Meritor WABCO has created what it calls “a breakthrough programming tool” that helps significantly shorten delivery times of replacement electronic control units (ECU) for anti-lock braking systems (ABS).
The Aftermarket Programming Tool is being introduced this week at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) Annual Meeting in Nashville.
Beginning this spring, Meritor WABCO service centers can use the tool to configure a new line of partially programmed control units to specific vehicle settings. In recent years, wait times have soared because customers can choose between more than 400 pneumatic ABS ECU variants in use today. Service centers generally do not stock all of these units, the company says.
“Technology like our new Aftermarket Programming Tool can significantly reduce the delivery time for the replacement of ECUs,” says Steve Hampson, president, Meritor WABCO. “This will help our customers reduce downtime and return their commercial vehicles to revenue-generating service sooner.”
The programming tool is being added to Meritor WABCO’s TOOLBOX diagnostic software package. Service centers will now be able to stock a small inventory of partially programmed control units and use TOOLBOX to quickly configure these parts for a wide variety of vehicles, Meritor WABCO says. Reduced inventory and less downtime will help fleets save costs and improve performance.
According to the company, the tool walks users through the steps necessary for fast programming right at the point of service to quickly get vehicles back on the road. Service centers can use the Aftermarket Programming Tool when replacing current Meritor WABCO pneumatic ABS and Stability Control ECUs. Meritor WABCO will expand use of the tool to future products, helping to reduce parts proliferation up to 90 percent, according to Hampson.
Meritor WABCO says the Aftermarket Programming Tool must be used with TOOLBOX 11.3 or higher and a purchased configuration file. TOOLBOX 11.3 will be available as a free upgrade to current TOOLBOX 11 users this spring. Service centers can purchase Meritor WABCO’s programmable ABS ECUs through Meritor Aftermarket. Each unit will be shipped with instructions, the company says.
