Toronto, Ontario — Researchers over at Repairify, the company behind the asTech Rules Engine, have offered a peek behind the curtain into how the innovative technology was developed, as well as the startling revelations made along the way.
In developing its Rules Engine software, asTech engineers conducted thousands of tests scanning vehicles currently in the North American car parc with a variety of aftermarket and OEM scan tools.
In one case study brought to light by the company, engineers used an official Hyundai/Kia diagnostic tool to perform a post-repair scan on a 2017 Kia Rio, which identified three Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), one of which called for the replacement of an airbag safety module.
When engineers used a leading aftermarket scan tool—which they refer to as “Brand X”—on the exact same vehicle, only one of the three DTCs were identified, and “most importantly,” according to Repairify’s press release, “it cleared the airbag module as if no faults existed.
“It could not be trusted to validate that the vehicle had been repaired properly and returned to OEM specifications for this specific year, make, model, trim.”
Therefore, it could be reasoned that if a technician had only used Brand X’s scan tool, they would have no way of knowing that the vehicle’s airbag system has not been restored to pre-accident condition.
Repairify says that with its Rules Engine, technicians no longer have to blindly trust that their aftermarket scan tool is as comprehensive as the OEM tool.
In the case of the Kia Rio, the Rules Engine would recognize that Brand X’s aftermarket tool would not correctly identify all DTCs. For that reason, the Rules Engine wouldn’t recommend it as a safe, OEM Compatible scan for this year, make, model, trim, according to Repairify.
The company said, “Going forward, Repairify will continue to augment, edit, and update the Rules Engine based on ongoing research being conducted by its engineers across the country. This database will represent the most comprehensive dataset for comparison analysis on a global scale. Individual vehicle testing results will be made available for review to customers based on need.”
