New Case Study: Chrysler Concord

This month we have a Case Study from Engine Performance Diagnostics. Paul Denner developed ‘Engine Performance Diagnostics’ over a ten year period while employed as an instructor at Rosedale Technical Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Case Study this month is an extract from his eBook, and features a Chrysler Concord misfiring on a specific cylinder.

View the Chrysler Concord case study

Best of the Web

Two videos this month from Matt Malloy of CP Fitters. The first shows an investigation of a coil on plug ignition system using a four–channel PicoScope and a coil–on–plug ignition probe.

View the video

The second is a short video examining petrol fuel injection on a Volkswagen Polo 1.0 litre engine. Along with our 4 channel Automotive scopes, Matt uses an amps clamp around one of the wires going to the injector. This senses the magnetic field around the wire, and gives an indication of how much current is being consumed by the injector. There is also an acupuncture probe measuring the voltage on the line.

View the video

Our very own collection of informative videos can be found in our automotive library.

Did You Know?

Here we hope to tell you things about us and our software that perhaps you weren’t aware of previously. This month:

Keyboard mapping

Keyboard mapping can be found under the Tools > Preferences drop–down menu and by choosing the Keyboard tab. Here you will find a large list of commands that can be mapped to any keystroke you choose. Simply click on the command you wish to map a keyboard stroke to, click on the empty box at the bottom of the dialog box and press the key you want to use. The following example allows use of the keyboard arrow keys to navigate through the waveform buffer after a test is complete.

1. Within PicoScope 6 Automotive, choose Tools > Preferences and click on the Keyboard tab.
2. Highlight Next from the Buffer.Filtered list.
3. Click within the text box in the lower portion of the dialog box, and press the right arrow on your keyboard.
4. Click Assign (you will see Right appear in the list box aligned with Next).
5. Highlight Previous from the Buffer.Filtered list.
6. Click within the text box in the lower portion of the dialog box, and press the left arrow on your keyboard.
7. Click Assign (you will see Left appear in the list box aligned with Previous).
8. Click Apply.
9. Click OK.

Once the scope is no longer sampling you can cycle through the waveform buffers using the arrows on your keyboard, saving time, and money!

Forthcoming Exhibitions and Events

Please see our events page for the latest information about forthcoming exhibitions, courses and other events.

Training Courses

If you own, or are thinking of buying, a Pico Automotive Diagnostics Kit, you mustn’t miss the Professional Diagnostics Ltd Engine Management Diagnostics course. This two–day course introduces the basic working principles of engine management systems, component testing and system diagnostics using oscilloscopes. The course is split between class–based theory sessions and practical demonstrations in a workshop using the Pico Automotive Diagnostics Kit. The course runs several times a year around the UK, and the following dates are currently available: PicoScope Diagnostics Course 14/l5 March 2012 Norfolk, England Places are limited, so please call 07881 555385 to reserve your place, or visit www.prodiag.co.uk for more information.
Autonerdz, a Pico distributor based in North America, delivers PicoScope Oscilloscope Training both at their headquarters located in Olympia WA, and online.The following date is currently available: PicoScope Hands On Class 2 March 2012 4715 Fir Tree Rd SE, Olympia, WA, USA 98501 (Autonerdz Training Center) For further information, or to register, call Autonerdz on 877-628-4899 (Toll Free USA and Canada) or via email.
Diagnostic Solutions, a Pico distributor based in Ireland, delivers PicoScope Oscilloscope Training in Dublin. Please email colin@diagnosticsolutions.ie for further information. Please contact your local distributor for information on training events outside the UK.