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Rational research and development of advanced inspection, analysis, and diagnostic equipment cannot proceed without reliable quantitative information about the service equipment now in use. Although new equipment specifications are readily available, there is comparatively little data on the performance of equipment in use, and much of that is considered proprietary. This paper presents information on the condition, accuracy, and repeatability of automotive service equipment in use. This information was derived from on-site data obtained at a national sample of 307 auto repair/diagnostic facilities. Over 6,000 pieces of some 24 types of equipment, ranging from tire pressure gauges to computerized engine analyzers, were subjected to a detailed field engineering evaluation.

The widespread consumer problem of faulty and unnecessary motor vehicle repairs led to the establishment of five demonstration projects to examine the costs and benefits of performing diagnosis separate from repair. Project sites were located at Huntsville, Alabama; Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; Washington, D. C.; Bayamon, Ponce, and San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. A total of 92,819 periodic inspections and 32,734 reinspections (after repair) were performed. This paper summarizes the repair industry response to the projects in terms of adequacy, cost, and necessity of vehicle and subsystem repairs performed. The relationships to diagnostic information provided, duration of project operation, project location, and type of facility performing the repairs are also discussed.