Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_March_2020 - 50

A diagnostic storage system on wheels

Being able to move around the shop makes a diagnostic technician's job easier.
by Kayla Oschmann, Assistant Editor

F

or Rick Urso, a toolbox is not his
go-to tool storage system; it's a
mobile diagnostic cart. Urso has
been a technician at his father's shop in
Oaklawn, Illinois, for over 15 years and
handles all the diagnostics. About a year
ago, he purchased a Snap-on KRBCSST
Series Blue-Point Roll Cart and has since
turned it into his ideal diagnostic cart.
His family-run shop does everything
from maintenance to engine replacements, so diagnostics are key. As Urso
puts it, they are a one-stop shop.
As diagnostic tools and equipment are
becoming more common and perhaps
crucial for shops to own, diagnostic carts
are becoming more popular.
"The diagnostics that we are doing
nowadays on vehicles really require different [diagnostic] tools together, and the
cart makes it so much easier and faster,"
Urso says.
When Urso purchased the roll cart, it
didn't have much on it. At the time, he
just had a scan tool. Over the course of
the year, he has slowly invested in more
diagnostic tools and started modifying
the cart to fit his needs. The first thing he
added was a 24" monitor for a PicoScope
that he bought. He mounted the monitor

50

PTEN

MARCH 2020

OWNER:

Rick Urso

High Tech Auto Specialists
Location: Oaklawn, Illinois

to the back of the cart for easy viewing.
He then welded exhaust brackets to the
side of the cart to access the PicoScope and
its 10' test leads more easily.
"The combination of the big screen
and having the PicoScope mounted on
the side makes [the diagnostic process]
really efficient," he notes.
Urso continued to customize his cart
to make it as easy and accessible as possible for diagnostic testing.
Currently, the diagnostic cart features
compartment organizers, four caster
wheels that lock into place (replacing the
original casters), a locking feature, and
a surge protector. The surge protector
is connected to a 600V battery backup
to extend the battery life of his monitor
and other components, allowing him to
move the cart around the shop and bays
as needed without having to be plugged
into a wall outlet.
The diagnostic cart measures 38" high,
29.5" wide, and 21.5" deep and is able to

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hold all the different testing equipment
Urso needs.
The top lid of the diagnostic cart slides
open and is able to lock, a feature that
Urso appreciates. This compartment is
where he stores his laptop and scan tool
for safekeeping.
Other items found within the cart
include a PicoScope, a monitor, a WPS500
Pressure Transducer (his favorite diagnostic tool), a Nicholson Pulse Sensor, a Power
Probe IV, various back probes, low amp
probes, fused current loops, a CAN breakout box, a multimeter, and accessories.
For the time being, Urso says he'll be
"taking it easy" on adding more to his cart,
noting that it's already a pretty expensive
set up with everything he's invested.
"I definitely plan on investing more
into the cart ... our [industry] is always
changing and evolving," he says. "We have
to keep up with the latest technology."
Until then, the mobile cart will continue to help the technician diagnose
vehicles faster and more efficiently.
Want to see more photos of Urso's box?
Visit: VehicleServicePros.com/21128055
Want to show off YOUR Big-Time Box?
For more information, email
Editor@VehicleServicePros.com.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com/21128055 http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
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