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| The window of what would go by without setting of a check engine light used to be wide open. |
Todays window of what gets through is much smaller than in the past . |
Lately, it seems as though I’ve run into too many Detroit engine owners who are not aware or have not taken advantage of the Virtual Technician capabilities offered on the DD series engine.
I like to describe Virtual Technician as the mommy or daddy that a young child will run to should they happen to stump their toe. A modern day car/truck has many sensors that send signals to an engine with vital information for proper fuel, air ratio and many other important functions of an engine. In the past, an engine light would only come on for items such as overheating, lack of oil pressure or a malfunctioning charging system. These engine lights were often referred to as “idiot lights.” This was for good reason as if the light came
on it was pretty much too late to save the engine. The EPA and emissions systems combined with electronically controlled engines brought the number and sophistication levels to an all-time high today. As the old engine indicator light only protected the engine, the new check engine lights are responsible for not only the engine but also the environment. The environment side of this equation is seen as a negative to many of the technicians and vehicle owners as they learn how to understand and maintain the newer technology.
Let’s go back to the past for a moment where all you would have been concerned with was oil pressure, temperature and voltage. Three sensors were all that you really needed to be concerned
with. Today, with electronically controlled engines, emissions control systems, automated manual transmissions, anti-lock braking systems, stability control, collision mitigation systems our trucks have become very sensor dependent. Many of our tires even have a sensor giving us constant pressure and temperature readings.
When I’m describing today’s truck and how Virtual Technician works, I often compare the truck to a young child. A young child has its complete sensory nerves in place and this reminds me of our trucks of today. The child can feel heat, cold, pain and this is much like how a truck reacts when a sensor picks up a reading outside of its normal operating parameters. The first time a young child stumps their toe, they feel extreme pain which sends a message to the brain that “My toe really hurts.” The brain is not sure what to do with this information so the child seeks out mommy or daddy for comfort. More often than not, mommy or daddy will look at the toe and usually find that the child just needs to walk it off and the pain will subside.
In relation to our truck, Virtual Technician is mommy or daddy for the truck to communicate when it finds itself operating “painfully” outside of normal parameters. The truck sends a signal to Detroit which serves much as the same as mommy or daddy in the above scenario.
Without Virtual Technician, whenever the check engine light illuminates, a driver is forced to find a technician with the proper equipment to diagnose the problem. This takes valuable time and, if the problem is serious, it also can be unsafe and/or cause further damage to the truck.
But, with the Virtual Technician onboard diagnostic system, data is immediately collected when the check engine light comes on. It generates a technical snapshot of the engine’s status before, during and after a fault code event. The information is relayed to the fleet manager or predetermined contact via email or phone.
If the problem is a severe “service now” event, a case automatically is opened with the Detroit CSC. A trained representative will diagnose the issue, recommend a service, 
and contact the nearest authorized locations with the parts in stock. Virtual Technician takes the guesswork out of engine repair, so you can get the wheels turning again as quickly as possible.
From my experience, the most common message received is to just “walk it off” and the pain will subside.