Diagnosis from the

Driver’s Seat

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 Topics to be Discussed
• Diagnosis of the battery,
starting and charging systems
from the driver's seat.
• Using an OBD II breakout box
(BOB).
• How to check DTCs, monitor
status and scan tool data all
from the driver’s seat.
• Test drive.

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Diagnosing a Vehicle
(Old school)

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 Today
All or Mostly Electrical

What do you think could be

checked from the driver's seat?
• Oil level?
• Battery voltage?
• Starter/ alternator issues?
• Air conditioning condition?
• Diagnosis ?

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 Verify Customer Concern

• Customer stated that he had to

pound on dash to get the car to
start.

• Yep. the customer pounded on

the dash,

• So hard that the needles fell

off.

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 Service Information
GM RPO Codes

• 2018+ GM use a QR code on

the “B” pillar.
• When using a QR reader on a
smartphone or scan tool
camera, shows the VIN and
the “Regular Production
Option” (RPO) codes. (2016-
2017 VIN only)
• Needed for the right parts and
diagnosis.

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 Where to Start?
Check everything that does and
does not work, including:
• Test the brake pedal feel.
• Check for proper engagement
into drive and reverse
• If the vehicle moves forward and
back, but does not shift, it is
usually the valve body.
• If the vehicle does not move,
usually the unit needs to be
removed.
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 Visual Inspection

Check the following:

1. Lights, turn signal, and horn
2. Windshield wipers and
washers
3. All accessories
4. Use mirrors in the shop to
see the lights.

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My Shop Mirror

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 TECH TIP
• If the cruise control is
inoperative,
• Could be due to inoperative
brake lights.
• Check them by looking
through the rear view mirror,
using the mirrors in the shop.

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Surround Cameras

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Any Dash Warning Lights On?

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 Dash Symbol Chart
• Green = Information
• Amber = Caution
• Red = Warning

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Dash Warning Lights Mean?
(Electronic throttle control fault detected)

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 Checking Oil Level
• Old school - Under the hood • New school - From the
driver’s seat

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 Ultrasonic Oil Level Sensor

• Since 2010, Jaguar uses an

ultrasonic oil level sensor.
• It uses sound waves that
bounce off the oil surface and
then displays the oil level.
• Scroll through trip settings,
using the trip button on the
end of the turn signal stalk.

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 Oil Level Dash Displays

Oil level displayed on the dash

is mostly on European vehicles
at this this time, including:
• Jaguar
• BMW
• Mercedes
• Audi- Audi A8 shown

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 What else can be measured
from the driver’s seat?
• ATF? Some vehicles • Tire Pressure? Most vehicles

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Ford Mustang Variable Effort Steering
(Changeable from the driver’s seat)

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 A/C Diagnosis
from the Driver’s Seat
• Is the air conditioning
working as designed?
• Measure vent temperature
and look at outside
temperature.

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Airflow Check

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 Sample Question
Customer states that the air conditioning is not cooling enough
and that it is cooler on the passenger side than on the driver's
side. What is the most likely cause?
A. Over-charged refrigerant
B. Under-charged refrigerant
C. Stuck or broken blend door
D. Clogged cabin filter

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 Sample Question
Customer states that the air conditioning is not cooling enough
and that it is cooler on the passenger side than on the driver's
side. What is the most likely cause?
A. Over-charged refrigerant
B. Under-charged refrigerant X
C. Stuck or broken blend door
D. Clogged cabin filter

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 CASE Study
• Complaint - There is an
“electrical short” because the
driver gets shocked when
touching the door handle
when leaving the car.
• Cause - Driver’s movement
on the upholstery caused a
static charge buildup.
• Correction - Used static guard
spray on the seats.

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 CASE STUDY
• BMW E39 530i

• Customer states that the

battery goes dead overnight.

• Customer says that a

“humming” sound is heard
from under the dash.

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 CASE STUDY - Solution
• Used a thermal image camera
to locate which module was
powered up all the time.
• The HVAC module was not
shutting down.
• It was controlled by the BCM.
• Replaced BCM and
programmed the unit.

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Voltage Display

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 Electrical Measurements from
the Driver’s Seat
• DC voltage (cranking and
charging voltage)
• AC voltage (AC ripple
voltage)
• Used to determine the
condition of the following:
1. Battery SOC
2. Starter
3. Alternator

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 If The Battery Is Not Happy,
The Vehicle Is Not Happy
• Check battery voltage from
the driver’s seat.
• Using a power (lighter) plug,
use a double banana plug to
connect to the meter.

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Where is the DLC?

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 OBD II Connector
• OBD II Plug - Pins #4 and #5
are longer.

• Why?

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 OBD II Connector

• Because the ground touches

first when making the
connection.
• Helps prevent voltage spikes.

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OBD-II DLC

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Case Study
•Compliant-On a 2004 BMW E46, the scan tool would
not power up.
•Cause- No 12 volts at pin #16 of the DLC. Found a
blown fuse for the lighter (power socket).
•(Customer remembered hearing a “pop” when he
plugged in a device to the power outlet.)
•Correction- Replaced the that fuse feeds pin #16 of
the DLC.
•

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 OBD II DLC Memory Saver
• Use OBD II male connector…
Pin #4 (-) and #16 (+) go to
power plug and to a jump
box.

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 Checking Voltage at the DLC
• Use a break-out box (BOB)
and a DMM.

• Connect the Meter to the

Terminals 4 and 16 of the
DLC

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OBD II Break-Out Box (BOB)

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 LEDs on the OBD II BOB
• Pin 16: Red LED lights up
when there is power.
• Pins 4 and 5: Green LED's on
each pin light up when ground
is good.
• Pins 2, 6, 7, 10: Yellow LED's
on each pin light up to identify
vehicle data OBD-II protocol
and activity.

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 Tech Tip
• Add a breakout box or a DLC
extension harness to every
vehicle.
• Protects the DLC from
damage from students trying
to plug in a scan tool.
• A breakout box makes it easy
to check for voltages without
doing any harm to the
vehicle.

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 Battery Voltage
Battery Testing-
• Connect and watch the
voltmeter and turn on high
beam headlights.
• Watch voltage drop.
• After it stabilizes, turn off the
lights.
• Watch how fast the voltage
increases.
• The final voltage is the SOC.
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 Battery Condition Test
• Battery voltage should be
12.6 V or higher.

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 Cranking System Voltage
Cranking voltage -
• Crank the engine.
• Observe the battery voltage.
• It should be above 9.6 Volts
during cranking.

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 CASE STUDY
• Complaint – 2016 BMW E39
infotainment system rebooting
on occasion when starting the
engine.
• Cause – Voltage briefly dropping
too low while cranking.
• Captured by Fluke 87 using the
peak min/max feature (250 µSec
capture rate).
• Correction – Replacing the
battery corrected the problem.
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 Charging System Voltage
Charging Voltage -
• Start the engine and observe
the voltmeter.
• It should be 13.5-15.0 Volts.

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 CASE STUDY

• Complaint - Ford Focus

speedometer needle went up
and down with engine speed,
rather than vehicle speed.
• Cause - Excessive AC Ripple
voltage (over 1 volt AC) at the
battery.
• Correction - Replacing the
alternator restored the proper
operation of the speedometer.
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 CASE STUDY
• Complaint - The owner of a BMW
540i (V8) stated that the battery
warning light would come on
when accelerating hard.
Retrieved a C0800 DTC (system
voltage is greater than 16 volts).
• Cause - The charging voltage
was measured at 17.7 volts.
• Correction - The alternator was
replaced, the DTC was cleared,
and the vehicle returned to the
customer.

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 Ripple Voltage Testing
AC Ripple Voltage –

• Start the engine.

• Turn on the headlights to
provide an electrical load.
• Switch the meter to read AC
volts.
• Meter should read less than
0.5 Volt.

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 Relative Power Balance Test
• Connect scope leads to
terminals #4 and #16 at the
DLC.
• Hold the accelerator pedal to the
floor to enter “clear flood” mode.

• Crank the engine and observe

the waveform.
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Anything already plugged into the DLC?

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 Insurance Telematics
• Because the device is
plugged into the DLC, it has
power (#16) and ground (#4)
at all times.
• Can cause some driveability
issues and false DTCs.
• Can result in no savings.
(Driving late at night because of a
flight from the west coast, for
example.)

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 Diagnosis Telematics
• The PCM, of course, monitors
all functions.
• Can transmit “state of health”
messages to the vehicle
manufacturer (i.e. On Star).

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Smart Phone Interface
(Vauxhall Insignia)

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OBD DLC Wiring

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CAN Terminating Resistors

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Terminating Resistance Testing
(Two 120 ohm in parallel = 60 Ohms)

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 CASE Study
• 2013 Ford Focus S 2.0L
• Complaint: The windshield wipers will
sometimes stop in the middle of the
sweep.
• Cause: The motors have a fail-safe
overload protection built in. If the BCM
detects too much current, it will shut the
motors down to protect them.
• The motors communicate over a LIN
network with each other.
• The wiper blades are causing too much
friction on the glass.
• Correction: Replace the blades with OEM.

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Stop-Start Systems

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 Check Engine Light On?
• This means that a DTC has
been stored.
• Check for stored DTCs.
• Then check TSBs.
• Follow service information.

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 Diagnosing OBD II DTCs
• Check DTCs

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 CASE STUDY
• 2010 Cadillac CTS  
• Complaint: Check engine light
on and stumble on
acceleration at times.
• Cause: Code P0101 Check
PIDs with an Autolink
scanner. (Mass air flow
sensor out of range.)
• Correction - Replaced MAF.

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 Scan Tool
Before starting the engine,
connect the scan tool.
Four types of scan tools:
1. Code readers
2. OBD II global (generic)
3. Factory scan tool
4. Enhanced aftermarket scan
tool.

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 Code Readers
(Usually cost less than $100)

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 Smart Phone Scan Tool
• Uses a smart phone Bluetooth
adapter (usually less than $20).
• Purchase a phone app (about
$5.00).
• IOS: OBD Car Doctor, E OBD2
• Android: OBD Car Doctor,
Torque, EOBD2, Dash
Command
• Third-party apps may need to
pay to get full function.
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OBD II Global (Generic) Scan Tools

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Enhanced Aftermarket Scan Tools

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Factory Scan Tools

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 2016+ Hyundai Genesis
• Some scan tool technology is
built into the vehicle.

• Cars like the Hyundai

Genesis include a “System
Check” visual that pops up in
the center of the gauge
cluster at start-up.

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 Scan Tool Data (PIDs)
Perform all Module Scan

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 Cylinder Contribution Test
• Such as provided by the Ford
IDS scan tool.

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 P0300 Random Misfire DTC

• P0300 etc.
• Use the scan tool to do the
hard work from the driver’s
seat.
• Look at the misfire data.

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 Misfire Data
Some scan tools can show
misfire data or use Mode $06.

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 Mode $06
• Global OBD II was designed for
engineers to check the operation of
non-continuously monitored
systems.
• It was not intended to be used by
service technicians.
• Mode $06 is used by service
technicians to monitor the PCM test
results of various systems.
• Mode $06 is used to maintain all
noncontinuous monitors and
pending DTCs.
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Check Monitor Status

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 CASE Study
(1997 Chevy Truck 350 V8)
• Rough Idle

• Surge

• No Codes

• What data PID indicates

the problem?

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 CASE Study
(1997 Chevy Truck 350 V8)

• Rough Idle

• Surge

• No Codes

• What data PID indicates

the problem?

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 Camshaft Wear
Causing the CMP Retard (-6 degrees)

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 Bi-Directional Control
A factory or an enhanced
aftermarket scan tool allows
the technician to:
• Turn on individual lights
• Operate individual power
windows and other
accessories that are
connected to the BUS
system.

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 High Authority Inputs
• The engine RPM signal
comes from the CPK sensor.

• As the number goes up, the

engine is going faster.

• This is usually the most

important input.

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Look Carefully at All PIDs

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 ECT = IAT
On a cold engine -
• Key on/Engine off (KOEO) and
look at the values for ECT (engine
coolant temperature) and IAT
(intake air temperature).

• Basically, the same sensor and

the two temperatures should
agree.

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 ECT = IAT (continued)
• The ECT sensor has a higher
authority than the IAT and is
therefore more likely to be the
cause of a starting or cold
running problem.

• The ECT is the only sensor

used by the PCM when the
ignition key is first turned from
on to start.

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 MAP = BARO

• A MAP sensor is a high-authority

sensor, especially on speed density-
controlled engines.
• The MAP reading at KOEO should be
atmospheric pressure (about 29.50 in.
Hg.), depending on altitude and
weather conditions.
• An easier value to remember is that it
should be about 4.6- 4.8 volts.

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 MAP vs. Vacuum
• The MAP sensor is basically a
vacuum gauge connected to
the intake manifold.
• Can be used to monitor basic
engine health such as:
1. Retarded cam timing (low
steady vacuum)
2. Restricted exhaust (vacuum
drops at higher engine
speeds)
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 CASE STUDY
2007 Pontiac Vibe 1.8 L -
• Complaint: Rough idle and
charging voltage drops from
12.4v to 11.8v the longer it runs .
•  Cause: Intake manifold gaskets
vacuum leak causing low idle (too
low to charge battery).  Used
MAP sensor PID to determine the
low vacuum.
• Correction: Replaced the leaking
intake manifold gasket.
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 Long Term/Short Term Fuel Trim
• Long-term fuel trim (LTFT)
can add or subtract more fuel
than STFT.

• LTFT is slower than STFT.

• The purpose of LTFT is to

keep STFT within plus or
minus 10%.

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 LTFT and STFT Diagnosis
• I suggest that you ignore STFT.
• STFT is what is happening this
instant.
• LTFT gives a history of the exhaust
mixture and is more helpful when it
comes to a diagnosis.
• Add the two together to get the
total amount of added or
subtracted fuel.
• LTFT = +8%, STFT = -3%, total =
+5%.

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 +LTFT Too High

• Look for a vacuum leak.

• Look for a cracked

exhaust manifold.

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 Fuel Trim Example
• LTFT = +12%

• STFT = +2%

How is the engine

running now?

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 Fuel Trim Example
• Answer:
• The engine is operating
normally now because the PCM
has compensated for a slightly
lean air-fuel mixture by
increasing the injector pulse-
width.

• Look for a vacuum leak or low

fuel pressure.

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Test Drive The Vehicle

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Public Service Announcement (PSA)
(Avoid software problem)

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 VOLUMETRIC EFFICIENCY
• Volumetric efficiency (VE) is the
percentage of air entering the engine
compared to the theoretical airflow.
• Typical normally aspirated engines
will test having a VE of 75% to 90%.
• Older two-valve cylinder head
engines will test lower than newer
engines equipped with four valves
per cylinder.
• Percentages above 100% are
possible on supercharged or
turbocharged engines.

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 Volumetric Efficiency Calculator
• A VE calculator can be
downloaded from:
www.jameshalderman.com

• Click on “Downloads” and

then “Service Information.”
• “Volumetric Efficiency
Calculator for Windows.”

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Must maintain at least 850mV

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 Power Test Drive
Accelerate -
• If O2 goes low, the fuel system is lean.
Check for MAF reporting error,
clogged fuel filter, or weak fuel
pump.

• If O2 goes high, something is

restricted.
Check intake and exhaust.

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 Test Drive- Continued
O2 High -
• BARO PID stays steady.
Exhaust system is restricted.

O2 High -
• BARO PID ratchets down.
Intake is restricted.

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 Module Programming
• An everyday repair.
• Most replacement modules
require programming.
• Current hardware and
subscription access is a must.
• Advantages to both generic
and manufacturer specific
J2534 pass through devices.

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 Summary Chart
Item Yes No Maybe
Warning lights X    
A/C Vent temperature X    

Tire pressure X (most vehicles)    

Steering wheel effort X (some vehicles)    
Battery testing X    
Oil level     X
Starter Amp testing X  
Starting/charging testing X (several tests)    

DLC protocol activity X    

CAN Resistance X    
Head and brake lights X    

Scan tool data X    

Diagnose restricted intake X    

Diagnose restricted X    
exhaust
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Cars in The Future?

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 Summary
There are many systems that
can be checked and diagnosed
from the driver’s seat.
• Think easy.
• Think flat-rate.
• Think fast diagnosis.
• Get to the root cause quickly.
• Fix the car right the first time.
Customer satisfaction
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 Contact Information
• Jim Halderman
• [email protected]

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