Diagnostic Tools in an Evidence-Driven Workflow

Scan tools acquire evidence — MechanIQ interprets it

A diagnostic scan tool (VCDS, ISTA, Delphi/Autocom, and others) communicates with the vehicle's control modules and acquires evidence: fault memory, freeze frames, live data, and actuator-test results. That is its role.

MechanIQ does not replace the scan tool. It does not read the vehicle directly. It takes the evidence the scan tool produces and applies structured diagnostic reasoning — ranking hypotheses, recommending the next-best test, and verifying the repair before any part is ordered.

| Role | Owner | |---|---| | Acquire vehicle evidence (DTCs, freeze frames, live data, actuator tests) | Scan tool | | Interpret evidence, manage hypotheses, recommend next-best test, verify repair | MechanIQ |

How to use these guides

Each tool guide explains how the tool fits an evidence-driven workflow: what the tool acquires, how to read the data it produces, how to export it, and how MechanIQ imports and interprets it. The guides are tool-specific but methodology-aligned — the same evidence-driven sequence applies regardless of brand.

Trademark notice

VCDS and Ross-Tech are trademarks of Ross-Tech, LLC. BMW and ISTA are trademarks of BMW AG. Delphi and Autocom are trademarks of their respective owners. MechanIQ is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these companies. All references identify the tools for diagnostic purposes only. Vehicle-specific verified specification required for all tests.