancy between Brand Z's scan and the scan from the authentic OEM tool.
Instead, the Rules Engine would provide a verified OEM-Compatible scan to a shop that still wanted to use an aftermarket scan for the 2021 Ford Escape. The Rules Engine ensures that when a shop selects an aftermarket scan, that scan will identify all the necessary information needed to complete the repair correctly.
