MODIS Systemby Snap-on DiagnosticsOne of the first steps in any diagnostic process is decidingwhich equipment and information will be needed to do thejob. Oscilloscope? DMM? Scan tool? What about your com-puter-based information system? Will more than one or all ofthese tools be required to get the job done? Things can getpretty crowded under the hood or inside the car when sever-al different pieces of diagnostic equipment get involved.

Snap-on’s bid to untangle your mass of diagnostic leads isMODIS (short for Modular Diagnostics Information Sys-

tem). It combines all the features of the Snap-on Scanner col-or graphing scan tool, the domestic and Asian Fast-TrackTroubleshooter “expert information” software, a four-channellab scope with ignition capabilities, a full-color 7-inch VGAdisplay and a digital volt-ohmmeter with expandable ports.

MODIS has just five control buttons arrayed along theright side of the hand-held unit. The tool utilizes WindowsCE technology and PC-based architecture. This allows forexpandability, with a VGA port to connect to PC monitors fortraining, serial and USB ports for future keyboard, printer,gas analyzer, dyno or PC interfaces and an infrared wirelessconnection port. Future software updates will be accom-plished via Compact Flash technology.

The Scanner graphs any four PIDs in full color. The Fast-Track Troubleshooter software consists of a constantly updat-ed database of expert-level troubleshooting information. Thelab/ignition scope plug-in captures and displays four live sig-nals simultaneously, with four digital displays showing corre-sponding scope signal values. The auto-scaling digital volt-ohmmeter provides pinpoint measurement of DC volts, ACvolts, RMS and ohms. An optional Flexible Gas Analyzer canalso be attached.

The MODIS modular platform is intended to eliminatethe dozens of productivity-killing trips away from your baythat you currently make to gather information, order parts orperform other duties. When fully implemented, Snap-on en-visions the MODIS equipment allowing you to communicate

30 September 2002

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BY THE EDITORS OF MOTOR

ach year we issue a simple appealto the world’s automotive tool de-signers, manufacturers and suppli-ers: Show us something new. Show ussomething that makes us say,“Wow! How come no one ever

thought of that before?” Besides knockout original-ity, there’s only one other criterion for considera-tion: The product had to be introduced betweenJuly 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002.

As in years past, we were overwhelmed by thequality and ingenuity of the entries we received. After11 years, the annual MOTOR Top 20 Tools competitionshows no signs of letting up. Our sincere thanks to all compa-nies that submitted candidates for consideration, and specialcongratulations to each of this year’s winners. Without furtherado, we proudly present the best of the best for 2002.

E

outside the bay to receive additional assistance, contact theshop parts inventory, order parts from suppliers and accesswebsites and databases of information, all without ever leav-ing the bay (unless you want to).

TechView Proby VetronixIn an automotive diagnostic tool context, connectivity oc-curs when different pieces of diagnostic equipment can beused together, expanding the capabilities of each and bring-ing new uses that might not have been previously possible.If you already have a sizeable investment in Vetronix diag-nostic equipment, TechView Pro might provide the addi-tional connectivity you’ve been looking for. TechView Pro isa dedicated software package that interfaces a shop PCwith the Vetronix MTS 3100 Mastertech, MTS 5100 En-gine Analyzer and MTS 1100 Emissions Analyzer, allowingyou to view and compare serial, gas and engine data in new

formats. The result is fast and efficient diagnosis and repair.TechView Pro allows serial, gas and engine data to be

viewed in a number of new and traditional ways to help facil-itate more accurate diagnosis, and modes can be combinedto best suit the data being viewed. The MTS 5100 EngineAnalyzer can be completely controlled from the PC, and en-gine problems can be diagnosed and repaired via the MTS5100’s four-channel oscilloscope, digital graphing multimeter,ignition analyzer and engine analyzer. The captured enginedata can then be stored on the computer’s hard drive.

TechView Pro can also generate a Diagnostic Report show-

ing all customer and vehicle information, plus Symptoms andDiagnostic Results. Screen captures can be inserted into thedocument and annotated, as can photos of worn and replacedparts, to archive diagnostic problems. This archived data canform a diagnostic library that can be searched by customer,vehicle type or type of problem for later reference.

Internet connectivity is also an integral part of TechViewPro, allowing the exchange of diagnostic data between shopsand technicians for comparison and analysis. TechView Pro’soverall purpose is to increase shop productivity by providingnew ways to view and analyze diagnostic data.

Lift Weight Gaugeby Mohawk LiftsAll hydraulic vehicle lifts have a rated capacity—the maxi-mum weight that can be safely lifted. But how do we knowhow much the vehicles placed on those lifts actuallyweigh? And how do we know if the vehicles we are lifting

are safely within the lift’s load capacity?Mohawk Lifts has introduced a new lift safety system that

answers these questions. It’s a set of weight gauges that canbe installed on Mohawk lifts, as well as many popular liftsfrom other manufacturers. After installing a Mohawk liftweight gauge, there’s no need to worry about accidentallyoverloading any lift.

While lift pressure gauges have been available on somelifts for some time, allowing a rough calculation of the vehi-cle’s approximate weight, Mohawk’s weight gauge takes it astep further. It’s a specially calibrated pressure gauge that in-

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dicates the weight of a vehicle on the lift to an accuracy ofwithin �2%.

The Mohawk weight gauge has other uses, too. Suppose acustomer comes in complaining of poor fuel mileage orshorter-than-normal brake life. If that customer happens tobe a contractor with a van full of tools and equipment, itmight be helpful to weigh the van on the lift, then explainthat a 5000-pound van loaded with 4000 pounds of stuff isn’tgoing to get the same fuel mileage or brake life as the samevan running empty. The numbers on the Mohawk weightgauge will help you tell the story.

CJ-Max Lab Scopeby InjectocleanLast year, Injectoclean won a MOTOR Top 20 Tools award forits CJ II OBD II-compatible scan tool software and interfacecable, which runs on the Palm and Handspring personal dig-ital assistant (PDA) platforms. This year, the company hasnotched another Top 20 win with CJ-Max, a two-channel au-tomotive oscilloscope module, test leads and software, alsorunning on the Handspring platform. If you’re unfamiliarwith PDA technology and how it’s being applied to automo-tive diagnostic equipment, check out Jorge Menchu’s articleon the subject in the May 2002 issue of MOTOR.

The CJ-Max is based on Handspring’s Springboard expan-

sion system. By inserting the CJ-Max module and loading the soft-ware, a Handspring Visor PDA canbe converted into a two-channel labscope suitable for automotive use.The Palm OS touch-screen inter-face makes the CJ-Max easy to usefor a variety of automotive tests, in-cluding sensors, actuators, primaryand secondary ignition, low andhigh current, and more. The soft-ware includes automatic setup in-formation that explains how to con-figure the unit to measure voltageand current on common automotivecircuits. Oscilloscope screen shotscan also be captured, then uploaded

to a PC for storage and later review.The CJ-Max module features 1-megohm input impe-

dence, making it safe for use around all sensitive electroniccomponents. As improvements and features are added to theCJ-Max, the software can be installed just like any otherPalm OS application. With the CJ-Max operating in full sam-ple mode, the host PDA’s batteries will last approximatelyfour hours.

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Modular Ball Joint Splitterby Klann ToolsWhen it comes time to separate a suspension ball joint, whatchoices do you have? You could drive a “pickle fork” be-tween the ball joint and suspension component, smack thepickle fork with a hammer a few times and hope the balljoint separates. But the ball joint boot, stud or other parts ofthe suspension can also be damaged in the process. The oth-er option is to use a purpose-built ball joint splitter. Whilethese tools are a step up from the pickle fork, it can be diffi-cult to find one that fits the car you’re working on, and manyare prone to slip out of position while force is being appliedto the ball joint. This can also cause damage to the suspen-

sion parts, andpossible injury toyou.

If you don ’twant to invest ina multitude of balljoint splitters forspecific applica-tions, the KlannKL-0165 seriesModular Ball JointSplitter offers anattractive alterna-tive. You can startwith a base unitto handle the

most common ball joint sizes, then add forks as the needarises. The tool’s design eliminates the danger of the split-ter slipping off under load because the tool base and jawremain parallel at all times. The T-form spindle has ascrew adjustment, as does the pressure pad in the fork,making it simple to parallel the two parts. The load appliedto the ball joint is always perpendicular on its axis, whichminimizes the force required to split the assembly. Thespindle incorporates a spring-loaded mounting system, soforks can be changed in seconds by applying pressure androtating the fork through 90° and sliding it off the T-formspindle. The Klann Modular Ball Joint Splitter is also avail-able in a larger version for trucks.

WorkLiteby Ferret InstrumentsThe thin row of super-bright brake light bulbs that line theedge of the rear deck lid on some luxury vehicles aren’t lightbulbs at all; they’re actually light-emitting diodes (LEDs).Ferret Instruments has taken advances in LED technologyand applied them to a shop tool that’s been around for gener-ations—the shop light. The shop light has been alternatelyappreciated and cursed by every working tech. You love itwhen it provides some extra light in a dark area, but you mayend up hating it because broken incandescent or fluorescentbulbs can be an everyday occurrence in a busy shop.

Ferret claims its series of WorkLites have beaten theseshortcomings. Its WorkLites are shatterproof, waterproof

and even technician-proof. The lamps use a combination ofcustom LED elements. The light output of the 90-elementFerret 221/222 model is equal to a 120-watt incandescentbulb, while generating very little heat. The elements in thesmaller WorkLite 201/202 produce light equivalent to a 40-watt incandescent bulb, or a 13-watt fluorescent tube. Evenafter the light has been on for hours, there’s no chance it willburn you or the work area.

The WorkLite 221/222 weighs less than 18 ounces, mea-

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sures an inch in diameter and is about 14 inches long—smalland light enough to fit anywhere you need it. It uses stan-dard 120-volt AC power, or DC via the vehicle cigarettelighter and an auto battery adapter. Each WorkLite is backedby a five-year lighting element warranty.

Oxygen Sensor Analyzerby Lenehan ResearchA Top 20 Tools winner in 2001 for its What Quits First? tool,Lenehan Research is back this year with the Oxygen SensorAnalyzer. The analyzer is designed to easily and accuratelytest 0- to 1-volt oxygen sensors for all failure modes, using anelectronic simulation of the California Bureau of AutomotiveRepair (BAR) 100mS snap throttle test parameters. The ac-tual BAR snap throttle test requires adding propane at theair intake to richen the mixture, forcing it lean by turning offthe propane and snapping the throttle, then capturing andanalyzing the oxygen sensor transient on a digital storage os-cilloscope (DSO). The BAR test can be difficult and time-

consuming, which may explain why some technicians skipthe test and rely on guesswork, or base their diagnosis on themileage on the odometer. Many perfectly good sensors areneedlessly replaced as a result, while other, truly faulty oxy-gen sensors may remain undiagnosed.

The Oxygen Sensor Analyzer connects inline with the oxy-gen sensor connector and operates in three modes. The O2

Monitor mode shows oxygen sensor operation in closed loop,using a ten-LED display that’s visible in sunlight. The O2

Simulate mode allows GO RICH or GO LEAN signals to besent to the ECM, while simultaneously watching the reactionon the O2 sensor display, proving the ECM is controlling theengine correctly. The O2 Test mode automatically forces theengine lean, without propane, to below 175mV. The STARTkey is pressed, the throttle snapped and if the sensor jumpsfrom below 175mV to above 800mV in less than 100mS, thePASS LED lights. If the oxygen sensor does not reach800mV or is slow, the FAIL LED lights. This snap throttletest requires no DSO analysis or propane, and gives an in-stant diagnosis accurate to within �5%.

The instrument is powered by two AA batteries. The 6-foot Teflon leads allow the instrument to be seen whiledriving, allowing diagnoses of dirty MAF sensors, bad fuelpumps and filters under wide-open throttle conditions, aswell as correct air/fuel control.

EFI Quick Probeby Waekon and Matco ToolsThe Electronic Fuel Injection Quick Probe is an innovativeproduct available through both Waekon and Matco Tools. Itoffers a quick and easy way to determine whether an elec-tronic fuel injector is opening and closing. Rather than rely-ing on the electrical control signal to the injector, the QuickProbe measures the sound the injector pintle makes eachtime its pintle snaps open.

To detect sticking or misfiring electronic fuel injectorsburied under an intake plenum, just tap the handle on ahard surface to turn it on, then press the probe tip againstthe injector. Each time the fuel injector pintle snaps open,

a super-bright LED strobe flashes to indicate the injectorhas fired. The Quick Probe is specifically tuned to detectthe vibration frequencies caused when the fuel injectorpintle snaps open, allowing a visual monitor of consistentinjector firing or misfires.

An incorrect diagnosis is avoided because the QuickProbe verifies both that the injector is receiving an electri-cal control signal, and that it’s actually opening and closing.There’s no need to hunt for the injector wires or disassem-ble the upper plenum to test at the injector connector. TheQuick Probe is battery-operated and has a removable 9-inch probe tip. The tool is part of the Pistol Probe line ofhand-held diagnostic tools.

MTTL503 Lighted Test Leadby Snap-on ToolsYour head is up against the brake pedal. Your shoulders arewedged into place and your feet are up in the air. You have amultimeter in your left hand and if you hold it just so, youcan see the display. In your right hand you have the positive

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test lead and you’re hoping the alligator clamp for theground lead will hang on while you’re poking around. Now,all you need is a flashlight and another hand and maybe youcan find what you’re looking for. The solution is lighting thatcan be focused on the task at hand.

Snap-on Tools has recently introduced a product that willserve as your “third hand” in these awkward situations—theMTTL503 Lighted Test Lead. This new multimeter test leadhas a built-in bright LED light that lets you see exactlywhere you’re poking around. The LED is contained in asmall housing and activated with a sliding switch, so you canleave it on as long as you want without having to hold downon anything. Raised ribs are provided for a better grip and ahigh-quality silicon insulated lead is used. The test lead isstandard issue in every other respect and it has threads foralligator clips, extenders or other accessories.

StraightTrak LFMby Hunter EngineeringDuring a road test, you discover that the customer’s vehiclehas a noticeable steering pull or drift that may or may nothave existed before you started working on the vehicle.You’ve aligned all four wheels and balanced the wheels, too.What do you do now? After eliminating improper alignment,steering component wear or brake problems as possiblecauses, you could start swapping tires front to back and sideto side, and hope that one of the many possible combinationswill eliminate the pull. This is really just glorified, time-con-suming guesswork, but until now, about the only way to dealwith steering drift or pull.

Tire-related pulls caused by lateral forces in the tires areprimarily the result of tire conicity, which has remained bothelusive and unmeasurable. The StraightTrak LFM feature ofthe Hunter GSP9700 Vibration Control System detects thelateral forces in tires that can cause pulls and drifts and cal-culates a tire placement plan to solve the problem.

Information from the StraightTrak LFM feature is inte-grated into the tire mounting, balancing, rotation and align-ment service process. StraightTrak evaluates each tire’s pull

potential relative to the other tires and the vehicle’s four-wheel alignment, then recommends a specific location onthe vehicle for each tire to eliminate steering pulls and drifts.The entire process is accomplished without the need fortime-consuming tire swapping and road tests.

Lube Tube Extension Kitby Thexton ManufacturingEvery time we think chassis lubrication and grease fittingsare headed for the history books, they keep reappearing onsuspension, steering and propshaft joints. However, theshape of components around them has changed, and accesswith a grease gun often is a struggle. Flex hoses and jointedextension rods often just don’t permit the technician to main-tain leverage to keep the coupler on the fitting. Removingwheels for access to some straight fittings on ball joints oftenis necessary because there isn’t enough clearance even for aflex hose or jointed extension.

Thexton Manufacturing solves the problem with its LubeTube Extension Kit (No. 471), a 9-inch extension rod with ahandle on one end and a thread-on, cleverly designed grease

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coupler at the other to permit access to the fitting from theside. The coupler has a slot opening on top with a seal on thebottom. Hold the handle, push the coupler against the bot-tom of the grease fitting, and the fitting locks into placeagainst a seal in the coupler. There’s a grease fitting on theback of the handle, so just pump grease into it, and thegrease will flow through the extension rod and coupler andinto the suspension fitting. The kit also comes with a conven-tional straight coupler.

MK-1 Portable Exhaust Extractorby JohnDow IndustriesIf your shop is deep and you don’t have a built-in exhaustventing system, you probably have to plan in advance whichvehicles would be okay to service in the area away from thedoors. Those whose engines will need to be run get thebays close enough to the doors for the exhaust hoses that go

over the tailpipes. If the vehicles come in on schedule, it allmay work out. Otherwise, you find yourself trying to shiftcars that may be in some state of disassembly.

The MK-1 Portable Exhaust Extractor from JohnDowIndustries gives you another choice. If you have to run theengine on a vehicle in a service bay away from the garagedoors, the MK-1 can be rolled right up to the tailpipe,then adjusted up or down to align, and the other end con-nected to as long a flex exhaust pipe as necessary. The MK-1 has a 1⁄2-hp motor (rated at 700 cfm) that can move theexhaust up to 30 feet from the tailpipe. A Y-hose adapter isincluded for use with dual-exhaust vehicles.

ED-18 Early Detection Battery &Electrical System Testerby Interstate BatteriesYou do everything on the tuneup checklist, and not longafterward, the vehicle doesn’t start. You ran a check fortrouble codes, looked at the scan data, changed the air andfuel filters and spark plugs, checked the EGR system, in-

spected the vacuum hoses, even cleaned and tightened thebattery cable connections. So what happened? The batterydied in cold weather. Not your fault, but also not an argu-ment you can win with a customer. However, can you justi-fy suggesting replacing a battery that has been starting theengine? If the battery is not likely to make it through verycold or very hot weather, you can and should. But how canyou determine that, and convince the customer that you’renot just trying to add a big ticket item to the bill?

Interstate Batteries teamed with Midtronics, known forits conductance technology for battery testing, to developthe ED-18, a battery life evaluator for early detection ofbatteries near the end of their life. The tester, which alsocan be used to check the starting and charging system, isdesigned to answer the question, “Can you trust your bat-tery?” The answer is provided in the form of a printed re-port (the printer is built into the tester) that includes tem-

peratures at which the battery could fail. An easy-to-readdial of battery condition is part of the printout. Even if thecustomer decides to hold off, the technician can attach acopy of the printout to the bill, which could help make afuture sale if the vehicle becomes hard to start.

9001 RF Detectorby SPX/Miller ToolsThe keyfob remote is getting close to becoming standardequipment on everything above econoboxes, and has an in-creasing “take rate” even on those. At some time, you’resure to hear, “My remote doesn’t work right,” or “It onlyseems to work when I’m very close and aiming it careful-ly.” The customer’s next line: “Is it just a battery?”

To answer that question, you need a radio frequency de-tector. It can measure signal strength on any RF system,which is what General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysleruse, as well as many imports. And they’re also using RFsignals for the new premium tire pressure monitoring sys-tems—the sensors in the wheels transmit tire pressure sig-

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nals to an in-car receiver. There’s a potentially large servicearea involved.

The first RF detector for shop use is out. It’s the SPXService Solutions/Miller 9001, a hand-held wireless tooloperated by a 9-volt battery. It includes LED and beeperindicators when testing for RF, plus a bar graph that showssignal strength. So you can tell if the problem is in the re-mote or the in-wheel sensor. The 9001 also can be used totest Homelink transmitters.

Rust Busterby C&W EnterprisesRemoving rust from brake and suspension parts, such aswith an angle grinder, is not fast or easy. And you reallyhave to work carefully to avoid removing more than rust,

or you could end uphaving to replace thepart—such as a discthat ends up withexcessive runoutand would needmore machin-

ing than it canaccept.Rust is much

more than acosmetic issue,

particularly on brakeparts, where it can affectstopping performance andpedal feel. But unless youwant to remove parts andput them in a shop blastingcabinet, very careful grind-

ing or wire-brushinghave been the choices.Now there ’s another

one—C&W Enterprises ’Rust-Buster portable blasting

cabinet with interchangeable end caps. Yes, you can takeparts that come off easily and use the Rust Buster at theworkbench. Or change the end caps, roll it right up to thevehicle wheel, adjust for height, cover the workpiece withthe flexible boot and pull the drawstring to close it. There’sa large viewing window and a filter that removes large rustflakes from the abrasive media. A typical cleaning job takesa minute. If you’re using both hands for the cleaning oper-ation, you don’t have to take them out of the gloves to op-erate the shop vacuum. You can do that with a knee-oper-ated switch.

Multi-Coolant Exchangerby RTI TechnologiesTrying to flush out old coolant and fill the system with a freshmixture without drain & fill equipment is asking for problems.Most systems require four or five drain & fill operations to get

about 90% of the old coolant out, and then repeated thermo-cycling to burp the air during the fill-up. If you prefer to savetime and do this job with the engine off, you need a coolantexchange machine that can push open the thermostat and do areverse-flow fluid exchange that keeps air out.

The newest machine for this job is the RTI Multi-Coolant Exchanger, and it’s the first one designed to workwith multiple coolants without cross-contamination. It hastwo fill tanks, so a shop using conventional Americangreen/gold and orange DexCool can switch between thetwo by running a purge cycle that clears the other coolantfrom the machine’s tubing in 20 seconds.

However, RTI recognized that more than two antifreezeseventually will have a significant market share. So the com-pany also offers additional fill tanks for as many antifreezesas a shop may choose to install, using the same machine,and also purging any other antifreeze from the lines whenyou’re finished installing it. The machine comes with quick-connect hose couplers and is designed to go through a com-plete fluid exchange in three minutes or less.

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40 September 2002

Pneumatic Fan ClutchWrench Setby LisleEvery shop has a tool kit for fanclutches, and there have been a vari-ety of tool designs, particularly forholding the clutch by the bolt heads,from specially-shaped wrenches to gi-ant pliers. Lisle Corp. had two differ-ent kits on the market, and didn’t hes-itate to bring out a third. This latestkit, No. 43300, takes a different ap-proach: no need to hold the clutchwith a wrench or pliers. Just use a toolwith a shop air connection—a type ofair hammer with a large assortment(nine) of driving wrenches to handle

popular and not-so-popular size nuts.Set the wrench up one way to loosenthe nut, then flip it over to tighten it.

A/C Diagnostic Tools. The a/cclutch engages, but the cooling per-formance is poor. Given a certainamount of information and enoughtime, an experienced technicianshould be able to figure out what’swrong. However, we don’t alwayshave the time and not every shop canassign every job to the most experi-enced technician. Three testers (allreprogrammable for possible up-grades) have been introduced for a/cdiagnosis, each designed to provide a

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different level or type of help. All, however, provide theopportunity to produce both “before” and “after” diagnos-tic printouts, if necessary, with the numerical temperatureand pressure readings the tester measured. This documen-tation of what you did and why is valuable in this age ofconsumerism. Here’s a closer look at all three:

Tempscan A/C Diagnostic Toolby UView Ultraviolet SystemsFor the shop that wants a group of temperature readings,plus and high and low pressure readings from optional pres-sure transducers, the Tempscan A/C Diagnostic Tool byUView Ultraviolet Systems is the most basic tool. The diag-nosis is rudimentary, based solely on temperature readings ofcondenser in and out, ambient temperature, a/c center regis-ter and humidity. The condenser probes, which also can beused elsewhere on the refrigerant lines to take readings if

you’re looking for restrictions, are spring-loaded and clamparound refrigerant lines. The ambient probe is on an “anten-na” stalk that magnetically adheres to the vehicle, so it can beaimed away from engine compartment heat.

With humidity and four temperatures as inputs, theTempscan produces four “trouble codes”—numbers that re-fer to a pass, inability to test (low ambient temperature) andtwo lists of possible problems. The UView tester can be usedwith your shop printer via an optional wireless infrared mod-ule or thermal printer.

16800 A/C Diagnostic Toolby SPX/RobinairThe 16800 A/C Diagnostic Tool from SPX/Robinair (and de-veloped jointly with Neutronics) is a “guided-diagnostics”tester designed for the shop that wants to be directedthrough whatever steps are necessary and be given a “mostlikely diagnosis” based on temperature, pressure and humid-ity. It uses a Handspring PDA (personal digital assistant) asthe display device and computer (the software is in a Spring-board cartridge it accepts), and a flex-neck infrared tempera-ture probe. With the probe, the technician is directed to take

as many as eight temperature readings (10 with rear a/c) onthe refrigeration system with the a/c on. The tester producesa diagnostic output with a “likelihood percentage” assessedto it (such as 90.7% low refrigerant).

Although an infrared temperature probe doesn’t measureair temperature, the Neutronics version has a “sensingscreen” that slides into position and comes up to ambienttemperature almost instantly. The tester has a port for con-nection to the shop printer; a Neutronics refrigerant identifi-er is an option for shops that don’t have one.

A/C Investigatorby Bright SolutionsThe European-developed A/C Investigator tester wasmodified and programmed by Bright Solutions and Ford,

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which has it in its tool program. Thetester comes with a built-in printerand all the “little” items (probes,jumpers, clips, etc.) a shop wouldneed. Tester diagnostics are based ondirect measurement of clutch cycling(not inference from pressurechanges), ambient and a/c centervent temperatures, humidity, and

pressure readings from transducers.This permits the tester to follow theFord approach to a/c diagnosis.

There are optional temperatureprobes, such as for condenser andother refrigeration system tempera-tures, but although the readings aredisplayed, they’re not used for thetester’s diagnostics. A separate meter

provides remote humidity measure-ment (which can be entered to over-ride the tester’s reading) and up totwo additional temperature readingswith its single probe. The diagnosticprintout lists most likely causes, eachfollowed by recommended steps forservice. System pressures are shownin graph form.

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Visit www.motor.com todownload a free copy of this

article. Copies are also availableby sending $3 for each copy to:

Fulfillment Dept., MOTOR Magazine,5600 Crooks Rd., Troy, MI 48098.

Bright SolutionsCircle #190

C&W EnterprisesCircle #191

Ferret InstrumentsCircle #192

HunterEngineeringCircle # 193

InjectocleanCircle #194

Interstate BatteriesCircle #195

JohnDowIndustriesCircle #196

Klann ToolsCircle #197

Lenehan ResearchCircle #198

Lisle Corp.Circle #199

Matco ToolsCircle #200

Mohawk LiftsCircle #201

Neutronics, Inc.Circle #202

RTI TechnologiesCircle #203

Snap-on DiagnosticsCircle #204

Snap-on ToolsCircle #205

SPX/RobinairCircle #206

SPX/Miller ToolsCircle #207

ThextonManufacturingCircle #208

UView UltravioletSystemsCircle #209

VetronixCircle #210

WaekonCircle #211

How to Getthe Top 20

For more information on these Top20 Tools award winners, circle theappropriate number(s) on the Prod-uct Information Card in this issue: