Training with AECS

Training is always needed in our high tech automotive world.

You could do all the research into each diagnostic case yourself, but that would be a huge cost to the customer and the workshop.

The flood of electronic faults presented to the AECS helpdesk has never been so overwhelming. Any workshop which says “We don’t seem to get many electronic faults” is most certainly in the minority.

AECS has the facilities and resources to research and diagnose electronic and software faults in vehicles. On one hand, the training is based upon that research, on the other hand it also uses content which is based on the technical support delivered to AECS helpdesk customers.

By doing the diagnostic research ourselves, this makes the training provided by AECS, unique, and directly applicable to the workshop. The seminars have often been described that way by many technicians who have attended AECS seminars.

AECS has a unique team of five people, and three are trainers. There is Paul, an ex-F1 and WRC auto electrician, Peter, who is a university honours graduate in electronic engineering, and there is the company owner, Herbert, a mechanical and automotive engineer.

Tech support

Paul, Peter, and Herbert are also available for technical support, so that all of them get to hear the electronic problems workshops face daily. Between the three of them, there is always one who has a solution for the diagnostic cases that we are presented with.

This information assists all of the team members to present you with relevant information during AECS training seminars. Our seminars keep changing and adjusting as a result of the real faults we are presented with on a daily basis.

A lot of the questions asked of the AECS trainers are not simple electronic sensor or actuator faults, but relationship faults. To find faults logged as a result of certain sensor signals not corresponding with each other requires a higher level of thinking, and a good understanding of the software written into each control unit.

When finding diagnosing relationship faults, we often the use skills we have gained collectively, coming from the angle “how would we build this?”

Unfortunately, there is no information available from factories (not even to the dealer organisations) about how the software is written, so a lot of testing is needed to find the solution.

Fault finding research

During research, AECS staff often send signals into the control units to see how the related control units respond. They can also intercept and send out inter-ECU communication CAN messages on certain late-model systems. The response of the related ECU’s will tell that the signal was border-line or that there was still a large margin.

The simulated sensor signal send out is at first the same as the one measured on the car, after which the signal is modified (increased or decreased). A borderline signal indicates an intermittent fault.

A good example is cam/crank relation faults (e.g. stretched chain). We have built a system which can simulate phase shift between cam and crank (s) and can therefore move the cam crank timing as far as we like.

Misconceptions

AECS has found that some customers put off going to a seminar which is held annually in their region, which often means waiting more than a year for the next one. This also means that during that year some jobs do not get done or get done inefficiently.

Another misconception is that AECS seminars are like some others, where they explain “this is an air mass meter, blow through it to see if it works.”

AECS does NOT work like that! We do explain briefly how the component works, but most of all what it’s role is and how it affected in the connected systems.

Developments in 2013

A few of the new developments AECS had this year are:

Web-based technical support has been introduced, this doubles as a searchable data base with faults/ solutions for the scopes and scan tools sold by us.

Chip reprogramming tools, which will be used in 2014 training seminars.

Truck/bus/trailer diagnostic equipment, for which a training programme is being build.

Training calendar 2014

AECS training seminars are very popular, and most of the 2014 calendar is already booked. The demand also means that AECS needs to be responsible with the content of our training; it HAS to be relevant.

Feedback received from some customers is that two day seminars are often a bit too long to leave the workshop. In response, AECS is planning on a number of locations throughout the country with AECS Trade shows, and short four hour training seminars for 2014.

The trade shows will have equipment samples and training systems on display for you to assess if it suits your automotive career.

The four hour training seminars will be informative and pitched at different levels.

Details about these local events will be published on our website, Facebook, and mailed to you (if we have your e-mail address).

The usual seminars from simple fault code diagnostics through scope diagnostics all the way to ECU re programming (chip tuning) will be held as per normal throughout the country.

The trainers at AECS say it is an absolute joy to train NZ technicians. Most NZ technicians are highly rated in the international industry, a compliment which we collectively need to maintain by keeping up with modern technology.

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