can a snap on vantage do secondary ignition?

[goodwrench]

picked up a snap on vantage at a really good price. so far it has done everything i have needed to do. but one thing i want to do is secondary ignition for tracking down spark issues. the vantage came with the kv module adapter. but it appears the module is not working. i can't get any signal when i select the module. so my best guess is the module is not working. So now i am wondering if i can use a pickup that would connect to the banana plugs? but since this is a not technically a lab scope, is a power graphing multimeter, i am unsure if it would work? i know the vantage has the waveform viewer which appears to work like a scope. i don't care if it has great detail or not, just want to be able to see enough to compare cylinders. so does anybody have any experience with the old school vantage? and know if a secondary pick up plugged into the meter would work? I would like to find out before i by a pickup.. thanks!!

 

[joel63]

You do need the pick-up.

A special adapter is needed for waste spark systems.

 

[texasprd]

Did this unit come with both pickups that are needed for the KV module? One pickup is the classic inductive pickup that looks like a timing light pickup that completely clips over and surrounds a plug wire - IIRC, that is the "trigger" pickup that you move between plug wires to determine which cylinder is causing odd values if you are on a distributor ignition. IIRC, the other pickup clips onto the coil output wire (on a distributor system and possibly on distributorless systems too - never used it on those) and has what I can best describe as a thumb-slide to clip it on/over the wire. If you don't have that one, you wont get any signal.

Depending on the vehicle's system, you could try checking primary ignition signals. I don't know what secondary signals will do if you try to feed them to the wave-form viewer from a pickup, as the voltage could be a problem. Joel, have you tried that?

 

[joel63]

Ok, it looks as if you have the MT2500 Vantage, since you said it has the KV Module.

Well, it's been a while since I used the MT 2500.
I went with the EETM 303 Vantage Pro. These darn get obsolete pretty quickly.

So I need to dig out the manual to figure out how to use it.

From what I can remember it does use the Secondary Ignition Clip-On Adaptor
and the Inductive RPM Adaptor.

Other coil adaptors that you would need would depend on the systems being checked.

 

[Bobioz1]

MT2400 = Vantage. MT2500 = scanner.

 

[Bobioz1]

The Vantage should have onboard tutorials for specific testing and part numbers for what's required. The kv module does not display secondary ignition patterns.

 

[goodwrench]

all the oem parts pertaining to the kv module and the different adapters seem to be pretty much obsolete. apparently the kv module was used because the scope was not fast enough for a standard probe. i finally found an article on aeswave about using their probe on a vantage. the results looked to be hit and miss. there was also mention of polarity possibly being wrong and the danger of zapping your scope. so looks like it would work but as to how well could vary, might or might not see what you need. luckily i got the module working for now. gave it a couple thumps out of frustration and it started working. it doesn't show a wave form, rather Just the kv of two different parts of the waveform. it would be nice to see the whole waveform as it happens, but i believe the way this snapon breaks it down might be easier for a novice like me. it will suffice for what i need. i would love a newer device but that is cost prohibitive for now, and i kinda like old school simple. so far it has done everything i have needed. thanks for the help so far!!

 

[joel63]

MT2400 = Vantage. MT2500 = scanner.

My opps.

Too many numbers in my head.

Thanks for the correction.

 

[joel63]

all the oem parts pertaining to the kv module and the different adapters seem to be pretty much obsolete. apparently the kv module was used because the scope was not fast enough for a standard probe. i finally found an article on aeswave about using their probe on a vantage. the results looked to be hit and miss. there was also mention of polarity possibly being wrong and the danger of zapping your scope. so looks like it would work but as to how well could vary, might or might not see what you need. luckily i got the module working for now. gave it a couple thumps out of frustration and it started working. it doesn't show a wave form, rather Just the kv of two different parts of the waveform. it would be nice to see the whole waveform as it happens, but i believe the way this snapon breaks it down might be easier for a novice like me. it will suffice for what i need. i would love a newer device but that is cost prohibitive for now, and i kinda like old school simple. so far it has done everything i have needed. thanks for the help so far!!

Sounds as if you have worked your way through your situation .

Your post brings back to mind the problems that I had when I used the MT 2400 Vantage with the KV Module.

The results were less than satisfying, but it was the best at the time.

It was a whole different ballgame when I went with the Vantage Pro.

It can show the different ignition wave forms. Parade, raster, single cylinder, etc.

If possible, you might try looking picking one of those.

My suggestion is based on cost considerations.

 

[goodwrench]

a vantage pro is still on my list, but all i see is stupid high prices on them used. only reason i bought the vantage was it looked really clean, was version 6, had the kv module, and the best part......less than a 100$ bill. i am thinking the best upgrade would be to something like a pico scope. would get a lot more ability for the money. The big thing with snap on is the built in information. telling you how test stuff, where to connect, and what to expect. buying used snapon scope/scanners makes me nervous. they are basically little computers, and if they are out of production/support and break, not many options to fix them. i wish there was other options out there. i would love something the size of the snap on, could do the lab scope and graphing multimeter, and be sold for a reasonable price that a diy person could justify. but i haven't found it