TOYOTA’S WORLD CLASS TECH HUB
DESIGNED to support and enhance the aftersales experience of its customers, the Toyota Centre of Technical Excellence (Tcote) based at the Toyota South Africa Motors Sandton head office is, arguably, the most advanced Toyota-owned facility of its kind on the African continent.
In a “world first”, South Africa is the only country to establish designated Toyota Repair Support dealerships (14 in total), strategically placed throughout the country to reinforce the role played by head office-based technical staff in providing assistance to other dealerships – as opposed to one national hub.
In line with Toyota’s continuous improvement philosophy – kaizen – the Technical and Repair Centre is a state-of-the-art facility, purpose-built to assist the aforementioned regional dealer network with the swift and efficient resolution of diagnostic challenges in particular, including remote diagnostics. (The latter is not exclusive to the 14 Toyota Repair Support dealerships; it is open to all 200+ dealerships within the Toyota and Lexus family.)
Repair support group technicians attend regular training seminars, ensuring the universal maintenance of high diagnostic standards; the centre also conducts and supervises vehicle quality evaluations and research when required.
Andrew Kirby, president and chief exec of Toyota South Africa Motors (Tsam) says: “The reason this centre is such a pivotal part of our business is because auto diagnostics are critical in our aftersales strategy.
“It benefits the entire production and sales cycle, from the original equipment manufacturer all the way to the service centre, resulting in reduced service time at dealer workshops, the timely resolution of vehicle issues and even the prevention of possible technical issues in the long term. Think of it as an early detection centre for vehicles that are new to our region to ensure we are ready for whatever issues might arise after a model has been released to our market.”
The technology employed at Tcote encompasses the many facets of vehicle maintenance and research. The core focus areas include Crash Data Recovery or CDR, Radial Force Variation, Remote Diagnosis including Pico-Scope Analysis, Injector Analysis, and Dynamometer Measurement.
CRASH DATA RECOVERY
Tsam makes use of the most sophisticated crash data retrieval tools to obtain recorded data from a motor vehicle’s electronic components when a collision occurs.
Much like the so-called “black box” data recorder on an aircraft, the CDR tool, can provide valuable, unbiased information, when reconstructing exactly what happened.
The CDR is connected to the vehicle’s electronic system, from which it continuously records driver inputs and the performance of all electronic components, as well as other crucial data.
Factors such as accelerator and brake pedal inputs, vehicle and engine speeds, and crash impact data, can be extracted via the CDR to a computer for analysis after a collision. Stored files may be analysed later, depending on requirements or customer requests.
Not only is this data vital in assessing such elements as braking performance and airbag deployment, but the information may also be used for the vehicle-owner’s convenience, and is admissible as evidence in a legal case.
RADIAL FORCE VARIATION
Tcote makes use of the world’s fastest Radial Force Variation (RFV) Machine, a highly specialised form of dynamic wheel analyser. What makes a RFV different from a normal wheel balancer is the ability to simulate real road conditions courtesy of the roller and the employment of lasers to detect any tyre and wheel deformations, as well as wheel deflection and abnormalities.
INJECTOR ANALYSIS
Electronic fuel injector operation is critical to the smooth running of both petrol and diesel engines, affecting performance, fuel economy and emission outputs. Even the slightest irregularity in the fuel-spray pattern can have a negative effect on engine components and/or performance, but with no specific cause identified.
Detailed investigation of injector performance includes the injector’s response to minuscule changes in engine revolutions, as well as examination of the injector’s fuel distribution and atomisation. The Injector Diagnostic tool is capable of testing standard manifold port, top feed, and side feed injectors on petrol engines, as well as the complete common rail system on diesel engines. It enables technicians to simulate car spray patterns and flow rates, as well as conduct injector-inductance tests on electro-magnetic circuits. These advanced diagnostic tests cannot be performed in standard on-car testing procedures.
Due to their unique structure, these diagnostic machines can test all fuel-related components, while off the vehicle, by simulating pressure and fuel delivery, thereby shortening diagnostic time, as well as minimising repair costs.
For more information on Toyota Tcote, you can speak to your dealer about having your vehicle assessed. Also, see www.toyota.co.za for more information.