Allen Computer test centre

[swcoulthurst]

Hi. I'm new to the Garage Journal and would welcome any advice.

I have just acquired an Allen Computer test center, Smart engine analyzer.
When I turn the switch on the screen flashes but does not stay on. After a few goes, the screen stayed on but wouldn't read the disc drive. After turning off and on again, just back to flashing on. The scope analyzer also flashes then nothing. Does this only work when connected to a vehicle?

Any ideas.

 

[kd3pc]

you might ask the mods to move this to "vintage", IIRC it is a bit long in the tooth.

Else try here:
http://bobcourtemanche.com/allen/index.html

Bob is the go to guy for these units.

 

[redmondjp]

You may have multiple problems there. Do you intend to use this, or is it just for fun?

I learned to use the big daddy diagnostic machines ($25-30K back in the 1980s) back in high school auto shop. But you can do the same things with portable equipment. I have a clamp-on peak KV tester that clips onto spark plug wires - it substitutes for the O-scope. Vacuum gauge. And most cars now have a tachometer so I don't need that. And I use a Fluke 77 for voltage readings.

Now one thing that the big machines did well was the power balance test, where you could selectively short out each cylinder and watch the RPM drop. You can do the same thing now by pulling the fuel injector connectors one by one. And a compression test never hurts either and works as well on brand-new cars as on 100-year-old ones.

If you want to get it running just for kicks, then be prepared to spend a lot of time and/or money. One thing I have learned as I get older is that my time becomes more and more valuable, and old stuff like that becomes less and less valuable, no matter how cool I think it is (I had an original Tempest arcade game that I fixed once, but then it broke in a much more complex way, and I sold it after it sat in my family room for about 10 years waiting for me to get to it - the young guy I sold it to got it working - more power to him, he had the time to do so).

Good luck!

 

[rcourtem]

Remove the back panel, label and disconnect the various wiring, pull each board,out of the cage and clean the contacts with a scotchbrite pad. Examine each board closely for damage due to mouse droppings, burned components or traces, etc. After plugging all the connectors look closely at each to be sure that non of the pins have backed out.