Preventative maintenance – if applied within a workshop – is probably the single best thing that can be done to prevent potential problems and maximize vehicle availability, as Eclipse explains.
Having the ability to identify faults and repair work before they occur can keep a vehicle on the road longer, preventing further downtime in addition to planned routine servicing. Dave Rees, Technical Director at Eclipse, pointed out that having Jaltest in a workshop not only aids the technician in diagnosing faults but also gives the capability to run checks and live measurements of various components to view the status and condition of wear.
Dave added that Jaltest Diagnostics are ‘invaluable’ in the workshop for quickly identifying any components that may be reaching the limit of their life expectancy but which may not be picked up on a service.
One of the main components, besides brake pads, to be subjected to daily wear is the clutch assembly. On the new Volvo IShift D and E Generation gearboxes there are two ways to measure the clutch wear; one of which is the use of a rule or measuring device to measure the push rod travel (this is only available if the user knows the X1 or new clutch value for the clutch plate), the other requiring the use of a diagnostic tool.
Manual clutch check
With the use a rule or equivalent tool to measure the distance (X) between the lock nut (1) and the wear indicator (2). If the value measured is greater than the permissible value, then the clutch disc will need to be replaced.
Jaltest diagnostics gives the user all the information they need to confirm the status of the clutch. All the key indicators such as new and old values, wear percentages and the measurement when the clutch needs replacing will be provided. This will give a clear indication into whether the existing clutch has enough wear in between servicing or requires replacement.
In the image top right we can see the numerous tests and system checks available to the user within the Jaltest software to check the status of the clutch assembly. As all the values are provided by the control unit so there can be no mistakes made regarding the measurements.
Clutch wearing check
Jaltest diagnostics provides the user with the (X1 value), initial stroke length for a new clutch, the (X2 value), last clutch travel value and the (Y parameter) which is the difference between the two and represents the clutch wearing figure. If the Y value exceeds the maximum figure then the clutch must be replaced, however for preventative maintenance if it’s reaching the high value we can change the clutch disc to avoid an early return to the workshop.
Clutch calibration after disc replacement
If the clutch assembly does have to be replaced then the ECU needs to be informed of this to reset and adjust the various components to ensure continued and correct operation. These indicators are clutch thickness, gearbox actuation and clutch engagement. If this ECU update is not carried out then the vehicle can have serious driving issues and possibly no working transmission. This is where Jaltest is required again, according to Eclipse, to calibrate the clutch and transmission.
Technical support
Jaltest is said to be very powerful and provides all the key mechanisms to enable the technician to carry out routine, preventative or repair work on a vehicle. To provide further support to their customers, Eclipse also has a dedicated and experienced team available to give assistance in diagnosing a fault or analysing the data that the software has collected. The Eclipse Technical Support Team can either guide the technician through the process or even take over the process and use the remote diagnostic feature to carry out much of the work themselves.
This facility, which is widely used by workshops of all sizes, gives piece of mind in the knowledge that there is always a helping hand when confirming results, carrying out system checks or confirming errors and faults.
The Eclipse Technical Support Team is just one element of the Eclipse Customer Care Package which also includes the Eclipse Training Centre where courses on all aspects of the equipment and software are delivered using real vehicles and special simulation equipment. These services combined with frequent software updates, to reflect any changes to old or new vehicle specifications, give the Eclipse user some of the most comprehensive support available within the diagnostic industry.
www.eclipse-tech.co.uk
