GETTING INSIDE EUROPEAN ENGINE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Motor, Dec 2004 by Seyfert, Karl

The 'buttoned-down' underhood appearance of many late-model European vehicles may cause you to consider looking for other repair work. With the necessary information and tools, servicing these models can be rewarding and profitable.

How do you get "inside" a European engine management system? If you've looked under the hood of a late-model European car, you've probably noticed that everything is neatly covered with decorative panels. It may be hard to imagine there's really an engine under all that shiny plastic. Getting under the covers may require little more than a pair of pliers and a screwdriver, but getting inside the engine management system will require a bit more.

It takes two things: the right information and die right tools. One isn't much good without the other. Both are required to do the job. What do we mean by "information"? Service and diagnostic information-the kind that tells yon how the engine management systems on BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Audi, Volvo and other European cars work, and how to fix them when they don't. And when we say "tools," we're talking about the scan tools and other specialized diagnostic equipment that allow you to look inside, interact with and manipulate the electronics of these sophisticated systems.

It's beyond the scope of this article to describe the inner workings of every major European engine management system. That's what service information is for. What we will do is point you to the most current major sources of the service information and tools you'll need to diagnose and repair these vehicle systems.

Information Resources

You need European service information, but where are you going to get it? The big recent development in this area is the introduction of the OE manufacturers' service information websites. What do you get for your money if you sign up for access to these sites? The minimum requirement under current EPA guidelines is access to all emissions-related information on 1996 and later OBD !!-compliant vehicles. It's very difficult to determine what information is "emissions-related" and what is not, since modern vehicles operate via a complex blend of many interacting systems. Consequently, many OEMs provide access to all service information for f996 and later vehicles. Some go a step further, extending coverage back to include pre-OBD II vehicle information as well.

An up-to-date matrix of information about these sites can be found at the National Automotive Service Taskforce (NASTF) website (www.nastf.org). You also may wish to consult Paul Weisslers article on the subject, which appeared in the September 2004 issue of MOTOR. As Paul noted, the information on some of the sites is presented in a format that is understandable to dealer techs, but may be difficult for the uninitiated to decipher.

A lot of hard work went into hammering out the agreements that resulted in aftermarket access to this information. You owe it to yourself to investigate any of the OEM sites that may be of interest to you. You'll note that some have specific software requirements that must be met in order to properly view and use them. Some give you the option to tour the site, or you may wish to try the short-term access option for a more in-depth examination. This should give you a better idea of whether there's enough value to be found there to warrant a long-term access subscription for your shop. Additional information about the OEM sites (pricing, features, etc.) can be found at the NASTF website.

In most cases, competition is good. Some shops have reported that the quality and quantity of information they're receiving in their CD- and Internet-based aftermarket information systems has improved recently. Whether this is in response to the introduction of the OEM websites is anybody's guess. The good news is that we all benefit from the increased availability of needed service information.

Motor/ALLDATA, ALLDATA and Mitchell On-Demand are the primary suppliers of service information in these formats. These companies compile traditional service manual, service bulletin and other pertinent information in a single set of disks that's updated quarterly. Internet-based versions of these products are also available, providing you with 24-hour access to the very latest service information, late-breaking TSBs, wiring diagrams and labor guide information. If your shop specializes in import vehicles only, subscriptions can be tailored to provide you with only the information you need and will use the most.

Some shops still favor traditional service manuals to satisfy their European vehicle information needs. Manuals are available from information specialists like Motor Information Systems, Mitchelll and Haynes Robert Bentley Publishers is the factory-authorized source for service manuals on Volkswagen and Audi vehicles. Manuals for other major European vehicles are also offered.

Most of the information in the manuals offered by these suppliers is also available in the CD (or DVD) format. Motor also offers its e-tech software on CD, which features an Internet-style browser, intelligent search function and the ability to print enlarged images. The VW and Audi literature on the current Robert Bentley CDs is identical to the VAG VESIS (Volkswagen) and AESIS (Audi) information that's provided to dealer techs. The CDs also link to technical bulletins.