INFORMATION FOR THE PROFESSIONAL AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR TECHNICIAN JANUARY 1998 V O L . 1 1 N O . 1 Special New Products 1 9 9 8 January 1998 Vol. 11 No. 1 A GEMINI COMMUNICATIONS PUBLICATION Christopher M. Ayers, Jr. President/Publisher Karl Seyfert ASE Master Technician Editor Vince Fischelli Electronics Editor Diagnostic Sam Bell Randy Bernklau Lester Bravek Pat Etzwiler 8 Chip Keen Tools Jorge Menchu Paul Weissler Joe Woods What’s Contributing Editors N e w Michele Meeker Production Manager with Sandy Alexander Toollss Circulation Director Too Lori Scanlon 20 General Manager Tim Leiher Equipment Design Consultant Shop Accessories Editorial, Circulation, 32 Advertising Sales, and Business office: IMPORT SERVICE MAGAZINE 306 North Cleveland-Massillon Road Akron, Ohio 44333-9302 Phone: 330-666-9553 Information Fax: 330-666-8912 C nne tio If you have a letter to the editor, o c n a tech tip, or a story idea, you can reach 36 the editors using the above information, or via e-mail at <[email protected]>. Import Service (ISSN 0896-5722) is published monthly by Gemini Communications, Inc., 306 North Cleveland-Massillon Road, Akron, Ohio 44333. Periodicals postage paid Parts Parts and Parts at Akron, Ohio and at additional mailing offices. Title registered U.S. Patent Office. Copyright © 1998 40 Gemini Communications, Inc. No part of any page may be reproduced with- out permission of the publisher. The DEPARTMENTS publisher and editors of this maga- zine accept no responsibility for state- Editor’s Notes 6 ments made by advertisers herein or for the opinions expressed by authors Tech Tips 18 of bylined articles or contributed text. Price per copy: $5.75 includes Classified Advertising 55 postage and handling. Subscriptions: $48 per year; Canada, $52; foreign, $87 payable in advance. Advertisers’ Index 58 Postmaster: Send address changes to Import Service, Circulation Dept., 306 North Cleveland-Massillon Road, Cover photo courtesy of Raytek. Akron, Ohio 44333-9302. 4 January 1998 , editor s notes What will the hadn’t changed all that much from my grandfather’s technician’s tool box day. Sure, we had large roll around engine analyzers of tomorrow look and other diagnostic equipment in the shop that like and what will it might have looked strange to him. But the most contain? That ques- sophisticated piece of diagnostic equipment in my tion popped into my first tool box was a hand-held analog combination head when I woke dwell-volt-ohm meter. Just about all the diagnostic up in the middle of work I was capable of doing at that time could be the night last night accomplished with that piece of equipment. When and reminded myself I started doing starter and alternator repairs, I that I needed some- added an analog volt-ohm-amp meter to my thing to write about diagnostic arsenal. for this month’s Any self-respecting futurist worth his salt could “Editor’s Notes.” This probably tell you where this trend has been leading month’s issue con- us. While I started out taking things apart and tains so much infor- putting them back together just like my grandfather, mation about new an increasingly large percentage of my later years as tools and equipment a working technician were spent determining which and I’ve been immersed in it for quite a while, so I guess things needed to be to be taken apart and determin- you could say I’ve got tools on the brain. ing why they needed to be taken apart in the first One way to imagine the future is to look at the place. It was no longer safe to assume that something past. I’m sure the technician’s tool box of tomorrow needed to be taken apart just because it had covered won’t contain the same tools my grandfather’s tool a certain number of miles or had been in service for box contained. I still have a set of his Snap-on sock- a certain period of time. Things weren’t expected to ets and one of his early Snap-on ratchets that he gave break or need service, so when they did, finding out to me about 30 years ago. It was during his years as why could be a challenge indeed. a mechanic in the early part of this century that Today, diagnostic tools are the tools that most Snap-on made their first removable sockets, exten- every working technician wants to learn about. New sion, and ratchets. sets of shiny wrenches and brightly colored screw- It’s probably safe to assume that the very name drivers and pliers still hold their appeal, but they “Snap-on” was derived from these new tools’ ability can’t help us answer the who, what, when, where to snap on and off the various ratchets and exten- and how questions that keep us awake at night. All sions that were made available by the company back we can reasonably expect them to do is help us then. Before this seemingly simple innovation, quickly and safely take things apart and put them mechanics of the day had to rely on individual back together again once we have discovered the wrenches and socket spanners to tighten and loosen reason behind the problem. When you think about fasteners. The concept of quickly interchangeable it, that’s no small task. Just imagine getting through tools must have seemed like a great leap forward in your work day without your sockets, extension, convenience and versatility to my grandfather and and ratchets. his co-workers. As many of the new tools in this issue demon- According to my grandfather’s recollections, a strate, the contents of the technician’s tool box of the large percentage of his work days were consumed future will be interesting indeed. As an example, a with taking things apart and putting them back shop owner of my acquaintance recently told me he together again. That’s because cars of his era needed had used a boroscope to diagnose a damaged piston a ton of maintenance by today’s standards. The stan- and cylinder wall, without dismantling anything dards of longevity that we have come to expect from more than a single spark plug. Then he showed me our present day cars just didn’t exist back then. photographs documenting his recently completed Owners fully expected frequent oil changes and lube successful knee surgery utilizing a similar device. jobs, engine overhauls, transmission rebuilds, and My prediction for the future is that ever more pow- clutch and brake relines. More often than not, those erful diagnostic equipment will fight for drawer who ignored the maintenance their vehicles space alongside the sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and required ended up visiting the Ford garage where screwdrivers that we’ll continue to need well into my grandfather worked with their vehicles following the next century. With any luck, the cost of these a tow truck. new tools will remain within the reach of all techni- I can thank my grandfather for the arrangement of cians and shop owners who have the intelligence, genes that makes me want to take broken things dedication, and training to use them. apart and put them back together again. By the time I inevitably got into the car repair business, things —By Karl Seyfert 6 January 1998 Diagnostic Tools Import Service is venturing into new terrain with this, the first issue for 1998. As you will see as you leaf through the magazine, we’ve gathered a large sampling of information on many new pieces of diagnostic equipment, general tools, shop equipment, information sources, and vehicle parts. While we have always provided you with these kinds of information in smaller doses in the “Information Station” and “Odds ‘N Trends” departments in the magazine, this is the first time we have devoted an entire issue to informing you of what’s new and exciting out there. Before we go any further, we would like to thank System Analyzer from ABW (Circle No. 325), the the many manufacturers and suppliers who ScopeMeter Series II from Fluke (Circle No. 326), responded to our requests for information about the Personal Automotive Computer (PAC) from their products and services. After perusing this Snap-on and Edge Diagnostics (Circle No. 327), the issue, if you have a further interest in any of the Vantage MT2400 Power Graphing Meter from Snap- items you will find displayed, you are encouraged on (Circle No. 328, and the Engine Analysis System to use the Reader Response Cards that may be found from CODA (Circle No. 329). between pages 42 and 43 of the magazine. Any of We’ll give you a general idea of each tool’s capa- the companies that are listed on these pages would bilities, but we promise a more in-depth discussion be glad to hear from you, and may be able to provide in coming months. Next month, we plan to intro- you with additional information. duce a new feature called “Test Bench,” which will We’ll begin our new product coverage with a feature a thorough analysis and use of a single piece description of several pieces of diagnostic equip- of diagnostic equipment. We’ll give you the infor- ment. It’s a rather varied lot, with everything from mation you will need to make your equipment buy- exhaust emission analyzers to cooling system ing decisions a little easier. testers. The group includes the ADL 7100 Lab Scope from UEI (Circle No. 324), the Model 70600 Cooling —Import Service 8 January 1998 If you are familiar with the Snap-on LS-2000, the ADL 7100 In addition to the standard memory card that covers secondary Lab Scope from UEI should look pretty familiar to you.