At the AAPEX show on November 2, Continental launched a new real-time customer vehicle tracking service for aftermarket shops.

The Autodiagnos Drive system, previously tested with commercial fleet managers, is now available to aftermarket shops.

Through a transponder plugged into the OBDII port of the chosen car, data is sent to a cloud, processed, then delivered directly to the shop.

Available to the market at the end of the year, the Autodiagnos Drive system gives access to all the manufacturer’s data from the onboard computer to the workshops.

This can then establish the condition of the vehicle and contact the customer in case of any imminent problem.

“We will be phasing in this solution to the North American aftermarket, including Canada, and we encourage them to prepare their technical advisors before adopting this technology so that they can use it as strategic information for their customers’ vehicle maintenance programs,” said Chris Bahlman, Head of Automotive Diagnostics and Services, Continental.

Technicians can access error codes even before a light comes on in the customer’s car and then plan preventive maintenance.

Simple to install, the system is also designed to provide the highest level of cyber security. It covers all popular makes of cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles.