Read on to learn how a Snap-on diagnostic tool gives a simple way for you to monitor vehicle data when you are carrying out a road test as part of a repair.
A very handy feature of Snap-on’s diagnostic software is the parameter identification (PID) trigger function.
This helps you to keep track of the data produced by the vehicle while you’re carrying out your diagnosis, meaning you don’t need to keep watching your scan tool’s screen or have someone else helping you out.
You can set minimum and maximum values and if your data goes outside of those the PID trigger function will automatically save it for you to refer back to.
For example, let’s work with a vehicle’s intake air temperature sensor and connect it up to a Snap-on ZEUS Diagnostic tool.
Once you have the data on your tool’s screen, tap on the wrench icon to the left and you can turn the triggers on with your maximum and minimum figures.
Let’s keep the minimum as 0 volts and enter 4.5 volts as the maximum then save, and back on the graphs screen tap on the camera icon to activate those levels.
If you disconnect the sensor from the vehicle the reading goes above the maximum line, then the scan tool records a few more frames of data before saving it, so you don’t have to keep checking the screen.
A green line then shows at what point the data was saved, and in the tool’s settings you can tell it how many frames of data you want it to record after the readings have gone beyond the minimum and maximum levels you set up earlier.
Once you have got this running as you want it will save you a lot of time when it comes to recording data and diagnosing your vehicles.