MONTICELLO, Utah -- A motorcoach is traveling north on U.S. 191 toward Moab, nearly full of senior citizens who are past their bed times.

This part of eastern Utah is desolate -- all of the time. And, at this hour, its also really dark; not an electric light in sight.

The motel in Moab is nearly an hour away when the drivers face suddenly glows red from an engine warning light on the dashboard.

Should the driver continue on to Moab? Turn back to Who-Knows-Where, Ariz.? Or pull to the shoulder and hope the passengers continue to nap in their seats?

Detroits new "Virtual Technician" system, available on some applications of its DD13 motorcoach engine, will answer those questions in detail, possibly within minutes.

The technology is currently available on new Van Hool coaches equipped with Detroit engines and is expected to be available on MCIs probably late next year.

Mobile data

The technology automatically relays digital data on engine operation parameters to the motorcoach operators headquarters and to Detroits customer service center, where technicians are on duty around the clock.

"Virtual Technician records engine parameters 30 seconds before the code and two minutes after," explained Tim Norton, product manager for engine and components marketing at Daimler Trucks North America, parent company of Detroit (formerly Detroit Diesel).

"The 66 parameters it can pick up can produce hundreds and hundreds of diagnostic codes for anything on the engine or the after-treatment system."

Those codes can help a technician determine whether the motorcoach is facing a minor issue, simply requiring "service soon," or a "service now" malfunction that poses greater risk.

"These (service now) warnings could cause serious damage, so the drivers need to know they should get to a dealership immediately and get it checked out," Norton said.

The system transmits its diagnostic codes through a 2G cell phone network. Detroit will transfer the system to a 3G network next August.

More to come

Virtual Technician is a high-profile example of the mobile data that is coming to motorcoaches from OEMs and their suppliers, like Detroit, whose technology was developed by Zonar Systems for Detroits parent company, Daimler Trucks.

The system transmits real-time remote engine diagnostics and proactively communicates with vehicle owners regarding potential performance issues and service scheduling.

Coach operators can expect all original equipment manufacturers to begin adopting and offering similar products in the future.

The path to such connected vehicles began with the advent of electronically controlled engines in the 1980s. With that base, the march of electronics to improve the operation of over-the-road buses and trucks started.

In the 1990s, manufacturers began to take advantage of all the information from the engine, and instrument clusters became electronic and attached to the data links.

The backbone of Virtual Technician is the electronic engine controls installed on Detroits DD series of engines.

"We are already picking up all that data. Before Virtual Technician, no one had the capability to see it unless they were plugged in at a service outlet or dealership," said Norton. "Now we can send that data in real time."

Getting it right

The volume of data collection can prevent some erroneous diagnoses, Norton said. For example, if one code points to a fuel injector failure but other operating parameters are normal, service technicians can be notified that the failure probably involves a sensor rather than the injector.

Such technology is particularly beneficial for long-haul motorcoach and truck operators. "They are on the road a whole lot more, and often are in remote places," he said. "If they have a fault code come up in the middle of nowhere and a thousand miles from home, it will tell them what is going on with the engine and the location of the nearest service center with the correct parts in stock. It is a peace-of-mind thing."

The system also can minimize down time.

"Some of the more common check engine lights are for failed sensors," Norton said. "If the technician knows the engine just needs a sensor, that can be switched out in the parking lot and the (vehicle) doesnt have to go into the service bay."

The Virtual Technician hardware package costs less than $600 per vehicle, Norton said, with differences depending on mounting configurations. An initial two-year contract for air time may be rolled into the price of a new vehicle or may be offered as an option, Norton said. The service contracts are listed at $134 annually.

Detroit offers operators an additional service, Visibility Package, through Virtual Technician. The Visibility system "captures latitude, longitude, time and odometer readings. "With pinpoint accuracy, the system records vehicle stops, speeds, routes traveled, mileage by state, excessive idling, fuel consumption and other on-board events," says Detroit.

Visibility Package service contracts are $360 per year.