NAVISTAR updated NTEA members about new improvements to the Diamond Logic-Electronic Control Module (ECM) and lower-cost diagnostic tools for the Navistar engine. "Because of Navistar's recent capital investments, we've improved some capabilities of the ECM and lowered the up-front cost for some of the tooling," said Al Ambrosini, southeast regional sales manager for Navistar engines.
"This past year Navistar made a large investment to attract engineers and design personnel plus a substantial investment in expanding the existing Navistar Technical and Engine Design Center located in Ft. Wayne, Indiana," said Ambrosini.
In 1998 Navistar began expansion of the Technical and Engine Design Center. The new facility is approximately 50,000 square feet and is provides an environment to work on truck design and technical issues. Navistar hired over 400 technical engineers and designers to focus on new chassis cab designs and chassis platform improvements. Navistar is also working on the Next Generation Vehicle (NGV) at this location.
Staffing and work on the NGV has begun and is running ahead of schedule, said Ambrosini. Navistar will start public introduction of the NGV chassis in 2001. New models will be brought forward every six months after the first chassis introduction. "These products will be equipped with many of the newest electronics that will be discussed today," said Ambrosini.
Continued electronic improvements for the Navistar DT-466 and 530 engines focus on the Diamond Logic single-box, ECM. This ECM has two Pentium microprocessors that provide better logic capabilities than the former three-box system.
"The 2001 year model cab and chassis will have a much greater electronic platform for both the body building industry and the retail truck dealer. There will be operational variants that the customer will need to have programmed in the vehicle's ECM because they can't be controlled mechanically anymore," said Ambrosini.
Control Options
Large fleets will utilize the full range of control options that are offered. For the 2001 Navistar cab and chassis, programmable Diamond Logic options include road-speed governor, idle shutdown timer, oil- and filter- change light, electronic fan drive with shutter systems, and diagnostic trouble-shooting lights. Navistar's electronic platform has tattletale fault codes that monitor temperature, volume, pressure, and speed indices. These codes also assist in event logging.
Event logging is a newer technology that monitors vital engine oil pressure, coolant levels, coolant temperatures, and engine over-speed. The logging device records anomalous temperature and engine revolution information, and references it against a time and mileage format.
The engine tattletale function imparts a fault code into the system when an automatic or system function is disturbed. For example, if an engine is restarted after the automatic shutdown system is enacted, a specific fault code will be recorded indicating that engine was started again, after the automatic shutdown took place. Currently, there are 157 fault-codes that Navistar is using for its engines.
Reading the fault codes on Navistar engines is simpler and less expensive to the dealership or body builder, said Ambrosini. Navistar has introduced Master Diagnostic Fleet (MDF) software. This system does not require an expensive hardware investment as some of the former systems. The MDF software can be run on any system compatible laptop, and is designed for exclusive use on Navistar engines. "The MDF package has received a part number from Navistar and will be available shortly through your local dealership," said Ambrosini.