Impact Analysis on the Application of Contemporary Methods of Maintenance in the Nigeria Automotive Industry

Abstract

Modern automobiles are now embedded with a lot of sensors and actuators controlling several systems in the vehicle, thereby making it an electro-mechanical means of transportation rather than the mechanical means known some decades ago. Consequently, several automobile diagnostic tools have been made available to diagnose faults developed by these modern automobiles. This paper analyses the impacts of the contemporary diagnostic tools for automobile maintenance/repair in the Nigerian Automobile Industry. Benz, Toyota, Honda, Kia, and Nisan are the sample model used for the research; On Board Diagnostic (OBD II); Coolant Tester; Pressure Test Kit; Spark Checker Kit; Fuel Injection Pump Tester; Compression Tester; Mechanic’s Stethoscope; Digital Multimeter, are the modern tools used for the study. In the study, various automobile repair and maintenance tools were investigated using a questionnaire administered to local and modern automobile repair garages. The impact of the modern automobile diagnostic tools on different car models, and different car systems has been studied. The study reveals that not all the modern tools are effective when used to diagnose faults. Fuel Injection Pump Tester is the most effective tool (with about 85% effectiveness), followed by Digital Multimeter (about 75% effectiveness), and OBD II (about 70% effectiveness). Compression Tester and Mechanic’s Stethoscope are less effective (about 40%), and many auto-technicians do not make use of them. Ignition, Fuel and Transmission systems are mostly maintained with these modern tools. Though all the respondents are aware of the paradigm shift in the automobile industry, almost all of them (95%) consented that there is need for modern diagnostic tools, but only 75% make use of these modern diagnostic tools.