Mankind increasingly relies on advanced electronics to deliver cost-effective improvements in vehicle safety and emission control. The number and sophistication of in-vehicle systems to achieve this is growing and likely to continue to grow. With this increasing reliance it is important to ensure that the integrity of such systems is maintained throughout a vehicle's life. The paper discusses the possible contribution of diagnostics to meet this objective and in particular the opportunities and problems in the following areas: the role and beneficiaries of on-board diagnostics; the relationship between on and off-board diagnostics; the possible role of diagnostics in condition monitoring, annual testing and in meeting and maintaining system integrity levels; the implications of diagnostics in vehicle standards; existing and proposed European diagnostic requirements for vehicles; and some longer term possibilities arising from wider IT links.
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