Newsletter February 2016

Case study: Honda CR-V

The owner of this Honda CR-V had complaints of the vehicle violently surges back and forth during hard acceleration. The symptom is evident regardless of engine temperature, and is present whenever the driver attempts hard acceleration (the symptom is permanent). The symptom has been noticeable from when the vehicle was purchased at an auction recently.

The customer interview points out lack of historical information, as the vehicle had just been purchased at auction. The customer complaint was verified and the vehicle's ID and specification were confirmed.

The basic inspection confirmed connections, hoses, harness routing, and fuel quality as correct. However, it also revealed that a non-standard part had been installed before the fuel rail pressure (FRP) sensor. Even though it was tempting to simply remove this part and road test the vehicle, it was necessary, in order to qualify and prove a potential repair, to capture data with the vehicle in the error state.

A vehicle scan confirmed no fault codes, and an overview of engine data parameters confirmed that the engine was running as normal during both idle speed and a free-rev test at 3000 rpm. The PCM software level is confirmed as correct for the specification of vehicle (no relevant updates). Description and operation data from Denso was referenced for in-depth knowledge of component functions.

Possible causes based on symptom and evaluations made above:

• Boost pressure control/integrity (under or over boost)
• Fuel pressure control circuit
• APP sensor input
• EGR leakage

Available data confirmed no known issues of this nature.

To continue reading Steve's Honda CR-V article, please view it within the training section of our website.

YouTube video uploads: PicoScope Automotive

Over the last few months, we have been placing new content on our PicoScope Automotive YouTube channel. These videos are short informative clips giving an overview on how to connect certain accessories to a vehicle, and how to complete the associated test.

Below are a couple of examples of our new videos:

• Starter Motor Cranking Test
• Using Ignition coil (HT) extension leads when testing Secondary Ignition coil voltage

Please click the button below view the PicoScope Automotive YouTube channel. We will be adding new videos to our channel on a regular basis, so why not subscribe to our channel and you'll receive updates when new videos are posted? In addition to this, you can also submit videos to us you feel would suit our best of the web section.

Scope School Extra: Bonus class

Over the last couple of months we have given a reminder about our Scope School articles. Following on from "Scope School 3: Tips and Tricks" last month, we now have "Scope School: Bonus Class"

Catch-up here:

• Scope School 1: Introduction to PicoScope
• Scope School 2: The next step
• Scope School 3: Tips and Tricks

Scope School Extra: Bonus class

A bonus class gives Pico the opportunity to add even more information to our Scope School articles that appear to grow like the features within PicoScope itself.

Scope School Extra is to carry on where Scope School 3 left off, opening more avenues within the software, allowing you to get the absolute most from your PicoScope and presenting users with the ability to develop the scope for their own applications. Covering items such as Maths Channels, floating ground inputs, Custom probes and Filtering.

To read Scope School Extra: Bonus Class, please find it in the training section of picoauto.com.

Review competition - Huge prize list!

Our compeition is in full swing, and it is great that so many of you have taken the time to leave us your feedback and reviews. It really is quite possibly our biggest giveaway ever...

To support our new product Review system we are asking you to tell us what you think of our products.

If you've bought one of our products (either direct from us or through one of our distributors) please find it on our website, look for our new Review button (as seen above) and leave us your feedback. Note that to leave feedback we must have your email address, this allows us to contact you regarding your review and in this case, contact you about your prize if you are lucky enough to be a winner. What prizes are on offer you ask? 9 reviews will be picked at random with prizes as follows: 1 prize of a 4-Channel Standard Kit, worth £1545 3 prizes with the choice of: PicoScope 4-Channel scope, worth £799 PicoDiagnostics 4-axis NVH kit, worth £699 PicoScope WPS500X Pressure Transducer kit, worth £699 5 prizes of a Coil-on-plug and Signal probe, worth £109 each. In total we have 9 prizes to give away, so what are you waiting for? Head over and leave us your first review! There is no limit to the number of reviews you can leave, so why wait? If you have bought a kit from us, we are more than happy for you to leave a review for each piece of equipment within the kit that appears on our site. Each review will count as an entry to the competition. More reviews, means more entries, which means more chances to win. Terms and Conditions All reviews left are checked by Pico Technology, and those that are deemed to be authentic will be entered into the competition. Entries must be received by close of business (GMT) on 15th April 2016. Winners will be contacted before the end of April 2016.

NVH Upgrade Offer

Following the recent software and hardware updates to our PicoDiagnostics NVH kit, we are now offering a route for owners of the PP858 PicoDiagnostics NVH kit to upgrade their Pico NVH hardware.

The new hardware allows you to take full advantage of our latest version of PicoDiagnostics NVH software, which supports analysis of up to four vibrations or sounds simultaneously.

The upgrade kit contains the 3-output interface box and three coloured BNC cables all of which are compatible with your existing TA143 accelerometer.

The upgrade kit is available to buy via the Noise, vibration, and balancing section of www.picoauto.com.

Careers at Pico Technology

Pico Technology is an exciting and innovative leader in the design of PC-based oscilloscopes and data acquisition technology. Our products include PC oscilloscopes, data loggers and automotive diagnostic equipment.

At Pico we believe that employing the right people is more important than fulfilling any specific vacancy, so if the right people are interested in working for us we will consider applications. We are particularly interested in applicants with a technical software background or experience of test equipment design.

If you want to be part of a growing company at the leading edge of test equipment design, why not take look at our pico.jobs web page and see what we have to offer? We look forward to hearing from you.

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