Article written by Sam Bell
Published in the May 2012 edition of MOTOR Magazine

There has been continuous improvement in on-board diagnostic systems as well as in the scan tools that report the data they provide. But there are still occasions when the best tool for the job is an exhaust gas analyzer.

an excerpt…

“I field a lot of technical phone calls in a week, most of them driveability issues of some sort. In some cases, technicians have an equipment problem: They need access to a PID their scanner doesn’t report, or they want to do a bidirectional test but don’t have the right software interface to command it. Sometimes I can help them find a viable work-around, sometimes I can’t. Some callers need help finding or understanding test criteria, doping out arcane details of circuit operation, or even finding a diagnostic starting point in cases involving multiple symptoms.

Ultimately, what we do on a daily basis— what these phone calls are all about—is science. We gather data, formulate hypotheses and conduct experiments to verify or disprove our hypotheses.
In pursuing this endeavor, we use many scientific tools, ranging from multimeters and scopes to vacuum gauges and scanners. A good exhaust gas analyzer should have a place in your diagnostic lineup as well. If you have one and aren’t using it, you may want to dust it off, and perhaps your skills with it as well. If you don’t have one, this article will give you a taste of how it could make life better.”