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WE CATER TO ALL SKILL LEVELS
We ship overseas and many of our customers
speak English as a second language.
As with all our training material, a specific effort is made to assist
readers by narrating progressive illustrated text.
If the narration annoys you, mute the sound.
If the text sequence is too slow,
advance at your own pace with a mouse click or key.
This presentation is intended as a training aid, not an archive.
The objective is to motivate logical thinking and reasoning.
We believe that a good teacher provides directions not answers.
WARNING
The primary inductive kick (up to 400 volts) will damage any
LAB SCOPE unless it is protected with at least 10:1
attenuation. All A & B channels of the Direct Ignition Adapter
are protected. Do no use the C Channel on primary circuits.
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Our main objective is to
analyze combustion
behavior in the voltage
variation during the
time the plug fires.
Notice that the firing time in
the Primary is a mirror
image of the Secondary,
and therefore everything
learned about scoping the
firing time applies to both.
Secondary Primary
The inductive kick has only value as a
comparison. By itself it has no
diagnostic significance of what occurs
in the secondary. It is the result of a
collapsing magnetic field and the
amplitude depends on how close the
winding is to the iron core.
If the secondary winding is closer,
there will be a greater coil output but a
reduced primary inductive kick.
Since coil design is
equal for all cylinders

as a comparison
between cylinders!
If the firing time is
shorter and the kick is
lower at any speed,
this may indicate a
weaker magnetic field.
What happens to the conductivity of the spark inside
or outside the combustion chamber is reflected here.
00
The key to diagnosis is
to verify that each
cylinder reacts the
same at that particular
speed or load.
TURBULENCE
is caused by engine
design , valve overlap
and EGR, and is
considered normal at
increased RPM and
more under load.
If this turbulence appears on only one
cylinder under the same RPM or load
condition, it is not caused by engine design
but possible a carbon build up on piston.
Disregard the turbulence at high
speed as long as the start of the
firing is at the same level.
If the Firing Order is 1-2-3-4-5-6--- then..
Switch position 1 is>>> 1=A + 2=B
Switch position 2 is>>> 3=A + 4=B
Switch position 3 is>>> 5=A + 6=B
Up to eight cylinders can be captured.
Capture of typical Ford Multi strike @ idle
For a 6 cylinder use any
of the 3 switch positions.

1

2

3
For the purpose of
comparing we set time
at 10 Ms/div.
COIL OUTPUT: The coil was designed to maintain a firing time (duration)
for as long as the fuel mixture is present in the combustion chamber.
The amount of coil energy output is only limited by the size of the iron
core (mass) and the ability of a full saturation of a magnetic field.
Coil output is not affected by load or engine speed. When all coils pass
at idle, this eliminates any electrical problem at any speed or load.
No CURRENT RAMP needed, if the firing time is equal on all cylinders?
MULTIPLE COIL IGNITION: Comparing waveforms of all cylinders at
varied speed and load, is ideal to pinpoints the goober from the rest.
Comparing all cylinder under the same driving condition has the great
advantage of an easy pick of any failure.
WHERE & WHEN & HOW many, and under WHAT condition it acts up
narrows down possible failures as a first step in logical analysis.
Example: Dont look for an intake vacuum leak under load,
and dont expect to diagnose a restricted exhaust at idle.
ANALYSIS IS GATHERING DATA
with specific information of all the above. Therefore looking up an
archive without the When Where What is a meaningless exercise.
ELECTRICAL
MECHANICAL
FUEL
NOT GOOD ENOUGH! A low barrier may
easily jump in case the foot slips off the brake.
Preventing vehicle movement is essential with stationary
in drive testing. Keeping the foot on the brake without a
barrier is unsafe and waiting for an accident to happen.
Using a hoist high enough to make
contact with the frame is one option.
Standard shift or
transmission or vehicle
design requires spinning
wheels, raise the drive
wheels off he floor.

It only takes 3 minutes to
compare and identify









If no deviation was
detected, test is completed.
If a short Firing Time was
discovered freeze &
store the pattern for
further evaluation.
1
2
3
4
at
2000 RPM
under
LOAD.
at
IDLE
Scan every cylinder using two scope channels per
switch position for the purpose of detecting
deviations in the firing time.
and file the FAIL captures to
archive or for later viewing and
Interpretation.
MANY REASONS: to share findings with:
* Co-workers for education or consultation.
* Customers to make selling the job easier.
* Evidence in case of dispute.
Notice a slightly
reduced firing time
on cylinder #1.
Notice firing time even
more reduced and
sloping up.
If you are not familiar with scope
pattern interpretation, store it with
details, like load-- Cyl. #1 only, etc.
Include customer complaint if any,
and seek consultation.
If you are a seasoned scope tech,
see if you can follow the reasoning
and agree with this
interpretation.
next
Any preconceived notion or judgment based
on past experience is detrimental to logical
thinking and closes the mind from objective
analysis...!!!
PLEASETRY THIS!
Make it a habit to THINK internal combustion
engine, not make or model.
Experience is important and should be a help,
not a hindrance to confirm the diagnosis.
Ford..?
Coil-on-
Plug.?
Misfire..?
Got-a-be
coil..!
WHAT SOME ONE
MAY BE THINKING?



Occasional momentary stumble
on acceleration when trying to
pass at 60 MPH.
This is the
one exception.
THIS IS A RED FLAG NOT A FAILURE

The most effective way to compare a GOOD CAPTURE with FAIL:
is to make a comparison of the same MAKE of COIL
with the same FUEL SYSTEM under the same DRIVING CONDITIONS
with the same ENGINE DISPLACEMENT and the same PISTON DESIGN.
NOTE: THAT ALL THOSE INCREDIENCE ARE IN THIS ENGINE
2000 RPM in neutral
No LOAD!
Next
What is a
GOOBER?
TEST RESULT: If you see that the firing time of all
cylinders look like this, with one exception
The coil is saying
not my fault
There is plenty
residual energy
left.
Look at the NOSE
WHAT CAN WE CONCLUDE FROM THAT OBSERVATION?

Yes, this is reduced hydro-carbon compared to all the other cylinders.
This is not a vacuum leak, since fuel restriction is progressively worse
with increased throttle opening. Vacuum leak would be the opposite.
So far, no diagnostic skill is required, just good observation!
WE ARE ANALYZING NOT DIAGNOSING >>>>
2000 RPM
No LOAD!
Next
The duration of the
spark matched the
volume of HC perfectly,
with very little coil
energy left.
LOOK at the NOSE!
REMEMBER: the conductor in the
combustion chamber is Hydro Carbon.



Resistance has a greater effect at high demand! Let us apply Ohms law:
A corroded battery post has little effect on head lights.
But that same corrosion has a drastic effect on the cranking circuit.
An 80% restricted fuel pump has no effect at idle, but you wont make it uphill.

This holds true for all drive-ability functions:
Like: Airflow, Exhaust restriction, Injectors,
Worn cam lobe, Fuel supply, Ignition. etc.
This one is moved here,
at the same RPM
OBSERVATION 2
The obvious reason
for shorter firing time
is lack of HC.
OBSERVATION 1
The evidence clearly
shows that there is
plenty coil reserve.
Internal resistance progressively
increases under load as indicated
by the slope up. Cause is again a
reduced hydrocarbon issue.
At steady speed, the computer will
compensate for a lean condition.
However, at sudden acceleration
the computer it not in control and a
momentary misfire may occur.
: Very slight hesitation when accelerating
to pass at 60 MPH,
most of the time.
WHAT IS THE CURE ?
When a cylinder is lean enough
and almost at the point of misfire,
it is very easy to make it misfire
with a snap test.
This momentary quick acceleration drives the KV high
enough to cause the high voltage to find a path to ground
outside the combustion chamber, likely through the boot.
Once the boot is punctured it makes it easier for the spark
to follow that same path over and over again.
A-1
A-2.
B
LOOK at the blue arrows:
(the F.T. starting point).
If A-1 & A-2 firing line
start at the same level the
scope still sees HC as a
conductor.
However, when the spark
line jumps up to level B
or higher, this may
indicate a crossfire.
A crossfire is a condition that
occurs when the spark found an
easier path to ground for several possible reason.

1. High KV demand due to lean fuel mixture or
worn sparkplugs or both.
2. Deterioration of insulation, like spark plug boot
and contamination around the sparkplug area.
A-1
B
You can not see the KV
demand in the primary
pattern but you can see
the result.

Easier to fire because of
absence of compression.
Harder to maintain firing
because of absence of
Hydrocarbon.
In this case the scan-tool
completely missed this misfire,
because it was not consistent.
But even knowing that
there was a misfire is
not good enough..
It is important to know what was
leading up to it, so that a repeat
can be avoided!
The first indications of reduced
hydrocarbon on this cylinder showed
up at high speed and progressively
became worse under load, which
pointed at lean injector failure,
causing a misfire at acceleration.

Misfire can be caused for many reasons, however there are two
conditions that stand out as most common.
is a common occurrence with COIL-ON-PLUG
ignition systems for several reasons.
a) When plugs are not easily accessible, replacement
is often neglected, resulting in higher KV demand in the
combustion chamber, enticing the spark to jump elsewhere.
b) When plugs are located in a deep well, surrounded by ground
potential, it is easy target for crossfire.
under load could be an injector problem, but it
can also be caused by back pressure reducing
the volume of both HC and O2.
One example is a worn cam lobe, or a restricted exhaust
with the misfiring cylinder closest to the EGR valve.
Some cars, like Chrysler. dont like it
and report injector failure
and therefore may set a code.
Reduced HC is not always a lean fuel mixture. If less HC is caused by low
volume (worn cam-lobe, restricted exhaust, fuel source, etc) the button
has no effect. THAT IS VALUABLE INFORMATION.
This is how we can make a distinction. Adding fuel
has only an effect when there is oxygen present.
Pushing and holding the red button, holds
the injector open a fraction of a second
every time the injector is energized. This is
just long enough to see the effect on the
firing line. If so, we know it is the injector!
To add fuel, connect a single lead to any one
of the white arrow jacks and the injector.
EXAMPLE:
This lead only functions in switch position 3.
Ask Tom
or Matt or
any one
on i.A.T.N.
Unless one is a seasoned
scope nerd, a paraded
pattern is not a good start in
learning to decipher a problem
in engine performance diagnosis.
We have learned that the first step is
to isolate WHERE and WHEN the
goober appears, by comparing
FIRING TIME.
This does not require
experience, just a sharp eye.
The second step is to
determine if the goober
is related to a single cylinder,
multiple cylinders.
or all cylinders,
or one bank.
The third step is to use the
logic and common sense
as illustrated in this slide
presentation to diagnose.
Then prove what you think it is, by
adding fuel, or load, or snap-test.
Dont hesitate to ask for help, but
have your ducks in a row in detail
with test results, captures and information.
The feature of comparing with other cylinders to identify a
failure can not be over emphasized.
We could not ask for a better sample of GOOD or NORMAL
than the concept of looking at identical engine
displacement at the same speed and the same load using
the same injectors and the same coil.
This is the easiest way to locate the one or two cylinders or
bank standing out as ABNORMAL.
When it only happens at idle but not at a
higher RPM, is important data to draw a
conclusion. The same holds true when it
only occurs under load or only during
acceleration. The more is known of
condition and frequency and number of
cylinders, the easier it is to make logical
ACCURATE CONCLUSIVE DIAGNOSIS.

A little device
with many applications.

The RCA plug-in serves only as a ground
source and is not connected to anything
else, so any vacant receptacle will work,
with the exception of the end terminals.

Place the red probe in the hole of the
cylinder under test. It will kill the spark by
preventing the magnetic field to collapse.
Observe the RPM change or watch the
fuel trim increase per cylinder, or the
unburned HC on the exhaust analyzer.

Even when the primary is inaccessible,
you can do a power balance by killing the
trigger signal which activates the coil.

Hook up the scope to the O2 sensors and
watch what a momentary kill does to the
response of the Pre- and Post O2
waveforms to test the high and low limits.
Explore and learn.
The RCA plug-in
See example under
Fuel Trim Generator
Owning a scope does not solve problems.
Understanding what it tells you does!


While the SCANTOOL is an absolute must for any shop, there
are many occasions when the scope fills the gap.
THE SCAN-TOOL may or may not report this misfire, depending on
the consistency and whether it is considered detrimental to the life
of the catalytic converter. And even if it did, it is still a toss-up what
part replacement to try first.
THE SCOPE does more! It not only identifies the cylinder, but also
pinpoints the cause as well as potential future problems.
A scan-tool is vehicle specific and if you have a car with a
drive-ability problem and you dont have the scanner for that
particular model,
you may have to resort to trial and error swapping parts.
If you have a scope and you can hook up to the ignition system,
you can diagnose the problem in minutes.






Connect up to 8 cylinders to
only 2 Lab-Scope channels.

4 position switch comparing
good with bad captures.

Build in attenuation
to protect the scope.

Operated from the driver seat,
at any speed and any load.

Build in Fuel Trim Generator.

Cylinder kill at the driver seat
at any speed or any load.

works with any 2 or 4
channel lab-scope.
This
concludes
the COP
section of
the DIA4
adapter
introduction
It is not Magic...
It is just
plain
common
sense
Dont
memorize...
ANALYZE
Training material and instruction manuals
are never complete.
There is always room for new ideas or
improved applications
as we learn better techniques.
Partner with us and keep us posted
& we will keep you informed
e-mail:datec3@gmail.com