May 28, 2013 A Vehicle’s Bill of Rights: A member shares what his service advisor wrote to address customer neglect when it comes to proper care and servicing of an automobile.

(If you use this in your repair shop, please provide attribution to the author, Matt Briand of Assured Auto Works Melbourne, FL.)

A vehicles bill of rights
My service writer Matt Briand surprised me with this treasure this week! This is a long but worthy read. Vehicle Bill of Rights: --A vehicle has the right to the proper fluids. All vehicles are not created equal and, as such, are built with certain fluid spec

May 20, 2013 California 2013 smog check update class concerning catalytic converter oxygen storage capacity (OSC). Danny starts an interesting discussion around catalytic converter testing and performance analysis.


Catalytic Converter Oxygen Storage Capacity
Hi EmFer's, I am currently attending my Update 2013 class. Apparently BAR is allowing another CAT test for OBDII vehicles. The Oxygen Storage Capacity test involves driving the fuel mixture rich and depleting the cat of oxygen. The rear O2 goes high, and you t

May 13, 2013 Repairing GM’s Underhood Bussed Electrical Centers (UBECs): Robert from Florida provides an excellent pictorial and overview as he refers to his past experiences documenting loose connection issues with GM Fuse and Relay Centers.


GM Fuse and Relay Centers
I thought the group might be interested in seeing how a typical Underhood Bussed Electrical Center is constructed. This is a recent thread where the PCM would not turn on fuel pump due to poor contact at a relay terminal. http://members.iatn.net/forums/read/ms

May 10, 2013 The latest iATN Review should be hitting members' inboxes soon, or you can read it now at the link below. There's a little bit of something for everyone: tech tips covering everything from fuse and relay center repairs to locating wiring connectors and analyzing evaporative emission system codes, tips on how owners can keep their techs happy, and even something you might share with your customers regarding vehicle maintenance.


iATN Review Newsletter: Second Quarter 2013 Edition
Includes: GM Fuse and Relay Centers. Catalytic Converter Oxygen Storage Capacity. Vehicle Bill of Rights. Understand How the System Works!The Effect of a Misfire. Top Priority = Happy Techs. 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 6.7 O2 sensors?Ford Connecto... and more.

May 8, 2013 If you're interested in seeing what fellow automotive technicians are earning, please participate in our current poll in the members-only area of iATN: http://members.iatn.net/

Our previous poll asked, "What % of revenue do you typically allocate for your annual training budget?" Of 3,837 respondents, 51% pay for training as-needed, 17% do not pay for training, and the remaining 32% budget an average of 1.3% of their annual revenue for training. http://autop.ro/54Q

May 6, 2013 Parasitic load testing with a graphing multimeter provides the perspective needed to “see” the load that lead to a dead battery. iATN member Jeremy from Kansas provided multiple measurement examples further illustrating his challenge and how he was able to pin down a faulty BCM causing this issue on a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan.


Parastic draw testing
This post is in reference to a reply I made yesterday here http://members.iatn.net/forums/read/msg.aspx?f=forum2&m=332053&fv=0&ar=0 05 Dodge Caravan parasitic draw testing. I usually use my Vantage Pro on graphing multimeter mode to check a draw on a system, i

April 29, 2013 In this Tech Tip, Chris from New Jersey shares a technique he used to check a throttle actuator for a potential intermittent problem. Within the ensuing discussion, many members shared their perspectives and current waveform test results obtained utilizing similar methods.


electronic throttle test
As a diagnostic tech, there are a few things I really don't like. One is intermittant faults, two is diagnosis by substitution. Yet the two often go hand in hand. If you can't find a fault, you can't show-prove what the cause is. So you can either send it out

April 22, 2013 Mark from Ontario discusses analytical options when dealing with a 2003 Chevrolet Silverado exhibiting a P0101. iATN members also shared scan data from various tools and best practices when addressing MAF sensor performance faults.


Getting the Facts Straight - Repost
Hello, I have this truck that sets a code p0101 MAF sensor performance. The customer was at another shop for this same code and they replaced the maf but the MIL came on again shortly after. This truck has an aftermarket ducting for the MAF. I am using the ESC

April 19, 2013 For iATN members interested in making it easier to provide employees with access to premium features, we created the Business+ account level. Here's a quick video we made to explain how to use this account type to add up to 4 sub-accounts.


iATN Video: Business+ Sub-Accounts
This video demonstrates how to manage your Business+ sub-accounts, providing multiple employees with search access, at no additional charge.

April 15, 2013 Tom from Illinois faced fuel EVAP challenges on a 2002 Hyundai XG350, and highlighted several things to consider. In this case, the Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery Valve (ORVR) became contaminated by another system component. There are several photo examples shared by other members within the ensuing discussion.


Hyundai evap
When testing evap systems for problems don't forget about the ORVR. The complaint on this Hyundai is difficult to fill fuel, the pump keeps shutting off. Someone has already replaced the canister and the vent valve. Here is what I found. Hyundai calls it the F