Originally published by Tire Review, June 7, 2024
Having started with just a simple TPMS tool and now offering a full line of tire shop solutions, Autel offers an impressive turnkey solution for tire services.
If success were defined by stamina alone, Autel, one of the first aftermarket TPMS brands, would have reached that mark long ago. It stands apart from other automotive aftermarket companies in the TPMS arena due to its commitment to developing new software and products that allow technicians to perform services and repairs more quickly and shop owners to realize revenue opportunities.
Having started with just a simple TPMS tool and now offering a full line of tire shop solutions, Autel offers an impressive turnkey solution for tire services.
In 2009, Autel launched the MaxiTPMS TS101, its foray into the developing TPMS servicing tool market. Just two years after TPMS became mandatory on all passenger vehicles under the TREAD Act, the TS101 was a simple, 9-volt battery-powered, easy-to-use sensor activation tool resembling a TV remote. It was just what the tire tech needed at the time.
Three years later, the TS101 was joined by the TS401 and TS501. These tools were not only more durable but also more efficient, capable of reading sensor IDs, psi, and tire temperature in addition to simple activation. They also displayed the OEs Relearn instructions, and the TS501 even offered direct OBDII relearn, the standard relearn procedure for Asian vehicles. Autel tools were designed to streamline the technician’s work, eliminating the need to seek out tire industry or OE procedure statements, because Autel provided those on the tool display. They were just what the technician needed as more and more of the batteries in vehicles tire pressure sensors started to die, vehicle volume picked up and technicians had their bays full of vehicles needing new sensors, so their safety system was back to working as intended.
Since then, Autel TPMS tools have been marked by ever-improving interface and navigation, including the at-a-glance status screen that enables the technician to immediately see his next step in the repair.
Diagnostic Solutions
Diagnostics is at the heart of everything Autel does, so it wasn’t long until Autel produced an all-systems scanner with TPMS activation and programming capability and an advanced diagnostics tablet with full bi-directional capabilities. Today, two standout tablets in the TPMS line are the MaxiTPMS ITS600 and the newly released MaxiTPMS TS900. The ITS600 is a handheld unit that comes standard with all systems reading capability and four service functions but offers a Pro upgrade for bi-directional functionality. The TS900 is an advanced diagnostic tablet that reads/clears codes, views Freeze Frame and Live Data, performs Active Tests and Special functions and is capable of performing coding and adaptations. Both the ITS600 and TS900 are AutoAuth-certified, meaning these tools can be registered to access the security gateway module of Stellantis vehicles, including Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, and RAM, and the Central Gateway of new Nissan vehicles to perform advanced diagnostics. The TS900 also offers an extensive service menu with direct access to 40 of the most common maintenance tasks just a tap away.
The 1-Sensor: Best-Selling TPMS Sensor in the Aftermarket
The introduction of the universal programmable MX-Sensors in 2015 and the dual-frequency programmable 1-Sensor in 2017 marked a new era in the industry. Here, with Autel TPMS tools and the 1-Sensor, the technician had all he needed to replace a sensor on 98% (now 99%) of the vehicles on the road. There was no need to stockpile preprogrammed sensors for the most popular vehicles, and there was no need to keep a customer waiting while the parts shop delivered the new sensor. The technician can program a new sensor and relearn it back to the vehicle in a matter of minutes. Today, the 1-Sensor is the aftermarket’s best-selling TPMS sensor. And the line has been expanded to include metal and rubber press and release valve stems, adjustable metal stems, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) version, preprogrammed for Tesla vehicles and programmable for new vehicles using the BLE technology. Autel tire shop solutions are not just innovative, they are setting the standard for the industry.
Digital Tire Examiner
Autel ushered tread depth and wear measurement into the modern age with the introduction of the Tire Brake Examiner (TBE200), which uses a laser to scan the surface of the tire and generate a real-time image of the tread depth and overall tire wear. The tools display color-coded values or tire images, alerting the tech to needed tire replacement. Similarly, the TBE200 produces a detailed analysis of disc wear. For both tests, the technician does not need to remove the wheel.
The IA900: Four-Wheel Aligner
An estimated 60 percent of registered vehicles are out of alignment. That’s why offering an alignment check to your customers shouldn’t be an afterthought but a key component of comprehensive vehicle safety, in addition to confirming safe tires and an efficiently operating Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
The design of the IA900 itself is elegant and efficient. It features a folding crossbar, six high-resolution positioning and tracking cameras in the frame that automatically monitor vehicle height on the shop lift. Robotic frame movement for efficient use and alignment reading accuracy to 0.02 degrees for precise alignments. The system offers industry-leading alignment coverage for U.S., Asian, and European vehicles, 1970s and newer. On the 24″ touchscreen, the technician is guided through the complete process with illustrated alignment instructions, live readings, required tools, and adjustment locations. The MaxiSYS Ultra ADAS tablet mirrors the alignment procedure executed on the screen, allowing the technician to walk around the vehicle and make adjustments while interacting with the alignment software.
For the price of a typical alignment system, the Autel IA900 delivers a true turnkey approach to comprehensive vehicle repair and servicing, providing all systems diagnostics, bi-directional Active Tests and Special Functions, and vehicle inspection, including tire tread analysis, four-wheel alignment, steering angle reset, and optional ADAS calibration coverage.
From TPMS tools and sensors to advanced diagnostics and service tablets to a state-of-the-art four-wheel aligner upgradeable to calibrate the most sophisticated systems on today’s vehicles, Autel is committed to engineering products that enable tire shop technicians to provide efficient and safe repairs while allowing shop owners to improve their bottom line.
Contact Our ADAS Experts
Fill out the form below to schedule a free virtual product demo, or for technical questions and training inquires.
