Delphi talks technology with Tyres & Accessories

At the start of 2012 Tyres & Accessories contacted leading automotive and aftermarket supplier Delphi with a view to getting this firm’s perspective on the increasingly important diagnostics side of the garage work. Paul Chaundy, service business line director, Delphi Product & Service Solutions answered our questions in the following interview:

Tyres and Accessories: What is your view on recent developments regarding passthrough?

Paul Chandry: Passthrough is a useful product enabling technicians who do not have high-end diagnostics equipment capabilities to upload and update customer vehicles with the latest OE content. We see passthrough as an enabler for garages who have not invested in high-end diagnostics.

T&A How will this affect garages?

PC: Passthrough provides garages access to new customers they did not have before.

T&A Can you give a brief summary of your business in 2011?

PC: It was a good year for Delphi diagnostics. We realized continual, steady growth throughout EMEA in the diagnostics product offering. From our point of view, as vehicle electronic technology continues to increase, the need for diagnostics will also grow.

T&A What trends have you noticed?

PC: We have noticed smaller independent garages have had to invest in diagnostics in order to carry out even basic services. The vehicles entering their bays are not the same from five years ago. This is providing Delphi a new range of customers to partner with and help to tool up for future opportunities.

T&A What do you expect in 2012?

PC: As we mentioned before, as vehicle electronics will continue to increase, our expectation is that diagnostics will too in order to keep up with advancing vehicle content. 

T&A What are your best selling products and why?

PC: I would say our best selling product is the Delphi DS350 tool. It offers simple and user-friendly navigation making operation fast and efficient. It’s available in two configurations — an Ultra Mobile PC, or UPMC, with a 7-inch screen and a 12-inch tablet PC. With Bluetooth technology, the DS350E is portable, providing additional flexibility to the garage. It features coverage for more than 30,000 systems on 47 OEMs…

T&A What do you offer that is particularly aimed at tyre bays?

PC: Delphi currently offers TPMS diagnostics.

T&A Do you have any product launches scheduled for 2012?

PC: In January, we launched our new VCI diagnostics tool, which features an OBD flight recorder for all systems recording it to a micro SD card inside the VCI. It also features car battery voltage monitoring with audible and LED flashing alarm, as well as an integrated OBD socket light and improved Bluetooth range. The new ergonomic design has an interactive LED to show status and anti-slip rugged rubber design. As always, our new VCI diagnostics is backed by our training services.

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