Had a difficult varying common rail engine problem last year which just reading about Rolls Royce's remote control stations being further setup prompted my thoughts back to that engine and its associated problems.
It was a 14 litre engine running on LFO fitted with a Delphi diesel system for which we are the local Delphi Diesel Agent centre.
All fault codes read and eliminated, the next stage being scoping all components, sensors and actuators throught the engine and performing all the necessary tests for voltage, amperage and of course resistance etc.
One of the problems was the coding of the injectors to the system insomuch that the coding would alter after a period of several hours/days running causing the engine to go down on "Limpo " , ie reduced revs to just about maintain steerage way.
Now ( as not unusual ) the camshaft angle sensor together with the MAF meter measured up on top limits but was that enough to cause the problem? They could well be replaced and the original problem still be there.
After spending quite a few hours on this I decided to take advantage of Delphi's help system which we have to pay for yearly whether you use it or not.
Via our laptop plugged into the diagnostic plug on the engine Delphi took over all the diagnostics on the engine from about 250 miles away, remotely and via the Bluetooth system.
Although I could see quite clearly all the tests being conducted on the laptop I was reverted to just being a bystander, a watcher whilst cylinders were being cut out, compressions being measured electronically and for five hours every test bar one was carried out.
It was quite uncanny seeing the engine revving up and down on its own, injection timing being retarded and watching the resistance of one of the temp. gauges rising in order to register a higher reading and so on and so on for five hours.
Engine started knocking when the injection timing was advanced and the DPF was checked electronically and so on and so on.
No decision was to be forthcoming that day but next day it was announced that contamination of the fuel had brought about lubrication problems throught the system damaging injectors ( ceramic stacks ) HP pump, LP pump and that all would have to be changed.
Many thousands of pounds were spent in order to rectify the damage caused.
However the purpose of my writing this is that there was one test that the makers could not do and reading Rolls Royce Remote operating and rectification system I am wondering how they got over this?
So what is the one test that cannot be done remotely and has to be physically carried out on the engine?
Anybody?

We did this years ago manually on an engine that was not developing power. The engineers had to find TDC and mark the flywheel before checking everything else out. Saying that, I am sure they do that electronically too!

Ohoh, reread it and realized I had misread one sentence. ,

a watcher whilst cylinders were being cut out, compressions being measured electronically and for five hours every test, bar one, was carried out

So I'll think more about this while I frantically try to catch up on paperwork.

First word is False?

Vibration analysis?

Nope

Looking for smoke out of the exhaust and putting a White rag over the indicator cock and giving it a blow, to see how good combustion is.
BP

Nope

CR engines only, this piece of kit won't lend itself to its forerunner engines.

Does it have something to do with the issues you had, or did it just cross your mind after witnessing their trouble shooting process?

Not really, the kit is used as part of the diagnostic tests conducted on CR engines to determine and pinpoint faults by the elimination process. Whereby in the old days when you used compression gauges etc manually nowadays all of these readings are done electronically by tapping into sensors/actuators fitted into engine components via the diagnostic plug or Bluetooth.
Like the slew gear electric drive motors on the Anzipods it appears difficult to research the subject to see what makes it all tick so I am trying to see how RR are doing this particular test without physically fitting this bit of kit.
They must have invented something new perhaps.
Yet another technology advancement ?

All very good until the sensors fail, then it's like a 12 year old Ford.

I know the diagnostic plugs you mean, but i wouldn't be surprised if they brought that plug to it's own computer and with a program it initializes the reading process, avoiding having to physically fit the piece of kit.

All engine data is available in real time watching pv diagrams, pressures, angles, timing, temperatures, yadda yadda...So to have a program that taps into the brains and runs the diagnostic, makes it's tweaking tests to see what's going on, all without having to plug in is kind of a logical next step.

And when the sensors fail, you address that sensor and get on to the next piece of the puzzle. I know, and have witnessed, some bad things happen to an engine just because of a lose wire. Tight it up and if it happens again we go from there ha


And when it's heavy sensor/computer failure out of our realm of working it, then we rely on our local gauges and our fundamentals to try n get back to port.

True, but what's the name of the test equipment that has, at this moment in time anyway to be fitted physically and cannot be done remotely from thousands of miles away?

I've never seen a sensor reading N pressure in an accumulator...always had to hook up to that.
Probably not what you're thinking, so I'll keep pondering.

Some engines now have Bluetooth so no diagnostic sockets, purely remote. So it's a stand off and drive the engine from your computer.
Except for of course this missing important test.
Clue?
You con a very important part of the engine to make it do things to a maximum and thereby test its output?
Under load jobby?
Different adaptors fit different engines?