Diagnostic tool with advanced diagnostic capabilities

A diagnostic system, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a microprocessor, wherein the diagnostic system is configured to accomplish a method of checking a system of a vehicle including,
• inputting vehicle information into a computer system,
• inputting measured vehicle performance information into the computer system,
• accessing a database having baseline performance information for a vehicle corresponding to the inputted vehicle information,
• comparing the inputted measured vehicle performance information with the baseline performance information,
• indicating differences between the inputted measured vehicle performance information and the baseline performance information, and
• selecting a tolerance to allow for tolerance differences between the measured vehicle performance information and the baseline performance information before indicating differences between the inputted measured vehicle performance information and the baseline performance information.

A diagnostic device for a vehicle having a microprocessor and a memory, the microprocessor configured to perform a method comprising:

• linking the diagnostic device with a diagnostic computer of the vehicle through a data link connector of the vehicle;
• communicating with said diagnostic computer of the vehicle in a communication protocol;
• allowing a user to select among a plurality of parameters for recording;
• recording raw diagnostic data of the vehicle at predetermined conditions by said diagnostic device according to the selected parameters;
• accessing a database of stored baseline diagnostic data of a corresponding vehicle in a predetermined state;
• recording the baseline diagnostic data by said diagnostic device of the corresponding vehicle under the predetermined conditions, where the predetermined conditions include conditions affecting an operation of the vehicle, the baseline recording at the predetermined state being when the vehicle is operating in certain predetermined normal levels;
• comparing between the raw recorded diagnostic data and the stored baseline diagnostic data at the predetermined conditions;
• and
• displaying the difference off the comparison between the raw recorded diagnostic data and the stored baseline diagnostic data.