Diagnostic tools - Review The Really Clever Bit
Russell Hornby with the TEXA Axone Nemo v2 Computer and massive box of cables…
Cue Russell Hornby of Blyth Automotive Solutions. Russell is one of us. He is keen to sell you something, of course, but as Blyth is an independent agent for equipment, he takes time to offer the right kit for the job.
What’s in the Box?
The basic TEXA kit consists of the MultiHub – this unit sits in the machine and has a connecting cable between it and the machine’s diagnostic connector. From there it is Bluetooth linked to either a PC or, better still, TEXA’s tablet that’s designed for the job – the ‘Axone Nemo v2’, or ‘Nemo’ as it’s known by existing users.
On cables, connecting up can be a challenge and, as we are all pretty visual in our thinking, the TEXA software tells you where to connect and which cable to use. The menu of machines is extensive, including some manufacturers that are not even in the UK yet.
What You See Is What You Get
Once connected you have a number of options. Anyone who has worked with diagnostic kit on cars will be familiar with reading fault codes, although they can often send you down the rabbit hole pretty quickly. For intermittent faults they are of course great – a fault that happened a while ago is logged along with what parameters were being experienced at the time, and that’s a good starting point. However, live data is where the best time is spent. ECUs have a multitude of sensors connected to them and being able to get the data live without screwing a gauge in is helpful. The TEXA system though is properly fitter-friendly. Instead of a load of data lists, a dashboard or component view is available showing which sensor is showing what value on a graphic, which shows where to find it on the system or machine.
Once you are in the dashboard or live data, click on a sensor and you will get a wiring diagram of where it is in the harness, plus a picture of the actual sensor and what bench- tests can be completed. Add in functionality specific to machines, such as DPF service, transmission shift point reset and Load Moment Indicator/Safe Load Indicator calibration, and we can then complete value added services that justify the system investment.
Costs?
The pricing depends on what options you go for. There are five ‘environments’ that TEXA talks to: off-highway, truck, cars, bikes and marine, and rather than paying for the lot you chose the environment you want – for a plant hire firm, you might opt for truck and off-highway. To get you going with the hardware and software for off-highway you would be looking at £5,190 plus VAT, and Russell will bundle up cables to match the machines you are likely to connect to. There are subscriptions, but you are in charge. 1 or 3 years’ worth of updates are on offer, but if you don’t update the tool keeps working, and you aren’t frozen out of your own system.
What’s not to like?
It’s a big investment, but one of the key benefits of TEXA is that they are keen to develop their product. They draw and write all their own material, and if you have a machine new to them they very quickly get on with writing wiring diagrams and support documentation with live support for mechanics when on site. The biggest plus, though, is that your mechanics get a day’s on-site training from Russell. As a result using the system is not a trial and error process where you only use 5% of the
Standardised wiring diagrams with pin numbers and links from each item
functionality. It’s on my shopping list just as soon as Mrs Mac stops looking at bank statements. On that note, contact Russell at Blythe for a 5% reader discount, simply quote EHN.
Can’t we just bypass things?
It’s your machine after all. Yes, there are people you have to meet in the back room of a pub, and in whispered tones they will talk about erasing AdBlue from your machine. However, have a careful think, on high profile sites such as HS2, don’t be surprised if someone with a clipboard and hi-vis sticks something up your pipe and exclaims that your machine is not working to Euro 5. This measuring equipment is also carried by authority types in major cities too.
Rise of the Machines
We can all hope this stuff will go away. Yes, we can bypass bits for now, but one day the technology will win, hybrid systems, fuel cells and battery powered machinery will take over. Whether its oil prices or legislation, rather than working around the technology we ought to engage with it now to ensure our mechanics are able to adapt to the rapid transformation of what used to be a spanner bashing role. n
Visual guidance for visual people
May 2021 - Executive Hire News 19
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