RAC utilises ultimate diagnostic capability to deliver more roadside fixes

The RAC has made a £6m investment to equip its patrols with the very latest mobile technology to fix more of its members at the roadside even faster with its new state-of-the-art diagnostic system backed up by on-board technical information and a giant mobile kit of over 500 parts and tools.

Packaged in a new rugged laptop, RACScan+ is some of the most advanced breakdown diagnostic software in the world allowing patrols to swiftly interact with the vehicle’s own diagnostic systems and on-board sensors and actuators to identify faults.

It complements the RAC’s on-board tool box with today’s high-tech and high-spec vehicles and enables every patrol to diagnose faults across the multiple vehicle systems on today’s modern cars, which would normally need to be taken to a garage for repair.

Significantly, it also enables the RAC’s fully qualified roadside technicians to affect a repair by programming new parts which often require ‘adaptation’ before they will operate. Increasingly even replacement batteries on modern vehicles require ‘coding’ when replaced.

All petrol cars and light commercial vehicles since 2000 and diesel vehicles since 2004 have been equipped with diagnostic ports which are similar to a TV scart socket. Today’s modern vehicles are equipped with sophisticated electronic computer management with functionality to manage every aspect of the car’s performance, safety and ride.

Every RAC patrol vehicle carries a comprehensive range of over 500 tools and parts to equip the roadside technician with everything he or she needs to repair over 80% of vehicle faults. On a daily basis RAC patrols fix four out of five cars at the roadside dealing with everything from a puncture or a flat battery to replacing complicated engine sensors that are critical to the vehicle’s performance and economy.

RACScan+ has been designed and developed with one of the world’s leading vehicle diagnostic software suppliers and tailored to the RAC’s specific needs to achieve maximum results in the event of a breakdown.

The RAC has some of the UK’s most qualified roadside technicians and the UK’s oldest motoring organisation actually trains many of the motor manufacturers own dealer workshop technicians on how to repair the latest production models.

RAC technical director David Bizley said: “With over 100 years of experience repairing our members’ cars at the roadside we know what tools to carry and what are the most common faults on every car on the road. We monitor faults and constantly revise and update the equipment and parts our patrols carry.

“The RAC has always utilised the latest technological advances to ensure we offer the very best repair for motorists and the roll-out of RAC Scan+ will give our patrols the very best information from the vehicle’s own diagnostic equipment to enable them to quickly and efficiently repair the car on the spot or, on those rare occasions when a roadside repair is not possible, make the call to recover the vehicle to an approved local garage.”