Tuning Tools - Import Tuner

While tuning a high-performance engine is a science in itself, maintaining and troubleshooting one is yet another kind. If I charged a nickel for every time someone has called my cell phone for tech advise, I could be retired right now. I get the normal inquiries like, "Hey, my check engine light turned on..." which usually includes, "Listen to this over my phone and tell me what's wrong." Sometimes I even get, "Dude! Where's My Car?" Oh wait, that's the drunk question. I should start charging a service fee, I have been bombarded so much with tech questions. Well it's about time for me to offer some advice on how to check your car on your own, with the help from a few tool manufacturers. If you thought the Gator Grip, the latest technology in space age polymers, was cool then check out these tools and the tricks to using them.

Snap-On Laser Temperature Pyrometer
Part Number: RTEMP25PB

What is it?
A battery operated, probe-less laser temperature thermometer.
What can it do?
Point the laser at something you want a temperature from and the digital display will read its temp in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
How does it work?
This particular laser pyrometer has two lasers. Basically it will give you an average of the two spots, or if you want to pinpoint a certain temperature, simply move the gun closer to what is being measured until you can only see one laser dot.
Cool trick
On some extreme cases, checking for a blown head gasket requires using a leak down tester. Sometimes blown head gaskets will mix oil and water, which is detectable by simply looking at the oil cap for a mixture. Using the Laser pyrometer, take a rough measurement of each cylinder's exhaust temp by pointing the laser on each header primary--as close as possible to the head. Each cylinder should be fairly close in temp and if one cylinder reads far off the rest, then in most cases it will be a blown head gasket in the cylinder with the lower temperature.
Find it at: www.snapon.com

Snap-On DVOM (Multimeter)
Part Number: MT574

What is it?
DVOM stands for Digital Volt Ohm Meter. When it comes to wiring, every technican should have one of these.
What can it do?
A DVOM, or multimeter for short, has the ability to measure voltage, checks resistance (ohms) and measure current in small amounts of amps. Whether you need to check for battery voltage or resistance on vehicle sensors, the multimeter is a necessary tool of the trade. If you work on cars and don't have one, you shouldn't be working on cars.
How does it work?
The Snap-On multimeter is self powered and does not required vehicle voltage to operate, so this eliminates the possibility of short circuiting most of the electrical on the car.
Cool Trick
If you have ever heard someone say, "I don't know why my battery dies every night," you can do a few things to help them out. Disconnect the negative side of the vehicle's battery, plug the red test lead in the 10A socket and connect it to the negative battery post. Plug the black lead in the ground socket on the meter and the other end to the negative ground wire. Select mA on the dial and the meter will show you how many amps the vehicle is drawing. With the key on the OFF position and the doors closed, the meter should not read more then .09 amps. If it reads more, start with the under-hood fuse box and slowly pull out one fuse at a time to see if the amps come down. Place the fuse back in and move to the next fuse until you find what electrical device is drawing too many amps. Never connect the meter with the key in the ON position with the selector switch on mA.
Find it at: www.snapon.com

Matco Injector Noid Set
Part Number: NLT3050C

What is it?
Imagine if an injector was equipped with a small light to signify that it received its ECU signal. Your prayers are answered with an injector noid.
What can it do?
What do you do when your injectors max out? Replace them with bigger ones right? Many times bigger injectors have to either be wired in or the OEM harnesses needed to be modified to except different types of injectors. The Injector noid test lets you see if an injector is receiving the correct signal.
How does it work?
Encased in each of the noids is an LED, which can draw little amounts of electricity to make a bright light. It doesn't matter ifs your ECU injector drivers are saturated or peak-and-hold type, the injector noid set can inform the technician whether or not you are getting the proper signal.
Cool Trick
It does what it does. It's the easiest way to find out if your injector signals are in working order.
Find it at: www.matcotools.com

Matco AST Pistol Probe
Part Number: MD76200

What is it?
No, you can't buy this at a gun store! But they can be purchased from a Matco Tool dealer. This is the quick and simple do-it-all replacement for the multimeter.
What can it do?
The Matco Pistol Probe determines whether it is probing a 5-volt reference, 12-volt power, magnetic pickup or even Hall effect signals.
How does it work?
Because the unit is powered by a vehicle's battery, it will not cause air bag deployment if it is accidentally plugged into the wrong wires. The different colored LEDs signify if a wire that is being tested is a 5-6 volt, 12 volt, ground or even inductive pick up.
Cool Trick
This probe has too many cool tricks to it to list. Go to the Web site to frind out. Plus, it's really cheap!
Find it at: www.matcotools.com

Snap-On Electronic Ear
Part Number: YA6500

What is it?
The Snap-On Electronic Ear is a miniature electronic microphone complete with headphones.
What can it do?
It can be used to determine and pinpoint engine noises from exhaust leaks, loose valvetrain and even an engine detonating.
How does it work?
The Snap-On electronic ear has a miniature microphone attached to a flexible neck with volume control allowing you to listen for noises where your head cannot fit.
Cool Trick
Most knock sensors need to mount to the block but by teeing the microphone into a vacuum source, you can hear everything going on in the engine, from valvetrain noise, injector pulsing and even audible detonation. The microphone is about 1/2-inch in size so you'll have to find a good size vacuum line to tee it into.
Find it at: www.snapon.com

Actron Auto Scanner
Part Number: CP9135

What is it?
Diagnostic scan tool that is able to pull engine codes from your stock computer (On Board Diagnostics).
What can it do?
Not only can it pull codes out of the ECU, it can also shut off the annoying check-engine light once the problem is fixed. In most cases the quickest way to find the problem is to see why the check-engine light turned on, rather than just start ripping the engine apart. Using the Actron scan tool can actually pinpoint the start of the problem.
How does it work?
Newer vehicles branded as an OBDII (On Board Diagnostics) have an OBDII connector socket. Simply plug the scan tool into the socket and follow the instructions on the LCD screen. It will display the DTC code number as well as explain what the DTC code is.
Cool Trick
No tricks here; Actron scanner is cheap and can save you a lot of money.
Find it at: www.actron.com

Craftsman Compression Tester
Part Number: 0947089

What it is?
A compression tester tests an engine for amount of compression in each cylinder What can it do?
It is able to read compression in pounds per square inch for each cylinder. The screw-in adapter is equipped with a one-way valve while the gauge incorporates a release valve.
How does it work?
There are few different fittings that come with the kit and they are designed to work with almost all OEM engines. To measure compression of a cylinder simply remove one of the sparkplugs from one of the cylinders. Using the spark plug, measure the thread, comparing it to one of the many adapters provided. Don't forget to disconnect the ignition so the car will not start. Remember to measure cylinders with the throttle wide open.
Cool Trick
While the compression test works well to find if all cylinders are even, the compression tester can also be used to check how much the rings are worn. First do the test with the engine cold and record the compression in each cylinder. Second, warm up the car to its normal running condition then shut the car off and disconnect the ignition. Using the compression tester again measure the cylinders with the engine warmed up. Record the difference and compare them to the cold number to check if the engine is wearing evenly.
Find it at: www.sears.com/craftsman

Snap-On Fuel Pressure Gauge Kit
Part Number: MT337B

What it is?
Snap-On fuel pressure gauge kit able to work with most OEM vehicles.
What can it do?
It is specifically designed to measure fuel pressure in pounds per square inch. The kit includes many different adapters to work with most electronic fuel-injected cars.
How does it work?
A fuel pressure gauge and all the adapters needed to fit on most vehicles is provided with the kit. The gauge hooks up in parallel with the OEM fuel system, allowing you to monitor fuel pressure from idle to under full load. The gauge hose is very long to run outside of the engine bay when monitoring fuel pressure while driving. One of the best features is gauge's ability to purge the pressure build-up through its release valve; this allows you to bleed the pressure before removing the adapter.
Cool Trick
Most new vehicles have a Schrader valve attached to the fuel system; if you're lucky, your car has one of these to make checking the fuel pressure much easier.
Find it at: www.snapon.com

Matco Injector Probe
Part Number: MD76400

What it is?
The injector probe can determine if an injector actually fires when it receives its signal from the ECU.
What can it do?
The probe can check signal wires with the engine running and also check if the injector actually fired mechanically.
How does it work?
By touching the probe on the injector, it can send a signal to its LED, determining that the injector fired based on the frequency the pintle makes when closing. This works well to diagnose the electrical side of an injector as well as the mechanical side.
Cool trick
I think its coolest trick is what it was designed for, checking the signals and mechanics of the injectors to see if they are in working order without disconnecting it.
Find it at: www.matcotools.com

Snap-On Test Light
Part Number: EECT301B

What is it?
The test light is a simple tool that can confirm positive battery source.
What can it do?
Its stainless steel probe can pierce wires to check for a power source. The probe is also very narrow, to probe for a 12-volt source in bulk wiring connectors.
How does it work?
By connecting the alligator clip ground wire to a vehicle's ground source the opposing end is able to probe electrical connectors and wires for power. The test light has a built in light bulb that signifies if a 12-volt power exists.
Cool Trick
Have you ever blown a fuse on your car and not known which one it was? By simply turning the ignition switch to the ON position you can use the test light to probe for 12-volts at each end of a fuse, without pulling out the fuse. OEM blade-style fuses are encased in plastic yet the top of the fuse has two metal contact areas to allow you to test for power without removing the fuse from its socket. Common rule of thumb: If both sides light then the fuse is good; if one side lights up then the fuse is bad.
Find it at: www.snapon.com

Snap-On Adjustable Timing Light
Part Number: MT2261AP

What is it?
The best ignition timing light on the market!
What can it do?
It is mainly used to determine where an engine's mechanical ignition timing is set. Unlike most timing lights, this one will let you dial in the amount of advance to make lining up the timing marks much easier. It can also display what a vehicle's rpm is.
How does it work?
Attached to the timing light is a power and ground alligator clip along with an inductive pick up. With the power and ground connected and pickup connected, the timing light will show every time the cylinder hits its power stroke. The best part about the light is it will also work with most distributor-less ignition systems and some waste-spark ignitions.
Cool Trick
For DIS vehicles, you can use the inductive pick up to check if the signal is being transmitted from the ECU to the coil by clipping it around the ECU signal wire.
Find it at: www.snapon.com