1.1 Introduction
Automobile software for car faults diagnosis is a system that detects information about car faults and provides possible solutions to fixing the problem. It works by entering the type of fault your car is giving you, and then it will retrieve the information of the possible fault and also display the result of how you can solve the problem without the presence of an expert. Automobile fault detection and diagnosis system is a guide with an interactive tool which provides drivers with comprehensive and convenient information which are meant not only to help them whenever they meet with an unforeseen incident on the road or at any point in time, but also to guide them in preventing them.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Automobile maintenance describes the act of inspecting or testing the condition of car subsystems (e.g., engine) and servicing or replacing parts and fluids. Regular maintenance is critical to ensure the safety, reliability, drivability, comfort and longevity of a car. During preventive maintenance, a number of parts are replaced to avoid major damage or for safety reasons, e.g. timing belt replacement. The actual schedule of car maintenance varies depending on the year, make, and model of a car, its driving conditions and driver behavior.
Faults occur in vehicles or automobiles very often than not. This can be due to several reasons. The ability to detect and isolate these faults in complex technical systems such automobile is important in order to fulfill dependability requirements. Fault detection and isolation in automobiles is very important because it helps to maintain high vehicle operational efficiency, low exhaust emissions, high vehicle uptime, fuel consumption reduction or fuel economy, high vehicle safety and it guarantees efficient repair. These factors are very important because they help to reduce overall life-cycle cost of a vehicle.
With the help of a car, movement from one place to another has been made easy especially for those who are always mobile in their jobs. Cars simplify our lives and make time to be more valuable as we can save more time using the car. But at the same time, people who own cars definitely don’t want to have a problem with their cars as the troubleshooting of a car can be a nightmare to them, especially women. Some of those own a car individually don’t know how to deal with their cars whenever it has a problem. All they know is to start the engine, drag the clutch if it is not automatic, press the paddy and break when they need to. An even the worse situation is that they don’t even know how to fill the fuel tank, and that is not good. They won’t know what to do when something happens to their cars. All they can do at best is, call the mechanic for help.
So, this computer expert system is hoped to help those who are in need of guides to deal with their cars problems. Although it might not give a complete guide and help as a human expert, namely mechanics, at least the expert system can give temporary assistance to those who are in need of instant help, as a result of the limitation of time and distance.
1.3 Statement of Problem
Investigation revealed that sudden breakdown resulting from poor maintenance measures or irregular fixing of appropriate parts are the most often encountered problems associated with vehicles. Other occasions may be problems associated with the engine oil, oil filters, fuel filters, wear and tear of tire, brake pads, air filter, etc as a result of incompetent hands to tackle the problem. In dealing with problems of a car and troubleshooting, automobile repairers are those who can help to solve them. The use of a computer expert system is beneficial in different ways. It gives a temporary and instant guide to car owners in different situations like:
- Situations where automobile repairers diagnosis wrongly;
- Assistance in the absence of automobile repairers; and
- Being an alternative considering the distance of automobile repairers.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement an Expert Management System for Automobile Fault Detection and Diagnosis. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Help automobile repairers diagnose serious faults and repair vehicles at a faster rate through the pre-diagnosis and advice a web-based software.
- Provide recommendations in cases of automobile break down.
- Provide maintenance advice to users in order to avoid future fault from occurring.
- Test and validate the performance of the proposed system.
- Develop appropriate representation architecture to the proposed car failure and malfunction diagnosis assistance system.
- Develop a system for car maintenance and troubleshooting that is capable of assisting car owners in dealing with their cars problems and troubleshooting them whenever time is limited and the human experts, also known as mechanics is not available at that very time.
1.5 Significance of Study
The proposed system can help inexperienced automobile repairers or drivers in diagnosing the fault of the car. In addition, the system has the following benefits:
- It is significant to programmers and web designers in showing them the areas to focus when designing and coding a web based program.
- It will encourage prompt feedback from the public and vehicle owner particularly.
- It will bring the management of the establishment close to the internet and computer operations.
- Improvement of Productivity: Having this system will enable mechanics to do more work in less time.
- Places expert knowledge into machine readable form, where it can be summoned at any time.
- Reduces the Need for Skilled Mechanics: The repairs of a car require a high level of expertise. With this system, inexperienced mechanics can be guided to find the fault.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Design and Implementation of an Expert Management System for Automobile Fault Detection and Diagnosis.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
Car Sensor:
This is a technological device that dictates or senses a signal or a physical condition in a car.
Actuator:
This is a device in a car that uses electricity to do sort of automated mechanical movement such as power door locks or a remote trunk opener.
Car Diagnosis:
It is the identification of the nature and causes of problem in a car.
Car Brain Box:
This is an electronic device that incorporates micro processors for the monitoring and control of various functions in a vehicle.
