| z28pete |
10-28-2007 11:31 AM |
Tools Of The Trade
[align=left]Twenty five years ago a shop with a couple of test lights, an analog voltmeter and an ignition scope was ready for any diagnostic situation. Due to the change in the level of sophistication in electronics, performing diagnostics will require a little bit more than that. It is most important to know your test tool’s capabilities and limitations, and learn to work within them. There will be situations where a multi-meter is just as helpful as a top of the line labscope. On the other hand, using a noid light to check how long an injector is pulsing in milliseconds is not recommended.[/align][align=left]Let’s identify some of the testing equipment that’s available and their capability.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Test light and “Noid” lights- [/align][align=left]Simple bulb type testers. All they need is power and ground to work.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Powered LED Light and Circuit Tester-[/align][align=left]These combine "computer safe" test light functions along with the ability to supply power or ground for testing to a component.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Basic Volt Ohm Meter- [/align][align=left]Capable of doing basic electrical measurements. Upscale Digital Multimeter-Enhanced feature meter[/align][align=left]usually adds ability to do duty cycle, frequency, pulse width, and so on, depending upon the specific model.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Graphing Meter-[/align][align=left]Comes with the abilities of the upscale multi-meter to measure: current, duty cycle, frequency, etc. in a "picture". You often can display more than one value at once for comparisons of different components. Some carry a built in database of connector pinouts and known good values.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Multi Channel Labscope- [/align][align=left]Precision measurement of voltage over time allows you to test components while they are operating.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]Code Reader- [/align][align=left]enables user to pull OBD2 codes. Many feature reset or clearing function.[/align][font=helvetica-condensed][size=2][align=left][/align][align=left]Generic Scan Tool- [/align][align=left]Let's define "generic" as a tool marketed to test vehicles from a number of different manufacturers.[/align][align=left]Because there are so many, we need to generalize, so you need to check the specific tool you’re considering[/align][align=left][/align][align=left]OE Level Scan Tool- [/align][align=left][font=helvetica-condensed][size=2]A tool developed by Car Company specifically for use on their vehicles. Same tool as used by dealership techs.[/align][align=left]We’ll try to outline out what you can or can’t do with a certain group of t
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