ZF put its own OE diagnostic reasoning inside its independent-shop scan tool

ZF Aftermarket said on November 2 that it had added what it calls OE diagnostic insights to ZF MultiScan, its diagnostic tool for independent workshops, and would demonstrate the feature at AAPEX 2026 in Las Vegas. The release said MultiScan was launched at AAPEX 2025 to give independent shops access to advanced functions, coding and programming across multiple vehicle makes and models, and that the new feature brings guidance on the systems ZF manufactures for original equipment manufacturers into that tool.

The first systems covered are vehicles fitted with ZF Continuous Damping Control chassis technology, which the company said is present on multiple vehicle brands and models in North America. The mechanism described is automatic detection of ZF electronic control units during a vehicle scan; when a diagnostic trouble code is read on a ZF control unit, the insights become accessible from that page.

ZF said the insights supply three things. The first is the key conditions, values and behaviors needed to diagnose the fault, which it described as its engineering information trimmed down to the data points and thresholds required. The second is recommended checks, narrowed to the probable ones based on analysis of the specific fault conditions. The third is the associated live data, displayed rather than leaving the technician to identify parameter identifiers manually. The company contrasted the result with a long technical information page.

Anuj Gupta, head of digital diagnostics for North America, said ZF’s position as both an original-equipment and aftermarket manufacturer of driveline and chassis technologies put it in a position to provide such insights to the independent aftermarket. The release named no pricing, subscription terms or schedule for extending coverage beyond the damping systems.