Driveability techs and oscilloscopes

[OHMS LAW]

How often are they used and also do you have ur own solus pro or autel? Are they provided in a shop

 

[OHMS LAW]

I guess I'm being to vague. As a driveability tech are you required to have the high tech scan tools or are the shop provided?

 

[chris142]

I've never seen a shop buy diagnostic tools. they expect the tech to buy that stuff

 

[xurusaibobx]

depends what type of shop you working at. Dealerships are some what required to have those items up to date just because of warranty work. small shops its all up to you and most of them dont even test just toss parts at the car

 

[75toolman]

depends what type of shop you working at. Dealerships are some what required to have those items up to date just because of warranty work. small shops its all up to you and most of them dont even test just toss parts at the car

Wow,what an absolute load of horse ****.

 

[Inkncraig]

depends what type of shop you working at. Dealerships are some what required to have those items up to date just because of warranty work. small shops its all up to you and most of them dont even test just toss parts at the car

^ fail on your part

 

[OHMS LAW]

So do most guys just use a reg obd2 scanner?

 

[Fedwrench]

It varies by where you work and what you work on. It is true that dealerships are required by the manufacturer to have specialty tools on hand but, you don't want to waste time waiting to get the scan tool from another tech so since time is money, most techs will have their own scan tool. I've seen guys have everything from their own tech2 to non factory tools.
Scopes are a different matter. GM for example doesn't have a scope as an essential service tool. I've seen more independent shops use scopes than Dealers. There are many more brands to choose from besides snappy and autel, Picoscope comes to mind first.

 

[hifi_hokie]

I'm a Tektronix fan myself, but I came from an electronics background...with digital storage 'scopes becoming more common in labs, you can find analog ones for cheap

 

[Shadowdog500]

I'm a Tektronix fan myself, but I came from an electronics background...with digital storage 'scopes becoming more common in labs, you can find analog ones for cheap

+1

I had a Tectronics 545A oscilloscope for years for playing with electronics. I think I only hooked it up to a vehicle once just to mess around, so I wouldn't run out and get one just for working on my car. Analog scopes can be had for cheap. If you want one, I hear that a Tectonics from the 70s are the best to get. They don't have tubes like my 545A did, but they do use over the counter parts that can still be obtained. Ive heard that some of the later ones have everything on custom chips that are impossible to find.

Heck for $300 you can turn your iPad into a pretty good oscilloscope.

Chris

 

[hifi_hokie]

Yeah, I wouldn't mess with a tube scope unless one had a real masochistic leaning, lol. Bet they were probably difficult to keep aligned when they were new

Ham radio swapmeets might be a good place to find one, I always see stacks of those '70s round-CRT Tek scopes.

Vacuum tube voltmeters have more use today, but even then I'd probably choose a solid state Fluke that's made for high impedance circuits

 

[texasprd]

If you are in a non-dealership shop, or even if you're in a dealership, get one that has a built-in database (component operation, location, connector pin-outs, test procedures, good-waveform examples). You will need that information - here's no way you can know how every testable signal should appear, what every connector pinout looks like, etc. There is a lot of commonality between most makes/models/years, but there's enough difference that you need the knowledgebase/database if you are working on anything more than your own vehicles.

I don't know what the PC-based platforms have regarding the above, but Snap-on's built-in database is wonderful!

 

[miatakid]

oscilloscope ? or do you just want wave form from the sensor the snap on ultra has that. the oscilloscope dose give you wave forms but for the most part it just a real fast volt, amp, ohm meter used to test electronic equipment. so you need to find out what tool /info to do the job. sensor wave form ? lab scope? a fluke 77? or somthing to just turn off the check engine light?

 

[snowman1981]

i work at a independent shop and my boss purchases the high dollar tools or is there is something we need that works well and can make money he will purchase it. we use a pico scoop. it works really well.

 

[OHMS LAW]

Well guys the reason I ask if the scope is really needed is because I'm going to be using a large amout of financial aid to get a scan tool so I was trying to see if its worth it to get a decent scan tool and a stand alone vantage. But I'm guessing I should get a solus pro on the 50 percent off discount.

 

[OHMS LAW]

And Can a true rms meter be just as good as a scope.

 

[Seanbev24]

And Can a true rms meter be just as good as a scope.

No.

Even a Solus is a big purchase for an entry-level tech. Just because you have a scan tool, doesn't mean you'll be doing the type of work that requires it for quite a while. All shops are different. From your questions it's obvious that you aren't even clear on what each of these tools do. My suggestion is to wait until you're in a solid job for a while. By that point, you'll know what you need.

I bought a Modis after working for a couple years because my shop didn't provide a scope or decent scan tool. 3 months ago, I got a job at an independent shop that provides the following:

-Solus ultra
-Snap-on red brick
-Launch
-Mercedes SDS
-Autologic with a few euro brands on it
-Sun scope with 4 gas
-Pico scope

This is in a shop with 4 technicians. My point is that although I love the Modis, it barely gets used now. I damn sure wouldn't have bought it if I knew this is where I'd end up working.

 

[ironmutt]

has anyone used one like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/SainSmart-A...68728?pt=BI_Oscilloscopes&hash=item3f13998898
i am real temted to buy one but not sure how well it would work

 

[echerbst]

If just starting get a scanner if needed. Don't worry about the scope. I have run my own independent shop for 8 years and only needed it a handful of times to diagnosis a problem. I have a tech 2 and otc genysis that I use daily and can't complain. Always gets GE job done.

 

[Dust]

I've done electrical at a dealership for almost five years, and can count on one hand the number of times I wish I had a scope. If I did driveability I might consider dropping the cash, but even our driveability guy doesn't have one, and has been doing it for about thirty years.

Is it a nifty tool and will it help you? Yes. Do you need one all the time? No. Save the money and put it toward tools that will help make you money now, not years down the line. When you get to the point where you think you need one, which will most likely be years into your career, then think about buying one. And from what I hear, the Picoscope is the best bang-for-buck, combined with a good computer or laptop.

 

[Skin]

I've done electrical at a dealership for almost five years, and can count on one hand the number of times I wish I had a scope. If I did driveability I might consider dropping the cash, but even our driveability guy doesn't have one, and has been doing it for about thirty years.

Is it a nifty tool and will it help you? Yes. Do you need one all the time? No. Save the money and put it toward tools that will help make you money now, not years down the line. When you get to the point where you think you need one, which will most likely be years into your career, then think about buying one. And from what I hear, the Picoscope is the best bang-for-buck, combined with a good computer or laptop.

Honestly it comes down to what tools you feel comfortable with. A lot of guys feel satisfied with a DMM, test light and basic scan tool live data along with visual/audible inspection and testing. Another guy (Stick comes to mind) can be very adept at using a scope and can probably address problems much faster with one and, dare i say, with a higher degree of accuracy and less guess work too. Portable affordable Oscilloscopes are a relatively new addition to an automotive technicians arsenal so it makes sense that most guys who have been in the field for 10-20 years or more probably havent found a need, as they already have a routine that works for them.

 

[DarrenF]

I am a technician at an independent shop with 4 licensed techs and one apprentice. Our shop supplies one Snap On Verus, Vantage Pro, Autoland Scientech iScan, and a few other odds and ends. I didn't like the Verus, and always had to wait for it, so i bought my own Solus Ultra. I like it a lot better, since i already owned my own Vantage pro. Other diagnostic tools i own are a Power Probe 3 (couldnt live without it), Snap On 586 DMM, test lights, sealed beam headlight bulb on test leads, backprobing pins, terminal tools etc.

I find the Vantage Pro a very good scope for automotive work, and the Solus Ultra is an awesome scanner. A very good combo to have.

 

[devan7815]

I hope you guys are aware of the fact that you can get fantastic stand-alone DSO's way cheaper than the tool truck stuff elsewhere . Check Ebay for Rigol, Siglent, or Hantek digital storage oscilloscopes. They offer both bench and handheld scopes as well as current probes. The most affordable ones will be two channel scopes. You will need to get automotive compatible scope leads and adapters from AESwave.com. You don't need a scope with a very high mega Hertz rating for automotive use either. Using a scope isn't easy at first. You can watch a bunch of videos and think you've got it down but when it's time to break it out at work you find out that you're at the foot of a steep learning curve. It's still fun and at the end of the day it's providing you with more info. It's also a way to verify if your scanner is telling the truth! Remember with a scope you're seeing it right from the source and not after-the-fact ECM/scanner processing.

 

[Fueler]

A pico scope is on my wish list after much study of the "affordable" units available. Not a tech myself but have enough vehicles it would be handy. I have also learned a lot about it and scanning in general by watching videos on YT by ScannerDanner.

 

[joebiodiesel]

I'm a big fan of lab scopes. I've owned one since I first started working on cars. My first one was a portable Techtronix that had a 3.5" screen and took 10 D Cell Batteries. I sure got a lot of use out of it in the 80's and early 90s. I have graduated to different scopes now, but I need them way less often than I did before. The trouble is, when you need one, there is no substitute. There are cars I work on every year that wouldn't have been diagnosed without one. If you don't currently own any diagnostic equipment, I'd advise to you consider a scanner before a scope. You'll use one of those WAY more often.

Joe

 

[jethro29]

the autocare center I work for provides a maxidas 708 autel scanner and a genesis 5.0.i have my own solus pro and a vantage pro.i specialize in driveability and electrical issues and use my scope daily.i use it for compression tests,cylinder balance tests,voltage drop,parasitic draw,test sensors and solonoids.ect.it gives you very accurate and precise measurments that I can print or save or compare to known good samples of particular items.

 

[nanofrog]

you can get fantastic stand-alone DSO's way cheaper than the tool truck stuff elsewhere . Rigol, Siglent

+1

Rigol got a leg-up over their competition due to their relationship with Agilent (Rigol produces Agilent's entry level model).

 

[srmofo]

I use a rigol digital scope. It doesn't come with the fancy extras like automotive scopes do but it does show me waveforms. It also cost a fraction of those other scopes

Mine is just a 2 channel 50hz but can easily be hacked with a new serial/model number and it becomes 100hz. Its not needed for automotive use though.

 

[JTH]

if you get a scope the best thing you can do is get a membership to IATN. They have a database of waveforms for most everything you will see in automotive work.