Motor management systems in cars get more and more sophisticated. When these sophisticated systems malfunction, sophisticated measuring equipment is required to locate the cause of the problem. With the TiePie engineering Automotive Diagnostics Kit, the automotive specialist obtains all necessary tools to perform most of the diagnostic tests to locate the problem, all conveniently packed in a protective case.
Automotive oscilloscope
Heart of the Automotive Diagnostics Kit is the Automotive scope ATS5004D automotive oscilloscope. This PC oscilloscope turns your computer into a sophisticated automotive diagnostic system. Equipped with four differential inputs, the Automotive scope ATS5004D guarantees measuring multiple signals without the risk of creating short circuits through the oscilloscope. The compact Automotive scope ATS5004D is USB powered, which makes it easy to connect it to a laptop computer and perform measurements while driving the vehicle. The large input range, the long memory buffers and high maximum sampling rate make it the possible to capture almost any automotive signal. The built in connection test feature on each channel informs whether the test points have electrical connection to test subject, leaving no doubt whether there is no connection or no signal.
Automotive Test and Information System
The ATIS-Pro Automotive Test and Information System is a large knowledge base with information on almost all electrical and electronical components that are used in the motor management system of a car. In an intuitive graphical environment background information on sensors and actuators can be found, as well as detailed schematics, diagnosis instructions, component locations with photographs of most available cars and example signals for proper functioning components. The unique point of ATIS is the direct coupling between the diagnosis instructions with the example signals to the measuring instrument. One click of the mouse in ATIS will launch the automotive measurement software and load the specific settings to measure on the particular component. The mechanic can focus on finding the problem, he does not need to find out how to setup the instrument.
The Automotive Diagnostics Kit is delivered with ATIS-Lite. As an extension to ATIS-Lite, ATIS-Pro can be ordered. ATIS-Pro contains an extensive database with more schematics, connection diagrams and oscilloscope settings with reference signals.
Measuring leads
To connect the Automotive scope ATS5004D to the automotive circuits, the Automotive Diagnostics Kit contains a set of four special measuring leads. The Measure lead TP-C1812B is a 3 meter long low noise BNC to 4 mm banana measuring lead, specifically designed to be used on differential oscilloscope inputs. The two ends of the Measure lead TP-C1812B with the banana jacks can be placed 2 meters apart, without picking up external disturbances. The length of 3 meter allows to connect the instrument to components under the hood while the instrument is located on the passenger seat, making it possible to perform measurement while driving. The measuring lead is made of silicone, making it heat resistant and oil resistant, perfectly suitable for automotive applications. The 4 mm banana jacks make it possible to connect a variety of test points or clamps.
Back probes
The Automotive Diagnostics Kit contains a set of Back Probes TP-BP85 Set. These thin and flexible measuring probes fit on any test lead with 4 mm banana jacks and make it possible to connect to hard to reach places. They allow to back probe wires in connectors, without breaking the circuit, without the need of break out boxes and without damaging the wire isolation. The set contains 8 probes, four black ones, a red, a yellow, a green and a blue one, matching the input channel color coding of the Automotive scope ATS5004D.
Ignition pickups
To measure secondary ignition signals, the Ignition Pickup TP-IP250 Set is added to the Automotive Diagnostics Kit. Simply clamp the Ignition Pickup TP-IP250 Set around a spark plug cable and measure the secondary ignition signals, both from normal ignition systems and DIS ignition systems. The Automotive Diagnostics Kit contains two pickups.
Current clamps
To measure large currents, like e.g. starting currents, a Current clamp TP-CC600 is included in the Automotive Diagnostics Kit. The Current clamp TP-CC600 makes it possible to measure current with your automotive oscilloscope, without the need of breaking the circuit. Simply clamp the Current clamp TP-CC600 around the wire and measure the current, up to 600 A. Current measurements can reveal problems that with a voltage pattern remain hidden, like e.g. compression problems that are visible in the starting current.
Many components draw far less than 600 A, making the 80 A Current clamp TP-CC80 a more suitable current clamp. It will measure up to 80 A, giving a much higher accuracy at low currents than the Current clamp TP-CC600. Use it to reveal problems in driving injectors, measuring leakage currents etc.
Accelerometer and manual trigger button
The Accelerometer TP-ACC20 is a dual axis accelerometer combined with a manual trigger button. It can be connected to the extension connector at the rear of the Automotive scope ATS5004D and two input channels. The dual accelerometer measures accelerations up to 2 g in two planes. It can be used to measure vibrations in mechanical systems, but is can also be used to determine the maximum power of an engine, without the need of expensive equipment. Attach the acceleration sensor to the floor of the car and accelerate at full power. Using the weight of the car and the measured signal, the power can then be calculated by the software. The manual trigger button can be used to trigger the automotive oscilloscope when the input signals are unknown. Connect the automotive oscilloscope to the sensors you want to check and start driving the car. As soon as the problem occurs, e.g. the engine holding back, press the manual trigger button. The automotive oscilloscope will now measure the signals and store them. Since the oscilloscope can store the signals before pressing the trigger button, later examination of the signals will show how the problem developed.
Differential attenuators
The 80 Volt full scale input range of the Automotive scope ATS5004D makes it possible to measure almost any automotive signal. In case the voltage exceeds 80 Volt, the Differential attenuator TP-DA10 can be used. This special differential attenuator attenuates the input signal by a factor 10. It can be used when measuring e.g. primary ignition signals or fuel injector signals. The Automotive Diagnostics Kit contains a Differential attenuator TP-DA10 for each channel.
Alligator clips
In order to connect to various types of terminals where the Back Probes TP-BP85 Set cannot be used, the Aligator Clip TP-AC50B Set is included. Small enough to be used in narrow places, but enough clamping range to clamp on larger objects. Five clips are included in the Automotive Diagnostics Kit.
