Tweddle Group Unveils TRACER 1.0

TRACER Wiring Diagnostic System Revolutionizes OEM Electrical Testing

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Feb 16, 2017, 08:15 ET

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich., Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tweddle Group stands to revolutionize automotive End-of-Line Testing (ELT) and dealership repair with a new wiring diagnostic system known as TRACER™.

Today's wiring diagrams are quickly becoming incredibly complex. Consequently, OEMs and dealerships lose significant revenue to the investigation of Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs). These issues also create costly repairs during End-of-Line Testing—when vehicles must be taken offline just before shipping and held in repair areas within the manufacturing plant. Current testing systems can spot an issue with a vehicle, but can't isolate root cause and can't help the technician find the issue in a visual, specific area of the vehicle. Vehicles are often unnecessarily dismantled. Days may be wasted and cumulative repair costs can be massive.

TRACER creates vehicle- and fault-specific diagrams on the fly. It can diagnose the probable cause of failure in a network of wiring harnesses and modules and lets technicians choose a CAD view of the wiring layout to find the precise failure location (down to a specific pin), so they can correct the issue efficiently. Tracer saves labor costs, overhead costs and helps avoid collateral damage.

TRACER streamlines ELT and dealership repair. It's helpful for all vehicles, particularly new models, where technicians lack the familiarity to assess and resolve electrical issues in a timely manner. TRACER also makes aberrant anomalies a thing of the past—when a vehicle rolls down the line with a never-before-seen combination of electrical failures, resolution becomes a matter of routine. TRACER dramatically reduces effort and increases efficiency.

The system scans all pin-to-pin connections and troubleshoots down to the level of pin and wire color. All relevant factors help calculate which connections have the highest probabilities of error. If no DTC registers, TRACER seeks other inputs such as a no-communication and/or electrical component or other system failure.

A TRACER algorithm constantly reorders the failure list so that new anomalies rise to the top in real time. Each session feeds times and results into the network behind Tracer's calculations. Each new session is informed by every session that preceded it, and the system continually optimizes itself.

TRACER requires no special hardware or connections. It pulls data from a universally-owned OBDII scan tool connection. TRACER-equipped technicians draw on a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise, regardless of their experience. In system trials, newer technicians resolve issues with an efficiency closer to veteran techs. Veterans, likewise, improve on their own standard times.

This points to another facet of TRACER utility. Common electrical modules are often shared by many different factories and vehicle platforms. If one of these modules has a common issue, TRACER's data analytics reports can alert OEs to the problem's existence. This represents a huge opportunity to alleviate repair costs for the whole life cycle of a vehicle—not just on one model or at one factory but across an entire product development line-up.

About Tweddle Group

With over 800 employees and offices in North America, China, Italy and Belgium, Tweddle Group is a leading provider of information and publishing solutions for automotive OEMs and their suppliers. Tweddle's unique combination of services encompasses content development, management and delivery of Vehicle Information to support OEM service and owner information initiatives. OEMs rely on Tweddle to deliver innovative solutions designed to increase customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit tweddle.com

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Media Contact:
Paul Arnegard
Tweddle Group, Inc.
(586) 770-9401
[email protected]

SOURCE Tweddle Group