Basic Diagnostic Tool Set

You are correct sir, every day I need my magnet!

This one can easily be bent any direction and is surprisingly resistant to breakage even after repeated bending. It will break eventually, but that's what the lifetime guarantee is for.

IF you can find a budget scan tool with freezer frame data this can give you some insight into current conditions when the vehicle set the code so that's a plus as it helps a little more.

Another item that's not basic but geared towards the guy who wants to keep things minimal, less stuff to carry.. Check out this 2 channel high speed Bluetooth with graphing capabilities Multimeter.

You can look at it here,

shop.curienllc.com/

You can watch a video by the rustbelt mechanic on YouTube here as well,

It's one of his nifty tools of the week series. A little spendy but if you use it for graphing, etc then you should be good as they're claiming high speeds for the graphing/sampling on it.

Watch his review, check the Curien website out and decide for yourself and go from there.

There's also a nice breakout box in the video. Don't waste your money on the Matco backprobe set unless you anticipate breaking a probe and you see the Matco guy at least every 2-3 weeks as the backprobe set is just a knock off version of the tool aid SG 23500 set they sell on Amazon. Maybe one of the mods reading this could drop a link in my message or after and maybe somehow link it thru Paul's Amazon store as I don't know if he has it but if he can add it as a affiliate link then I think we can support him and the channel for the same price which is still less than the Matco versions.

In the video he also shows the test lead set similar to one sold by www.aeswave.com which I think Paul has a link to also. To sit in the video is meant to be sold with the Bluetooth multimeter. I have the kit from AES wave so I opted not to get the shit in the video.

Dtnel wrote: A little spendy but if you use it for graphing, etc then you should be good as they're claiming high speeds for the graphing/sampling on it.

That claim doesn't match the sawtooth waveform that was generated when he switched the lights on and off. Anything "high speed" would've produced a square wave. That sawtooth looked like an averaged reading transmitted about once per second, which is really slow. The bar graph on my Fluke DMMs updates 40 times per second IIRC.

Let me introduce you to my all-time favorite tool. The Husky cordless ratchet. www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-8-in-Drive-1...t-H38CPRAT/305713305 It has an integrated battery, which makes it very small. I am not entirely positive of this, but it could even be smaller than the tiny Milwaukee.

I use it with my Powerbuilt ultra-lowprofile 3/8" sockets. These sockets go from 8mm to 18mm. A 3/8" drive 8mm socket is VERY nice to have when dealing with hose clamps. My power ratchet makes their removal instant. You need low profile sockets. They are specialty tools that can be hard to find. This is my exact set. Look for something similar. www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Powerbuilt...5864381/product.html

At only $89, it is cheaper than Harbor Freight! You can pick it up at any Home Depot. The battery is serviceable after its end of life as it's only 3 18650 cells.

If you are just getting started and spending $90 on an excellent ratchet is too hard, this is a decent alternative: www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-3-8-in-Drive...het-89-962/203740742 I had two of them stolen and I own a 3rd one now. It's the manual version of the ratchet I recommended above. This used to be my all-time favorite tool.

Another indispensable tool is the serpentine belt removal tool. It happens to also be a 3/8" drive anvil at the end of a long flat bar and a 1/2" drive anvil at the end of an adjustable 6" flat bar. If you don't have this, you will have a hard time reaching alternators. I use it a lot when working in confined spaces. Removing an alternator often makes the job accessing relevant sensors much easier. The best one of these is actually the rental from O'Reilly because it comes in a nice case. The cheapest would be from Harbor Freight. I use this thing on almost every car.

wiseleo wrote: You need low profile sockets. They are specialty tools that can be hard to find. This is my exact set. Look for something similar. www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Powerbuilt...5864381/product.html

Just a question of curiosity... Why do I *need* low profile sockets? In 20 years, I've never been in a situation where I thought "I need a low profile socket". Honest question... Where would they be more useful than a regular socket?

While I am one for investing in tools, I'd say that 99% of what you are going to come across in the field can and will be diagnosed with a test light, a decent DMM, and an amp clamp. These three tools alone can help you not only diagnose, but figure out the circuit without needing or having access to information. I'd also like to say that having a global OBDII scanner with live data is very helpful. Combining a live data list with a couple jumper wires can be a fast and efficient way of preforming circuit integrity tests, and ensuring the computer is responding to changes in resistance inside the circuit.

When I was a mechanic, I used low profile sockets all the time. I wore out 1/2 the bar of low profile sockets about every 8 months. That's how much I used them. I only bought Snapon impact sockets. The tool guy HATED me!

You use low profile sockets so you can jump from one bolt to another real quickly and not have any 'rattle' btw the bolt/nut and socket when using an air impact wrench. I had the most expensive Snapon air impact ratchet, and if not careful, it would strip the ears off a bolt or round a nut (or break it off!).

The only time I reach for a long socket is when a bolt is sticking out too far past the nut or when I need more reach.

Cheers...

The tips for my Snapon ratcheting screwdriver have knerling on them so they grip. Never saw a froze-up screw it couldn't break loose!