TOP 10 TO OLS
Top driveability
and diagnostics
tools
This dealership-turned-independent
technician shares the top tools he
uses for diagnosing a wide range
of driveability issues.
By Stefanie Von Rueden, Assistant Editor
TECHNICIAN: Brandon Steckler
LOCATION: Whiteland, IN
SHOP: Advanced Automotive
Diagnostics and Repair
Brandon Steckler has been a technician for 18
years. He is a Master Factory Honda Technician with
14 years of dealership experience, and has worked
as an independent tech for four years. He currently
works at a small, full-service shop in Whiteland, Ind.
that specializes in driveability and diagnostics. Steckler
says he enjoys the automotive industry because
it constantly provides new challenges and never
gets monotonous. “The industry is struggling for a
fortitude of sharp technicians, and I feel it’s a duty of
mine to attempt to remain at the forefront of technical
know-how and to empower and educate others
whenever the opportunity presents itself,” he says.
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74 PTEN OCTOBER 2017 VehicleServicePros.com
ALLDATA Repair is an online repair solution that delivers OEM repair information
directly from all manufacturers. “The information is affordable and easy to
access,” Steckler says. “If information is missing, a simple email to the company
will suffi ce, and the information will be sent directly to you via email.”
Circle 190 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
This scan tool offers OEM-specifi c coverage for more than 70 vehicle systems
and can be used for various jobs including hybrids, TPMS, steering and clean
diesels. “I like this tool over some of its more expensive cousins because it has
what I need and none of the other bells and whistles,” Steckler notes.
Circle 191 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
The MODIS Edge is a combination full-function scan tool and scope/graphing
meter. “I still use an older MODIS many times per week,” Steckler says. “It
provides me with a very portable four-channel lab scope for road test
fault captures.”
Circle 192 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
“I use this inexpensive probe in conjunction with my MODIS in a dual-graphing
meter mod," Steckler says. "By monitoring system voltage and battery charging
over time, it reliably detects a defect in the system without needing to drag
over a carbon-pile tester." This probe measures parasitic draw and is designed
to work with all digital multimeters.
Circle 193 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
The EScan Elite turns a laptop into a diagnostic scan tool. “This scan tool will
fi ll cells on a block chart based upon engine speed and load. I can quickly
determine if the cause of the driveability concern is due to a fault related to
fuel delivery, restricted exhaust, engine mechanical faults, vacuum leaks,
unmetered air and even faulty MAF sensors,” Steckler says.
Circle 194 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
This tool is a powerful 16-bit PC-based eight-channel, adjustable dual time
base oscilloscope with complete accessory kit. Steckler says he appreciates that
this scope allows him to test from eight different points simultaneously.
Circle 195 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
This tool allows users to detect pressure changes in the cylinders through the
spark plug hole, and identify misfi ring cylinders from the exhaust tail pipe.
Steckler says he appreciates that these issues can be pinpointed without timeconsuming
disassembly.
Circle 196 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
Steckler likes that this tool offers the functionality of a test light without the
electrical load a test light can carry. “I can safely measure a circuit’s potential at a
specifi c point and also provide a ‘known-good’ power or ground supply to prove
out faults before replacement,” he says.
Circle 197 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
Steckler uses this tool to determine if combustion gases are present in a cooling
system. “I can know, prior to investing in a repair, whether the engine
sustained any damage and prepare my customer accordingly,” Steckler says. "I
also use this tool to determine the functionality of a vehicle’s ability to control
fuel/feedback.
Circle 198 on card, or enter at “e-inquiry” on VehicleServicePros.com
"The Automotive Technician (TaT) MyScan software* provides me with a very
inexpensive and effi cient means of accurately calculating the point of a fault in
a 720-degree engine cycle, as well as the duration of the fault,” Steckler says.
“The piston charts provide a means to determine what is going on inside the
engine from the aspect of any cylinder at any point in time during the
engine cycle.”
*Note: This software is no longer available in the U.S.
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