Western Star has announced that the Detroit Virtual Technician onboard diagnostic system is now standard on 2014 Western Star 4700, 4800, and 4900 truck models equipped with Detroit GHG14 and newer engines.

Virtual Technician’s advanced and detailed diagnostics prevent unnecessary downtime in eight out of 10 fault events through its instant assessments, the company says. It’s the industry’s only diagnostic system that captures vehicle data before, during, and after a fault event to provide a more accurate diagnosis and generate uptime. Because the severity of the check engine light incident is immediately relayed to the Detroit Customer Support Center for diagnosis and a service recommendation, Western Star drivers and fleet managers will have peace of mind knowing they are making informed decisions while on the job.

Developed in collaboration with Zonar Systems, the award-winning Virtual Technician technology has already benefitted more than 70,000 trucks.

Western Star also. announced that the Eaton UltraShift PLUS automated transmission is available for its 4800 model. You can already spec it for 4700 and 4900 truck models.

The UltraShift PLUS – available in six models – suits the needs of both on-highway and vocational applications. Its versatility suits the Western Star 4800, which can easily be configured for mining, bulk hauling, or towing and recovery applications.

Fully automated, its intelligent shift-selection software employs grade sensing, weight computation, and driver throttle commands to make shift decisions. The Hill Start Aid prevents roll-back on steep grades.