may2022 - 17

" It's one of those things you can't physically
look at and say, 'You know, that looks broken,' "
Mike Oliveri, technical training specialist for
Isuzu Commercial Truck, explained during a
virtual training session hosted by ASE Education
Foundation. He and colleague Justin Ridings,
another Isuzu technical
training specialist,
showed how to perform voltage drops, walked
through circuit differences, and showed how to
use common testing equipment the right way. The
webinar was called " Enhancing Your Electrical
Diagnostic Skills, " and for technicians today, that
is a never-ending battle and one that requires
continuous dedication and training.
What's more, there are a vast number of
things that can go wrong. " Electrical issues step
from minor corroded connections to complicated
multiplex issues where the computers are
having problems talking to each other, " said Jack
Werner, director of strategic partners for Western
Technical College.
Duane " Doc " Watson, field service technical
trainer for Bosch, said the complexities on
today's equipment are endless. " The old standard
is the typical electrical issues that technicians
have been dealing with for years, such as corrosion,
high resistance lowering the amperage,
vibrations causing connection problems, and
countless other issues, " he said. " Now, it's even
more complex. "
Interconnectivity and increased reliance
between multiple components has complicated
the diagnostic process. " Engines are no longer
standalone components. There is a dependency
on other components to perform the job effectively, "
explained Lee Lackey, product manager
at Noregon Systems.
With integrated powertrains, virtually everything
works together in some way. " Thus, technicians
need to be better informed about how
all the systems interact and affect one another, "
said Jake Schell, associate product manager for
Mitchell 1's Commercial Vehicle Group. " This
means technicians must have access to service
information to understand, diagnose, and repair
electrical concerns. "
At the same time, many technicians lack a good
foundation in electrical diagnostics, said Keith
Littleton, president of K&D Technical Innovations.
" It makes it look like these trucks are impossible
to fix, and that isn't the case, " he said. " Normally,
80% of the problems are simplistic. "
Because of the complexity and tendency to
over-complicate repairs, technicians will need
to upgrade their skill sets even more. Here are
some best practices to help.
Diagnosing electronic issues
To be effective, technicians need a good basic
understanding of electronics, how to use a schematic,
how to use a multimeter correctly, how to
identify wiring issues, and how to test wiring. " A
more advanced technician needs to understand
laptop diagnostics, " Werner emphasized.
Many of today's technicians weren't faced with
the advanced electronics when they went through
their training. " I had a technician once tell me, 'I'm
a mechanic and not an electrician.' That gentleman
is now retired because he didn't want to learn
it, " Werner said.
Karl Geiger, training manager for W.W.
Williams, said many technicians need additional
instruction. " They don't know how to read the
meter. They don't understand circuitry, " he said,
adding that on the heavy-duty side, he has people
coming in who can't read decimals, which creates
a challenge.
Physically inspecting a battery can uncover
many common issues, such as corrosion or battery
terminals blocked with dust, paint, or some other
foreign substance.
Noregon's Lackey recommends that technicians
focus on the truck holistically and examine
if any individual ECUs produce a discrepant
number of electrical faults or erratic data/
parameter values. " If so, focus some of your
diagnostic efforts on that controller to try and
determine why it appears to be complaining.
You may find something like water or significant
corrosion in a connector causing issues, "
he said. " It's important not to get caught up in
a single fault and to also look at the big picture
because solving the root cause of one fault could
correct them all. "
While technicians need to receive adequate
training on the increasingly complex systems,
Schell said it is unrealistic to expect them to
know everything about a powertrain system
that is constantly evolving, making diagnostic
tools beneficial.
Scan tools are regularly updated with software
designed to keep up with the increasingly
complex vehicles, Bosch's Watson said. " By using a
scan tool, such as the ADS 625X or the ESI Heavy
Duty Truck Diagnostic Solution, technicians can
pinpoint precisely where the issue lies within the
vehicle, " he said.
Certain technical issues, such as vibrational
problems causing loose or intermittent poor
connections, can impact readings or give false
May 2022 | FleetMaintenance.com
17
» The future of vehicle service may
require the ability to leverage a range
of electrical diagnostic tools.
Photo: Noregon Systems Inc.
" It's important not
to get caught up in a
single fault and to also
look at the big picture
because solving the
root cause of one fault
could correct them all. "
Lee Lackey, product manager,
Noregon Systems
http://www.FleetMaintenance.com
may2022

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