Make

Your Own Diagnostic Equipment (MYODE)

(Includes circuit explanations, parts list and detailed explanation on how to
build)
By Mandy Concepcion
Copyright 2013 By Mandy Concepcion
This book is copyrighted under Federal Law to prevent the unauthorized use or copying of
its contents. Under copyright law, no part of this work can be reproduced, copied or
transmitted in any way or form without the written permission of its author, Mandy
Concepcion.
The information, schematics diagrams, documentation, and other material in this book are
provided as is, without warranty of any kind. No warranty can be made to the testing
procedures contained in this book for accuracy or completeness. In no event shall the
publisher or author be liable for direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages in
connection with, or arising out of the performance or other use of the information or
materials contained in this book. The acceptance of this manual is conditional on the
acceptance of this disclaimer.
About ASE Certification
We at Automotive Diagnostics and Publishing promote the ASE Certification program and
encourage all beginning and advanced technicians alike to participate and get certified. We
are not directly affiliated with ASE. ASE Automotive Technician Certifications are
recognized throughout the United States by almost all county and state agencies as
meeting the requirements to be considered an automotive technician. Many organizations
and repair facilities nationwide have ASE Certification as mandatory for their technicians
as part of their business model.
Its one thing to just show up for work; it is quite another to take control of your career,
and get recognition for the knowledge and skills youve developed over the years. Thats
what ASE certification is all about: helping you tell customers, employers, and other
people about what you know. After all, being an automotive technician is not just turning
wrenches. Your years of hard work show that youve gone the extra mile, and put in the
time and effort to learn your trade. Your ASE certification patch is proof of it. Get
certified now.
We are not directly affiliated with ASE. The Tech-2 is a registered trademark of Vetronix Corp. and GM The DRB III & Starscan are a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler The NGS is a registered trademark of Ford Motor
Co. Any other proprietary name used in this book was done purely for explanatory purposes.

Developed in the U.S.A.

Preface & Acknowledgements
This book, Make Your Own Diagnostic Equipment came about from the need of many
readers and viewers to be able to make and maintain fairly simple diagnostic gadgets. It is
meant to show and guide the professional technician and DIY mechanic on how to make
these gadgets. In many cases, due to the nature of the equipment industry, it is very
expensive or virtually impossible to get these tools. The reason being is that often times
tool makers dont see a profit in making these simple but effective gadgets. Most, if not all
of these tools, are invaluable in diagnosing modern automotive systems. You can estimate
that having one of these tools, at the right time when needed, will cut your diagnostic time
by at least 50%. Of course, knowing how to use it is also important. However, by
definition if youve already studied how the gadget works, how to build it an also ended
up building it yourself, youve already passed the learning curve and chances are youll
know how to use it. At the very least, reading this book will put you in a much better
position to also asses diagnostic issues and on the use of other important tools of
automotive diagnostics.
It is our hope with this work to enlighten the professional and DIY mechanic on the use,
construction and operation of modern automotive diagnostic gadgets. Use this information
to the beast of your abilities and be on the diagnostic driver seat.



Technician@autodiagnosticsandpublishing.com
(For further insight on the operation and testing of these components see our complimentary book & DVD-Videos to this
series.)
Note Bout Building the Gadgets:
All parts are available at MOUSER.Com and DIGIKEY.com. Parts numbers have been
given where applicable or are part and can be determined from the diagram. In some
instances the part has been replaced by a newer version, use the compatible newer version
instead. The rest of the parts are simple discrete components, such as resistors, diodes and
capacitors. All values can be found at the schematic diagram for each gadget. In some
cases you may have to slightly change and experiment with resistor and capacitor values,
due to tolerance differences, your particular situation and use or for various other reasons
impossible for us to predict.
Building these gadgets can save you, the professional technician or DIY mechanic
thousands of dollars. Youre also encouraged to visit our YouTube channel at
ADPTraining and post comments and share views. We hope you get inspired and get to
build some of these useful circuits. Thanks for reading and trying.
Author, Mandy Concepcion Automotive Diagnostics and Publishing

Make Your Own Diagnostic Equipment, Copyright 2013, All rights reserved.
Table of Contents

Automotive Low Pressure Transducer

Building the Low Pressure Transducer

Using the Low Pressure Transducer

Polarity LED Test Light

Using the Polarity LED Test Light

Stress Loaded Test Light

Using the Stress Loaded Test Light

Building the Stress Loaded Test Light

Fuel-Pump Relay & the Stress Loaded Test Light

Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light

Amplified Sensor Tester

Injector & Coil Magnetic Detector

Fuel Injector Pulser

ECM-ECU Memory Saver Tool

Loaded Injector Noid Light

Using the Loaded Injector Noid Light

5 Volt Reference Simulator

Parasitic Draw Amp Meter

Using the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter

Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier

How to Use the Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier

Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe

How to Use the Ignition Primary DIS Probe

Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller

How to Use the Drive-By-Wire Actuator Controller

Ignition Key Transponder Detector

Using the Ignition Key Transponder Detector

Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator

Using the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator

O2 Sensor Simulator

Using the O2 Sensor Simulator

ABS Speed Sensor Simulator

Using the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator

ABS Speed Sensor Simulator, Bleeding the Brakes

Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator

Using the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator

OBD-2 Data Link Connector Breakout Box

Using the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box

Automotive Low Pressure Transducer

Pressure transducers are used in conjunction with a measuring device, such as a multi-
meter of oscilloscope to detect a changing pressure. Pressure transducers are very useful in
detecting all kinds of auto repair issues, such as follows:
When connected to the a fuel pressure regulator to detect minor fluctuations in the fuel
pressure when injectors open and close, thereby, revealing a clogged injector.
Used to detect exhaust gas flow output, revealing issues with the valve train. In case of a
burnt valve, an exhaust pressure transducer will flag a busted valve if the signal is
properly interpreted.
There are dozens of cases when a pressure transducer is useful in auto repair and
diagnostics. So heres how to build your own pressure transducer.
First, its worth saying that the hart of a pressure transducer is the piezo-electric device
that does the actual measurement. If we were to build this tool from scratch, we would
need a few auxiliary components to make the circuit work. Remember, this device is not
just a piezo electric gadget by itself. You need a way to process the signal worthy for an
oscilloscope or graphing meter.
By far, the easiest and fastest way to make this device is to use an already made
component. In our case, weve done our homework and researched various components.
Well use a fuel tank pressure sensor for the hart of our pressure transducer, readily
available at your local parts place or salvage yard. All modern cars use a fuel tanks
pressure sensor. We made various transducers using Toyota and General Motors fuel tank
pressure sensors and they all use 5 volts as a reference.
Here in this circuit we can see that the pressure transducer is connected to two outside
components, a 5 volt Zener diode and a resistor. The Zener and the resistor in series will
give us the reference signal that the fuel tank pressure sensor needs to work. We will also
use a 9 volt battery as our power source. It is possible to connect the 9 volt battery straight
into the tank pressure sensor, but in our tests, weve seen issues with the readings at the
higher end of the measuring scale.

This circuit says that current flows from ground, through the series Zener resistor pair and
to 9 volt positive. The 5 volt reference is tapped right in the middle. We can then connect
the tank pressure sensor reference voltage to this point between the Zener resistor series
pair. And we can take our output signal right at the fuel tank pressure sensor output
without any further processing. Remember that the tank pressure sensor is a high
impedance device, fit for an oscilloscope, multi-meter of graphing meter.
Interpreting the output waveform is another matter, which takes some time to master and
worthy of another video series.
This circuit mean a saving of at least 100 dollars less, over whatever is in the market right
now. With this parts list you can build your own pressure transducer and get reliable
waveforms worthy of any modern laboratory. The parts list that follows is all youll need
to build this device and get many years of service out of it.
Low Pressure Transducer Parts List:
(note: these are some possible fuel tankpressure sensors that can be used. There are
hundreds that can be used. Almost any fuel tank pressure sensor can be used. Prices range
for a new one $25 to $65 to a used one for $5).
* 2005-12 GM original fuel tank pressure sensor 13502903
* 2007 Chevy Silverado 2500 - OEM Dealer part numbers: 16196060, 16238399,
8093776800, 8162384090, 09377680, 9377680, 8162383990, 8162117490, 8162572760,
12219388, 16217059, 16257276, STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS #: AS302
* 5.1 volt Zener diode - (Price $0.027 to $0.29) Part # (mouser 78-TZX5V1B, 78-
TZX5V1B-TAP, 771-NZX5V1B,133) (Digi-Key 1N5232BVSTR-ND, 1N5232BVSCT-
ND)
* Resistor - (Price $ ) (Part # Mouser 588-OD510JE, 588-OF510JE)
* Black case - Small PVC pipe from hardware store.
* Black vacuum hose from local auto-parts
Building the Low Pressure Transducer

Youve previously seen how the low pressure transducer works. Now, well show you how
to build this gadget in the simplest way possible.
As you can see, this tool requires only a few parts. The fuel tank pressure sensor, a resistor
and Zener diode, a 9 volt battery and clip, and two alligator clips. The upper 50 Ohm
resistor is a current limiter, and the 5 volts reference is taken at the junction point, between
the resistor and diode. The two upward looking wire is the output to the voltmeter or
scope, one at the ground, the other at the fuel tank pressure sensor signal terminal. The
other two terminals at the sensor, are the 5 volts reference and the sensor ground.
In this build animation, weve also used two alligator clips, used for connecting to the
vehicle battery. This is not necessary, but we just give you the option of either the 9 volt
battery or vehicle power. The Zener diode and resistor combo will always regulate the
voltage to 5 volts, which is what the sensor needs.
This entire circuit can be folded, and then encased in a PVC or plastic enclosure for
protection. It is also possible to use epoxy resin to encase the whole circuit and protect it
from moisture.
Finally, you can see the pressure or vacuum port at the end, which is where a hose is
connected to sample the pressure. This gadget, if encased in epoxy will render many,
many years of service.
Using the Low Pressure Transducer

There are many instances where the low pressure transducer is quite useful. The basic use
of the low pressure transducer is to detect small variations or vibrations that may lead to
the interpretation of a faulty component. The word interpretation is the key here.
Following well show you how to interpret the this components waveform in various
scenarios.
First scenario. How to detect a clogged fuel injector.

Connecting the pressure transducer to the fuel pressure regulator will make it act as if it
were a microphone connected to the fuel rail. If dealing with a returnless fuel system, then
you can also connect a normal diaphragm fuel pressure regulator to the fuel rail, then
connect your self built low pressure transducer to it.
The idea is to detect small variations in the fuel pressure regulator diaphragm. Every time
an injector open, the diaphragm vibrates in a specific way detected by the transducer,
which in turns is connected to the oscilloscope.
In this snap-shot we can see how the injector humps look on a good engine. The injector
pressure differential humps look fairly even, testifying to the fact that all injectors are
flowing the same amount of fuel whenever it is open. Then, we see a different waveform
showing a clogged injector. Here we can see the absence of a hump, pointing to a clogged
injector, an electrically open injector or a general low fuel flow condition. This technique
will not eliminate the final test we may want to do, once the injector has been removed.
But at least this technique serves as a huge guide in condemning a clogged injector.
Second scenario. Detecting possible burnt valves by analyzing the exhaust flow.
Whenever a cylinder with faulty valves goes on combustion it leaves a specific trace at the
intake manifold and exhaust gas flow. This is a typical good trace for the exhaust back-
flow. In here, there are no faulty issues with the valve train. Now we can see a different
waveform showing the down sloping humps typical of a burnt valves. Keep in mind that
sometimes semi burnt valves will keep the cylinder firing or combusting, albeit, with
degraded performance, but the tell tail signs are left on the waveform. Identifying this
issue is a must when using the low pressure transducer.

Third scenario. Detecting valve timing or issues with the transducer connected to engine
vacuum.
We say again that in all these scenarios, the more cylinder symmetrical the waveform is
the better. Disparity between cylinders is an indicator of an issue.
So, even if you dont know how to read these low pressure transducer waveforms that
much, think of the word symmetrical, and use it as a guide.
Valve issues can also be traced with the low pressure transducer, whether timing or burnt
valves. Timing issues are not that relevant anymore due to electronic control. But, there
are instances when the ECM skews timing due, to say a faulty knock sensor. Lets see how
this works.
Engine valve issues will always cause a fluctuation in the waveform that goes above or
below the average of the other cylinders. This is where comparative wave analysis
between cylinders becomes important. In general the more symmetrical the waveform and
distribution above and below the median point reference line, the better the condition of
the engine. Most fuel tank pressure sensors, which is the basis of our self made transducer,
have a 2.5 volt median point. You can look at 2.5 volts as the zero line.
The low pressure transducer can be used in a thousand and one different ways. Almost any
engine scenario, lean and rich condition, ignition waveform analysis without dismantling
anything, valve issues, clogged converter and much more can be determined using this
device. Weve shown you how to make this gadget in our other article. It is now up to you
to learn how to use it and get many years worth of results out of it.
Polarity LED Test Light
There are many instances where youll need a way to determine the polarity of a circuit or
whether it was connected properly. Many times the need for this type of work comes from
obsolete adaptations done to the car, such as installing a new cooling fan motor or power
door locks.

With a few inexpensive parts, you can build your own LED bi color test light that
determines polarity on a circuit. Some of these LED test lights can go for over 100 dollars.
With a mere 5 dollars or less you can build this test light with readily available parts.
Well use the following components:
An LED from Radio Shack part number 276/012 at about a dollar 49. You can also get it
from Mouser and Digi Key. Well use a couple of pre-made jumper wires with alligator
clips, and just cut the wire at the mid point. You could use your own leads and buy the
clips separately at Mouser or Digi Key too. The resistor is a 330 Ohm or orange orange
brown and is a one eighth Watt.
You could use a quarter Watt if thats all you can get. We also use the casing of an cheap
dollar fifty test light available from any auto parts store or hardware.

Using Ohms law of E = I divided by R, we arrive at the 330 Ohm resistor, which serves as
a current limiting component that protects the LED.
In this circuit current flows from ground, through the LED and 330 Ohm resistor. The
LED will glow green, indicating correct polarity. If the test light is connected in reverse,
then the LED will glow red. Since this circuit is polarity sensitive, when youre building
or soldering the test light, the flat part of the LED casing is the negative side. It also
doesnt matter to which side you connect the resistor to. All in all, this is a very simple and
useful circuit to build.
The uses of this circuit are infinite. For example, you can use this test light when trying to
identify the heater wires on an Oxygen sensor. Often, a universal O2 sensor is used, which
has no connector to it and it gets tough to identify the heater wires. With this gadget you
dont even need to refer to the wiring diagram. Just raise the car, key-on-engine-off and
probe. And, since this circuit only draws a mere 30 milli Amps, it is safe to use on low
voltage circuits as well. So, it is fine to use it on Hall Effect crank and cam sensors, or any
other ECM circuit to identify the power feed wire for these components.
However, it is not ok to use this circuit on high current circuits to determine proper current
supply, current supply being the key point here. This is a very common mistake when
these types of test lights are used, such as the famous probe or any other. The issue is that
this test light will light up with very little current.
If youre trying to determine say a 10 Amp circuit that feeds a fan motor, use another
equipment, called the loaded test light, seen elsewhere in here. Remember, this light
emitting diode or LED test light will only show correct polarity, good for all circuits,
including low power ones like crank and cam sensor, but not good to read high loads or
high current specifications.
These sturdy test lights are short circuit protected due to the resistor and bi polar nature of
the LED. With little care itll last you for many years to come.
Building the Polarity LED Test Light
The Polarity LED Test Light is used, if you need a way to determine the polarity of a
circuit, or whether it was connected properly, and in issues such as installing a new
cooling fan motor or power door locks.
With a few inexpensive parts, you can build your own LED bi color test light that
determines polarity on a circuit. Some of these LED test lights can go for over 100 dollars.
With a mere 5 dollars or less you can build this test light with readily available parts.
It is also worth noting that this gadget can also be enclosed in an epoxy resin enclosure,
keeping it from humidity and moisture.


Seen here, only a few parts are needed to build the Polarity LED Test Light, a 330 Ohm
resistor, a dual color LED, and two alligator clips. The enclosure can be either epoxy,
plastic or a PCV pipe.
Here, we can see that the 330 Ohm resistor is connected to the positive side of the circuit.
An important fact to notice here, is how we connect the LED light. All LED lights have a
longer leg. This is always the positive side of the circuit. So, in this case, we connect the
longer positive LED leg to the resistor, which provides the positive side of the circuit. The
other side of the LED, is connected to the negative alligator clip. This completes the entire
circuit. The 330 Ohm resistor is used for current limiting, to protect the LED from excess
current. This LED, by definition is a dual color. So, if you try to connect the Polarity LED
Test Light backwards and if the circuit polarity is wrong, the LED will change color to
red. Itll be green if polarity is correct, and red if its inverse polarity.
Once encased in its enclosure, especially if its an epoxy protection, the Polarity LED Test
Light will render itself useful for years to come.
Using the Polarity LED Test Light
The polarity LED test light is a wonderful and safe tool to use on ECM circuits. It has the
same construction as a logic analyzer used on chip sets throughout the electronics
industry. The reason why the LED test light is safe, is that it only draws between 20 to 30
milli Amps of current, making it safe for CAM and crank sensors, reference voltages and
solenoid circuits.

A word of caution, the LED test light can not be used to test higher current devices. Not
because theres any danger in doing so, but because the results are useless. If for example,
when using the LED test light to test an ignition coils or injector ground, it will check out
fine and yet the circuit could still have a poor ground. And thats because the LED will
illuminate with only 20 milli Amps. This is a common mistake done in the field, using an
LED test light to test high current components.
There are few scenarios worthy of the LED test light.
First scenario, testing a solenoid power and ground. Since this test light has only two
terminals, it is necessary to constantly change the polarity of the test light. So, connect the
positive test light leed to 12 volt power, and then probe at the solenoid ground side. You
should see a green or yellow light, depending on the LED used. Then change the leeds of
the test light to chassis ground and the solenoid pulsed terminal.
You should see a blinking red and green light, at about 400 Hertz. This is the typical duty
cycle frequency of a solenoid.
Scenario two, testing a hall effect CAM or crank sensor. These sensors tend to draw at
least 40 or 50 milli Amps, enough for the LED test light. Place the negative test light leed
at ground, then use the positive side to probe at the signal wire. When cranking, you
should see a blinking red and green light. Dont use it on a running engine, as the
frequency is too high for meaningful results.
The same can be done to test the CAM and crank sensor power and reference voltage.
Most Hall-Effect reference voltages are in the 6 to 8 volt range, so the LED test light is a
good testing tool.
Another word of warning here is that the LED test light may not be practical to test
magnetic CAM and crank sensors. These sensors produce very little current, not enough to
power the 20 milli Amp LED test light. To test magnetic sensors well need an amplified
LED test light, which has an internal circuit that takes the magnetic signal, amplifies it a
bit and drives the small LED. This is an even more specialized tool, and will be covered
later on.
Stress Loaded Test Light
A very big misconception in the field is that of the meaning of a load. A load is not a
voltage or current. A load is not applying voltage or current to a circuit to see what it
does. A load applied to a circuit will not destroy the circuit, it will simply blow its
respective fuse if too high. A load can only mean one thing, a load is a resistance. The
amount of Ohms or resistance value will determine how big the load is.

For example, a low ohm resistor, say 5 to 10 Ohm is a very large load. On the other hand,
a 100 to 1000 Ohm resistor is a very small load. So, the relationship of load to Ohm value
is inversely proportional. The reason why a small Ohm, or small resistive value is a large
load, is because the smaller the Ohm value, the higher the current flow of electrons.
Remember this, high current equals heat and therefore stress to the circuit. All circuits are
protected by a fuse, so, when using the stress loaded test light, do not remove the fuse that
feeds the circuit you are testing. Also, the stress leaded test light is protected by a second
fuse.

In our stress loaded test light, well be using whats considered a general load or resistance
value of 5 Ohms.
In the past, automotive technicians have used a head light to do a loaded circuit test, which
also has a nominal 5 to 10 Ohms resistance. The issue with a headlight is that as the
filament heats up, the resistance changes or tends to drop and, the worse part is that if it
falls it breaks into pieces. With the stress leaded test light all these issues are resolved.
The only other piece of equipment that even compares is the loaded battery alternator
tester. These come either with a load knob, which increases the load as you turn, or an
electronic unit that creates a low resistance value. It is amazing that no other equipment
manufacturer has put out a device to stress load the circuit as youre testing it. Loading a
circuit during testing is done so that its faulty issues reveal themselves. This can be
applied especially to ground and power feed tests, and to higher current components, such
as cooling fan motors, lighting circuits, compressor clutches and even injectors.
This is how the stress loaded test light works.
Well start by using two large ceramic resistors, connected in parallel as our load. These
resistors are inexpensive, and take up a lot of heat. Remember, a high load means a small
Ohm value, and therefore, some heat. It is also a good idea to either use a heat sink on the
resistors, or a metal case or pipe for the test light itself. The idea here is to use inexpensive
components, lowering the cost to make this super useful gadget.

In this circuit we can see that current flows from ground, through the parallel resistor
pack, through the 5 Amp fuse and to 12 volt power. Also, parallel to the dual resistor load
is a series single color LED and a 630 Ohm resistor. Heres how these two guys work.
Whenever the circuit that were testing, whether ground or power, can provide enough
current, about 2.5 Amps will flow through the load resistors. Then, at the same time about
20 milli Amps also flow through the LED, lighting it up.
On the other hand, if the circuit can not provide enough power, or at least 2.5 Amps, the
load resistors will suck up all the current and the LED will never see enough current for it
to light up. Weve also added an extra screw-on light bulb, to be able to detect current
intensity, since LED are great for on and off situations, but are not good at providing
levels of intensity.
The end result is a complete circuit loading solution thatll give you years of operation.
Next, well see how to use this tool in the real world.
Using the Stress Loaded Test Light
The stress loaded test light can be used to find almost any issue related to automotive
electrical work. These are some scenarios where it can be used to find the following.
Short circuits
Open Circuits
To see theres proper ground
Alternator charge wire
To test the power feed capabilities of components, such as cooling fan motors, solenoids,
injectors, lock actuators and any other component that draws high current.
This gadget can be used as a substitution box in place of the fuse, or a the final load in a
circuit, but removing the actual component and see if the circuit still performs.
Here are two scenarios that well analyze to see how all this works.
Scenario one. Using the stress loaded test light to find an issue with the ground.
Remember, ground doesnt mean that it is electrically inert. It means that it is the common
side of the circuit and the supplier of electrons. So, the ground side has to be as good as
the power, or voltage side of the circuit.
Here, we can see how for example, the ground strap between the battery, chassis and
engine block is held only by a few strand of wire. You can also see this as a high
resistance point, and, as explained before, a high resistance point is a small load. In this
case it is also a bottleneck, preventing current flow.

The issue here is that a volt meter alone can not detect this issue. If you measure with the
volt meter at each side of the resistance point, signified here by a few strands of wire, the
volt meter will read exactly the same, 12.6 volts or battery voltage, when measuring across
the positive of the battery. In this case, disregard the polarity of the volt meter.
The problem in all these cases is that the trouble spot in the circuit can provide enough
power to drive the volt meter, since it doesnt take much, only in the micro Amp range.
By connecting the stress loaded test light after the trouble spot, youll load the circuit and
force it to flow electrons or current through it. In this case, once the gadget is connected
after the trouble spot you will see no voltage with a volt meter, and the test light LED and
bulb will not be lit. This is a dead giveaway that theres an issue at hand. The repair in this
case is to keep wiggling and searching until the trouble spot is found.
Scenario two. Finding a short circuit.
In this case well use the stress loaded test light in the familiar substitution method. This is
the same as using the old head light, but now you dont have to worry about breaking the
headlight.

Remove and place the gadget as a substitute for the fuse. Since our stress loaded test light
is a 5 Ohm resistance, it acts as a straight through wire, feeding the respective circuit. In
this case, by substituting the fuse, the gadget will light up as long as the short circuit
exists. It is only a process of systematically disconnecting the different components one by
one. As soon as the shorted component is disconnected, the LED and light bulb will go
off, since there would be no more current flow. This is a very easy and simple way to use
our gadget.
Remember, the uses for the stress loaded test light are almost infinite, when it comes to
automotive electrical work. With enough time and experience, this unit will provide you
with years of service.
Building the Stress Loaded Test Light
A very big misconception in the field is that of the meaning of a load. A load is not a
voltage or current. A load is not applying voltage or current to a circuit to see what it
does. A load applied to a circuit will not destroy the circuit, it will simply blow its
respective fuse if too high. A load can only mean one thing, a load is a resistance. The
amount of Ohms or resistance value will determine how big the load is.
For example, a low ohm resistor, say 5 to 10 Ohm is a very large load. On the other hand,
a 100 to 1000 Ohm resistor is a very small load. So, the relationship of load to Ohm value
is inversely proportional. The reason why a small Ohm, or small resistive value is a large
load, is because the smaller the Ohm value, the higher the current flow of electrons.
Remember this, high current equals heat and therefore stress to the circuit. All circuits are
protected by a fuse, so, when using the stress loaded test light, do not remove the fuse that
feeds the circuit you are testing. Also, the stress leaded test light is protected by a second
fuse.
In our stress loaded test light, well be using whats considered a general load or resistance
value of 5 Ohms. In the past, automotive technicians have used a head light to do a loaded
circuit test, which also has a nominal 5 to 10 Ohms resistance. The issue with a headlight
is that as the filament heats up, the resistance changes or tends to drop and, the worse part
is that if it falls it breaks into pieces. With the stress leaded test light all these issues are
resolved.
The only other piece of equipment that even compares is the loaded battery alternator
tester. These come either with a load knob, which increases the load as you turn, or an
electronic unit that creates a low resistance value. It is amazing that no other equipment
manufacturer has put out a device to stress load the circuit as youre testing it. Loading a
circuit during testing is done so that its faulty issues reveal themselves.
This can be applied especially to ground and power feed tests, and to higher current
components, such as cooling fan motors, lighting circuits, compressor clutches and even
injectors.
This is how the stress loaded test light works.
Well start by using two large ceramic resistors, connected in parallel as our load. These
resistors are inexpensive, and take up a lot of heat. Remember, a high load means a small
Ohm value, and therefore, some heat. It is also a good idea to either use a heat sink on the
resistors, or a metal case or pipe for the test light itself. The idea here is to use inexpensive
components, lowering the cost to make this super useful gadget.
In this circuit we can see that current flows from ground, through the parallel resistor
pack, through the 5 Amp fuse and to 12 volt power. Also, parallel to the dual resistor load
is a series single color LED and a 630 Ohm resistor. Heres how these two guys work.
Whenever the circuit that were testing, whether ground or power, can provide enough
current, about 2.5 Amps will flow through the load resistors. Then, at the same time about
20 milli Amps also flow through the LED, lighting it up.
On the other hand, if the circuit can not provide enough power, or at least 2.5 Amps, the
load resistors will suck up all the current and the LED will never see enough current for it
to light up. Weve also added an extra screw-on light bulb, to be able to detect current
intensity, since LED are great for on and off situations, but are not good at providing
levels of intensity.
The end result is a complete circuit loading solution thatll give you years of operation.
Next, well see how to use this tool in the real world.
Fuel-Pump Relay & the Stress Loaded Test Light
Due to the importance of using the stress loaded test light or any form of loading the
circuit to stress the faulty issue, weve created the following explanation on the subject. In
this example, weve taken a faulty fuel pump relay, and stress the circuit to see how this
affects it.
Well start by saying that this is a simple fuel pump relay actuated by the ECM, much like
any other similar unit. In our case, the relay contacts have become pitted over time and
have developed severe carbonization and therefore, resistance. As in many a similar cases,
the excess resistance makes the fuel pump run slower, due to lack of needed electrical
current. The end result is engine performance problems and lack of power.
Before exposing the procedure we have to know a few caveats.
One, at this time, the diagnostic technician has no idea where the faulty issue is at. In other
words, he doesnt know that the pump relay contacts are pitted, carbonized and resistive.
Two, since he doesnt know where the issue is, the use of a voltmeter is irrelevant. All the
technician can do with a voltmeter is probe between battery positive and the fuel pump,
and just know theres a voltage drop somewhere, if at all detectable.
And three, this issue is not a dead open circuit. It is a semi open or high resistance issue,
but, not high enough to cause a severe voltage drop anywhere, especially at the current
rating that this fuel pump operates. Most newer fuel pumps operate at about 1.4 Amps. In
this case the current draw was even less, due to the high resistance pitted relay contacts.
Ladies and gentlemen, this situation is exactly what you would find in 99% of real world
cases. Not quite a cut and dry situation, whereby is not a dead open or shorted circuit.
And, where you have no idea where to start the diagnostic.
Heres how the stress loaded test light can help.

First, we disconnect the fuel pump connector and substitute it with the gadget. All we
want to do now is find out where in the circuit the issue is at. So, the only way to do this is
by stressing the circuit. By putting a big load on the circuit, we are now flowing a higher
current value. You wont see 2.5 Amps at this time, due to the pitted relay contact. But, the
circuit will be stressed at its maximum, according to whatever the resistance is at the
relay contact.
At this time, two things will happen. One, the LED and light bulb at the gadget wont light
up or if so, very dimly. It is now up to the technician to start tracing down and hunting the
resistance spot. But, at this time we do know for sure, due to the LED and bulb state of
illumination, that the circuit does have a high resistance spot. So, theres no need to
replace the fuel pump. Lots of fuel pumps get replaced unnecessarily. The first benefit of
this gadget has been realized. We now can continue on to the next phase of the diagnostic,
tracing and hunting.

At this time, the resistance spot is now more visible through the use of a voltmeter.
Remember, we still dont know where the issue is.
So, using a wiring diagram, we start probing, or voltage dropping at different sections of
the circuit. The issue could be anywhere, so its only a matter of tracing. We trace sources
of resistance like connectors, wires exposed to the elements under the car, or under the
carpet where the driver may have spill some water, and at the relay.
As soon as we probe the relay, bingo, we see it. We would have never seen this issue
without the help of the stress loaded test light, since the old fuel pump wasnt drawing that
much current to begin with. So, the issue was never that apparent. The higher current
through the gadget, stressed the circuit and made the issue traceable with the voltmeter,
graphing meter or any other piece of equipment fit for the task.
One final word, it is also possible to use the stress loaded test light LED and bulb alone to
trace the issue. The process is that of wiggle and shaking. As soon as the resistive spot is
found, most of the time youll see it at the LED and light bulbs. The LED will detect it
first. If the LED is lit, but not the gadgets light bulb, then keep tracing with the bulb
alone. Once the spot is repaired, then both LED and bulb will light up brightly. Giving the
final benefit of proving that your diagnostic and repair were performed properly. Like any
piece of equipment, it takes some practice and experience to become proficient at using,
the stress loaded test light. Happy huntings.
Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light
The Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light is a very useful and easy to build gadget.
Its made to be able to quickly detect a circuit or component polarity, or which is positive
or negative. Its easy to test the polarity of a circuit, whether it is positive or negative by
using the circuit featured here.
This test light also test for proper 5 volt reference coming out of the ECM. The circuit has
a high input impedance to avoid loading the circuit being tested. Remember, any time you
test a circuit, you need to take into account the input impedance of the test equipment.
This is not an issue on high current devices, but it is a problem on low power sensors and
ECM input circuits.

Basically, the input impedance is when you short the actual signal, because your
measuring or diagnostic equipment has a very low resistive or Ohm value. In out case
here, this test light has 1 mega, or one million Ohms of input resistance, meaning it wont
short the low power signal produced by a sensor or ECM circuit.
The Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light circuit is a very simple one. It employs
two basic circuits within the test light, which you can then encase in a regular clear
inexpensive test light body that you can purchase at the local parts place.
Heres how the Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light works.
The circuit is composed of two independently operating circuits. One tests the 5 volt
reference, and the other tests the polarity of the circuit. If the gadgets red LED lights up,
then you know that either the polarity is wrong, or the test light has been wrongly
connected. If you check for connection and shows a properly connected gadget, still with
the red LED On, then polarity is faulty. Someone has crossed a wire somewhere, or, as it
normally happens, theres a shorted ground wire touching somewhere.
In the diagram, we see at the 5 volt reference side of the circuit, that current flows from
the black alligator terminal, through the yellow 5 volt LED, through the 1.5 Zener Diode,
the 50 Ohm resistor, and finally to the tip of the probe, which could be the ECM provided
5 volt reference. The 5 volt reference LED circuit is calibrated for 5 volts. The Zener
diode is a 1.5 volt unit, the yellow LED drops the typical 2.5 volts, and the rest of the
voltage is dropped by the current limiting 50 Ohm resistor. This circuit side is very
sensitive, and it will also light up above 5 volts, or together with the green LED. The nice
thing about this circuit, is that if you probe and only the yellow LED lights up, it is an
ECM provided 5 volt reference.
In the second part of the circuit, we see current flows through either one of the LED
diodes. If the polarity of the component or circuit is correct, then the green LED will light
up, otherwise current will flow at the red LED, indicating a wrong polarity issue, as in a
crossed or shorted ground wire. Either of these two LED is also protected by the 330 Ohm
resistor, as a current limiter, thereby preventing over current and damage to the LED.
Finally, we should also draw attention to the regular diode found at the positive terminal,
right after the alligator clip. This is a polarizing diode and basically directs the flow of
electrons. It is the one which controls how the dual green and red LED lights react to
circuit polarity.
The Dual Polarity & 5 Volt Reference Test Light seen here is an evolution in the right
direction from other LED test lights, since it can also detect 5 volt reference ECM circuits.
Other LED test lights can also detect 5 volt reference, but theyre not calibrated for it. This
gadget is calibrated for 5 volts at the yellow LED. Used properly, it can provide you with
years of service.
Amplified Sensor Tester
How many times have you felt the need for a simple gadget that lets you easily test crank
and CAM sensors, wheel speed sensors, and even Oxygen sensors. Well, this is it. This
one does take a bit of work to assemble, but by far it is considered an easy project.

The way the Amplified Sensor Tester works is by amplifying the input signal, to be able to
drive the LED indicators. Most sensors, even if they produce a high enough voltage, do
not carry much current to drive the LED. This can be said of magnetic crank and wheel
speed sensors, O2 sensors and various others. A voltmeter can be used to see voltage, but
the human brain wasnt meant to process fast moving digital numbers. In case of our
gadget, the LED will quickly identify the incoming signal. At the same time, the variable
resistor or potentiometer can be used to control the gain, or amplification factor of the
unit.
The 25 cents, 741 op amp, is the core of the amplified sensor tester. Its non-inverting input
is used to test the signal for polarity.
It has a gain of around 150, which enables it to test very low voltage levels, as in a
magnetic crank sensor, or an O2 sensor. The test result is displayed through the two LEDs
one and two. LED one, lights up by positive polarity, and LED 2, lights up by negative
polarity. If testing a wheel speed sensor for example, you would see a blinking green and
red LED, depending on the rotational speed of the wheel.
With a simple universal PC board, youll be able to build and solder the entire circuit, and
get many years of service out of this amplified sensor tester.
Injector & Coil Magnetic Detector
How many times have you encountered a vehicle, with a coil on plug misfiring engine,
which is so tight, that you would need at least half an hour to dismantle the surrounding
plastic parts, just to get access to the injector or ignition coil.

Well, we now present you here with a very simple gadget that definitely works. This is an
Injector & Coil Magnetic Detector, with the ability to detect high current devices, but
more aptly made for ignition coils and injectors.
The gadget circuit is very simple. It uses an inexpensive component called, a reed switch.
This is nothing more than a simple contact, On and Off clear glass device thats activated
by magnetic fields. It is sensitive enough to detect ignition and injector coils. This gadget
however, is not meant to be used with an oscilloscope to be able to read coil and injector
waveforms, picked up from the air. For that youll need an Amplified Injector & Coil
Magnetic Detector, which well cover later on.
This simple gadget will tell you right away whether a coil or injector is operational, is
being triggered by the ECM, or that its building up a good magnetic field around it. It
wont tell you if the injector is clogged, or if the plugs are fowled up, but its a tremendous
starting point for your diagnostics.
The circuit is a simple series type, which includes a 9 volt battery, a one K resistor as a
current limiter, an LED to signal the presence of a coil or injector actuation, and the actual
reed switch. It is important to keep the reed away from the circuit, and encase it in some
form of probe, as shown here.
Weve used a simple clear body of a pen, and a small enclosure of either plastic or P C V
tubing to protect the gadget. The cost of the Injector & Coil Magnetic Detector is less than
3 dollars, can detect a working cylinder by just probing from as far as 7 inches, and with
some practice and a small metal shield can be made to pinpoint higher current electrical
shorts, by tracing the wire through the harness.
In the past, some techs have used a compass to do similar tasks, but the Injector & Coil
Magnetic Detector is more exact and professional, providing you with years of excellent
service.
Amplified Injector & Coil Magnetic Detector
The Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector is a unique gadget. It is capable of
detecting the magnetic signature of ignition coils, injectors, as well as many other types of
devices that draw current. It can even detect the magnetic field from a magnetic crank or
CAM sensor, without any physical connection to it.

How is this possible? Well, simply put, all electrical devices do put out a magnetic
signature or field, which is detected by the Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector
probe, actually a simple inductor coil, and amplified by the circuit.
The Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector is meant to be used with an oscilloscope
or graphing multi meter, where it is then plotted into a waveform for measurements. As
with our other gadget of the same nature, the Injector Coil Magnetic Detector, you can
also encase the Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector in a P C V enclosure and a
clear body of a pen for the probe.
This simple gadget is built into a universal printed circuit board found at any electronics
parts place for a few cents.
Heres how the circuit operates.
The probe tip is composed of an inductor or coil of 1 milli Henrys, encased into the clear
body of a pen. The output of the inductor probe tip is fed into the 741 Op Amp, which
then acts as a waveform amplifier with about a gain of 20. The 741 Op Amp is an
inexpensive chip, thats mounted on the universal PC board, combined costing less than a
dollar. The other resistors and capacitors are standard supporting components for the 741.
A 2.2 mega Ohm potentiometer is then used as a gain control to adjust the output taken
after the 220 micro Farads and 10 Ohm resistor. A switch is also used to turn the Op Amp
on and off, and the entire Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector runs on a 9 volt
battery, readily available anywhere.
Finally, remember that the output of the Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector is fed
into an oscilloscope or graphing meter. There is no other way to detect ignition issues on a
faulty injectors or ignition coil faster than with a scope.
The use of the Amplified Injector Coil Magnetic Detector and a oscilloscope will allow
you, by remote control, to detect if the issue is a bad spark plug, injector driver, clogged
injector, faulty coil, ignition wires or any other issue impossible to prove without a scope.
The usefulness of this device is that the actual waveform can be captured without making
a physical contact with the wires. Companies like Snap-On and Sun have carried devices
such as this one in the past, but are nowhere else to be found today. The Amplified
Injector Coil Magnetic Detector is easy to make, and with experience can be utilized in
ways thatll satisfy you, and provide years of service.


Fuel Injector Pulser

Injector pulsers are a main staple component in the arsenal of a modern automotive
technician, D I Y aficionado or enthusiasts, who needs to perform diagnostics on fuel
injectors. The uses for a fuel injector pulses are varied. It is used to pulse and measure the
electrical characteristics and general health of an injector, to determine if the injector is
clogged, by doing a fuel flow test, and for to fast pulse and clean the injector using special
solvents. In essence, this device is what youll find inside the ECM, with the exception
that the LM 555 timer chip is substituted by the ECM processor.

As with many of our other gadgets, this circuit can be built into an inexpensive universal
PC board. The 555 timer is a popular oscillator chip that creates the pulse signal. It is a 25
cent component. This entire circuit can be built for less than 4 dollars. An LM 393, or
Dual Differential Comparator chip is also used to create the duty cycle part of the signal.
The other components are off the shelf resistors, potentiometers and small capacitors
readily available anywhere.
This circuit works as follows.
This device uses a built in pulse width modulated signal generator circuit for triggering a
power MOSFET, which is a high current transistor. This particular transistor, the IRF740
is rated up to 400V and can switch around 10 Amps which makes it quite useful for power
switching in inductive loads. The Fuel Injector Pulser circuit will run on a 12V DC supply.
The circuit is great for controlling the power delivered to an injector, and by adjusting the
pulse width, you can easily control the fuel flow, which is useful for doing a fuel flow test,
where the injector pulse specifications is very important. When doing a fuel flow test, the
frequency and duty-cycle of the pulse has to be exact, but more on this later.
The 555 timer chip develops the pulse wave needed, but with no power to it. It is then fed
into the LM393 for processing. The two potentiometers control the frequency and the duty
cycle of the pulse, but also at very little power levels. This is called the pre amp part of the
circuit. Finally, the MOSFET, or field effect transistor acts as a current amplifier, and is
able to drive the coil of the injector.
This is the power stage of the circuit, and it is also protected by a fly-back diode, and 1
micro Farad capacitor, to protect against the collapsing magnetic field high voltage at the
injector coil.


The Fuel Injector Pulser is meant to also be used by pulsing the injector for a specific
amount of time, collecting the fuel or cleaning fluid, and measuring against a graduated
beaker. This is the definitive way to know for sure if the fuel injector is not clogged. The
unit can also be encased in a plastic enclosure, fitted with a long lead cable for testing
injectors. This is a rugged injector pulser, and with proper care should serve you for many
years to come.
ECM-ECU Memory Saver Tool
How many times have you disconnected the battery, and found out that the radio station
memory settings are wiped clean, as well as the engine performance is lacking. Well, it all
has to do with the KAM memory. KAM stands for Keep Alive Memory and its a form of
adaptive memory. KAM memory works as follows, whenever you drive your vehicle, the
cars ECM or engine control module learns each sensor imperfection, and records it on a
special memory.

This memory has to be connected to power at all times, hence the name, keep alive
memory. Anytime the battery is disconnected, the KAM memory goes out. In other words,
it gets erased.
It could take up to a few weeks for the old parameters and imperfections to get recorded
again. In the meantime, your vehicle will suffer from drivability issues. It simply wont
work the same until the KAM is recorded again. Other issues with disconnecting the
vehicles battery is loss of radio, climate control, GPS and other telematics in the car.
In order to do away with all these issues you need a memory saver tool. This tool is
connected to the vehicles cigarette lighter or OBD 2 connector to keep the memory going
after the battery has been disconnected. In other words, the 9 volts put out by the memory
saver tool is enough to maintain the memory chips inside the vehicles different computers.
We have compiled and made available three separate memory saver tools. Theyre
basically the same, but use a different battery or connection arrangement.
The first tool uses a simple 9 volt battery and is connected to the lighter plug. Connect the
center electrode of the lighter plug to the 9 volt positive terminal. The 9 volt negative
terminal goes on the outside electrode of the plug.
So, all these plugs are tip positive, as it is called in electrical jargon.

The second tool uses more or less the same arrangement, but uses six double A batteries
instead. Each double A battery is about 1.5 volts, times six of them makes it 9 volts.
Although the vehicle is a 12 volt system, 9 volt is enough to keep the memory going.
Finally, we show you the more advanced of the three memory saver tools, the OBD 2
connector based tool. The problem with the cigarette lighter tool is that often times, the
respective fuse is blown. If this is the case, connecting the tool will serve no purpose. The
9 volts simply wont reach the circuit, and you probably wont know it. The end result is
loss of KAM memory. So, the OBD 2 tool was created to apply power to pin number 16 of
the connector, which is supposed to be constant power. Then pins number 4 and 5 are
connected to the 9 volt battery ground. With the OBD 2 connector memory saver tool,
theres no way the tool wont be able to do its job. It will always be connected, and the
KAM memory will never loose its touch.
This very simple tool is largely overlooked at many repair shops. If you ever go for a
battery replacement, ask to use this tool. Even if your battery is discharged, the leftover
charge is enough for the KAM memory. The moment your battery is disconnected, thats
when you loose it all. Not a good thing, and with proper care, the memory saver tool will
give you the desired results for many years to come.
Loaded Injector Noid Light
NOID lights are a main stay in automotive diagnostics, and injector repair. A Noid light is
connected across the injector circuit, by disconnecting the injector circuit, and connecting
it in place of the injector. The issue with a noid light is that it barely loads the circuit. In
other words, a noid light is a regular filament light, which draws very little current, and
not stressing the circuit. In other words, you could still have a faulty injector driver
transistor and the noid light would blink like nothing was wrong. This is the danger of
being misled by the noid light.

The Loaded Injector Noid Light is the next step in evolution for a noid light. It is a simple
gadget. It also proves how little attention is paid by equipment makers to whats really
needed out in the field. The Loaded Injector Noid Light is a simple filament bulb, which is
needed for injector testing, and a 20 Ohm resistor in parallel with it. An LED is not a good
option to test injectors. It simply draws too little current for the measurement to be
definitive. The Loaded Injector Noid Light will pinpoint issues with the injector driver
transistor, the 12 volt power feed to the injector, the ground at the ECM or the injector
itself.
Heres how this simple, but updated gadget works.
Current flows from the ECM ground, through its driver transistor, and through the
injector coil to 12 volt power.
Remember, at idle is not 12.6 volts anymore, and more like 14.7 volts. At that voltage
level, any injector will draw a nominal 950 milli Amps. With the injector disconnected,
the 20 Ohm resistor across the noid light and the filament light bulb draw about 1.1 Amps
or so. This is within the range of current for an injector driver, and its sure to stress the
circuit to its maximum. For the most part, injector drivers can handle a lot more than 2 or
3 Amps, so the Loaded Injector Noid Light is not that stressful to the circuit, but does the
job nicely.
When using the light, there are various techniques you can do to identify which part of the
system is causing problems, such as injector driver transistor, voltage power feed to the
injector, power relay, the ground at the ECM, ground wire or the injector itself. Well
discuss these techniques later. With proper care, the Loaded Injector Noid Light is bound
to give many years of satisfaction guaranteed.
Using the Loaded Injector Noid Light
As we saw before, the Loaded Injector Noid Light is used to stress the ECM provided
injector pulse circuitry. Here are a few techniques used on the process.

When we use the Loaded Injector Noid Light, there are two possible scenarios. One, is
that the Loaded Injector Noid Light pulses fine, in which case the issue is in the injector
itself, either clogged or it has an open circuit coil. Two, is that the Loaded Injector Noid
Light does not pulse or blink when the engine is cranked.
Remember, you disconnect the injector and substitute or connect the Loaded Injector Noid
Light in place of the injector. So, if no pulse is seen, then here are ways to identify the
source of the trouble.
Scenario one. Determine power feed current flow supply. You could have an issue with the
12 volt feed, and still a normal noid or volt-meter would still show a lit or 12 volt reading,
as if nothings wrong. Therefore, connect one side of the Loaded Injector Noid Light to
the injector power feed wire, and the other side to a good ground. The Loaded Injector
Noid Light will load the circuit. If you see it lit, there are at least 1.2 Amps flowing, in
which case power feed is fine.
Scenario two. Determine if the ECM is providing a good ground pulse to the injector. The
ECM pulses and grounds the injector to supply fuel during engine operation. If the ground
provided by the ECM is faulty or weak, a regular test light, noid light or volt-meter will
show no issues. But, the Loaded Injector Noid Light will definitely fail to light up if
theres a circuit issue. So, connect the pulsed wire of the injector to the Loaded Injector
Noid Light, and the other side to battery positive. Crank the engine, and you should see a
strong pulsing Loaded Injector Noid Light. If not, then lets continued tracing the issue.
Scenario three. Determine if the issue is at the ECM ground or the ECM driver transistor
itself. Leave the Loaded Injector Noid Light connected as it were, then remove the ECM
connector, and jump the injector wire to the different ECM ground pins. It is impossible to
know which of these grounds is used for the injector. So, the quickest and most complete
test is to test all grounds. If no joy on the Loaded Injector Noid Light, then trace and repair
the ECM grounds. If the Loaded Injector Noid Light lights up, then issue is with the ECM
itself. Make sure that the ECM is not in injector cut-off, due to overheating or some other
issue. If thats not the case, then the ECM injector driver transistor or circuit is gone.
Replace it or replace the ECM.
The Loaded Injector Noid Light, used properly will prove and detect all sorts of injector
issues, and provide you with years of satisfaction.
5 Volt Reference Simulator
Almost all sensor circuits on a modern automobile operate on 5 volts reference. A few
other crank and CAM sensors do work on 7 and 8 volts, but these are the very few. The 5
volt reference feeds the throttle position, MAP, CAM and crank, wheel speed and vehicle
speed sensors, just to name a few. Often times the ECM 5 volt reference circuit either
shorts out or simply gets damaged. When this happens, all the sensors are rendered
inoperative.
The result is that the ECM issues a multitude of codes related to all the sensors, when in
fact its the 5 volt reference that one with the real issue.

The 5 volt reference simulator gadget seen here, is a small device, and fit for any
automotive diagnostic thrown at it. You use it in place of the 5 volt reference.
The 5 volt reference can be down due to an ECM circuit faulty, or because a sensor is
shorted, also taking down the 5 volt reference.
Heres how this gadget works.
Disconnect the faulty 5 volt reference wire coming from the ECM, right at the ECM
connector. This wire should not be reading 5 volts, due to the present issue. Use a wiring
diagram to identify the ECM 5 volt reference wire. The 5 Volt Reference Simulator gets
connected to the battery voltage, therefore, it also shares the same ground as the ECM.
The circuit is very simple, it uses a MC7805CT regulator chip. This chip can do over 1
Amp of current, which is enough for any sensor job. There are two small 0.33 and 0.1
micro Farad capacitors, at the input and output respectively. The out also employs two
resistors in series, a 50 Ohm and a 1 Mega Ohm.
The 1 Mega is in parallel to the output load to create the 5 volts needed. The 50 Ohm
resistor, acts as a current limiter, in case the load, as in a particular sensor, is shorted to
ground. In this case, the maximum output current would be more like 252 milli Amps, or
way below the maximum supported by the MC78 05 regulator chip.
Finally, its worth mentioning that the 5 Volt Reference Simulator has a biasing diode,
which is there in case you flip or cross connect the gadget at the battery. The other two
remaining components are, the 1 K resistor and LED in series. Theyre only there as a turn
On signal, so that you know the unit is connected.

There are a few ways to use this handy gadget, but more on this later. This gadget can
make the difference between falsely replacing an ECM, or pinpointing the exact problem.
Using the 5 Volt Reference Simulator

The techniques for using the 5 Volt Reference Simulator are varied. In essence, you simply
disconnect the 5 volt reference close to the ECM connector, or as close as possible. You
may have to cut the wire, then splice it back together again. The idea is to substitute the
faulty 5 volt reference from the ECM, with the 5 Volt Reference Simulator output.
As you saw before, the 5 Volt Reference Simulator gadget has an internal 1 Mega Ohm
resistor. This allows any sensor to make use of the 5 Volt Reference Simulator as if it were
the ECM itself. Here the different scenarios for connecting the 5 Volt Reference Simulator.
Scenario one: Attach the 5 Volt Reference Simulator to the vehicles electrical system.
Disconnect the ECM provided 5 volt reference, and connect the 5 Volt Reference
Simulator. This will provide a 5 volt feed throughout the vehicles circuit, and to the
sensors. Since the 5 Volt Reference Simulator is also connected to the battery ground, you
can even start the engine, erase the codes, and review the scanner parameter if so desired.
Whenever the ECM 5 volt reference fails, all kinds of codes are set in memory.
After the 5 Volt Reference Simulator is in place, codes are erased, and should stay off
memory, if there are no other issues. This alone, even of the engine is not started, is one
way to prove that there are no issues with the sensors.
Scenario two. Use the 5 Volt Reference Simulator on one specific sensor to prove its
functionality. Say you want to test the T P S or throttle position sensor. Simply remove the
ECM provided 5 volt reference wire pin from the connector, and then substitute it with the
5 Volt Reference Simulator output.
Right away, you should see the T P S coming back to life. And, you can prove this by
using the scan tool and peeking at what the ECM is seeing, which is a varying voltage
output.

Scenario three. Use the 5 Volt Reference Simulator to create the crank or CAM sensor
signal to be able to start the vehicle. This will only work if it is a Hall Effect or 3 wire
sensor. These 3 wire sensors have a power feed terminal, a ground, and a signal wire. This
is where the 5 Volt Reference Simulator is king. It is designed to be able to act like a
signal feeder. So, leave the Hall Effect sensor connected, then connect the 5 Volt
Reference Simulator to the signal wire. The signal wire also is a 5 volt reference, which
the Hall Effect sensor toggles to ground. Because of the 1 Mega and 50 Ohm resistors, the
5 Volt Reference Simulator voltage is also toggled to ground by the sensor. In other words,
it is alright to short the 5 Volt Reference Simulator voltage to ground. This is a unique
feature, not fould on many 5 volt simulators meant for electronic purposes. This circuit
was developed from the ground up for automotive purposes. If youve already replace the
crank or CAM sensor, and your issue is in the ECM provided signal bias 5 volt reference,
then the engine should be able to start now. This will prove that the issue is at the ECM or
wiring, not the crank sensor itself.
There are many other ways to use this gadget. With good care, the 5 Volt Reference
Simulator should prove useful for many years to come.
Parasitic Draw Amp Meter

How many times have you seen the battery of your car discharge overnight, and found out
how hard is was to pinpoint the exact cause of the current draw. Well, dont despair, the
Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is here. This is a very sensitive gadget. So, be advised that the
Parasitic Draw Amp Meter will fluctuate its needle from the slightest current flow. The
techniques on how to use this gadget will be shown later.
But first, a word on parasitic draws. A parasitic draw is when the car is shot off, and yet
there is still an excessive current flow from the battery. Modern automobiles, since loaded
with many onboard computers, tend to draw some power even when the engine is off. As
a rule of thumb, an 20 milli Amp or higher current draw will drain the battery overnight.
Other publications may state a higher current draw, but weve seen over years of testing
that 18 to 20 milli Amps is the threshold for battery drain. This does not apply to the
Toyota Prius, which has a very high current drain. In fact, it is recommended that you
disconnect its small 12 volt battery if your Prius is left to stand more than a week to keep
the charge.
Automotive parasitic current draw is always the result of a component thats left turned
on, or a short to one of the circuits, as in a shorted module or computer that wont shut off.
Dont ever remove fuses to be able to find a parasitic draw, or youll be a very confused
person. Modern vehicles computers take up a while to reset or boot up themselves. On
some models as much as 45 minutes. You dont want to wait that long every time you
unplug a fuse. So, do not unplug or remove fuses when tracing a parasitic current draw.
The process to trace or find the source of a parasitic draw is straightforward. You need
three things, a wiring diagram, the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter here, and common sense.
First, zero out the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter using its zero potentiometer. Start by
removing the negative battery cable from the battery post, then connect the Parasitic Draw
Amp Meter in series with the removed battery cable. The idea is for all the current feeding
the different computers or modules to have to go through the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter.
Remember, turn all loads and the ignition switch off before starting this procedure. After
connecting the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter, wait until the current draw stabilizes itself. As
weve said, it may take as much as 45 minutes. When this happens, youll see the needle
stops fluctuating and stay at rest. Whatever you see at the needle, multiply times 10. The
Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is a 10 to one circuit. In other words, it amplifies the input 10
times.
The Parasitic Draw Amp Meter works as follows.
The circuit uses a 741 Op Amp to do the amplifying. The 741 Op Amp is a very common
I C chip readily found anywhere. Use a universal PC Board to solder the 741 Op Amp to
it, also found at any electronics parts store. A 10 Kilo Ohm potentiometer is also used to
zero out the gadget when disconnected, and no current flows through it. A few diodes, D3,
D4, D1 and D2 are used to guide the current and protect the Op Amp and Amp Meter. A 1
milli Amp meter is also used to serve as the signaling device.
The meter is a 3 dollar component, also found at any electronics parts store. This entire
gadget can be built for under 14 dollars. There are some laboratory level, low current Amp
Meters, but these cost a lot of money. The Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is at this time your
only option.

The Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is powered by two 9 volt batteries. The reason is that it
also checks negative current draw. But why? Why would you want that on a 12.6 volt DC
automotive system? The answer, is loss of ground. In the event of a loss of ground, things
will get dicey, and you may see negative current flow, which will never register on a
normal digital DC Amp meter.
99% of all digital Amp meters are unreliable when reading low current or parasitic draw.
A clamp-on Amp probe may also be used, but only as a preliminary measurement, due to
unreliable readings. So, the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is a very sensitive low current
Amp Meter, and also a ground issue detector.
Last, its the R5 resistor. This is a 1 Ohm, very important resistor. In essence the Parasitic
Draw Amp Meter is a voltmeter, made to measure Amps depending on the voltage drop
across R5. We recommend a military specification resistor, since theyre more accurate.
R5 color code is also odd, at Brown, Black, Gold and Gold. The last color can be White,
which makes a tolerance of 2%, gold is 5%. Regardless, concentrate on the first three
colors.
The Parasitic Draw Amp Meter has a maximum needle fluctuation of 100 Milli Amps. So,
subdivide the meter scale accordingly. Half the needle scale is 50 Milli Amps, one quarter
is 25 Milli Amps, and so on.

Basically, input current flows from negative, through the 1 Ohm R5 resistor, and its
output is fed into the 741 Op Amp chip. The reading input at pin 3 is amplified, and the
741 Op Amp output is fed to the Amp Meter needle. At this time, you must have zeroed
out the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter, and if youre getting a higher than 20 Milli Amps
reading, youve got a parasitic draw. If your needle moves backwards, youve got a
ground issue. Fix that first, then proceed.
The Parasitic Draw Amp Meter is protected by diodes and an electronic circuit breaker.
This is probably the hardest part to get, but here, weve done the work for you so far as
part number is concerned. You also get an On and Off switch, and an LED On indicator.
Finally, theres an ingenuous PC Board mounted buzzer, and relay section made to sound
off a major short. The buzzer and relay are inside the enclosure.
If your Parasitic Draw Amp Meter breaker trips right away, then your issue is a major
short, not a parasitic draw. In this case, the buzzer will also start sounding, indicating that
the circuit breaker has tripped and theres a major short. Do not use the very sensitive
Parasitic Draw Amp Meter to trace major shorts. Use a normal digital Amp Meter instead.
With good care, the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter will last you for many years to come.
Using the Parasitic Draw Amp Meter


Previously, we explained the construction of the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter. We will now
explain how this tool can be used to its maximum ability and different uses. For the
record, you will need three things, a wiring diagram, the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter, and
common sense.
To use the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter, you must remove the positive or negative battery
terminal, and connect the unit in series with the rest of the electrical system. Well use the
positive side in our diagram, but ether one is fine. In this way, any and all flowing
electrons will have to go through the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter. As soon as this happens,
current flowing through the 1 Ohm resistor will register at the meter needle.
Once connected, the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meters needle will start fluctuating a bit. This
is the result of the different modules powering On, Off and then going to Standby. Do not
disconnect and re-connect fuses randomly. This will only reset the modules or computers.
Some of these may take a long time to go into standby.
Unless you see the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter go to 20 milli Amps or less within 2 to 5
minutes, wait about an hour for the modules to go into standby and the needle to stabilize.
If after an hour, you still see a current draw higher than 20 milli Amps or so, then you
have a battery draining current draw.
Then, proceed as follows, using the wiring diagram for Power Distribution, easily
accessible, at Alldata or Mitchell-1, start disconnecting each section specific fuse. One
fuse normally feeds a few modules or components. Weve said not to disconnect and
reconnect fuses. Here, were only disconnecting the fuse, not re-connecting it. If any fuse
is reconnected, then the respective modules wake up and start consuming power, skewing
your diagnostic. So, for now, disconnect the fuse only.
As soon as the culprit area is disconnected, your Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter will drop its
needle. This is your clue of the general area for the faulty component.
At this time, review the Power Distribution wiring diagram. Look at what the fuse is
feeding. Then, heres the catch, reconnect the fuse, wait for things to settle, and proceed to
only disconnect those components or modules in the fault fuse circuit. This is why this
type of work takes some time to perform.
So, to resume the procedure, you only disconnect and reconnect twice. The first time when
disconnecting the battery, and the second time when you disconnect the fuse and the
needle drops. That fuse is reconnected. Then, proceed to only disconnect the components
tied to that fused circuit. As soon as the faulty component is disconnected, youll see the
needle drop and you would have found your issue and problem solved.
This is one way of using the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter.
Another way is to also connect the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter to one component only.
Some components operate on current only, not voltage, such as todays Air Fuel Ratio
sensors, or Wide Band Oxygen Sensors. For the first time, anywhere on the Web or in any
book or publication, well show you how to test the Air Fuel Ratio sensor, using the
Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter. You start by connecting the unit in series with the Air Fuel
Ratio sensor. But, more on that later.
Suffice it to say that you always connect the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter in series, and if
you draw excessive current, the breaker will trip, and the buzzer will sound off. With some
dedication and training, the Parasitic Draw Amp-Meter will prove useful for many years
to come.
Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier
The Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier is simply a very sensitive volt meter. This unit is
used mainly to do a voltage drop across very small electrical loads. They may include the
alternator wire, which prevents the battery from being charged, and doing a voltage drop
test across individual fuses. If doing a fuse voltage drop test with the Fuse Voltage Drop
Short Identifier, then youll need our special voltage-to-amperage chart, available here.
The Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier, works in conjunction with a 10 Ohm resistor. The
resistor, right at the gadgets input, drops the actual voltage. Then, the voltage dropped is
fed to the 741 Op Amp input. The Op Amp also has a 10 K Ohm variable resistor for the
zero function, and its output is fed right to the needle volt meter. The gadget uses a dual 9
volt battery power feed input. The dual power feed is meant for negative values, in case
theres an issue with the ground. If this is the case, the current flow with often reverse
itself depending on the ground potential. This unit can be built for under 12 dollars.
The Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier has an On switch, and an LED indicator to note
the On position. It is protected by diodes D1 through D4 at the inputs. The 10 Ohm input
resistor draws a maximum of 1.5 Amps at 14.7 volts, not enough to cause damage even if
it is a dead short. The reason why this resistor is so small, is to raise the sensitivity of the
volt meter. The 10 Ohm resistor should be a ceramic type resistor, with a heat sink to it.
This unit is meant to measure small parasitic voltages, and with enough care, should last
you a very long time.
How to Use the Fuse Voltage Drop Short Identifier
Okay, I would like all of you now to consider one wonderful idea. One idea that may save
all of you time and money. An idea, developed over many months, and with one specific
goal in mind.

How do we find an automotive short, in the fastest way possible? And, How do we do
this, without disconnecting anything at all?
Well, this is the very first article of its kind. The voltage charts in here, as well as the
equipment, was developed over many months, and doing the required research and
development. So, here we go.
The Voltage Drop Short Identifier is both, a gadget and a research chart to be able to find
short circuits in a modern automobile. In todays automotive world, you can not
disconnect and reconnect fuses and modules to find electrical short. Every time a module
is disconnected, itll do a re-boot, which may take a long time to complete. Meanwhile,
while re-booting itll draw some current skewing your diagnostics. With the Voltage Drop
Short Identifier, you can detect faint voltage drops without any disassembly.
The Voltage Drop Short Identifier is nothing more than a very sensitive volt meter, made
for the exact purpose of doing voltage drops across fuses. A normal voltmeter is fine, but
only if the short is large enough. Most digital voltmeters are not accurate in the low milli
volt range. The inexpensive Voltage Drop Short Identifier can do it all. It can find parasitic
current draws, tiny shorted components in the 2 to 10 milli Amp range, faulty modules
that stay awake all the time, draining the battery.
The Voltage Drop Short Identifier is used with our provided voltage drop chart. You need
to understand that the chart, provides a way to convert voltage drop across a fuse, into a
current value. In other words, each fuse is like a straight wire. However, all conductors do
have tiny resistances to them, in the milli Ohm range. These small resistances are
impossible to measure using normal Ohm meters. So, the only way to see if a fuse is On,
or conducting electrical current, is doing a voltage drop test, with a very sensitive volt
meter, which is why the Voltage Drop Short Identifier is needed. You may use a laboratory
grade volt meter, but be prepared to shell out lots of money. A normal digital Ohm Meter
is not sensitive enough. There are older analog volt meters, like the Simpson 260
voltmeter that may also do the job, but theyre not cheap.
So, to use the Voltage Drop Short Identifier, measure across the fuse. Remember, each
type of fuse has a specific characteristics. So, a 10 Amp mini fuse, at 10 milli volts, will
mean a different current flow than a 10 Amp Maxi fuse, also at 10 milli volts. In other
words, the value of this technique and the Voltage Drop Short Identifier is in also using the
chart provided here, to determine current flow.
Once youve determined the voltage drop across the fuse, compared it to the chart, then
determine if its higher than 10 milli Amps or so. The entire car can not have a combined
current draw higher than 20 milli Amps or so. Most fuses will have zero, or no higher than
3 milli Amps of current flowing through them. Most small, battery draining shorts, will
raise current consumption higher than 35 milli Amps. As soon as you see 18 milli Amps
or higher in one single fuse alone, youve found your troubled circuit. Then, follow a
power distribution wiring diagram, and start disconnecting every component thats
connected to that fuse. Disconnect and leave disconnected. Do not reconnect again. As
soon as the culprit component is disconnected, your Voltage Drop Short Identifier reading
will drop and issue solved.
This technique was brought to you only in here, and seen nowhere else with our fully
researched fuse voltage drop chart. Our chart was developed by first using a high
resistance rheostat as a load, and measuring voltage drops across all the different types of
fuses, together with the fuse box and wiring harnesses. We acquired various wiring
harnesses from local salvage yards, and finally double checked the numbers using various
vehicles over many months. Our chart is solid and very reliable.
As a final note, it is worth mentioning that even after youve found your shorted
component, it is advisable to also connect an Amp Meter in series, and double check the
issue. This is simply an insurance against replacing any good component. And, with
proper care, the Voltage Drop Short Identifier should last you many years to come.
Found here, is the Volts-to-Amps chart as developed by us over many months of testing.
Hopefully, itll serve you well.
Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe
It is hard to believe, why tool and equipment manufacturers, havent made an effort to
make a viable and useful DIS Distributorless Ignition System, or COP Coil-On-Plug
probe, like the Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe. The reason is probably because it can
be built inexpensively, and therefore, their profit margins wouldnt amount to much.
Now, to shed some light on the subject. All forms of distributorless ignition systems,
whether coil on plug or waste spark systems, employ separate ignition coil circuits to fire
the spark plugs. In most modern engines, DIS has given way to the coil per cylinder
system, called, Coil-On-Plug. With the distributor gone, which was a mechanical device, it
is now easier to acquire ignition signals.

Or, is it really? Well, maybe not.

The problem is that coil on plugs are buried deep in the cylinder head. Access to the
secondary is now a major issue in misfire diagnostics.
However, the Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe is here to save the day. But, before we go
into it, you need to understand one fact. On ignition coils, the secondary is the high
voltage spark carrying circuit, but, the primary, which is actuated by the ignition module,
is a mirror image of the secondary. So, again, the primary, is a mirror image, of the
secondary. You dont need to access the secondary at all to get an ignition waveform.
The Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe works as follows.
Input protection diodes D1 through D12 are connected to the coil primary pulsed side.
This is the side being pulsed to ground by the module, or as it is done now, by the ECM.
Because of the way the diodes are connected, there is no cross connection at all. So one
coil primary will not trigger the other. Afterwards, the inputs at the other end of the diodes
are tied together, and fed to a resistor voltage divider network. Remember, this is a 10 to 1
reduction gadget. Most ignition primary voltages, can go as high as 80 volts or more. The
Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe will drop this voltage down 10 times. So, when reading
the oscilloscope waveform, take that into account.
Weve made no attempt here to clip the ignition inductive kick. What youll get is a clean,
unadulterated ignition waveform. And, itll give you many years of service.
Ignition Primary DIS - COP Probe

How to Use the Ignition Primary DIS Probe

Using the Ignition Primary DIS Probe is a very straight forward operation. As weve said
before, the primary of the ignition coil is a mirror image of the secondary. So, a misfire
will also reflect on the primary, and be able to be picked up by the Ignition Primary DIS
Probe.

Connect each of the alligator clips of the Ignition Primary DIS Probe to the pulsed side of
each ignition coil. Remember that the coils are not going to be triggered all at the same
time. So, when we connect the oscilloscope to the Ignition Primary DIS Probe, each coil
pulse will arrive one after the other.
Most scopes have 2 input channels. Connect the Ignition Primary DIS Probe to channel 2,
and use channel 1 as a cylinder 1 synch. In other words, youre going to synch the ignition
pulses to channel 1 or cylinder number 1.
All you need to do then is figure out the firing order for the engine youre working on, and
voila, you now have a complete ignition analyzer at a fraction of the cost. Any modern
digital D S O or digital storage oscilloscope, can be turned into a full fledged ignition
analyzer. If you want to get fancier, a future specifications, cylinder, and firing order
Android App will be available.
So, heres a little bit more insight on using the Ignition Primary DIS Probe.

First, after connecting the Ignition Primary DIS Probe, you need to find out which is
cylinder 1. This is normally identified by determining the cylinder head closer to the front,
on a V type engine. On that side, the front most cylinder is number 1. Use channel 1, and
connect to cylinder 1 primary. Thatll be your synchronization pulse.
To read the ignition pulse, you need to analyze three points on the waveform.
One, the firing line also called the spark line. This line happens after the ignition On pulse.
It is the result of the magnetic field collapsing on itself. It should reach at least 40 volts,
signaling good spark reserve. A good waveform library is a must. The left edge of the
firing line is the ignition pulse turn Off point. Make sure its clean. If not, it points to a
faulty ignition driver transistor.
Two, the spark duration line, which proceeds the firing line. This measure says exactly
how long the spark endured. It is an indication of the condition of the ignition
components, such as plugs, wires or boots, and even the coil itself. This line also says a lot
about the air-fuel mixture, whether its lean or rich.
Finally, the ignition pulse turn Off and oscillations. The turn Off point, gives you the
relative condition also of the ignition parts. It should be fairly clean and sudden.

There is an ocean of information that can be extracted from the ignition primary
waveform, enough for a whole book on the subject. The important thing is that you dont
have to spend lots of money to be able to diagnose a misfiring problem. All scopes, with
the aid of the Ignition Primary DIS Probe can capture ignition waveforms, which by the
way, is by far the only way to properly diagnose an ignition system. With proper training
and care, the Ignition Primary DIS Probe will give you lots of satisfaction at jobs well
served, and years of service.
Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller
WARNING, WARNING, WARNING. DO NOT use the Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator
Controller with the engine On. The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller is meant to
be used with Key-On-Engine-Off. Any other use is at your own risk.

Gone are the days when the throttle was controlled by a cable. The throttle cable has been
omitted, in favor of the throttle actuator or drive-by-wire throttle control. The vast
majority of throttle actuator control motors are the DC duty cycle control type. In other
words, the ECM controls a two terminal DC motor, by way of a duty cycle signal. On duty
cycle signals, the frequency and voltage remains constant. What changes, is the positive
crest of the waveform. This means that on a square wave, the positive crest changes width.
The wider the positive width, the wider the throttle actuator opening.
In todays throttle control diagnostics, it is important to be able to actuate the throttle for
various reasons. Well go deeper into using this gadget later. But, suffice it to say that, the
Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller is used to diagnose the multiple throttle
position sensor inputs, to clean the throttle body, to determine if motor is binding and to
diagnose any of dozens of issues with an electronic throttle actuator system.

But first, a word on how the electronic throttle works. The throttle plates are always being
forced down by an internal spring. This spring and gear mechanism can start to bind from
wear and tear. If that happens, the ECM goes into limp in mode, reduces injection pulse,
and turns the engine into a virtual lawn mower. It doesnt matter if the throttle sticks in the
open position. With injection cut off, your car isnt going anywhere.
The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller creates the duty cycle control signal to act
against the spring load. So, in slow motion, the pulse pulls open the throttle valve, then it
supposedly closes again due to the spring action, then the second pulse pulls it open again,
and it closes again. But, in reality this happens so fast, that the throttle valve stays open a
specific amount of degrees. The wider the duty cycle pulse, the wider the opening.
The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller works as follows.

The whole Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller is centered around the SG3525
micro circuit. This is a pulse width modulation chip. It is used by many automotive and
industrial manufacturers for controlling motors. The SG3525 then controls the base of the
transistor, BUK9535-55 MOSFET driver. The transistor controls the throttle motor itself,
depending on the aperture control.
The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller also has minimum and maximum controls.
These are set once, and control the lowest and highest duty cycle possible. Most drive-by-
wire motors dont work well below 20%, hence this control is set to provide a minimum.
You also dont want to feed 100% duty cycle to the throttle motor all the time, which can
cause it to fail.
Finally, theres a frequency control as well. This control you also set only once.
Remember, duty cycle has nothing to do with frequency. On electronic throttle control the
frequency stays constant, or at about 200 to 400 Hertz. This control is set only once and

then left alone.

All the aperture is done with the aperture control, which varies the output from the
minimum and maximum, according to these said controls.
Wed like to reiterate the previous warning. DO NOT use the Drive-By-Wire Motor
Actuator Controller with the engine On. The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller is
meant to be used with Key-On-Engine-Off. Any other use is at your own risk.
The Drive-By-Wire Motor Actuator Controller is a sturdy and tough unit, which will give
you many years of service.
How to Use the Drive-By-Wire Actuator Controller
One of the main issues with a Drive-By-Wire electronic throttle is the dual or triple TPS,
throttle position sensor. The TPS potentiometer, by definition develops blind spots in its
carbon tracking. The whole issue is exacerbated by the fact that on Drive-By-Wire
Actuators, the TPS sensor is a dual or triple unit. The idea for it, is that the ECM is
constantly comparing the multi TPS signal. If the unit develops a fault, then the two
readings will not correspond, and a faulty code is issued.

Heres how to use the Drive-By-Wire Actuator Controller to detect TPS issues.
Connect a Graphing Voltmeter to the Drive-By-Wire Actuator TPS. This is a multi TPS
sensor so, use channels 1 and 2. Set the voltmeter to a maximum of 5 volts.
Disconnect the Drive-By-Wire Actuator motor connector, and connect the Drive-By-Wire
Actuator Controller.
Slowly work the aperture control potentiometer. Operate the control from full closed, to
full open, and do so without a hesitating movement. The idea is to swing the Drive-By-
Wire Actuator Multiple TPS to detect any blind spots in the read out.
As you can see, youre using the ECM 5 volt reference, and the Drive-By-Wire Actuator
Controller to actuate the electronic throttle motor.
The output signal should be as follows. Assuming it is a dual TPS, most of them are, you
will see two mirror, but inverted TPS signal sweeps. This is the way it should be. What
youre looking for are small signal drops, which are indicative of a blind spot. Blind spots
are sometimes not recognized by the ECM. This problem usually develop hesitation
during acceleration and bucking.
This procedure is also doable with key on engine off, and a second person actuating the
throttle. As you can imagine, the human foot will never be as accurate in performing a
signal sweep as the Drive-By-Wire Actuator Controller. The Drive-By-Wire Actuator
Controller, can also be used in many instances, where there is a need to do a visual
inspection of the electronic throttle, and during cleaning of the throttle plates.
This tool is at the cutting edge of todays auto diagnostic equipment world. With proper
care, the Drive-By-Wire Actuator Controller will provide you with flawless service.
Ignition Key Transponder Detector
Modern automotive anti-theft systems, use a coded ignition key to authorize the engine
turn on. In most cases, another module or computer, such as the ECM, Body Control
Module, or the Instrument Cluster Module, serves as the actual anti-theft module. The way
the anti-theft systems works is through an ignition key transponder.

The ignition key transponder is embedded inside the back or plastic side of the ignition
key. It is a non battery operated circuit. This circuit is powered by an induction coil, that
generates a current in the key transponder coil itself, which powers the signal code
generation circuit. The code is then received by the anti-theft module, and an OK
command is then issued for engine start.
Now that weve given a brief overview of the circuit, we present here, the Ignition Key
Transponder Detector.
Well, you might ask, why do we need this Gadget?
The answer is simple, because it allows you do know if the key transponder itself is
working, tells you if a new key is not a fake, and will even decode the passkey code, and
show you as an oscilloscope waveform.

Here, is how the Ignition Key Transponder Detector works.

The Ignition Key Transponder Detector works in the 120 to 135 Kilo Hertz frequency
range, and is built around only two micro circuits, a 74 A C 04 and a 74 H C T 74. It also
employs a 690 milli Henrys coil, that you can wind yourself using transformer wire.
The first part of the circuit is the oscillator that excites the Ignition Key Transponders
internal coil. This action induces a current to power the Ignition Key Transponder chip.
So, power goes from the Ignition Key Transponder Detector coil to the Ignition Key
Transponder coil inside the key plastic backing. Once the Ignition Key Transponder is
activated, itll send the pass code, which is then detected by the Ignition Key Transponder
Detector.
So the Ignition Key Transponder Detector coil sends power, and detects at the same time.
The second part of the circuit, filters out all the hash from the power generation part and
carrier wave, and only leaves the pass code. At this point, you can feed the detected code
to an oscilloscope and have a clear waveform view of the actual pass key code. Youd
have to freeze the actual waveform to view the fast moving digital code. Then, the pass
code is also fed to the 74HCT74 micro chip to drive the green LED. This last part of the
circuit simply receives the digital code, senses the positive peaks of the square wave, and
drives the LED. For all practical purposes, you dont need an oscilloscope. Just put the key
close to the 690 Milli Henry coil, seen here with red arrow, and watch the LED blink. If it
does, then it is a true Ignition Key Transponder key, and not a fake.
Many people are being duped by unscrupulous vendors of so called, legitimate ignition
transponder keys, which are really empty shells. It is a regrettable fact, but the Ignition
Key Transponder Detector will tell you the real story. Well later learn how to use this
gadget. But, for now, know that the Ignition Key Transponder Detector will serve you well
for many years to come.
Using the Ignition Key Transponder Detector

Weve already explained how to build an Ignition Key Transponder Detector. Now lets
explore the need for this gadget and how to use it.
Have your ever wanted to bypass your anti-theft system? Ever lost your cars ignition key
and had to buy, cut, and reprogram your new key? What if your vehicle wont accept the
new key? What if the new key is fine, but your car still wont start?
Well, the issue can be traced to a few problem areas. But, if you cant determine the
operation of your key, youre done. The only other way is to have a factory scanner, but
these are thousands of dollars, and out of reach for most repair shops and Do-It-
Yourselfers.
Here are the possible problem areas, and how to go about repairing them. In order to do a
proper anti-theft diagnostic, do the following.
First, determine if the ignition key is working. 90% of consumers replace the ignition key,
have it cut, to later find out that the key is not the issue. Use the Ignition Key Transponder
Detector to verify the key transponder. If the green LED starts blinking, youre fine. If not,
replace the key. It is common to also purchase an ignition key, to later find out its a fake.
A key without a transponder will never work.

Another use for the Ignition Key Transponder Detector is that of adapting another key
cylinder to the car. Heres how, lets assume that you current ignition cylinder coil or key
is faulty, and that you manage to purchase a used cylinder and keys, from a local salvage
yard. The first use of the Ignition Key Transponder Detector is to determine if the salvage
yard keys are operational. If so, then youve got a done deal. You dont have to cut keys
and all your components are there. Almost always, these parts are not sold because people
dont know if the system works. The Ignition Key Transponder Detector tells you all you
need to know.
Yet, another use for the Ignition Key Transponder Detector is to match a key to your car.
For example, lots of technicians manage to start a vehicle with a new key taped to the
back of the valet or metal only key. This is done just to check the anti-theft computer, and
see if it takes a new key program. However, most shops or locksmiths have a few of these
blank keys laying around for testing. With the Ignition Key Transponder Detector, you use
the scope waveform feature, capture the digital pass code signal, and use it for future
reference.
Later on, just compare whichever key you think you matched to the car, and proceed from
there.
The Ignition Key Transponder Detector, can also be used by locksmiths and salvage yards
to detect operational keys to be sold as a complete package, with the ignition key and
cylinder.

Finally, the Ignition Key Transponder Detector can also be used to do a bypass of your
vehicles anti-theft system. It wont help a thief steal a car, but some car owners dont
really care for this system at all. To do a bypass, record or capture the pass key code using
the oscilloscope. Then, use a programmable signal generator, which is a simple chip box,
that accepts a recorded digital code. Attach a 690 milli Henrys coil to it, and tape the coil
to the inside of the ignition key coil or close to it. Now, every time you insert and turn
your ignition key on, itll power the code box, transmit the store code to the cars anti-theft
system, and you vehicle will start. This process is too involved to be useful for a car thief,
but works well with the consumer that dont care for anti-theft systems.
Simply put, the Ignition Key Transponder Detector will give you its worth for years to
come.
Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator
Have you ever had a case of an engine no start, and realized that the crank sensor was
buried under the vehicle, with a hard to access connector? Or did you ever drained the
battery cranking the engine, in trying to get a camshaft or crankshaft position sensor
signal?

Well, the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is here to the rescue.

The Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is a very simple, but effective tool. All it does is
induce a voltage at the CAM or CRANK sensor, whether its a Hall-Effect or magnetic
type, meaning 2 or 3 wire type sensor. This principle is exactly how any position sensor
operates.
On normal operation, position sensors detect the tooth or reluctor wheel rotational speed,
and rate of change. In other words, the toothed reluctor wheel induces a magnetic field on
the speed sensor, and a voltage is generated at the coil of the sensor. We wont go deep
into the operation of the sensor, as it is covered elsewhere, but this is the basic concept.
The Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator does exactly the same thing. It induces a
voltage at the sensor coils, of about 30 Hertz, which corresponds to about 1800 RPM. This
is enough the be read at the scan tool or the oscilloscope, by probing at the ECM wires.
So, rather than being constantly cranking the engine to get a signal, the Magnetic Sensor
Induction Simulator allows you to connect the appropriate equipment, point, and press the
button. Simply extending and positioning the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator coil
tip, close to the speed position sensor, and pressing the button is enough to induce a signal
at the sensor. This is all provided the sensor is working properly. This task has often been
done using an electronics soldering gun, but the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is
better suited for the task.

Heres how the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator works.

The Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator employs a 10 to 1 power transformer. This is
the same transformer type found at any electronics store used to bring down wall outlet
power from 120 volts to 12 volts. Any small transformer will do. Then, the 12 volt
alternating current is fed into the rectifying diode.
This is a half wave rectifier, which cuts down the number of oscillations in half.
Otherwise, the RPM signal perceived by the sensor would be too high.

A 1 kilo Ohm resistor and green LED is also in series with the circuit, so, that every time
the top button is pressed, youll be able to see the LED light blink continuously. The top
button is rated for 120 or less volts, as it would only be switching the downgraded 12 volts
from the transformer. The entire Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is encased in a P V
C tubing, with an extended plastic tube and a hand spun wire coil at the tip. A 700 milli
Henry coil will do, as any other large wire coil.
BEWARE, DANGER, LOOKOUT. The Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is
connected to the 120 volt wall outlet. Be mindful of the power cord not to get caught in
any of the engines parts and cause an electric shock.
The Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is a very simple and useful tool. It is meant to
not have to crank the engine continuously when doing engine testing, and will give you a
long service life.
Using the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator
We already explained how to build the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator. Now, lets
explore how to use this wonderful gadget.
The idea behind the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator is to induce a signal at the CAM
or CRANK sensor, without having to turn or crank the engine. This will solve many issues
relating to no start diagnosis, such as having another technician inside the vehicle to work
the ignition key, or even the time needed to connect a remote start switch. With the
Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator, just point and click.
So, here are a few possible scenarios.
Scenario 1. Using the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator to induce a CAM or CRANK
signal. First, we must understand that there are two basic types of position sensors, the
Hall-Effect 3 wire, and the Magnetic 2 wire sensor. The first, produces a square waveform,
and the said waveform comes right out of the sensor itself. The magnetic sensor produces
a sine wave. This is a waveform with rounded edges.

So, then using the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator, the distance between the tip of
the unit and the sensor can be as close as possible. However, with the 3 wire Hall-Effect
sensor, you need to be careful of not placing the tip of the Magnetic Sensor Induction
Simulator too close to the sensor. There will not be any damage, but the magnetic
induction from the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator, may also cause interference at
the sensor wire. So, just dont get too close with the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator
tip. A few inches, 2 or 3 inches away will do.
Use the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator, in conjunction with a scan tool, graphing
multi-meter, or oscilloscope, even a regular voltmeter set to alternating current will do.
Connect the equipment of choice, then point and shoot. Get as close or as far as needed.
Youll eventually develop a feel for this tool.
Scenario 2. Use the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator to diagnose ABS wheel speed
sensors, and transmission vehicle speed sensor. Yes, the Magnetic Sensor Induction
Simulator can also be used to force induce a signal on these sensors. It goes the same way,
just connect the equipment, place the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator close to the
sensor, and press the button.
Rest assured that, if the sensor in question outputs a signal, the unit is fine.
Scenario 3. Using the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator to test a sensor while hot.
Well, most sensors do fail after the vehicle reaches full hot condition. In this case, youll
have to use a hair dryer to first heat up the sensor. Think of the engine and how hot it gets.
Ok, use the same feel and get the sensor nice and hot. Then, use the Magnetic Sensor
Induction Simulator, point and shoot. You didnt have to start the engine, heat it up, or
have to employ the help of a fellow tech to do the job.

Scenario 4. Use the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator to diagnose intermittent

problems. Yeah, thats right, the nightmarish intermittent problem. In this case, youll have
to either build the Magnetic Sensor Induction Simulator with a flip on switch, or use a
rubber band to leave the button on. Do the same, connect the equipment and key-on-
engine-off, tape the tip of the gadget at the sensor, or close to it, and leave it there. Most
oscilloscopes have a record feature, yet others like the Scope-1, have a beep-to-function
feature that alerts the technician when the signal has dropped.As you can see, this tool can
go a long way in helping you determine whats wrong with any position sensor, regardless
of the system in question. Build it, and itll give you many years of service.
O2 Sensor Simulator
The O2 or Oxygen sensor is in charge of providing the ECM a measurement of Oxygen
content in the exhaust. The ECM then uses said value to control fuel injection pulse width.

To understand the O2 sensor, we must also know the concept of Closed-Loop operation.
Closed-Loop in automotive technology terms, is referred to as the closed relationship of
O2 sensor voltage, to ECM injector pulse-width control, and then back to O2 sensor
voltage. It is much like closed circuit television, where cameras and TV monitors are part
of the system. In this case, the sense and control part of the injector, work together to
control the air-fuel mixture. In other words, one senses, the other one changes or modifies,
and back to the sensing part.
It is a known fact that 60% of all vehicle issues are air-fuel mixture related. So, what do
you do when theres a need to tackle a performance issue with your car? Well, you call
upon the help of the O2 Sensor Simulator.
The O2 Sensor Simulator, is a simple piece of equipment that mimics the output signal of
an O2 sensor. It is calibrated to output a complete swing of voltage every 2.5 to 3 seconds,
which is perfect for a simulator.
But, you might ask; what can I possibly do by mimicking the O2 sensor signal?
The answer is, quite a bit. First, understand that if you just drive the O2 sensor signal low
or high, and leave it there, the ECM will switch to limp in mode and completely ignore the
O2 sensor.

So, right off the top, the O2 Sensor Simulator prevents the ECM from taking over and
screwing the diagnostics. The wide uses of the O2 Sensor Simulator will be discussed
later.
Heres how the O2 Sensor Simulator works.
The O2 Sensor Simulator is based on the popular 555 timer integrated circuit chip set.
This is a 50 cent micro chip. All of the circuit can be built for under 8 dollars. The circuit
is very simple, it is divided into two sections, the oscillator support part, and the output
signal conditioning part. The O2 Sensor Simulator is a classical a-stable 555 timer
oscillator.
The gadget works by generating the changing or oscillating O2 sensor signal, which is
dependent on the value of the 100 K Ohm resistor on the upper left. The entire circuit
draws about 12 milli Amps, and its powered right from the vehicles battery.
The RED LED at the top is an always ON indicator, and also serves as a rectifying diode.
The Green LED, is ON, only during the high part of the signal, or above 550 milli volts or
so. This is a classical high signal state for any O2 sensor. So, with the O2 Sensor
Simulator, youll be able to simulate a signal, monitor the output, and fully control the
ECM to injector pulse width.
The O2 Sensor Simulator is meant to also be used with the scan tool and a form of
measuring device, like a voltmeter, scope or graphing meter. The O2 Sensor Simulator is
able to help you pinpoint exact issues with all kinds of systems, but more on that later.
For now, know that this simple to make tool, will probably become your most used
gadget, and give you years of usefulness.
Using the O2 Sensor Simulator
The O2 Sensor Simulator is a very valuable tool when trying to determine all sorts of
ECM feedback response. Here are a few use scenarios where the O2 Sensor Simulator is
of value. Use it to determine fuel injection feedback, closed-loop operation, fuel related
misfires, fuel pump delivery and catalytic converter response.
So, here are scenarios in detail.
Scenario 1. Determine fuel injection feedback. The idea is to cycle the O2 Sensor
Simulator, and see how the ECM responds. You do this operation using a voltmeter, with a
duty-cycle setting. So, connect the O2 Sensor Simulator in place of the cars O2 sensor.
Also, connect a voltmeter set to duty-cycle to the injector pulsed wire and ground. This is
the most detailed and exact way to determine fuel consumption.

A good rule of thumbs is about 3.9% duty cycle at idle. Do this test always at idle, so as
not to upset the air fuel mixture with a high RPM. As soon as the engine has reach
operating temperature, the ECM will start to follow the O2 Sensor Simulator. Youll be
able to see how the duty-cycle values also follow the O2 Sensor Simulator readings. If not,
then the ECM is not able to keep up. This could be due to a clogged filter, bad fuel pump,
ignition or valve timing. The point is that it is confirmation that the issue is an air fuel
imbalance.
Scenario 2. Determine closed-loop operation. Again, disconnect the O2 sensor and
connect the O2 Sensor Simulator to the signal wire. For this procedure, youll also need to
use a generic OBD-2 scan tool. Go into the PIDs and monitor the fuel-status. Itll be either
OPEN or CLOSED loop. Once the engine has reached operating temperature, and the O2
Sensor Simulator has been cycling for a minute or so, the PID should say closed-loop. If
so, then that tells you quite a bit. It says that the ECM has received, and interpreted the O2
Sensor Simulator signal, and its reacting to it. In the event that theres another unknown
issue, such as coolant temperature sensor, mass air flow or even an off specs TPS, the
ECM will stay in open loop, often without even issuing a code. This technique says a lot.
It says that the ECM is able to command the mixture, that the ECM is in control.

Scenario 3. Air-Fuel related misfires detection routine. Yes, many engine misfires are also
caused by an imbalanced air fuel mixture. Say for example that theres a vacuum leak,
causing the engine to adjust the Fuel-Trims maximum positive, and masking the issue. In
this case, record and erase all codes to reset the Fuel-Trims. Then, connect the O2 Sensor
Simulator and idle the engine. In this case, the ECM is going to be fooled by the O2
Sensor Simulator. Itll think that the air fuel mixture is fine. Since theres a vacuum leak, it
wont compensate and mask the issue. The end result is a steadily misfiring engine, giving
you time to assess the situation and do a diagnostic.
Scenario 4. Perform a catalytic converter response test. There are two types of converters.
Theres the small baby converter, and the normal under body converter. On the larger
under body converter, the rear O2 sensor should never follow the O2 Sensor Simulator
signal. Since the O2 Sensor Simulator signal is not affected by outside interference, itll be
fairly easy to diagnose the issue. On the baby small converters, those close to the exhaust
manifold, then use an oscilloscope or graphing meter and measure the front O2 Sensor
Simulator and rear O2 sensor signal. There should be at least a 200 milli second lag time
between the two changing values. In other words, when the front O2 Sensor Simulator
signal goes from high to low, on these converters the rear signal should follow, but at a
certain lag time. A lag time less than 200 milli seconds points to a defective converter.
And, if accompanied by a code, this is sure confirmation of the fault. You will only see
this procedure right in this channel. The procedure was developed a few years back, over
many months of testing by Mandy Concepcion and his staff.
All these techniques are not too hard to learn, And, with a bit of practice, the O2 Sensor
Simulator will serve you for many years to come.
ABS Speed Sensor Simulator
Have you ever had a vehicle, where the ABS is prematurely activated in an intermittent
way? And, have you asked yourself, is it the wheel speed sensors, the ABS computer, or
another electronic issue with the system?

Well, the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is here to save the day.
In todays vehicles, the vehicle speed sensor is no longer used. Now, one of the wheel
speed sensors is used as an input of vehicle speed. This is done in order to reduce
redundant components, which do the same thing. So, when using the ABS Speed Sensor
Simulator, remember that it can also be used to diagnose the Vehicle Speed Sensor.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is a 4 channel output unit. Its made with 4 diode
isolated channels. This allows you to kill each channel independently, without affecting
the other channel.

Heres how the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator works.

The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is based on the ubiquitous LM555 oscillator timer chip.
The circuit itself is small, but powerful. It is composed of three sections; the LM555 timer
microchip part, the output transistor driver part, and the output signal part. The signal
section has an impedance matching and isolation transformer. This in effect isolates the
ABS Speed Sensor Simulator from any shorted wheel speed sensor short to vehicle power.

The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator also has a frequency variable potentiometer to adjust
the output frequency of the signal. Also, the idea behind the four normally ON output
switches, is to kill the signal independently to be able to test the ABS response. But, more
on how to use the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator later.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator allows you to test the ABS and traction control
response, without ever leaving the repair shop. Yes, thats right, just lift all 4 tires off the
ground, connect and check.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator LM555 chip can be found anywhere. The entire ABS
Speed Sensor Simulator can be built for less than 8 dollars, making for a very useful piece
of equipment thatll last you for many years to come.

Using the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator

The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is a useful and versatile tool. It can kill each wheel
speed signal selectively. The idea here is to prove that the ABS module, hydraulic pump
and solenoids are operational before condemning any of these expensive parts.
But, before we start, a word of warning. DO NOT use the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator
while the vehicle is moving. This is not a road test equipment, and youre liable to cause
an accident.

The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is meant to allow you to test the ABS system, without
having to go for a road test, which is time consuming. To use the ABS Speed Sensor
Simulator, do the following.
One. Lift the vehicles 4 tires, and set the transmission in neutral. Remember, all you want
to do is perform an ABS actuation, by killing the signal with one of the 4 buttons.
Two. Disable the traction control, which is now part of the ABS system, but will skew
your results for the ABS test.
Three. Remember, youll have to step on the brakes for this test to work. Disconnect all
the ABS wheel speed sensors. Then, connect each of the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator
output channels to each ABS signal wire. Place the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator on the
passenger seat, and set the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator frequency knob to its lowest
setting.
Four. With the car raised from the ground, and secure, start the car in NEUTRAL, not in
PARK, and dont step on the brakes.
Why?
Its simple, once the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is connected, it starts sensing a signal to
the ABS computer. When it does, if you start in park, the ABS computer will issue a code,
and go into limp-in mode. Simply put, theres no way that a vehicle in park can have a
wheel speed sensor signal. It is called a logic fault, and flagged by the ABS module as a
code issuing failure.
So, start the vehicle in neutral, it is then Ok for the ABS module to see a wheel speed
signal, and we can proceed with the test. Then, let the car idle and set it to drive. Do not
accelerate, or step on the brakes. Remember that the brake switch is the only indicator for
the ABS to go active.

Five. Now you have the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator connected, the car in drive, the foot
off the brakes, and youre ready to do the test. At this time, slowly raise the frequency
knob to a higher setting, or even the highest setting.
To test the ABS system, softly step on the brakes, and then quickly press one of the signal
kill buttons on the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator. Right away, youll see an ABS actuation.
Youll continue to see an ABS actuation even if the wheels are not rolling, since the ABS
Speed Sensor Simulator is acting as a wheel speed signal output device. Every time you
step on the brakes, and press the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator kill button, the ABS will
then go into action. The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator works, because it creates a signal on
all 4 wheels. Without the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator, this is impossible to do with just
the car up on the lift. You can even bleed the ABS system, by running a remote brake
switch, and using the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator, but more on this later.
Now, what did you learn by doing the operation we just explained? Well, quite a lot
actually.
For one, you know the ABS computer is up to the task.
Two, you also know the ABS hydraulic pump is operational. Otherwise, the ABS will
sense a low hydraulic brake fluid pressure, go into limp-in mode, and cancel any
actuation. So, now you also know that the ABS hydraulic pressure sensor is fine.
And three, since you heard all the ABS solenoids clicking On and Off, you know theyre
also fine. Otherwise, since the solenoids are nice and hot, the ABS module will sense a
short or open signal, and set a code.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator, can also be used to test the wheel speed sensor wiring
harness. In this case, you do the previous procedure, but rather then do a brake pedal
actuation, just go around the car and wiggle the wires. Any wiring issues, usually under
the body panels, or on a vehicle thats been in an accident, will become apparent and the
ABS module will then issue a sensor specific code.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator can be used to test many ABS related issues. Some
ABS hydraulic pumps, also tend to fail after repeated ABS actuation periods. So, just do a
few ABS activations, as mentioned before, and rest assured that hydraulic pump will get
nice and hot, revealing any issue. And, all this is done without leaving your home or repair
shop.
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is a versatile tool, with the ability to serve you for many
years to come.
ABS Speed Sensor Simulator, Bleeding the Brakes
The ABS Speed Sensor Simulator can also be used to bleed the brake system valve body
and pump. Yes, thats right, and you can do it all without the use of a dedicated scan tool.
In other words, for those who dont know, the ABS system has to be bled anytime there
was a brake fluid leak, or when the ABS hydraulic valve body has been replaced. For this,
you need a factory level scan tool, which will set you back a few thousand dollars.

Well, the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator is here to the rescue. Basically, what you do is
actuate the ABS valve body hydraulic unit, and on some systems you may need to crack
open the bleeder screws. Most of the times, the trapped air will rise to the surface, and end
up at the brake pump cylinder reservoir.
So, heres how you use the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator to bleed the ABS system.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please, remember that before you do this procedure, you have to
gravity bleed the brakes normally, as you would in a normal situation.

First, connect the ABS Speed Sensor Simulators four outputs to the signal wire at each
wheel speed sensor.
Second, raise the cars four tires, and start the car in neutral. Please refer to our previous
section on using the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator.
Third, remove the master cylinder reservoir cap, and leave it off. This is done so the
trapped air can rise to the top. Otherwise, the air pocket will not allow the brakes to bleed.
Four, without touching the brake pedal, shift to drive, do not accelerate, and press one of
the signal kill buttons at the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator. This action will activate the
ABS systems, and youll hear all the ABS solenoids operating. Do this about 4 to 6 times.
Finally, go outside into the engine compartment, and if your vehicle calls for you to crack
open the ABS bleeders, do so at this time.
Then again, press the kill buttons a few times, and crack open the ABS bleeder screws.
Do not crack open the bleeder screws at the brake calipers. This is the lowest hydraulic
point that wont trap air, besides, you should have done a normal brake bleeding procedure
before you started. This procedure is meant to bleed the trapped air inside the ABS
hydraulic valve body.
By using the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator you dont need an expensive factory scanner,
that will set you back thousands of dollars. When it comes to bleeding the ABS system,
this is it, this is exactly what the O E M factory scanner does, when doing an ABS
bleeding sequence.
Rest assured that the ABS Speed Sensor Simulator will make it worth while for you, for
many years to come.
Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator
Have you ever had an issue with a no start condition, and asked yourself; I wish I had a
spare CAM or CRANK sensor to try out? I wish I knew if was the ECM or the sensor
itself?

Well, heres the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator to the rescue. Yes, this is a
small, simple, versatile, and very ingenious gadget. The Optical CAM and CRANK
Sensor Simulator, is capable of simulating any crankshaft or camshaft signal. The one
component, that determines the output sensor signal produced by the sensor, is the optical
signature diagram.
Ok fine, but what is the optical signature diagram? Where can you buy one of these?
The answer to that question is simple, you make it yourself. Understand that, what were
going to show you here, is cutting edge ingenuity. Not because its complicated, but
because its incredibly simple to make, and full of common sense.
So, well first show you how the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator circuit
works; then well delve into the construction of the optical signature diagram. Later on,
well then show you how to use the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator.
The Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator circuit, works as follows.
The circuit, like many of the circuits in this series, is based on the venerable LM555
microchip. The LM555 is an oscillator chip. It creates a square waveform from the
components attached to it. The entire circuit is divided into three parts; the photo electric
sensor, based on the EE SB5 from manufacturer Omron, which by the way, its a 4 dollar
part.
Then theres also the LM555 microchip section, which takes the output from the EE SB5,
and acts as a Schmitt Trigger amplifier. A Schmitt Trigger does nothing, unless theres a
considerable change in the input. The LM555 is used so that the Optical CAM and
CRANK Sensor Simulator will not output a signal from just random light noise, especially
in a repair shop environment. So, for the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator to
output a signal, the rotational speed of the engine has to be at least 200 RPM.
The final part of the circuit, is a simple transistor, feeding a transformer, that changes the
square wave output into a sine wave. This is done, for vehicles that use a magnetic two
wire CAM or CRANK sensor. If your vehicle uses a three wire sensor, then use the output
signal at the top, which is a square wave output.

The Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator also has an LED for diagnostic
purposes, which is used to test the gadget operation. So, as you can see, this is a 15 dollar
circuit, encased into a PVC pipe, and using a low cost camera mount, available at any
consumer electronic store.
Theres also a camera positioning arm that can be used with the Optical CAM and
CRANK Sensor Simulator. More than likely, this camera arm will cost you more than the
Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator itself. But, that is beyond our control.

Ok, now you know the basic operation of the circuit, and building it is a breeze,
considering how few components it has. Now, lets analyze the before mentioned optical
signature diagram.
The Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator outputs a high signal state whenever
theres a white or dark mark in front of the EE SB5 optical sensor. So, assuming we use a
wheel for explanation purposes, anytime the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator
sees a white mark, it goes low, and, anytime it sees a dark mark, it goes high. That, is what
creates the changing square waveform output. If the output is taken at the transformer,
then you see a sine or rounded waveform.

Ok, so what about this optical signature diagram. Well, the Optical CAM and CRANK
Sensor Simulator is in effect a universal CAM or CRANK sensor simulator. But, the
output signal has to be synchronized with the engine. So, you create a specific optical
signature diagram per engine, to give you the exact CAM or CRANK signal signature
output. Yes, by simply printing out a marked wheel, you can generate the exact CAM or
CRANK signal as the original sensor.
To make and use the optical signature diagram, do the following. Lets consider a CRANK
sensor signal as an example.
First, you must get the actual CRANK sensor signal waveform from a previous recording,
for that exact engine. This is why weve always stressed the importance of a waveform
database. There are also various publications dealing with waveforms, or even in the
internet.
Also remember, you do this only once per vehicle engine size. Here well use a 1989
BMW 325 crank sensor signal signature.

The first thing you do is divide the crank sensor waveform into 360, which corresponds to
the 360 degrees of rotation. Then, do the following. Using a black marker and a ruler,
draw concentric lines every time you see a signal change, or a wave crest.
Very easy to do, and for every white and dark mark, the Optical CAM and CRANK
Sensor Simulator will also output a signal crest. Once you have the optical signature
diagram done, scan it, and save in as an image file on your computer. You can also use a
simple drawing software to draw the optical signature diagram.
Now you actually have everything you need, to develop your own crank sensor signal, that
actually corresponds to that vehicle engine size. Next, well show you how to apply the
optical signature diagram to the actual engine, and make the engine start using the Optical
CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator.
The idea here is to develop various optical signature diagrams over time, over many
makes and models, and over many engine sizes, and truly make the Optical CAM and
CRANK Sensor Simulator, a universal CAM and CRANK sensor signal simulator, thatll
render many, many years of service, even on future engines that havent even been
developed yet.
As said before, the optical signature diagrams, are universal in nature, and render the
Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator the viable tool for years to come.
Using the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator
We previous saw how the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator circuit works, and
how to develop the optical signature diagram. Now, lets find out how to use the Optical
CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator, and the optical signature diagram in a real world
application.
But first, lets learn how to change the optical signature diagram into a usable tool. Well,
the answer is very simple.

From a known crank sensor waveform, as said before, we get the series if white and dark
marks that determine the crank sensor signal or signature. Now heres where it gets
interesting. What you do is convert the long signal signature diagram, into a circular
diagram, using the same signature. Use any photo editing software out there, and then use
the polar coordinates effect or filter to make warp the linear image into a rounded warped
image seen here.

It is that simple. Then, all you do is print the circular signature diagram, cut it into a round
piece of paper, and stick or glue it to the crank sensor pulley. You can even use sticky
paper to do the printing, just peal the back, and stick it to the crank pulley.

Ok, now you know how to apply the optical signature

diagram to the engine. Now, lets learn how to synchronize the crankshaft to the newly
created optical signature diagram. And that, its also very simple.
All you do then, is set the engine at top dead center, mount the Optical CAM and CRANK
Sensor Simulator to its holding bracket, and point the optical eye of the Optical CAM and
CRANK Sensor Simulator to the long synch dark mark, which almost always signifies top
dead center. You can stick the optical signature diagram in any position you want.
The important part is to then, set the engine at top dead center on compression, mount and
point the simulator to the top dead center long mark. Now, your Optical CAM and
CRANK Sensor Simulator is timed properly. You can do this operation in less than a
minute. Itll probably take you longer to set the engine in top dead center, than to time the
Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator.
Take either the sine wave or square waveform output, and connect it to the input of the
vehicles crank sensor connector. At this point, youre ready to start the engine. For every
dark and white mark that the Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator sees, itll create
a specific square wave signal, filtered by the LM555 microchip, and then fed into the
small transformer for both, a sine and square wave output. The usefulness of the Optical
CAM and CRANK Sensor Simulator, is in substitution, to diagnose intermittent problems,
to check issues with the wiring, to diagnose the ECM, and many more issues whereby, you
dont know whos at fault. Is it the ECM, the sensor, the wiring or some other software
issue hidden in the maze of technical complexity. The Optical CAM and CRANK Sensor
Simulator will be there for you, regardless of vehicle make, model, year or engine type for
many years to come.
OBD-2 Data Link Connector Breakout Box
IMPORTANT NOTE. In this video, the Dataq DI-149 will be presented, which is separate
from the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box software.

Did it ever occurred to you that you can diagnose lots of problems through the OBD-2
DLC connector. Things like, chassis or sensor ground issues. And were not talking about
a simple open ground circuit. Were talking about ground resistance and intermittent
issues.
Well, we then present you with the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box or Mr BOB DLC. This tool
allows you to do all kinds of measurements on the DLC or OBD-2 data link connector
pins. Yes, itll turn your PC, or Laptop into a virtual scope-like, measuring, and analysis
machine. This gadget is a cutting edge tool, and it is the worlds best kept secret, when it
comes to automotive data acquisition and component control.
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, is based on the Dataq DI-149 board. This is a 59 dollar
unit, that supports all Microsoft Windows operating systems. By itself, the DI-149 board
does nothing. We need to connect a few extra components and, yes, its a done deal. Also,
we need the software that runs the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, which will be provided to
you by Mandy Concepcion, the developer of the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box. Yes, and itll
be free of charge, so long as you build the gadget yourself.
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box with Dataq DI-149 circuit has the following.
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box DI-149 is a product for general-purpose data acquisition
applications, in a long line of low-cost starter kits from DATAQ. Suitable for measuring
pre amplified analog signals, the DI-149 together with the included Mr BOB DLC
software, allows real time data acquisition, playback, and analysis performance equal to,
or better that other products that cost ten times more than its low price. This instrument
has been sold to thousands of hobbyists and professionals, for countless data acquisition
applications around the world.
The DI-149 has noise canceling, differential analog inputs, and are protected to 150 volts,
well suited for automotive applications.
This is a tough and tolerant board, and used in conjunction with the OBD-2 DLC Breakout
Box or Mr BOB DLC software and some extra components, it becomes a very capable
tool.
Heres how the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box circuit works. Later on well show you how to
use it, and how to build it.
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box is composed of the following. The Dataq DI-149, a few
external resistors, diode, and a switch, and Mr BOB DLC software. Thats it, and then you
put it together with the software, components and a PC or Laptop. This unit runs on a
Microsoft Windows PC or Laptop, which today, almost everyone has. It doesnt need
much memory either. Any PC made within the last 12 years will work.
The unit also has a double ended OBD-2 connector, that you can build yourself. So, you
connect the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box to the OBD-2 connector, and then if you want,
also connect the scan tool right behind it. It is that simple. Afterwards, install and start the
OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box or Mr BOB DLC software on your Laptop. Dont forget, this
is a full USB device.
Here are the PC Board to OBD-2 DLC connector links. Pins 7 has two 10K resistor
voltage dividers at the end. A switch is also part of the gadget, and one end of the switch
also has a two 10K voltage dividers resistors. These are used to drop down the voltage and
protect the gadget. Finally, the ground terminals are in series with a bias diode, done for
protection in case of a accidental reverse connection to the battery. This gadget uses
battery voltage and ground as reference to test all the OBD-2 pins.
The software for the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box works as follows.


The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box program has 6 sections. The first is the starter alternator
tests. Connecting the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, and starting the engine is enough for the
unit to run various tests on the system.
Many voltage drops tests are ran automatically, continuously, and very quickly. This
section also turns your computer into a graphing multi-meter.
Then, theres a network test section. You see, the OBD-2 connector is the central point of
testing for the entire car. This is a continuous graphing section, meant to detect network
issues.
Following, you also have the Voltmeter and Scope Graphing section, which turns the
OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box into a very capable measurement unit. Itll give you up to 8
channels of powerful measurements, which is more than whats available on the market
now. This is not a full fledged oscilloscope, but it is what you need to run tests on the
OBD-2 connector. Any issues with a dead network will show up here, as well as power
and ground issues. This is a fully visual section.
On the DLC pinout section you get various images to help you during diagnostics. Then,
on the power tests, you can run all kinds of automated power tests, while seeing a power
graph at the same time. This is powerful and deterministic of any drivability issues.
Finally, a dedicated ground unit testing section. It is estimated that at least 40% of vehicle
issues is due to a ground problem. This is understandable, since the ground is connected
throughout the car, at high resistance points in the chassis and engine block. With the
ground testing section, you will know right away whats wrong with your grounds, both
chassis and sensor ground.
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box is a very capable gadget, that turns your computer into a
virtual OBD-2 breakout box. It doesnt communicate with the car. It is not a scanner, but a
measurement device with automated tests, meant to help you with Power, ground,
network, and all other issues that can be detected at the OBD-2 DLC connector. Since the
OBD-2 connector is a standard, this unit will certainly provide you with many years of
service for the foreseeable future.
Using the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box
The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, is a device or tool, that allows for all kinds of testing on
the OBD-2 DLC connector. It is not a scan tool, and it doesnt communicate with the
vehicle ECM. It is only a measurement tool.

There are many scenarios to use the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, such as testing the
communication signals, or listening to the network traffic, between the different modules
in the car. Also, to test chassis and sensor ground issues using voltage drop measurements,
which is built into the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box, power tests that can determine if the
alternator, or battery is at fault, starter tests that measure the drain on the battery as the
starter engages, and even running compression tests, based on battery draw from the
starter motor.
Here are the scenarios where the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box is useful.
Scenario One. Looking at the inter-module network signals or between scanner and ECM.
The car isnt starting due to no spark, coil or injector pulse. This is important, because itll
tell you right away two things. Imagine that the vehicle doesnt start. There are many
possibilities for this to happen. First, you need to know if the ECM is alive. How? Well,
by initiating a network call to it using your cheap OBD-2 code reader.
So, first go to the start network connector or main splice and disconnect all the modules,
except the ECM. You then connect the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box and the cheap code
reader right behind it. At this time, you can view all the incoming and outgoing signals
between the scanner and the ECM. If the ECM is not responding, and it has good power
feed and ground, you know the ECM is dead.
But, more often than not, what happens is that another module or computer brings down
the network. In cases like that, you then start to re-connect each module one at a time, at
the star junction, while viewing the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box. As soon as the shorted
module is re-connected, the OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box laptop graphing voltmeter will
show a signal drop. The OBD-2 DLC Breakout Box will save you the cost of buying an
oscilloscope and pinching the OBD-2 connector wires, or damaging it in the process.

All the other scenarios for using this tool, are fully automated on the software. So, if you
need to diagnose the power or grounds, its all done automatically. This is a nice tool to
have if you want to tackle network, power and ground issues. The OBD-2 DLC Breakout
Box usefulness, giving that the OBD-2 connector is standardized, will render many years
of service to you.
About the Author
Mandy Concepcion has worked in the automotive field for over 21 years. He holds a
Degree in Applied Electronics Engineering as well as an ASE Master & L1 certification.
For the past 16 years he has been exclusively involved in the diagnosis of all the different
electronic systems found in todays vehicles. It is here where he draws extensive practical
knowledge from his experience and hopes to convey it in his books. Mandy also produces
an automotive technology DVD-Video series, writes auto repair books, develops
automotive software and designs OBD-2 scanners, scopes and other diagnostic equipment.