Mechanics Tool Supply

I can’t remember the last time I heard a mechanic tell his customer that he’d just checked the charging system and they’re ok for the forseeable future. Select the right words and do a quick system test and you save your customer a breakdown on a cold winter night and probably save yourself the loss of a customer.

The PBT-300 Battery/Starter/Charging Tester from Midtronics bills itself as an “advanced” system tester that meets the full testing requirement for automotive manufacturers for warranty work at dealerships around the world. Needless to say, that requires state-of-the-art capabilities. If a technician works in a dealership it goes without saying that his mechanics tools “must” meet those needs. BUT, those working in the aftermarket service sector also need to compete with the dealerships and need to be up to date and this is the unit that accomplishes that in a reasonable price range. It’s generally recommended that the battery/starter/charging systems should b checked at every oil change in order to catch problems that could later lead to breakdowns on the road. The ease of use afforded by the PBT-300 coupled with it’s advanced capabilities make it a must have for professionals that want to make sure their customers stay happy - rather than find themselves standing in the snow beside a car that won’t run. (remind your customers of that possibility - you’ll win a loyal customer with a quick check of their system) Was surfing the web a while back and came upon a graph that said that almost 20% of all on-road breakdowns was because of battery service problems and those problems are almost all preventable. Take a look at this diagnostics business builder from Midtronics and consider the ways you can keep building customer loyalty.

The latest thing from OTC into the Pegisys diagnostics family is the OTC 3828. It called Pegisys PC Diagnostic System reprogramming and scan tool.

It’s targeted to meet the needs technicians that prefer to use a PC as opposed to a hand held scan tool. It’s still a wireless setup so you’re not going to be stumbling over wires and cables and it does everything the regular Pegisys unit does except it’s limited to OBD II (1996 and newer cars). That limitation doesn’t seem to be much of a problem, those older cars are at least thirteen and fourteen years old now so you’re  going to see fewer and fewer of them. Not much these mechanics tools won’t handle for you.

Putting the PC on a service cart is easy and with the larger monitor on most PCs you have “both” hands freed up to work. Just a glance at the monitor and you’re there and if you need the keyboard while working, it’s just a step away.

One of the biggest advantages with the Pegisys 3828 is that you don’t have to pay for the cost of the scan tool. If you already have a PC (check to make sure your laptop meets requirements - not all do) you can save a bundle and still have the most up-to-date and sophisticated scan tools on the market.

Sometimes the most simplistic way is still the best and detecting problems by listening is one of those ways that deliver the goods. It’s simple. If it doesn’t sound right it probably isn’t right. If it doesn’t sound right at a particular place, that’s probably the place that isn’t right.

When the people at Steelman developed the Wireless ChassisEAR (part number 97202) that’s obviously what they had in mind. It’s a great way to pinpoint the source and location of problems from bearings, gears and suspension components. It finds faulty fuel injectors based on sound (or the lack of it), if can detect faulty CV joint problems, transmission problems - in fact if there’s a sound to be listened to, the ChassisEAR will hear it and speed up your diagnostics efforts. That’s what professional-quality automotive tools and mechanics tools in general are supposed to do.

It’s certainly best to know you’re going to pass a test before taking the test. That’s what your customer wants after failing an emissions test and bringing the car to you to make it right. That’s also the idea that the people at OTC had in mind when they made the 3358 Readiness Monitor Tool.

Since it takes a while to complete a drive cycle after any emissions work has been done, it’s just a time problem. Sure generally you can be pretty sure that your work will get the car through the next test but you just can’t be sure. With the OTC 3358 you can be sure the drive cycle is completed before the car gets tested again.

This diagnostics jewel plugs into the onboard computer and when the drive cycle is completed and the car is ready for retesting, the unit lights up it’s LEDs and activates its speaker so that the driver, knows for sure that the drive cycle is finished and it can be tested again. No guessing about how long the cycle takes for completion and no chance your customer will drive into the testing station too soon and fail the test again.  That doesn’t make for happy customers and you can bet you’ll get the blame.  You’ll be wise to keep one of these units with your mechanics tools and you’ll also avoid an unhappy customer that didn’t wait long enough to “pass” that test.

There’s no work to be done. It works on any OBD II car (1995 or newer). Just plug it in. It runs off the power of the car and there’s no settings to make. Just couldn’t be much easier.

Mechanics tools that make work fast, simple and accurate are the “good stuff” that belongs in the tool boxes of automotive service professionals everwhere. Waekon has exactly one of these automotive tools in their Universal Electronic Fuel Injector Probe (part number WE 76462).

No longer is it necessary to fish around for wires on installed injectors and it also isn’t necessary to take injectors off in order to get a reliable test. The principle of the Universal Electronic Fuel Injector Probe simply that each time an injector fires, it vibrates. This automotive diagnostics tool detects that vibration and flashes its light each time the injector fires. You can tell if the injector is firing; you can tell if the injector is firing sporadically. You can tell if the injector is firing the way it’s supposed to. All you have to do is place the probe on the injector and adjust the thumbwheel on the tool until the light is easily visable and the whole story of that injector is right there in front of you. It’s like taking three seconds to test an injector as opposed to whatever time it generally will take to deal with wires or remove the injector for off vehicle testing.

So - if time is a factor in your work, you need the Waekon 76462 among your tools. Easy, foolproof and quick - now if only the folks at Waekon could devote some time to keeping the neighbor’s dog from barking.

Genisys, the diagnostics scan tool from OTC has been around a while now. It’s good, it’s accepted and people are buying more of them all the time.  Top quality scan capabilities at a lower price than the OTC Pegisys, this scanner is capturing more and more automotive technician loyalty all the time.  The EVO model number 3862, delivers an array of mechanics tools options that allow technicians to scan practically any vehicle made in the past 25-plus years - both OBD I and OBD II Diagnostics. All the options are updatable including software and cables to assure connectivity. Frankly, it’s about the best bargain out there.

Four graphs can be on the monitor at one time; that means that you can actually concentrate on determining what the problem is instead of trying to remember what was on the last monitor display. It’s right there all on one “page.”

The Genisys displayed data refreshes with lightning speed so you’re looking at “right now” instead of what was a little while ago. Add that to the four graph interface and you can see the incredible advantages to be had with these top-of-the-line mechanics tools.

Midtronics can safely be called the standard of battery diagnostics and the Midtronics Micro 400XL lives up to its name.  It provides advanced technology aimed at meeting the needs of professionals looking to get the job done right and getting it done quickly.

It delivers AGM Testing Algorithm; update capabilities to match the market right now; improved battery alogrithms; decisive and accrate readings beyond anything ever offered before; enhanced alogrithms based on OEM demands and jumper-post testing on remote batteries.

There’s other options, and some fine ones but the people at Midtronics have been delivering quality battery service mechanics tools for years and if you don’t want to spend an enormous amount of time surfing the web looking for the latest blog info, get this one. Professionals are not going to do much better, certainly not for the dollar value.

A top seller among scan tools is the Innova 3130 from Equus Products (Innova) and for good reason. It covers all foreign and domestic OBD II compliant cars, SUVs, light trucks and mini vans all the way back to 1996. Frankly, it’s a top notch professional scan tool without the cost and trouble that most professional scanners have. It’s as simple to use as entry level diagnostics mechanics tools and as complete as units costing six or seven times as much.

It delivers 25 primary on-screen diagnostics in English and Spanish (French too) all at one time so you’re likely to have everything you need right there the very first time. No scrolling, no trying to remember as you go from screen to screen. It’s a simply plug-n-play setup will play back live data on command and an automatic relink for drive cycles to verify repair completion. 

It comes with all the software and cables you’re likely to ever need and it’s all in a protective pouch. If you think you might need to hook up to an older OBD I computer; just move up to the Innova 3120 and your in business all the way back to 1982 models.

No wonder a lot of people are buying these.

The people at Mity Vac have updated their Vacuum and Pressure Tester (formerly part number MV4000) with the new MV8500 Silverline Elite Automotive Test Kit and MV8510 (formerly part number MV4010) for those looking for the Tester only without kit accessories and case.
They tell us that the new dual capability of the new Mityvac hand pump combines two pumps into one and will streamline your mechanics tools inventory while greatly extending vehicle service applications.

The new MV8500 performs engine performance diagnostics, brake bleeding, fluid transfer, evacuation, sampling, windshield repair and more while providing either vacuum or pressure with equal precision and convenience in an ergonomic design for comfortable long-term use.

The new Mityvac Silverline Elite hand pump combines 35 years of automotive diagnostic experience with advanced performance and comfort to meet the requirements of the latest automotive technologies all reading out on a large easy-to-read gauge that displays both vacuum and pressure.

For the Do-It-Yourselfer, a good top quality, yet, entery level code scanner can be the best investment to come along since pliers and the Actron 9125 PocketScan Code Reader from can be one of the best buys of the bunch. I delivers enough information to identify the problem in most cases on practically any OBD II equipped vehicle (1996 and newer) while not pouring on too much information that simply means confusion.

It’s not unusual to have a check engine light come on and without a code scanner it’s tough for the typical at home repairman to identify the problem. Take the car to a dealer and you’re likely to spend more money on one scan than you’re going to spend on the Actron 9125 itself. Even the very first time you use it, it’s paid for itself. Just fix the designated problem, use it to turn off the check engine light and you’re back on the road.

These compact diagnostics tools fit in the palm of your hand, quickly connects to your vehicle, reads and erases trouble codes and gets that check engine light off so your car can make it through inspection most local inspection facilities.

It’s more though than just a means of getting that light off. It comes with a CD that has over 3000 trouble codes along with comprehensible descriptions so you can keep that car running right and avoid creating larger problems down the road. It’s also updatable so you can use it for future cars that you’re likely to buy too.  It comes with a full year warranty and it’s made in the USA. 

If you’re looking to pick up a scanner for your collection of mechanics tools without having to get a second mortgage on the house, this is one to take a closer look at.