Re:Tools that changed your life!

Without a doubt, the tool that changed my life is my Picoscope. And Scannerdanner is the man to teach you how to use it.

Hash Cash wrote: Without a doubt, the tool that changed my life is my Picoscope. And Scannerdanner is the man to teach you how to use it.

It's a game changer!

After I saw Paul using a NOCO jumper pack in a couple different videos, I had to have one for myself. I'd owned a Rockford model before, and promptly killed it in daily use. This NOCO, though, just won't die!



Jumping V8's, driving cars in with dead alternators, running fuel pumps, memory saver duty... Love it.

Tyler wrote:

Hash Cash wrote: Without a doubt, the tool that changed my life is my Picoscope. And Scannerdanner is the man to teach you how to use it.

It's a game changer!

After I saw Paul using a NOCO jumper pack in a couple different videos, I had to have one for myself. I'd owned a Rockford model before, and promptly killed it in daily use. This NOCO, though, just won't die!

Jumping V8's, driving cars in with dead alternators, running fuel pumps, memory saver duty... Love it.

Everybody I know bought one of those Rockford units when they came out, I don't think there's a single survivor in the bunch! Might have to look into that NOCO

Surprised no one said this one so I guess I will. Cordless electric tools. Been a big help over the last few years. Certainly do not replace my air tools but makes life a bit easier. Another would be bright led flashlights. I bet I use mine more than any other tool and probably has found more faults then anything else . Always have one in my pocket.

I never knew how much I needed one of these until I bought one. Simply no mess, none
This one is OK for petrol/gasoline engines up to 2 litres for bigger engines and Diesels you would need the next size up.

Knoxtech wrote: Surprised no one said this one so I guess I will. Cordless electric tools. Been a big help over the last few years. Certainly do not replace my air tools but makes life a bit easier. Another would be bright led flashlights. I bet I use mine more than any other tool and probably has found more faults then anything else . Always have one in my pocket.

Oh dude, absolutely yes on both counts. Besides setting tire pressures and the air hammer, I'm completely cordless. Love it.

I just realized today how much I rely on this panel clip set. Miles ahead of any other clip tools I've used. Got it from Matco, dunno who actually makes it.

Tyler wrote:

Knoxtech wrote: Surprised no one said this one so I guess I will. Cordless electric tools. Been a big help over the last few years. Certainly do not replace my air tools but makes life a bit easier. Another would be bright led flashlights. I bet I use mine more than any other tool and probably has found more faults then anything else . Always have one in my pocket.

Oh dude, absolutely yes on both counts. Besides setting tire pressures and the air hammer, I'm completely cordless. Love it.

I just realized today how much I rely on this panel clip set. Miles ahead of any other clip tools I've used. Got it from Matco, dunno who actually makes it.

I think mueller kueps makes them for matco but I can't locate the set on their website

Knoxtech wrote: I think mueller kueps makes them for matco but I can't locate the set on their website

Wow :blink: Good eye!

www.mueller-kueps.com/product-catalog/ve...ece-clip-lifter-set/

In a similar theme I bought these last year.

Alright, I guess I should stop being a hack and leave the screw drivers for screw drivering. I've been looking at a nice little plastic set like that at Harbor freight.

In all honesty, I'm using my Power Probe 4 more than any tool in the diag box lately. I only used it a couple times after upgrading from the PP3, to drain the fuel out of a tank and test a horn. Stupid stuff.
This week I got hit with 3 cranking no starts, and the Power Probe 4 was the tool of choice for all 3.
First off, it hooks right to the battery. Having a reliable ground for testing gives this thing edge over all.
I like to start by pulling a plug wire and checking spark (NOT with the Power Probe!). Check! We have spark, not worried about coils, or PCM inputs (for now).
Sooooo, it SHOULD fire with starting fluid. Check! We have ignition with an outside fuel source! So are we missing the pump, or the injectors?
This is where the Power Probe started to impress me.
Fuel Injector Mode. With the injector control wire back probed, and cranking the engine, the probe displays 4 values:
Injector on time in ms
ECM ground voltage (taking voltage drop on the PCM ground out of mind right away)
Injector Voltage (also eliminating possible power feed voltage drop)
Inductive Kick in Kv (proving collapse of the magnetic field, helping verify injector condition).
Plus the green LED flashes as the PCM grounds the injector.

Alright, so what's the deal? Is the PCM turning on the fuel pump relay? What do you think Power Probe?
Switch her over to Driver Test mode.
With the relay out of the box, probe the control pin. The Power Probe will keep voltage on the tip so that as far as the ECM is concerned, it looks like the ground side switched component you're testing is still in the circuit. (The computer may not activate a driver if it senses the circuit is open.)
Key on.... No prime :huh: Cranking, we have PCM control, as indicated by the green LED and tone from the Power Probe.
All right then. Since the relay is already out, we can probe the feed wire to the pump. Switch to "Feed Test".
A ground tone indicates that either a) the circuit is intact all the way through the pump to ground, or b)the wire is shorted to ground (which would result in a blown fuse most likely). But NOT an open circuit. Back to the pump.
Probing the power wire, while still on Feed Test Mode, engine cranking (relay reinstalled), the probe displays 3 values.
Battery Voltage (source voltage)
Tip Voltage (Instant volt drop testing!)
Circuit resistance (calculated from the difference between tip voltage and battery voltage)
Also while in Feed Test Mode, the ability to apply power or ground is deactivated.
No problems there. Now to check the ground, engine cranking.
The green LED indicates that there is less than 10 ohms resistance on the ground wire.
We've verified circuit integrity and pcm control. We're done. Time for a pump.
If you really want to, you can go ahead and try to energize the pump while you're under there prove what you already know.
Or you could do it from the relay base if you are POSITIVE you are powering the correct leg of the circuit.
Whole job, one tool.

I have the Max Jax 2 post lift. The lift is perfect for low ceiling applications. Best of all you can move it and store it away. If you need it wider or narrower you can make several anchor points in the floor and install it in any configuration you need. It will lift 7000 lbs and allows 4ft clearance with no plates running along floor. It is a great lift!

Has not changed my life but a nice tool I use it by removing component and putting tester in it place can select from 1 amp to 20 amp load and use on 3 volt to 16 volt systems

Who knew they made tools specifically for turning flywheels/flexplates? Not me, not until my boss showed me this one:



Light years better than spending forever working the engine around with a prybar.

In 1996 I bought a used Snap-on MT2400 Vantage from a Matco tools truck. Paid $1000 for it. Someone had traded it in because it wouldn't read codes haha.
Changed my life!
We did have a Sun 450 in the shop, so I wasn't clueless with scopes but that data base in the Vantage opened up an entire new world for me and really was foundational to the thought processes I still use today.

ScannerDanner wrote: In 1996 I bought a used Snap-on MT2400 Vantage from a Matco tools truck. Paid $1000 for it. Someone had traded it in because it wouldn't read codes haha.
Changed my life!
We did have a Sun 450 in the shop, so I wasn't clueless with scopes but that data base in the Vantage opened up an entire new world for me and really was foundational to the thought processes I still use today.

+1 on the Vantage!
That's how I got my Souls Pro, which lead me to not want to be "that guy" with a kicking scanner but only knows how to use it to clear codes. Which is how I found Scanner Danner. So in a very real sense, that Solus Pro changed my life.
I remember hooking that thing up for the first time and seeing "fuel trim". I asked every mechanic I knew what that was for, and nobody could answer me. :blink:

I just bought this I used on a Nissan Note strut, which is a difficult strut to compress safely --- worked like magic a lot of time saved.

Wow. That looks like a super handy tool for struts!

got earplugs? Btr

Something I found to be super convenient was these:



Perfect for hanging brake calipers, tying hoses out of the way, hanging flashlights, all kinds of stuff! I keep two on the side of my cart.