Modern technologies and onboard cpu's have today taken over the ancient system of maintenance of cars and two wheelers. In the earlier days mechanics and engineers had actually used probes like a stethoscope, a screwdriver with a long tip to individually pin point the defects on the automobiles and what could not be diagnosed was opened at random. Owners suffered at the wrong diagnosis and the mechanic had to cover up his goof-up by saying something stupid like 'if he had not opened the unit now then you would have had a breakdown anywhere'. It was a case of constant trials till the mechanic learnt by feel and making a mistake at the vehicle owner's instance.

Today having multiple 'CPU's or EMS (engine management systems) on board has made life much easier for the mechanic. Electronics have made possible a situation wherein the guy attending to a motor vehicle simply has to plug in his central computer or analyzer to the engine's EMS and all faults etc. which might have occurred during normal running are immediately intimated to the analyzer and preventive steps can be taken. This also ensures that there are no 'trials' conducted on anybody's vehicles and faults can be easily pinpointed and hence rectified. However, skilled workers are still needed because the person to operate the analyzer must be skilled else a person might just end up replacing the entire car. Most manufacturers in India however are exploiting the lack of knowledge by an average automobile user and are having a field day raking in the moolah which this ignorance brings. There is also a resistance to the use of computerized systems. Some of the older generation garage owners still prefer to rely on experience than use these new computers and the like which often results in wrong diagnosis and subsequent heavy damage to the car owner. Life has actually become simpler with information and technologies available at a touch of the mouse but one only has to have the right direction. Most of the information required on automobiles today is claimed as a propriety right by manufacturers although a lot of it is available on the internet - and why not ? After all any developments in the automobile field must be shared with all and sundry instead of keeping it locked up in some remote filing system. There are sites on the internet who supply the so called propriety rights, at a price, to ones who want to up date their knowledge and have more records for their libraries.

Onboard computers and engine management systems seldom, to the percentage never, fail under normal use but the consumer is not aware of this fact and the unscrupulous workshops take advantage of this fact. In fact the system is so beautifully engineered into the automobile that it gets the least beating even under the most trying conditions of off-road driving or even the most exhaustive and the fastest rallying conditions. It is actually like a portable 'ecg' unit wired to the human body when he is being tested for his health condition, exactly the same phenomena is used for the automobile (on a constant basis), the engine management system (like the 'ecg' reading unit) is installed at a very safe place in the car usually in the upper part of the dash board or the 'firewall' and connected to various parts of the car including the engine, the drive train as well as the electricals not forgetting the exhaust system and has probe and sensors installed at all the pre-designated places and they are constantly feeding the cpu with all the info all the time and the same is being processed in the cpu. The information constantly passes on to the various operational units on the automobile for execution in a pre-designated order. The cpu is a pre-programmed unit with very wide parameters of variation that vehicles undergo and has an answer for all the problems that, that particular automobile could encounter under all conditions.

To conclude I would like to inform the automobile user that today's cars have become more reliable as long as they are serviced and maintained well and some of the basic servicing and maintenance can now be done at home. There is hardly anything known as major engine tune ups, today one only has to change / clean air and fuel filters which can be done in a jiffy at home and add a fuel additive to the petrol to clear up and service the injectors. A visit to the 'quick oil change bay' at a gas station while getting tanked up and the servicing and an engine tune-up is done. So the next time you go to get your vehicle 'serviced', don't get taken in by technical jargon which the workshop manufacturer may throw at you. Instead ask for a simple explanation to the work he has carried out on your vehicle and the rectification to your problems, which you might have experienced.


Tutu Dhawan