Bosch Middle East launches high tech automotive diagnostic tool

The state-of-the-art automotive diagnostic tool can provide information on around 230,000 model variants from over 100 vehicle manufacturers and is expected to become hugely popular in diagnosing the estimated four million passenger cars plying the GCC.

Weighing just two kilograms, the device operates via integrated commercially-available AA-type batteries and does not require a mains connection. It can be charged in a vehicle's diagnostic socket, in the cigarette lighter or through the mains supply.

The KTS 340 features an interactive 8.4-inch touchscreen color display and is powered by an enhanced version of the Bosch ESI[tronic] automobile workshop software. It can diagnose petrol and diesel engine management systems, transmission, airbags, ABS/ESP/ASR/steering, instrumentation, air conditioning, central electronics, tire pressure, and battery control, among others.

Volker Bischoff, GM, Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, said:

"This new product is a welcome addition to our diagnostic capabilities in the Middle East, where vehicles are constantly subjected to extreme weather and terrain. Around four million passenger cars exist in the Gulf alone, with about 1.3 million plying in the UAE. The KTS 340's adaptor and software have been designed for easy updating, so this device will raise aftermarket service standards in the region for a long time."

The KTS 340 integrates WLAN for printing logs and accessing external information. Its interactive information system and guided troubleshooting solutions have been developed to assist technicians with both on-screen comparison of measures values and engine control unit diagnosis.

The all-in-one diagnostic and service tool can supply mechanical, data, service schedules and technical service bulletins along with its diagnosis programs. It also comes equipped with an inbuilt multiplexer, so it required only one 16-pin diagnostic lead and a 2-channel multimeter. The mobile tester's software is updated four times a year via a DVD delivered directly to the subscribing garage.

The Bosch diagnostic tool recently topped benchmark tests conducted by UK-based independent automotive inspection body Dekra among mobile hand-held diagnosis units. It was particularly commended for its comprehensive diagnostic functions and the broad range of vehicles and control units it covered.