“It’s really hard to fix a car if you don’t know how it works in a normal state,” said Rob Nyce, a former service tech and now one of Dorman’s Product Managers leading the project. “More and more, you really need to understand the vehicle as an entire network. We’re finding there’s a ton of shared information.” From the OEM perspective, interconnectivity offers intriguing possibilities. Safety and security are the two obvious ones. Less obvious is the cost and weight savings, since communication via data cables can help reduce the amount of heavy, expensive copper electrical wires running through the vehicle. In terms of serviceability, it’s a gift for some, a curse for others. For dealerships with full access, diagnosis can be quick, and resolution can be electronic rather than mechanical. For aftermarket shops, scan tools for all makes and models can be expensive, and navigating the different programming solutions can be laborious. However, scanners aren’t the only solution for replacing electronics on modern cars and
In reality, you didn’t technically need a scanner at all to do the job. By identifying the underlying algorithms, the Dorman team was able to put everything needed to program the fob into a disposable dongle, for a fraction of what the dealership charged to do the same thing with a scan tool. That work led to Dorman’s U.S. patent #9,311,815 for a key fob dongle that enables keyless remotes to be paired to a keyless entry receiver of a vehicle. This OBD programmer was first included in our 13731 OE FIX keyless entry remote for a variety of 2004-2010 GM cars like the Malibu and Grand Prix. Dorman now has dozens of OE FIX key fobs that include a programmer, as well as ignition lock cylinders, utilizing very similar code to pair the new keys. “We’re essentially recreating the scan tool functionality, but also getting rid of everything you don’t need,” said Dessino. At about the same time that dongle patent
was issued, another team of Dorman engineers started developing another
application of the same principle, except on the opposite side of the complexity spectrum from a fob.
trucks. Many techs get conditioned to automatically consult the service manual and check the control module references. The OEM may say a
“We can use today’s technology to fix yesterday’s vehicles.”
They heard through Dorman’s extensive database of auto repair professionals that there was very limited
aftermarket availability for replacing the electronic power steering rack on certain F-150s. Apparently, shops also couldn’t find a scan tool capable of performing the necessary calibration procedure after installation. Once again, independents didn’t have freedom to fix these vehicles, and were being forced to go back to dealerships. Delivering the physical product itself required precision manufacturing, but was relatively easy compared to the programming challenge. The first proposal was to insert the software into the rack itself, but the only way to make that work would’ve been for users to go on an extended test drive and allow the sensors and modules to sync up.
part requires programming, but what if that part already came with the programming solution you needed? That’s what Dorman’s engineers started asking back in 2012 while developing replacement keyless remotes. They had begun producing fobs that required on- board programming, and learned some other automakers required scan tools, sending both vehicle owners and shops back to the dealership for programming. “There were a lot of aftermarket tools for diagnosing back then, but just because you had a diagnostic tool didn’t mean you could program,” said Dorman Engineer Jessica Dessino. “It was way more common not to have that programming capability.”
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