TRA INING
May 2018 | VehicleServicePros.com 37
“I never needed a scope before, why now?”
“I can do everything with my DMM (digital
multimeter).”
“I can do everything I need with the scan tool.”
“It takes too long to set up.”
“Service information never asks me to use a
scope.”
“Th at’s old technology...”
Most technicians I train are excellent
technicians and embrace
anything that will allow
them to diagnose faster
and more accurately. But,
from time to time, I get the
comments above. I completely
understand why these
comments come up, so I just
want to follow up and give my
perspective on some concerns
of mine and misconceptions
about oscilloscope diagnosis.
Some of those misconceptions
include:
• Th e oscilloscope is only used
for complex electrical concerns.
Can you diagnose complex
electrical concerns with an oscilloscope?
Yes, and it is most likely
the only tool fast enough to
perform the more advanced
concerns.
• Wait until you have exhausted
all testing. Th en, and only
then, use the oscilloscope.
Can I diagnose mechanical
concerns much faster than
conventional methods? Yes,
and when used properly, you
can look at many mechanical
concerns in a fraction of the
time. How many times have
you disassembled something
and see that it is okay, only to
put it all back together and
start your diagnoses all over?
• Th e oscilloscope is extremely
difficult to use and to
understand the waveforms.
Can you diagnose simple circuits
and see things that you could
never see before? Yes, you can
look at electrical and mechanical
concerns that your scan
tool and DMM just couldn’t do.
Review the number of
oscilloscope waveforms
(previous page) for examples
that disprove these
misconceptions.
Relatable
industries
Looking at the waveforms
and patterns, where have we
seen something like this in
another profession? Th e medical
fi eld — in an ambulance,
fi rst responders, paramedics,
doctors and cardiologists.
Th ese folks use an oscilloscope to understand
what is going on inside a patient clearly, in
real-time.
Medical professionals check blood pressure,
pulse rate and other vitals with this technology,
just measured much slower than the speed of
information moving through our trucks. Th e
only real diff erence is the speed in which the
scope is designed to accurately measure the
real-time information needed to make diagnostic
decisions.
If technicians diagnose electrical, mechanical
and communication concerns on vehicles
in today’s industry, make sure they have the
tools and proper training available.
Be sure to see the whole picture with an
oscilloscope to start diagnosing vehicle issues
more quickly and more accurately.
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