A tech came to me with a P0305 code on a Dodge 1500 pickup with a hemi engine. The Question was, is there a quick way to determine which direction to take in the diagnostic procedure?

Instructor John Thornton presents this in depth comprehensive case study of a 2002 Ford Explorer 4.0L vin E with a misfire at idle speed. John details the use of his scope and pressure transducer to perform a cranking compression test and goes on to point out the various indicators you should be watching your scope pattern for and how to identify problems.

By Jim Wilson. Join Jim as he illustrates how to check Mode $06 data.

By Gary Goms. Although air and fuel filter maintenance is usually considered a “no-brainer” by most import repair shops, advancing technology is changing the way we should be performing air and fuel filter maintenance.

By Jim Taylor. Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), EPA issued a “significant new use rule” (SNUR) at the end of October for the chemical substance identified as 1-Propene, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-. The chemical is also known as HFO-1234yf.

Watch this Tip Clip presented by instructor Mark DeKoster with information you need to know if you perform brake service and repairs. Mark shows us and talks about tips to determine if a rotor is acceptable to be turned and resurfaced, how to best prepare a rotor for being turned and best practices for reinstalling the rotor and other brake parts.

By Scott ‘Gonzo’ Weaver. Ok, you got me … I’m a Flasher … or more to the point a Re-flasher. With today’s cars and components, it’s not uncommon to have to flash some driveability controller or theft system. As an independent shop, most of the re-flashing you can do will be for driveability situations or theft systems. Right now, the federal laws (Clean Air Act) only requires the manufacturer to give access to the “emission” related systems which means, an aftermarket scanner may only be able to provide you with part of a download versus the entire download.

In this fun video clip Jim Linder presents some ‘teknical’ information you need to know if you work with ‘bubbas’.

In this video Tip Clip Bob Pattengale presents information you need to know if you need to perform relearns after replacement of any vehicle components. He talks about how to do the research to determine if a relearn is needed and shows us how to best prepare for the relearn or reprogramming process.

Bob Pattengale demonstrates how to use the National Automotive Service Task Force’s website as a guide for flashing and reprogramming. He shows us how to use the NASTF website to learn how to navigate the OEM sites and prepare you for the job ahead.

By Gary Goms. During the summer, the speedometer on the Taurus would quit on an intermittent basis. Of course, when the speedometer would quit, the automatic transmission would default into an intermediate gear and fail to shift into the higher ranges. Although a local transmission shop installed a new VSS and performed other repairs as well, the Taurus ran only a few days before the problem resurfaced.

By Gary Goms. Although digital storage oscilloscopes or “lab scopes” have now become standard equipment for most modern automotive repair shops, they still possess a mystique that tends to intimidate many technicians. Right off the top, a lab scope is basically a voltmeter that displays voltage signals along a time base. The vertical scale measures the amplitude or amount of the voltage and the horizontal scale measures an incremental time line along which the signals are displayed.

In this video Tip Clip Bill Fulton presents several hands on test you can quickly and easily perform when diagnosing GM Pass Key antitheft issues and problems. Watch this video and learn to use your multimeter to check and diagnose the various components of the antitheft system.

A 2003 Chevy Trailblazer with a rough idle condition comes in for repair with variable cam timing engine with P0106 and P0017 codes. Bill Fulton goes into detail talking about these codes, the conditions that can causes them, and how to complete your diagnostics by using your scope to accurately interpret the related data you get from the scan tool as well as your scope.

By Gary Goms. MIL diagnostics continues to be a “hot” topic for many import shops simply ­because the definition of the word continues to change. Looking at the history of modern vehicle diagnostics, most veteran technicians can remember the days when vehicles had no on-board diagnostic systems and, subsequently, ­required time-consuming pin-out procedures to diagnose electronic systems failures.

By Scott “Gonzo” Weaver. When I was a kid, I saw a movie called the “Juggernaut” with Richard Harris as the main character. It was about a cruise liner that was about to blow up because a terrorist had planted 55 gallon drum bombs all over the ship. The premise of the story line is that Richard Harris was going to save all the people on the ship by defusing the bombs. All through the movie, there were references to the different relays and electrical circuits.

By Tom Ham. What have you done about lost customers? Have you looked extensively at your website lately? Do you have any plans for your sign? Check out the latest Auto Shop Monthly Management Tips from the Automotive Management Network to get inside secrets on managing your shop and increasing your bottom line.

In this clip from the Fuel Pump Manufacturers Council, shot here in the AVI garage and presented by instructor Dave Scaler, we are presented some great ‘must know’ tips regarding fuel pump diagnostics. The clip contains info on voltage drop testing and on car hands on demonstrations.

In this excerpt, Bill Fulton current ramps the fuel pump on a high-mileage 2004 Dodge Status with P0300 and P0171 codes. In doing so, he determines whether there is a weak fuel supply or a bad pump. Watch Now.

In this excerpt, Mike Cleary gives you several quick fixes on various Powerstroke engine problems. Tech tips include 1994 ½ EEC tests, injector spill spouts, camshaft position sensor codes, and dead accelerator pedals. He also covers dual mass flywheels, air cleaner updates, injector replacement procedures, and loose IPR jam nuts, as well as injector performance analyzers, oil consumption, no start relay ratcheting, and much, much more!

By Gary Goms. Right now, the service opportunities lie mainly in the future as hybrids move out of warranty and into the independent service bays. However, it’s entirely realistic to expect hybrids to become a growing part of the automotive service market.

In this tip clip from the Ford Powerstroke 6.0 class Mike Cleary shares some diagnostic procedures that are a shoe-in for profit potential. Fuel in Oil, Inferred EBP, Fuel Filter Replacement and Stiction are just a few of the items diagnosed here. Mike answers these questions with some tips and procedures on how to use your scan tool to aid in your diagnosis.

In this clip instructor Jim Wilson talks about TPMS sensor service tips that will save you time and money by outlining the appropriate tools and procedure you should be using in order to avoid sensor failure.

In the article “Gasoline Direct Injection” in the Winter Issue of the Blend’r, we uncovered the disadvantages of the gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine…

By Gary Goms. Although modern OBD II technology has simplified catalytic converter diagnostics, it’s still important to understand the basics of catalytic converter operation when dealing with a P0420 or P0430 diagnostic trouble code (DTC). DTCs P0420/P0430 indicate that ­catalyst efficiency is below predetermined thresholds on cylinder banks 1 and 2, respectively. In the following text, I’ll explore the basics of catalytic converter chemistry and summarize how common catalytic converter failures can be diagnosed.

Part 3: Precision Low Current Measurements for Driveability Diagnosis. Automotive technicians often use a DMM connected to a clamp-on current probe to measure current flow (amperage) in a circuit. Typical items tested are starter motor draw, blower motor draw and alternator output. The current probe clamps around a wire in the circuit under test and using voltage from its own battery (usually 2 AAA’s or a 9 volt) sends a signal to the DMM. Most current probes output 1mV for each amp detected in the circuit.

By Omar Trinidad. Illustrating the internal operation of a voltmeter while a technician is testing a series circuit with one or two loads is a helpful way to explain how the tool works. We’ll start right off with an example.

Through this case study Bob Augustine brings home a true understanding of why the Diagnostic Process demonstrated in this clip is so important for both time savings and shop profitability.

We are going to do something a little different this time in the Fine Tuning department. We ran into a diagnostic case study you might be interested in. It involved a 2001 Chevrolet Impala with about 40,000 miles on it. The A/C fan and cruise control would intermittently stop working while the customer was driving. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the failure. The vehicle could be driven for days before the problem would occur.

We continue our investigation of engine knock sensors with a look at one and two-wire sensors.

In the previous issue of Counter Point, we discussed the various causes of engine knock. Prior to the age of electronic engine control, an engine designer had a limited number of effective tools to guard against engine knock. Principle among these were combustion chamber design, the octane of the fuel used and mapping of the spark advance curve. The designer couldn’t risk the possibility of engine damage caused by knock, so it was always necessary to keep the engine well short of the point where it might begin. This assured engine longevity, but hurt performance.

Part 2: Analyzing Amperage Results When Testing Ignition Coils with a Low Amp ProbeCheck out Part 2 of Barry Gersten’s Current Ramping series. This time, he covers how to analyze […]

John Thornton discusses a case study about a high milage 1997 Chrysler Concorde with rough idle issues. The vehicle has no codes and the coil, plugs and wires have all been recently replaced. John goes into great detail on how he went about diagnosing the problem by using scan data and waveform analysis.

Dave Hobbs presents an interesting case study of a Chevy Malibu exhibiting battery discharge issues, no start problems and with a B1516 BCM code. Dave discusses the associated TSB and smart charging system components related to this issue.

Engine knock limits performance and can cause permanent damage. This time, we’ll look at its causes.

Under certain conditions, combustion in a spark ignition engine can degrade into an abnormal preignition process that causes a “knocking” or “pinging” sound. This undesirable combustion process limits the engine’s output and specific efficiency levels. It occurs when the fresh air/fuel mixture preignites in spontaneous combustion before being reached by the expanding flame front.