http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 Most Recent Submissions from bwrench on AutoPro Workshop Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:40:47 GMT Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:40:47 GMT mwillins@advanstar.com (AutoBizGuru) mwillins@advanstar.com (AutoBizGuru) KickApps Feed Builder 2011-07-17T01:40:47Z 45 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=31710&includeVideo=on&includeAudio=on&includePhoto=on&includeBlog=on&sortType=recent 0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_9th-Annual-Technicians-campout/blog/4882449/31710.html [image]Last week My wife Alice and I hosted the 9th annual Great Northwest iATN technicians campout. We had a great time with around 30 people attending for the week. 10 years ago Alice and I got an idea of having a bunch of Auto techs come to our house and spend a few days discussing what we do and how we do it and it has worked out quite well. The first year[image] we had Technicians from California, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, British Columbia and Washington State in our back yard for a week. This year they came from as far away as Florida and Australia. We have a lot of social time, but we also have a lot of time for technicians to talk about what we do best, diagnose and fix cars. Nothing is said about doing brakes and coolant flushes, but when it comes to the use of a lab scope or a scan tool is when the minds start working. Over the years we have made some very good friends from across the country and around the world and it sure is good to see how our family grows and changes from year to year. Some of the families bring their kids, some bring their dogs and cats and we have fun talking technical stuff, playing together, telling stories, sitting around the campfire and eating together. My wife Alice has a great time doing the food shopping for the event. This gives her the thrill of power shopping, where she can take the van to town and fill it up with food. This takes more than one van load, so Alice is one happy gal before it’s all over. Pe[image]ople arrive in cars, motorcycles & motorhomes and spend a week in our front yard ready to share with each other, make new friends, and build relationships with each other.  [image][image] [image]Last week My wife Alice and I hosted the 9th annual Great Northwest iATN technicians campout. We had a great time with around 30 people attending for the week. 10 years ago Alice and I got an idea of having a bunch of Auto techs come to our house and spend a few days discussing what we do and how we do it and it has worked out quite well. The first year[image] we had Technicians from California, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, British Columbia and Washington State in our back yard for a week. This year they came from as far away as Florida and Australia. We have a lot of social time, but we also have a lot of time for technicians to talk about what we do best, diagnose and fix cars. Nothing is said about doing brakes and coolant flushes, but when it comes to the use of a lab scope or a scan tool is when the minds start working. Over the years we have made some very good friends from across the country and around the world and it sure is good to see how our family grows and changes from year to year. Some of the families bring their kids, some bring their dogs and cats and we have fun talking technical stuff, playing together, telling stories, sitting around the campfire and eating together. My wife Alice has a great time doing the food shopping for the event. This gives her the thrill of power shopping, where she can take the van to town and fill it up with food. This takes more than one van load, so Alice is one happy gal before it’s all over. Pe[image]ople arrive in cars, motorcycles & motorhomes and spend a week in our front yard ready to share with each other, make new friends, and build relationships with each other.  [image][image] Sun, 17 Jul 2011 01:40:47 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_9th-Annual-Technicians-campout/blog/4882449/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-17T01:40:47Z AutoPro Workshop [image]Last week My wife Alice and I hosted the 9th annual Great Northwest iATN technicians campout. We had a great time with around 30 people attending for the week. 10 years ago Alice and I got an idea of having a bunch of Auto techs come to our house and spend a few days discussing what we do and how we do it and it has worked out quite well. The first year[image] we had Technicians from California, Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, British Columbia and Washington State in our back yard for a week. This year they came from as far away as Florida and Australia. We have a lot of social time, but we also have a lot of time for technicians to talk about what we do best, diagnose and fix cars. Nothing is said about doing brakes and coolant flushes, but when it comes to the use of a lab scope or a scan tool is when the minds start working. Over the years we have made some very good friends from across the country and around the world and it sure is good to see how our family grows and changes from year to year. Some of the families bring their kids, some bring their dogs and cats and we have fun talking technical stuff, playing together, telling stories, sitting around the campfire and eating together. My wife Alice has a great time doing the food shopping for the event. This gives her the thrill of power shopping, where she can take the van to town and fill it up with food. This takes more than one van load, so Alice is one happy gal before it’s all over. Pe[image]ople arrive in cars, motorcycles & motorhomes and spend a week in our front yard ready to share with each other, make new friends, and build relationships with each other.  [image][image] nonadult false 9th Annual Technicians campout text blog 819 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 4882449 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_building-a-plug-in-electric-car/photo/14522974/31710.html The need for more power on an electric vehicle The need for more power on an electric vehicle Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:32:04 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_building-a-plug-in-electric-car/photo/14522974/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-17T00:32:04Z AutoPro Workshop The need for more power on an electric vehicle nonadult false building a plug in electric car photo 1072 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14522974 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_GNW-campout/set/114126/31710.html Great Northwest campout Great Northwest campout Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:49 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_GNW-campout/set/114126/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:49Z AutoPro Workshop Great Northwest campout nonadult false GNW campout set 966 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 114126 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_airbag-liftoff/photo/14523068/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:44 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_airbag-liftoff/photo/14523068/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:44Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false airbag liftoff photo 723 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523068 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Donald-gets-a-ride/photo/14523070/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:44 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Donald-gets-a-ride/photo/14523070/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:44Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false Donald gets a ride photo 982 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523070 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_loaded-and-ready-to-go/photo/14523072/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:44 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_loaded-and-ready-to-go/photo/14523072/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:44Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false loaded and ready to go photo 1470 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523072 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_river-rafting/photo/14523074/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:44 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_river-rafting/photo/14523074/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:44Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false river rafting photo 1272 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523074 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_campout-group/photo/14523062/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:43 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_campout-group/photo/14523062/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:43Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false campout group photo 942 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523062 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_good-food/photo/14523064/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:43 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_good-food/photo/14523064/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:43Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false good food photo 723 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523064 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_kids-play-time/photo/14523066/31710.html Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:49:43 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_kids-play-time/photo/14523066/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:49:43Z AutoPro Workshop nonadult false kids play time photo 934 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14523066 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_relaxing/photo/14522990/31710.html some people relaxed some people relaxed Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:35:01 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_relaxing/photo/14522990/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-16T20:35:01Z AutoPro Workshop some people relaxed nonadult false relaxing photo 842 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14522990 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_known-good-fuel-trim-data/photo/14470071/31710.html known good fuel trim data known good fuel trim data Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:20:23 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_known-good-fuel-trim-data/photo/14470071/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-10T20:20:23Z AutoPro Workshop known good fuel trim data nonadult false known good fuel trim data photo 554 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14470071 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_fuel-trim-data/photo/14470056/31710.html desired pids to test for engine fuel/air ratio problems. desired pids to test for engine fuel/air ratio problems. Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:17:34 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_fuel-trim-data/photo/14470056/31710.html bwrench 2011-07-10T20:17:34Z AutoPro Workshop desired pids to test for engine fuel/air ratio problems. nonadult false fuel trim data photo 228 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 14470056 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Have-a-great-July-4th/blog/4483034/31710.html   It’s only a birthday!! Yup, that is all it is. July 4th  of 1776 was when it was born. “The United States of America”, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Yes, that is what it was and is. “The greatest nation on the face of the earth” sure has a nice ring to it. Please stop and ponder just how this nation got to be the greatest. It all got started with a few people that wanted to be free. It all started many years before 1776 rolled around. These people were not afraid to give, to share, to band together for what they believed in and what they wanted to leave to their children and their grand children. Freedom. Yes, that was it, but how did we get it? Well, the way I understand from what I learned about our history, these people were givers, hard working people with a vision. They were not afraid to give, and to most of them, that meant giving their fortunes, families and even their lives so that their descendants might be free. That same vision must be in and on our minds even in this day if we are to remain free. In our past, our young men and women have gone to distant lands to fight for our freedom and even today, our young men and women are still at it, fighting and dying, so that we might remain free. This is but a small part of freedom. We at home have a lot to do too. We have families to raise, grand children to nurture and guide, and our elderly to take care of. We have the young to mentor and teach how to work and how to live. Just because some of us are out of school, and have our families raised is no reason to sit idle and watch the world pass by on the street.  The experience , knowledge, and wisdom of our mature generation is a priceless heritage that we should not forget. This valuable resource should be passed on to our younger generations, lest they forget where they came from and where they should go.  This training should not stop with just work ethics either. Where do qualities like “honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic come from’? If you stop and ponder this question, you will come to the realization that these values come from the Bible. These are the qualities that are slowly slipping away in our culture and in it’s place creeps in crime and civil disobedience. As we slip away from the teachings of the Bible, so we slowly loose our freedoms. As we celebrate our nations birthday I would ask that you keep where we came from and where we are going in mind. Drive safely, think of the other person first, and do something kind for your neighbor. Have a very good summer and a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!     It’s only a birthday!! Yup, that is all it is. July 4th  of 1776 was when it was born. “The United States of America”, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Yes, that is what it was and is. “The greatest nation on the face of the earth” sure has a nice ring to it. Please stop and ponder just how this nation got to be the greatest. It all got started with a few people that wanted to be free. It all started many years before 1776 rolled around. These people were not afraid to give, to share, to band together for what they believed in and what they wanted to leave to their children and their grand children. Freedom. Yes, that was it, but how did we get it? Well, the way I understand from what I learned about our history, these people were givers, hard working people with a vision. They were not afraid to give, and to most of them, that meant giving their fortunes, families and even their lives so that their descendants might be free. That same vision must be in and on our minds even in this day if we are to remain free. In our past, our young men and women have gone to distant lands to fight for our freedom and even today, our young men and women are still at it, fighting and dying, so that we might remain free. This is but a small part of freedom. We at home have a lot to do too. We have families to raise, grand children to nurture and guide, and our elderly to take care of. We have the young to mentor and teach how to work and how to live. Just because some of us are out of school, and have our families raised is no reason to sit idle and watch the world pass by on the street.  The experience , knowledge, and wisdom of our mature generation is a priceless heritage that we should not forget. This valuable resource should be passed on to our younger generations, lest they forget where they came from and where they should go.  This training should not stop with just work ethics either. Where do qualities like “honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic come from’? If you stop and ponder this question, you will come to the realization that these values come from the Bible. These are the qualities that are slowly slipping away in our culture and in it’s place creeps in crime and civil disobedience. As we slip away from the teachings of the Bible, so we slowly loose our freedoms. As we celebrate our nations birthday I would ask that you keep where we came from and where we are going in mind. Drive safely, think of the other person first, and do something kind for your neighbor. Have a very good summer and a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!   Mon, 27 Jun 2011 05:12:50 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Have-a-great-July-4th/blog/4483034/31710.html bwrench 2011-06-27T05:12:50Z AutoPro Workshop   It’s only a birthday!! Yup, that is all it is. July 4th  of 1776 was when it was born. “The United States of America”, the greatest nation on the face of the earth. Yes, that is what it was and is. “The greatest nation on the face of the earth” sure has a nice ring to it. Please stop and ponder just how this nation got to be the greatest. It all got started with a few people that wanted to be free. It all started many years before 1776 rolled around. These people were not afraid to give, to share, to band together for what they believed in and what they wanted to leave to their children and their grand children. Freedom. Yes, that was it, but how did we get it? Well, the way I understand from what I learned about our history, these people were givers, hard working people with a vision. They were not afraid to give, and to most of them, that meant giving their fortunes, families and even their lives so that their descendants might be free. That same vision must be in and on our minds even in this day if we are to remain free. In our past, our young men and women have gone to distant lands to fight for our freedom and even today, our young men and women are still at it, fighting and dying, so that we might remain free. This is but a small part of freedom. We at home have a lot to do too. We have families to raise, grand children to nurture and guide, and our elderly to take care of. We have the young to mentor and teach how to work and how to live. Just because some of us are out of school, and have our families raised is no reason to sit idle and watch the world pass by on the street.  The experience , knowledge, and wisdom of our mature generation is a priceless heritage that we should not forget. This valuable resource should be passed on to our younger generations, lest they forget where they came from and where they should go.  This training should not stop with just work ethics either. Where do qualities like “honesty, integrity, and a strong work ethic come from’? If you stop and ponder this question, you will come to the realization that these values come from the Bible. These are the qualities that are slowly slipping away in our culture and in it’s place creeps in crime and civil disobedience. As we slip away from the teachings of the Bible, so we slowly loose our freedoms. As we celebrate our nations birthday I would ask that you keep where we came from and where we are going in mind. Drive safely, think of the other person first, and do something kind for your neighbor. Have a very good summer and a happy and safe 4th of July celebration!   nonadult false Have a great July 4th!! text blog 507 1 5.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 4483034 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Relative-compression/photo/13537352/31710.html Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine Sun, 10 Apr 2011 11:33:36 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Relative-compression/photo/13537352/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T11:33:36Z AutoPro Workshop Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine nonadult false Relative compression photo 1631 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 13537352 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Bank-1-running-comprssion/photo/13537224/31710.html Compression on start up and idle on cylinder bank #1 of a 3.5 Isuzu engin Compression on start up and idle on cylinder bank #1 of a 3.5 Isuzu engin Sun, 10 Apr 2011 07:11:04 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Bank-1-running-comprssion/photo/13537224/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T07:11:04Z AutoPro Workshop Compression on start up and idle on cylinder bank #1 of a 3.5 Isuzu engin nonadult false Bank 1 running comprssion photo 1527 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Dryden 98821 0 0 13537224 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Misfiring-Isuzu/blog/3449174/31710.html   It has been a while since I have posted here. I have been a little busy with training and traveling. A few days ago I got a mobile diagnostic call that I thought was interesting and would like to share. The vehicle was a 2000 Isuzu trooper with the 3.5 engine. The problem was constant misfires on bank 2 (left engine bank) The tech that called told me that it had good compression on both banks, good spark on both banks and good fuel supply on both banks. I started to ask a few questions, and the only reply I got was, can you come here and find out what is wrong?               Now how hard can a misfire diagnosis be any way, after all we only need fuel, spark, compression and the ability to move air through the engine to have a running engine.               I arrived at the shop to find the wonderful Isuzu sitting outside with the hood open, and the negative battery cable unhooked. Ok, so how hard can a misfire diagnosis be? There is no need to hook up the Tech2, since there is no data stored in the computer, so I hooked up the battery cable, and started the engine. When cranking, it sounded a little funny, then the engine roared to life, and sure enough, it sort of sounded like it was misfireing, although a V6 engine that is only firing on one bank, still sounds smooth although it is a little sluggish when the throttle is snapped, well, it is a little more than a little sluggish, it is a whole lot sluggish. When I snapped the throttle, this one it was not all that sluggish, but hey it has a misfiring complaint, so let’s get started hooking up some diagnostic equipment.               I have learned in this diagnostic business to NEVER trust any testing that has already been done, since if the testing done was accurate, I would not have been called in to find what the problem is. This vehicle would have been a good candidate to hook a 5 gas up to, but I was not packing the tool on this job, so I elected to use my scope and some of my high dollar toys on this one. I only had about an hour to find the problem, since I had a meeting scheduled that I had to attend. [image]                 I started out by pulling a spark plug from cylinder #1 and screwing a pressure transducer in the hole, I hooked a spark tester on a plug lead to the coil so I could have a timing reference and I also want to verify correct spark timing. Figure 1 shows the cranking and running compression. Cranking compression was 200 PSI, and running about 105 PSI, which is where it is supposed to be. I also noticed that the ignition was happening every time the piston came to the top. This ion sense ignition is not supposed to work that way. The ignition coil is supposed to be pulsed every [image]time the piston is at the top of its stroke, until the Ion sense system verifies where compression is and then it only fires the coil on the compression stroke. The waveform shows that the Ion sense system is not able to verify compression.               The pressure transducer was moved to cylinder #2 and the compression and spark were again captured. The waveform on bank 2 is identical to bank 1, which tells me that the valves are working properly and that the engine us pumping air. I also grabbed injector current on bank 2, which told me that the injectors were being pulsed. This engine does have compression, spark, fuel and is pumping air on both banks, but why are misfires being recorded on cylinders 2,4 & 6? Oh, I did hook up my Tech 2 and monitor misfires.[image]             The next scope hookup was to do a relative compression test. I hooked a current probe to the negative battery cable, triggered my scope from the #1 spark plug, mashed the throttle to the floor and gave the engine a crank. The waveform tells it all. Take a close look at the relative compression waveform and you will only see three compression humps in one compression cycle of the engine (two revolutions of the crankshaft). What, we only have a three cylinder engine? How can this be? What would happen if the bank 2 camshaft had been turned 180 degrees out of time when the timing belt was put on? Aaah now we have a 6 piston three cylinder engine?[image]             All of the testing with mechanical testing equipment did not find this problem. The labscope, expensive toys and a good theory of operation found the direction to the real problem.          This is one case study from the "Driveability from the front seat" class that will be held in Newark Deleware on May 1 2011. https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1IlGMpkqqQqO5OuVMgneE5Itmd6dsVQ7psPNw1tej3U4              It has been a while since I have posted here. I have been a little busy with training and traveling. A few days ago I got a mobile diagnostic call that I thought was interesting and would like to share. The vehicle was a 2000 Isuzu trooper with the 3.5 engine. The problem was constant misfires on bank 2 (left engine bank) The tech that called told me that it had good compression on both banks, good spark on both banks and good fuel supply on both banks. I started to ask a few questions, and the only reply I got was, can you come here and find out what is wrong?               Now how hard can a misfire diagnosis be any way, after all we only need fuel, spark, compression and the ability to move air through the engine to have a running engine.               I arrived at the shop to find the wonderful Isuzu sitting outside with the hood open, and the negative battery cable unhooked. Ok, so how hard can a misfire diagnosis be? There is no need to hook up the Tech2, since there is no data stored in the computer, so I hooked up the battery cable, and started the engine. When cranking, it sounded a little funny, then the engine roared to life, and sure enough, it sort of sounded like it was misfireing, although a V6 engine that is only firing on one bank, still sounds smooth although it is a little sluggish when the throttle is snapped, well, it is a little more than a little sluggish, it is a whole lot sluggish. When I snapped the throttle, this one it was not all that sluggish, but hey it has a misfiring complaint, so let’s get started hooking up some diagnostic equipment.               I have learned in this diagnostic business to NEVER trust any testing that has already been done, since if the testing done was accurate, I would not have been called in to find what the problem is. This vehicle would have been a good candidate to hook a 5 gas up to, but I was not packing the tool on this job, so I elected to use my scope and some of my high dollar toys on this one. I only had about an hour to find the problem, since I had a meeting scheduled that I had to attend. [image]                 I started out by pulling a spark plug from cylinder #1 and screwing a pressure transducer in the hole, I hooked a spark tester on a plug lead to the coil so I could have a timing reference and I also want to verify correct spark timing. Figure 1 shows the cranking and running compression. Cranking compression was 200 PSI, and running about 105 PSI, which is where it is supposed to be. I also noticed that the ignition was happening every time the piston came to the top. This ion sense ignition is not supposed to work that way. The ignition coil is supposed to be pulsed every [image]time the piston is at the top of its stroke, until the Ion sense system verifies where compression is and then it only fires the coil on the compression stroke. The waveform shows that the Ion sense system is not able to verify compression.               The pressure transducer was moved to cylinder #2 and the compression and spark were again captured. The waveform on bank 2 is identical to bank 1, which tells me that the valves are working properly and that the engine us pumping air. I also grabbed injector current on bank 2, which told me that the injectors were being pulsed. This engine does have compression, spark, fuel and is pumping air on both banks, but why are misfires being recorded on cylinders 2,4 & 6? Oh, I did hook up my Tech 2 and monitor misfires.[image]             The next scope hookup was to do a relative compression test. I hooked a current probe to the negative battery cable, triggered my scope from the #1 spark plug, mashed the throttle to the floor and gave the engine a crank. The waveform tells it all. Take a close look at the relative compression waveform and you will only see three compression humps in one compression cycle of the engine (two revolutions of the crankshaft). What, we only have a three cylinder engine? How can this be? What would happen if the bank 2 camshaft had been turned 180 degrees out of time when the timing belt was put on? Aaah now we have a 6 piston three cylinder engine?[image]             All of the testing with mechanical testing equipment did not find this problem. The labscope, expensive toys and a good theory of operation found the direction to the real problem.          This is one case study from the "Driveability from the front seat" class that will be held in Newark Deleware on May 1 2011. https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1IlGMpkqqQqO5OuVMgneE5Itmd6dsVQ7psPNw1tej3U4            Sun, 10 Apr 2011 04:04:12 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Misfiring-Isuzu/blog/3449174/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T04:04:12Z AutoPro Workshop   It has been a while since I have posted here. I have been a little busy with training and traveling. A few days ago I got a mobile diagnostic call that I thought was interesting and would like to share. The vehicle was a 2000 Isuzu trooper with the 3.5 engine. The problem was constant misfires on bank 2 (left engine bank) The tech that called told me that it had good compression on both banks, good spark on both banks and good fuel supply on both banks. I started to ask a few questions, and the only reply I got was, can you come here and find out what is wrong?               Now how hard can a misfire diagnosis be any way, after all we only need fuel, spark, compression and the ability to move air through the engine to have a running engine.               I arrived at the shop to find the wonderful Isuzu sitting outside with the hood open, and the negative battery cable unhooked. Ok, so how hard can a misfire diagnosis be? There is no need to hook up the Tech2, since there is no data stored in the computer, so I hooked up the battery cable, and started the engine. When cranking, it sounded a little funny, then the engine roared to life, and sure enough, it sort of sounded like it was misfireing, although a V6 engine that is only firing on one bank, still sounds smooth although it is a little sluggish when the throttle is snapped, well, it is a little more than a little sluggish, it is a whole lot sluggish. When I snapped the throttle, this one it was not all that sluggish, but hey it has a misfiring complaint, so let’s get started hooking up some diagnostic equipment.               I have learned in this diagnostic business to NEVER trust any testing that has already been done, since if the testing done was accurate, I would not have been called in to find what the problem is. This vehicle would have been a good candidate to hook a 5 gas up to, but I was not packing the tool on this job, so I elected to use my scope and some of my high dollar toys on this one. I only had about an hour to find the problem, since I had a meeting scheduled that I had to attend. [image]                 I started out by pulling a spark plug from cylinder #1 and screwing a pressure transducer in the hole, I hooked a spark tester on a plug lead to the coil so I could have a timing reference and I also want to verify correct spark timing. Figure 1 shows the cranking and running compression. Cranking compression was 200 PSI, and running about 105 PSI, which is where it is supposed to be. I also noticed that the ignition was happening every time the piston came to the top. This ion sense ignition is not supposed to work that way. The ignition coil is supposed to be pulsed every [image]time the piston is at the top of its stroke, until the Ion sense system verifies where compression is and then it only fires the coil on the compression stroke. The waveform shows that the Ion sense system is not able to verify compression.               The pressure transducer was moved to cylinder #2 and the compression and spark were again captured. The waveform on bank 2 is identical to bank 1, which tells me that the valves are working properly and that the engine us pumping air. I also grabbed injector current on bank 2, which told me that the injectors were being pulsed. This engine does have compression, spark, fuel and is pumping air on both banks, but why are misfires being recorded on cylinders 2,4 & 6? Oh, I did hook up my Tech 2 and monitor misfires.[image]             The next scope hookup was to do a relative compression test. I hooked a current probe to the negative battery cable, triggered my scope from the #1 spark plug, mashed the throttle to the floor and gave the engine a crank. The waveform tells it all. Take a close look at the relative compression waveform and you will only see three compression humps in one compression cycle of the engine (two revolutions of the crankshaft). What, we only have a three cylinder engine? How can this be? What would happen if the bank 2 camshaft had been turned 180 degrees out of time when the timing belt was put on? Aaah now we have a 6 piston three cylinder engine?[image]             All of the testing with mechanical testing equipment did not find this problem. The labscope, expensive toys and a good theory of operation found the direction to the real problem.          This is one case study from the "Driveability from the front seat" class that will be held in Newark Deleware on May 1 2011. https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1IlGMpkqqQqO5OuVMgneE5Itmd6dsVQ7psPNw1tej3U4            nonadult false Misfiring Isuzu text blog 3074 2 5.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 2 0 3449174 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Rlative-compression/photo/13537359/31710.html Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:36:00 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Rlative-compression/photo/13537359/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T03:36:00Z AutoPro Workshop Relative compression 3.5 Isuzu engine nonadult false Rlative compression photo 353 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Dryden 98821 0 0 13537359 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_bank-2-running-compression/photo/13537248/31710.html bank 3 running compression zoom bank 3 running compression zoom Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:16:25 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_bank-2-running-compression/photo/13537248/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T03:16:25Z AutoPro Workshop bank 3 running compression zoom nonadult false bank 2 running compression photo 1585 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 13537248 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Bank-1-zoom/photo/13537237/31710.html Zoom on compression of bank 1 Zoom on compression of bank 1 Sun, 10 Apr 2011 03:12:21 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Bank-1-zoom/photo/13537237/31710.html bwrench 2011-04-10T03:12:21Z AutoPro Workshop Zoom on compression of bank 1 nonadult false Bank #1 zoom photo 1487 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 13537237 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Tooling-Invesement-training/blog/3211408/31710.html Tooling, Investment & Training During the Christmas/New Year’s holidays, I got to thinking about spring training. As I think back over the years I have gone to a lot of classes, and spent a lot of money and time sitting in classrooms. I have also bought a lot of airline tickets and hotel rooms to attend many of these classes. Every week most shops will get a visit from a tool truck or two. I have always liked browsing the tool trucks with all of the nice shiny tools. Looking at tools just makes my mind wander and I must stop and ask myself, do I really need that new tool? Why do I want that tool, do I have a need for that tool and why do we make the investment in the shiny toys? I hear techs talking about their tools and some will say they have $30,000 invested, some will say they have $60,000 invested, but do you ever hear technicians talking about their investment in training? Stop and think about these two things, training and tooling. Can we fix cars without tools? Can we fix cars without training? I think that the answer would be a “YES” to both, the real question would be, how fast, efficient and good can cars be fixed without either of these two very essential ingredients to car repair. If we stop and think about tooling and training, both are an investment. The tooling is real easy to invest in, since when a tool is purchased, it can be seen, held in our hands and used. Training is a little different, we can’t hold it, see it, feel it, all we can do is to use it and see the effects of the training on the quality of work that we produce, and the added production that the training brings. Oh I guess we also get a certificate to hang on the office wall too. It might be good to stop and ask ourselves, which is the better investment, the tooling or the training. Over the years my wife and I have spent a lot of hours marketing and organizing training for our local area. At times the hours drag on; many times the phone calls are answered with excuses which seem to be in abundance. I think my wife could write a book about excuses, they range from, “we are too busy and can’t take the time, things are so slow, we can’t afford it, money is tight, I am going on vacation and that is taking all of my expendable income, and by far the best of them all, I have six kids to feed. So spring training is just around the corner. There are some great training events scattered around the country. February 11& 12 in Grand Rapids Michigan, February 18 & 19 in Schaumberg Illinois http://avtechexpo.com/2011/documents/TechExpo_2011.pdf March 3-6 in Kansas City. 4 days of great training. http://www.visionkc.com/ March 11-13 in Seattle 3 days of great training. http://www.atetrainingexpo.com/ March 25-27 in Greenville Sc. 3 great days of training http://www.starsevent.com/default.htm All of these training events have some very reasonable training. This year I have the honor of teaching classes on fuel trim analysis at both of the Bumper to Bumper training events. I will also be teaching fuel trim analysis and diesel fuel injection systems at the ASA Washington ATE training event. Vision has some great trainers, so I will be setting in classes in Kansas City. This is going to make for two very busy months, but the investment will be worth every cent invested. Is there any difference between  investing in tooling or training? I look forward meeting some of you folks this spring.   Tooling, Investment & Training During the Christmas/New Year’s holidays, I got to thinking about spring training. As I think back over the years I have gone to a lot of classes, and spent a lot of money and time sitting in classrooms. I have also bought a lot of airline tickets and hotel rooms to attend many of these classes. Every week most shops will get a visit from a tool truck or two. I have always liked browsing the tool trucks with all of the nice shiny tools. Looking at tools just makes my mind wander and I must stop and ask myself, do I really need that new tool? Why do I want that tool, do I have a need for that tool and why do we make the investment in the shiny toys? I hear techs talking about their tools and some will say they have $30,000 invested, some will say they have $60,000 invested, but do you ever hear technicians talking about their investment in training? Stop and think about these two things, training and tooling. Can we fix cars without tools? Can we fix cars without training? I think that the answer would be a “YES” to both, the real question would be, how fast, efficient and good can cars be fixed without either of these two very essential ingredients to car repair. If we stop and think about tooling and training, both are an investment. The tooling is real easy to invest in, since when a tool is purchased, it can be seen, held in our hands and used. Training is a little different, we can’t hold it, see it, feel it, all we can do is to use it and see the effects of the training on the quality of work that we produce, and the added production that the training brings. Oh I guess we also get a certificate to hang on the office wall too. It might be good to stop and ask ourselves, which is the better investment, the tooling or the training. Over the years my wife and I have spent a lot of hours marketing and organizing training for our local area. At times the hours drag on; many times the phone calls are answered with excuses which seem to be in abundance. I think my wife could write a book about excuses, they range from, “we are too busy and can’t take the time, things are so slow, we can’t afford it, money is tight, I am going on vacation and that is taking all of my expendable income, and by far the best of them all, I have six kids to feed. So spring training is just around the corner. There are some great training events scattered around the country. February 11& 12 in Grand Rapids Michigan, February 18 & 19 in Schaumberg Illinois http://avtechexpo.com/2011/documents/TechExpo_2011.pdf March 3-6 in Kansas City. 4 days of great training. http://www.visionkc.com/ March 11-13 in Seattle 3 days of great training. http://www.atetrainingexpo.com/ March 25-27 in Greenville Sc. 3 great days of training http://www.starsevent.com/default.htm All of these training events have some very reasonable training. This year I have the honor of teaching classes on fuel trim analysis at both of the Bumper to Bumper training events. I will also be teaching fuel trim analysis and diesel fuel injection systems at the ASA Washington ATE training event. Vision has some great trainers, so I will be setting in classes in Kansas City. This is going to make for two very busy months, but the investment will be worth every cent invested. Is there any difference between  investing in tooling or training? I look forward meeting some of you folks this spring.   Sat, 08 Jan 2011 07:27:25 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Tooling-Invesement-training/blog/3211408/31710.html bwrench 2011-01-08T07:27:25Z AutoPro Workshop Tooling, Investment & Training During the Christmas/New Year’s holidays, I got to thinking about spring training. As I think back over the years I have gone to a lot of classes, and spent a lot of money and time sitting in classrooms. I have also bought a lot of airline tickets and hotel rooms to attend many of these classes. Every week most shops will get a visit from a tool truck or two. I have always liked browsing the tool trucks with all of the nice shiny tools. Looking at tools just makes my mind wander and I must stop and ask myself, do I really need that new tool? Why do I want that tool, do I have a need for that tool and why do we make the investment in the shiny toys? I hear techs talking about their tools and some will say they have $30,000 invested, some will say they have $60,000 invested, but do you ever hear technicians talking about their investment in training? Stop and think about these two things, training and tooling. Can we fix cars without tools? Can we fix cars without training? I think that the answer would be a “YES” to both, the real question would be, how fast, efficient and good can cars be fixed without either of these two very essential ingredients to car repair. If we stop and think about tooling and training, both are an investment. The tooling is real easy to invest in, since when a tool is purchased, it can be seen, held in our hands and used. Training is a little different, we can’t hold it, see it, feel it, all we can do is to use it and see the effects of the training on the quality of work that we produce, and the added production that the training brings. Oh I guess we also get a certificate to hang on the office wall too. It might be good to stop and ask ourselves, which is the better investment, the tooling or the training. Over the years my wife and I have spent a lot of hours marketing and organizing training for our local area. At times the hours drag on; many times the phone calls are answered with excuses which seem to be in abundance. I think my wife could write a book about excuses, they range from, “we are too busy and can’t take the time, things are so slow, we can’t afford it, money is tight, I am going on vacation and that is taking all of my expendable income, and by far the best of them all, I have six kids to feed. So spring training is just around the corner. There are some great training events scattered around the country. February 11& 12 in Grand Rapids Michigan, February 18 & 19 in Schaumberg Illinois http://avtechexpo.com/2011/documents/TechExpo_2011.pdf March 3-6 in Kansas City. 4 days of great training. http://www.visionkc.com/ March 11-13 in Seattle 3 days of great training. http://www.atetrainingexpo.com/ March 25-27 in Greenville Sc. 3 great days of training http://www.starsevent.com/default.htm All of these training events have some very reasonable training. This year I have the honor of teaching classes on fuel trim analysis at both of the Bumper to Bumper training events. I will also be teaching fuel trim analysis and diesel fuel injection systems at the ASA Washington ATE training event. Vision has some great trainers, so I will be setting in classes in Kansas City. This is going to make for two very busy months, but the investment will be worth every cent invested. Is there any difference between  investing in tooling or training? I look forward meeting some of you folks this spring.   nonadult false Tooling, Invesement & training text blog 792 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Dryden 98821 0 0 3211408 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Toyota-tale-from-the-trenches/blog/3178510/31710.html Toyota problem for the day. Yesterday I got a call from a shop with what they said was a misfire on a 1996 Toyota. When I arrived the car was sitting outside in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition. The shop was full, but the temperature was in the mid 30’s but Hey, it is only a misfire, and how long does it take to diagnose a misfire. I took down the vehicle information, entered it in my computer and got a work order opened. My scan tool was hooked up to see if I could grab any easy information from the PCM, and what do you know, there were not codes stored. Oh lovely, another no codes misfire problem. Oh well, that is why they pay me the big bucks to show up with my little yellow truck with all the cool toys. I started the engine, it ran nice and smooth, I ran the engine up to 3000 rpm, and noticed it ran a little rough. I then mashed the braked down hard, put the shifter into the D position and mashed the gas. Aah, now  I have what was the problem. It wasn’t a misfire at all, it was more like the engine cut out.  It acted much like an older Honda with a vacuum leak, were the engine speeds up, then the injectors are cut, the speed comes back down, and this goes on and on. Next thing is to find out why. The story started with the vehicle being towed to the shop. The fuse that powers the distributor was blown. A new fuse had been installed, which blew as soon as the ignition switch was turned on. The shop had done some testing and replaced the distributor to fix the short to ground problem. I  was told a rebuilt distributero was insatllde and that the engine did not want to start, but when they did get it started, it ran terrible, but would smooth out at high engine speed, and would drive nice if the engine speed was kept high. A set of spark plugs & wires were installed to fix the problem, which did not help. The battery was replaced, since it ran down while cranking, and the starter was also replaced since the starter quit wile testing. At this point, the shop installed a brand new aftermarket distributor since we all know that rebuilt parts like this are junk. Ya sure. Now the engine will idle, but will not run good at high speed. At this point, I got called in on the job. With my scan tool I watched the misfires, engine speed, vehicle speed, idle switch and gear shift position. Graphing this information while power braking did not show me anything askew. Now it is time to hook up my scope and take a look at the signals to and from the ignition control module, find out what is going away during the misfire and find out why. I found out that the PCM was not pulsing the fuel injectors during the event, so the next question is why. By watching the IGT and IGF signals, I could see the IGF signal from the ignition control module was not nice and smooth, with lots of noise. Since the engine ran good at high speed with one distributor and not with the other, I told the shop to get another distributor to fix the problem. This morning I got a call from the shop, they had installed another new distributor and it was doing the same thing, well almost the same. Back I want[image] to the shop. The temperature is still in the mid 30’s, the car is out in the parking lot. The easiest way to get a little heat is to fire up the engine, and after all, the engine needs to be warm when testing. With the engine running, I hooked up my scan tool and went over the data I had used the day before. No problems were found, so the next  step is to look at the engine signals again. I turned on my laptop, laid a soft pad on the vehicle battery and laid the lap top on the pad. I went to open up the scope program, and the laptop screen locked up. Hmmm, now what? I did a reboot  and about half way through, the laptop locked up and I got the blue screen of death. Oh man, now what? Well that is what I carry the second laptop for, so I fired it up and when I sat it on the pad that was on the vehicle battery, that laptop locked up too. Oh man, this is not good. I found that the laptop would boot up quite nice and work quite well, if I left it in the front seat of the car. Oh well, it’s nice and warm in there, and I'm sure the lappy would like it better working in the warm vehicle rather than sitting out in the cold. I scoped the CKP, made the engine cut out, with no dropouts in the signal. Next stop is the IGT (Ignition trigger to the ignition control module) and the IGF (Ignition feedback to the PCM) and a voltage lead to the #4 fuel injector negative side. While power braking, I can see the injector miss a pulse.  I can also[image] see the IGF signal noisy, but it is still switching nice. Now the question is why? Why does the PCM quit pulsing the injectors, only when the transmission is in gear, either reverse or drive, and the engine loaded? Is it the engine being torque and a wiring harness shorting out, or is it an input from the IGF that is causing the problem? I pulled the trigger on secondary ignition noise from the ignition coil. In the waveform, the blue trace is the IGF signal. The waveform has a lot of noise, which could very easily be causing the pcm to shut off the injectors. The laptops locking up when close to the engine concerned me, although that is a poor diagnostic tool, but it was a thought. The noise in the IGF signal is real, and I can see it. By installing the Toyota OE coil from the original distributor fixed the problem. With the OE ignition coil, while power braking, the engine would pull strong and smooth all the way to wide open throttle.   Toyota problem for the day. Yesterday I got a call from a shop with what they said was a misfire on a 1996 Toyota. When I arrived the car was sitting outside in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition. The shop was full, but the temperature was in the mid 30’s but Hey, it is only a misfire, and how long does it take to diagnose a misfire. I took down the vehicle information, entered it in my computer and got a work order opened. My scan tool was hooked up to see if I could grab any easy information from the PCM, and what do you know, there were not codes stored. Oh lovely, another no codes misfire problem. Oh well, that is why they pay me the big bucks to show up with my little yellow truck with all the cool toys. I started the engine, it ran nice and smooth, I ran the engine up to 3000 rpm, and noticed it ran a little rough. I then mashed the braked down hard, put the shifter into the D position and mashed the gas. Aah, now  I have what was the problem. It wasn’t a misfire at all, it was more like the engine cut out.  It acted much like an older Honda with a vacuum leak, were the engine speeds up, then the injectors are cut, the speed comes back down, and this goes on and on. Next thing is to find out why. The story started with the vehicle being towed to the shop. The fuse that powers the distributor was blown. A new fuse had been installed, which blew as soon as the ignition switch was turned on. The shop had done some testing and replaced the distributor to fix the short to ground problem. I  was told a rebuilt distributero was insatllde and that the engine did not want to start, but when they did get it started, it ran terrible, but would smooth out at high engine speed, and would drive nice if the engine speed was kept high. A set of spark plugs & wires were installed to fix the problem, which did not help. The battery was replaced, since it ran down while cranking, and the starter was also replaced since the starter quit wile testing. At this point, the shop installed a brand new aftermarket distributor since we all know that rebuilt parts like this are junk. Ya sure. Now the engine will idle, but will not run good at high speed. At this point, I got called in on the job. With my scan tool I watched the misfires, engine speed, vehicle speed, idle switch and gear shift position. Graphing this information while power braking did not show me anything askew. Now it is time to hook up my scope and take a look at the signals to and from the ignition control module, find out what is going away during the misfire and find out why. I found out that the PCM was not pulsing the fuel injectors during the event, so the next question is why. By watching the IGT and IGF signals, I could see the IGF signal from the ignition control module was not nice and smooth, with lots of noise. Since the engine ran good at high speed with one distributor and not with the other, I told the shop to get another distributor to fix the problem. This morning I got a call from the shop, they had installed another new distributor and it was doing the same thing, well almost the same. Back I want[image] to the shop. The temperature is still in the mid 30’s, the car is out in the parking lot. The easiest way to get a little heat is to fire up the engine, and after all, the engine needs to be warm when testing. With the engine running, I hooked up my scan tool and went over the data I had used the day before. No problems were found, so the next  step is to look at the engine signals again. I turned on my laptop, laid a soft pad on the vehicle battery and laid the lap top on the pad. I went to open up the scope program, and the laptop screen locked up. Hmmm, now what? I did a reboot  and about half way through, the laptop locked up and I got the blue screen of death. Oh man, now what? Well that is what I carry the second laptop for, so I fired it up and when I sat it on the pad that was on the vehicle battery, that laptop locked up too. Oh man, this is not good. I found that the laptop would boot up quite nice and work quite well, if I left it in the front seat of the car. Oh well, it’s nice and warm in there, and I'm sure the lappy would like it better working in the warm vehicle rather than sitting out in the cold. I scoped the CKP, made the engine cut out, with no dropouts in the signal. Next stop is the IGT (Ignition trigger to the ignition control module) and the IGF (Ignition feedback to the PCM) and a voltage lead to the #4 fuel injector negative side. While power braking, I can see the injector miss a pulse.  I can also[image] see the IGF signal noisy, but it is still switching nice. Now the question is why? Why does the PCM quit pulsing the injectors, only when the transmission is in gear, either reverse or drive, and the engine loaded? Is it the engine being torque and a wiring harness shorting out, or is it an input from the IGF that is causing the problem? I pulled the trigger on secondary ignition noise from the ignition coil. In the waveform, the blue trace is the IGF signal. The waveform has a lot of noise, which could very easily be causing the pcm to shut off the injectors. The laptops locking up when close to the engine concerned me, although that is a poor diagnostic tool, but it was a thought. The noise in the IGF signal is real, and I can see it. By installing the Toyota OE coil from the original distributor fixed the problem. With the OE ignition coil, while power braking, the engine would pull strong and smooth all the way to wide open throttle.   Wed, 29 Dec 2010 04:51:26 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_Toyota-tale-from-the-trenches/blog/3178510/31710.html bwrench 2010-12-29T04:51:26Z AutoPro Workshop Toyota problem for the day. Yesterday I got a call from a shop with what they said was a misfire on a 1996 Toyota. When I arrived the car was sitting outside in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition. The shop was full, but the temperature was in the mid 30’s but Hey, it is only a misfire, and how long does it take to diagnose a misfire. I took down the vehicle information, entered it in my computer and got a work order opened. My scan tool was hooked up to see if I could grab any easy information from the PCM, and what do you know, there were not codes stored. Oh lovely, another no codes misfire problem. Oh well, that is why they pay me the big bucks to show up with my little yellow truck with all the cool toys. I started the engine, it ran nice and smooth, I ran the engine up to 3000 rpm, and noticed it ran a little rough. I then mashed the braked down hard, put the shifter into the D position and mashed the gas. Aah, now  I have what was the problem. It wasn’t a misfire at all, it was more like the engine cut out.  It acted much like an older Honda with a vacuum leak, were the engine speeds up, then the injectors are cut, the speed comes back down, and this goes on and on. Next thing is to find out why. The story started with the vehicle being towed to the shop. The fuse that powers the distributor was blown. A new fuse had been installed, which blew as soon as the ignition switch was turned on. The shop had done some testing and replaced the distributor to fix the short to ground problem. I  was told a rebuilt distributero was insatllde and that the engine did not want to start, but when they did get it started, it ran terrible, but would smooth out at high engine speed, and would drive nice if the engine speed was kept high. A set of spark plugs & wires were installed to fix the problem, which did not help. The battery was replaced, since it ran down while cranking, and the starter was also replaced since the starter quit wile testing. At this point, the shop installed a brand new aftermarket distributor since we all know that rebuilt parts like this are junk. Ya sure. Now the engine will idle, but will not run good at high speed. At this point, I got called in on the job. With my scan tool I watched the misfires, engine speed, vehicle speed, idle switch and gear shift position. Graphing this information while power braking did not show me anything askew. Now it is time to hook up my scope and take a look at the signals to and from the ignition control module, find out what is going away during the misfire and find out why. I found out that the PCM was not pulsing the fuel injectors during the event, so the next question is why. By watching the IGT and IGF signals, I could see the IGF signal from the ignition control module was not nice and smooth, with lots of noise. Since the engine ran good at high speed with one distributor and not with the other, I told the shop to get another distributor to fix the problem. This morning I got a call from the shop, they had installed another new distributor and it was doing the same thing, well almost the same. Back I want[image] to the shop. The temperature is still in the mid 30’s, the car is out in the parking lot. The easiest way to get a little heat is to fire up the engine, and after all, the engine needs to be warm when testing. With the engine running, I hooked up my scan tool and went over the data I had used the day before. No problems were found, so the next  step is to look at the engine signals again. I turned on my laptop, laid a soft pad on the vehicle battery and laid the lap top on the pad. I went to open up the scope program, and the laptop screen locked up. Hmmm, now what? I did a reboot  and about half way through, the laptop locked up and I got the blue screen of death. Oh man, now what? Well that is what I carry the second laptop for, so I fired it up and when I sat it on the pad that was on the vehicle battery, that laptop locked up too. Oh man, this is not good. I found that the laptop would boot up quite nice and work quite well, if I left it in the front seat of the car. Oh well, it’s nice and warm in there, and I'm sure the lappy would like it better working in the warm vehicle rather than sitting out in the cold. I scoped the CKP, made the engine cut out, with no dropouts in the signal. Next stop is the IGT (Ignition trigger to the ignition control module) and the IGF (Ignition feedback to the PCM) and a voltage lead to the #4 fuel injector negative side. While power braking, I can see the injector miss a pulse.  I can also[image] see the IGF signal noisy, but it is still switching nice. Now the question is why? Why does the PCM quit pulsing the injectors, only when the transmission is in gear, either reverse or drive, and the engine loaded? Is it the engine being torque and a wiring harness shorting out, or is it an input from the IGF that is causing the problem? I pulled the trigger on secondary ignition noise from the ignition coil. In the waveform, the blue trace is the IGF signal. The waveform has a lot of noise, which could very easily be causing the pcm to shut off the injectors. The laptops locking up when close to the engine concerned me, although that is a poor diagnostic tool, but it was a thought. The noise in the IGF signal is real, and I can see it. By installing the Toyota OE coil from the original distributor fixed the problem. With the OE ignition coil, while power braking, the engine would pull strong and smooth all the way to wide open throttle.   nonadult false Toyota tale from the trenches text blog 1231 2 4.5 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 1 0 3178510 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_problem-fixed/photo/12431087/31710.html Toyota factory coil fixed the problem Toyota factory coil fixed the problem Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:57:15 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_problem-fixed/photo/12431087/31710.html bwrench 2010-12-29T03:57:15Z AutoPro Workshop Toyota factory coil fixed the problem nonadult false problem fixed photo 1508 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 12431087 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_engine-cutting-out/photo/12431077/31710.html injector being shut off injector being shut off Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:56:20 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_engine-cutting-out/photo/12431077/31710.html bwrench 2010-12-29T03:56:20Z AutoPro Workshop injector being shut off nonadult false engine cutting out photo 1536 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false 0 0 12431077 28229437 Member 250 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_snow-blower/photo/12204385/31710.html Winter of 2007 Winter of 2007 Sat, 25 Dec 2010 18:55:28 GMT http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/_snow-blower/photo/12204385/31710.html bwrench 2010-12-25T18:55:28Z AutoPro Workshop Winter of 2007 nonadult false snow blower photo 711 0 0.0 http://workshop.search-autoparts.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=28229437&as=31710 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/31710/photos/PHOTO_11644629_31710_28229437_ap_160X120.jpg false United States WA Plain 98826 0 0 12204385 28229437 Member 250