Testing

The Ultimate Guide to Marine Engine Surveys

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to inboard & outboard engine surveys. This guide is for anyone planning to survey an engine, or hire someone else to do it. We’ll answer the who, when, where, why, and what of engine surveys. If we did miss your question, please let us know by e-mailing us, so we can get you an answer, and add it to the guide!

Engine Compression Diagnostics Article Roundup

How to Do An Engine Compression Test by Staff Writer A brief comparison of dry compression, wet compression, and leak-down tests. Read Article at Autozone Dynamic Duo by Mark Warren How to use a current clamp and oscilloscope combination to check cranking compression and the starter motor. Read Article at Motor Magazine Lab Scopes and …

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Fuel Injection Diagnostics Article Roundup

  Fuel Injector Circuit Waveforms by Andrew Markel This article explains the basics of a solenoid injector’s voltage and current waveforms. Read Article at Tomorrows Technician Testing Piezoelectric Injectors by Joe Clark A look at some methods of testing piezoelectric injectors, both on-engine and off-engine. Read Article at TechTips.ie Diagnosing and Servicing Gasoline Direct Injection …

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Spark Ignition Diagnostics Article Roundup

Secondary Ignition: The Art Of Spark by Scott Weaver This article describes the components of a conventional distributor ignition system, and how they produce a spark. Scott also shows what a (secondary coil) ignition waveform looks like, and describes its different parts. Read Article at Tomorrow’s Technician Maintaining Engine Spark by Mac Vandenbrink An explanation …

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Types of Corrosion Found on Cars, Trucks, and Boats

Corrosion is an unfortunate and inevitable effect that attacks most metals. There are a few common causes of corrosion, and you’ve probably encountered all of them, even though you might not have recognized or identified them at the time. Understanding what’s going it can help you detect and prevent it in the future. This post goes through the most common causes of corrosion, the factors which speed it up, how you can slow it down, and what you should do about preventing it.

Testing Oxygen Sensors

There are a few different tests for oxygen sensors (also known as lambda sensors), some of which can be run without dedicated tools. The most effective tests tend to be done under normal operating conditions, on a sensor installed on an engine system, though there are some tests which can be done off-vehicle.

How to Test Glow Plugs

Glow plugs are installed on many diesel engines to help with cold starts. They usually fail because of corrosion, overheating, mechanical damage, or metal fatigue, and their failure can cause a variety of problems. The easiest way to test a glow plug is by using a clamp-meter, though digital multimeters can also do the job, and glow-plug testers also work.

How to Use a Battery Tester

Most battery testers have two clips (or test leads), you first attach these to the battery’s terminals (connectors), then you press a button (or switch), and a few seconds later, the tester displays or prints a result indicating the battery’s condition. The details of how you use a battery tester depends on what kind of battery you have, the electrical system it is connected to, and which tester you plan to use. Some battery testers require disconnecting the battery from the vehicle, while others have different limitations. Most battery testers only work on one, or a few different types of batteries. We describe how to use five different battery testers below: