Scan tool

[VileZambonie]

Those of you looking for an affordable scan tool might want to look into these guys. http://www.autoenginuity.com/index.html

[Stewart G Griffin]

i am looking for an "affordable" scan tool but:

1)Will/can this tool tell me exactly what is wrong with a EFI/Coil pack system?  For instance, if the crankshaft position sensor goes out, can it detect that, and will it tell me so?


2)What is OBD 2?   What is OBD in general?   What OBD, if any, did GM cars from 85-90 have?


3)  If no to #1, do you know of any decent programs, schools, classes, shops/dealers or even people i can go to privately who can teach me, thouroughly, about EFI/coil pack setups?

a) i know i could get technician training and then take GM's courses thru their training program but i don't have time for that;  Are there any schools that have, like an open enrollment, that let you take only those courses concerning EFI/coil pack or for that matter any area that you are concerned about?

[VileZambonie]

The only tool that can tell you exactly what's wrong with a car is your brain. There is no electronic or mechanical tool that will tell you definitively what is wrong. What a scan tool does is allows you to see what the computer(s) in the car is seeing from input data. You can also see how it is interpereting that data and what its' output state is doing (like injector pulse width or duty cycle). Diagnostic trouble codes and be retrieved and erased. Bi-directional controls on many scan tools also (like energizing solenoids, injectors, fans etc). If data looks incorrect you need to figure out why. Is it in fact a faulty component? Connections? Wires? Computer? Another device? A fuel management problem? etc etc.

OBD is on board diagnostics. OBDII was mandated for 1996 model year and newer so that all vehicles for US has a common 16 pin data link connector in which generic emissions data can be retreived. GM basically pioneered it and offered data stream from their 12 pin DLC under the dash since about 1981. Ford caught on about 10 years later and now every manufacturer has to offer x amount of data.

What do you want to know about coil packs? Be specific about the vehicle you are talking about.

There are seminars offered to technicians by napa, carquest, etc and there are distance learning classes. www.bergwall.com is an example of where you can get some information that you can pay for. We give bergwall to our students. IATN is another website

[Stewart G Griffin]

The only tool that can tell you exactly what's wrong with a car is your brain.

In that case, i'm basically screwed.
i think my new plan is to basically get a within 5 model year cavalier, cobalt, malibu, aveo etc.  Why within 5 model yrs?  Because apparently dealers and techs can't fix anything older than 5 model years.   And since i don't have time (and more importantly ability) to figure it out on my own, i would and could just take it to the dealer.


2)RE: coil packs.  There is nothing really wrong with my car---yet;  i wanted to be able to understand coil packs to the fullest extent and then be able to diagnoise and then repair any problem quickly that ever cropped up.  But you already answered my question basically.

[VileZambonie]

Everyone needs to find a good technician. They're out there you just have to unfortunately weed through the parts changers first.

[HAULIN IT]

Vile, Did you get their software for the school? I demo'ed that system about a year ago. It seemed like allot of good access to things not found in the cheapy scan tools. What is the going rate at this point...I'm thinking around $800 or so when I looked at it? I had recently updated my OTC unit & it does most of what my "brain" can handle, so I didn't bite. Lorne

[Igosplut]

The only tool that can tell you exactly what's wrong with a car is your brain.

HA!  Best answer.

That unit doesn't look bad for passive use, but I've never looked into any of the lower level stuff either.

Other than what's described, the important thing is comparable info (seeing a sensor output is fine. but with nothing to compare it to how would you know? That and I've see picture-perfect wave patterns from a bad sensor too so...) and operation info (how the component works)

That's where the big money comes in. Add troubleshooting info, then you are really up there (it costs me 850.00 every six months to uprade my Snap-on Modis, beside the 7K plus pricetag).

[VileZambonie]

Personally I have an OTC monitor 2000 but I just gave that away to one of my students since I never use it and I have a Genisys. I also have an auto x-ray that I keep in my jeep.

At the school I have the Snap-on MODIS with all of the scope functions. I also have a Genisys and a Vetronix MasterTech. We purchased the autoenginuity for a lap top specifically for the Toyota Prius. The nice thing is you can get manufacturer specific software with it and although at present I still prefer a handeheld scan tool it is nice and since so many people have lap tops it's a good deal. The program is better than all of the other stuff I've seen on the market thus far for the $$$

[VileZambonie]

The only tool that can tell you exactly what's wrong with a car is your brain.

HA!  Best answer.

That unit doesn't look bad for passive use, but I've never looked into any of the lower level stuff either.

Other than what's described, the important thing is comparable info (seeing a sensor output is fine. but with nothing to compare it to how would you know? That and I've see picture-perfect wave patterns from a bad sensor too so...) and operation info (how the component works)

That's where the big money comes in. Add troubleshooting info, then you are really up there (it costs me 850.00 every six months to uprade my Snap-on Modis, beside the 7K plus pricetag).

I've never needed the trouble-shooter although the "known good" waveforms and patterns are wicked helpful for beginners when using the oscilloscope. I prefer a good information database. Alldata is pretty good and whatever they don't have they usually get me rather quickly.

[Stewart G Griffin]

Let's say, for example--only an example now, that the connectors of the wires leading to the fuel pump and the fuel pump started going bad;  Not the wires and pump themselves, but the connectors.

Will OBD and a scan tool lead me in this direction that something is wrong near the fuel tank.  And, if so, how?


2) Will using a paper clip be good enough for an OBD 1 car, or do i need that funky key thing?


i'm sorry to be so anal about my questions, but i'm in a very bad situation now.  Very long story.  i'm sort of in a "mini GM situation."   You know how gm is in a bad situation?   That's me except on a smaller scale.

[VileZambonie]

Why don't you just post your problem and see if we can help?

You can receive DTC's on GM OBDI vehicles by jumping terminals A&B of the data link connector. No scan tool will trace electrical circuits or connectors. That's the job of the technician using strategy based diagnostics and following wiring diagrams to execute pinpoint tests.