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• Draper Expert Diagnostic and Electronic Touch Screen Service Tablet 

  The Draper Expert automotive range now includes a new wireless Diagnostic Tablet. It covers 48 vehicle manufacturers, including American, Asian and European vehicles. The device offers complete OBDII diagnostic functions, and comes with 12 months of free updates. The tablet will quickly read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, making it suitable for MOT tasks as well as servicing requirements as well as advanced electronic maintenance and diagnostics. Technicians can record selectable multi-channel, real-time diagnostics information for subsequent analysis. It can also be customised to print detailed diagnostics reports for customers featuring a company name, logo and contact information. It is also a fully functioning Lenovo Android tablet, so technicians can take photos and record videos with sound. The tablet comes supplied with a carry case, ID Vehicle to VCI adaptors, USB power cable, 230V to USB plug and Wireless Bluetooth DBS connector.
  www.drapertools.com

• Klarius: engine maintenance and service fluids  

  Klarius Products' range of automotive maintenance products has grown with the addition of new engine fluids. Klarius engine flush is designed to purge sludge and carbon from the engine prior to adding new oil. Suitable for the oil systems of either petrol or diesel cars, the flush helps to stabilise cylinder compression, extends the service life of exhaust devices and reduces emissions while lowering fuel and oil consumption. Petrol System Cleaner removes varnish and gum from the fuel system. When added to a half full tank, the fluid clears EGR valves and tackles carbon deposits. Diesel System Cleaner is used in the same manner, helping to clean injectors, compression rings and valve seats. Completing the range is DPF Regeneration Aid, which is formulated to allow soot burn off inside the device at lower temperatures. This is useful for diesel vehicles that only conduct short journeys where high regeneration temperatures aren't typically reached, it keeps the DPF filter clear to prevent clogging and power loss.
  www.klarius.eu

• Highs and Lows 

  When faced with diagnosing a fault, in order for us to be able to test the system it is crucial we understand the system’s layout, components and function. We recently faced a fault in a system we had little experience on, so it was an ideal opportunity for a bit of studying.
  
  Technical information is readily available from many sources, be it manufacturer or generic information, and does not take too long to find. While Google isn’t really a substitute for diagnostics, in situations like this it can be very useful for generic information. The fault on this vehicle turned out to be something so trivial I won’t bore you with it. What I would like to share is the valuable information I picked up along the way.
  
  Main purpose
  Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is nothing new, it’s been used on petrol and diesel engines for many years and while layout and control has varied in design the principle has remained the same. It is important to understand that manufacturers use different methods and configureuration, and for this article I’ve studied several and have tried to demonstrate a generic system.
  
  The main purpose of EGR is to reduce the level of harmful Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) gases emitted from the vehicle’s exhaust. NOx is present in exhaust emissions due to high combustion temperatures and pressures. Under light load/cruising conditions the EGR system directs a proportion of the exhaust gas back into the engine’s air intake. This reduces the oxygen levels which in turn reduces combustion temperature resulting in a lower NOx emission. When power is required from the engine the EGR system closes to insure a more efficient combustion (see figure 1).
  
  EGR on/off
  This is the conventional system in its closed (off) position.  During operation exhaust gases are taken from the exhaust manifold (pre-turbo), passed through a cooler (10) up to the EGR Valve (6). The cooler is a heat exchanger that not only uses the engine coolant to cool the gases to increase the mass but utilises the heat to warm up the coolant faster which helps the interior heater warm-up faster. The EGR Valve (6) can be either electrical of vacuum operated. The  powertrain control module (PCM) commands the EGR valve to open by a specified amount dependent on engine conditions (see figure 2).
  
  Some EGR valves have a position sensor that provides feedback to the PCM to ensure the correct position has been achieved. In a system where the EGR valve is not equipped with a position sensor, the PCM monitors the Mass Airflow signal in order to regulate EGR flow. This is achievable due to the fact that as the EGR valve is commanded open and gases start to flow, the air flowing in to the Mass Airflow Sensor will decrease. The calculation is made using tables of data (mapping) within the PCM’s software. Understanding this is crucial when diagnosing running faults as a fault in the Mass Airflow can easily affect the EGR system and vice versa.
  
  Understanding and diagnosing airflow and EGR faults I find can be easier if you look at it pressure differential. If air is flowing through a tube with a restriction in it, the air pressure after the restriction will always be lower than the pressure before the restriction. The difference in pressure will vary depending on the mass or pressure of the air and the size of the restriction.
  
  Air intake/throttle flap
  The air intake/throttle flap (see figure 3) generally defaults to the fully open position while the EGR valve defaults to the closed position. The purpose of the flap is to reduce the pressure on the engine side. As the intake flap starts to restrict the airflow, the pressure decreases to a pressure lower than that of the EGR pressure and the EGR gases start to flow into the engine’s air intake. If the exhaust gas pressure was slightly lower than the air pressure entering the engine then the gases would flow in the wrong direction.
      When in good working order this system serves its purpose. However, due to the fact that there is particulate matter in the exhaust gases, the system and components will slowly become blocked, causing reduced flow and valves starting to jam or not seal correctly. The air intake system often contains oil residue from the engines breathing system and slight oil loss from the turbo itself. When this oil is mixed with the particulates in the EGR gases it makes a very sticky gunk that starts to block the inlet manifold and intake ports.
  
  When the engine is under load and turbo boost pressure is required, the EGR valve needs to close and seal. If an EGR valve isn’t sealing correctly when closed then boost pressure will be lost into the exhaust system. The lower boost pressure and reduced oxygen level affects the combustion which in turn causes more particulate matter which only adds to the issue. If the EGR valve is stuck wide open then in most cases the engine will barely run.
  
  High pressure system    
  Euro 6 was introduced in September 2014 which demanded much tighter emissions than previous which required an advance in emission control technology. While the precise control of the fuel side of the engine management system has gained precision with higher fuel pressure and multiple injections within the cycle, the air intake, exhaust and emission control systems have too. Most manufactures use a high and a low pressure EGR system.  Prior to this most EGR systems were relatively simple and fell under the ‘High Pressure EGR’ title (see figure 4 and figure 5).
  
  The high pressure system is similar in layout to previous systems but serves a slightly different purpose. The system is only used during the warm-up phase of the engine from cold start. There is a pre-turbo passage from the manifold directly to the high pressure EGR valve (6). As the system is only used in the warm-up phase there is no need for a cooler. In this particular system there is a distribution channel that directs the gases equally into each inlet port. The purpose of this system is to raise the intake air temperature in order to improve combustion and reduce the warm-up time for the catalytic convertor/NOx storage catalyst (7) allowing them to function sooner. Once at operating temperature the system is pretty much redundant.
  
  Low pressure system
  The low pressure system (is active under most engine operating conditions and its purpose replaces that of the older systems- to reduce NOx gases (see figure 6). A proportion of the exhaust gas is collected after the Diesel Particulate Filter (8) and passes through a Wire Mesh Filter (9), through the EGR Cooler (10), up to the Low Pressure EGR Valve (11). The EGR valve then controls the flow through a channel up to the intake side of the turbocharger. The wire mesh filter ensures there is no particulate matter entering the system and also in the event of the particulate filter substrate breaking up, it also protects the rest of the system including the turbocharger, air intake and engine internals from damage. The cooler reduces the gas temperature which in turn increases the mass allowing a higher volume of exhaust gas to be recirculated. Due to the exhaust pressure after the particulate filter being quite low and also the air intake pressure before the turbo charger also being low there is and Exhaust Flap (12) fitted. By closing this slightly the exhaust pressure increases which causes the gases to flow back towards the turbocharger.
  
  Key benefits
  These systems usually have between three and four  exhaust gas temperature sensors each placed at key points of the exhaust system and two pressure differential sensors. The first is measuring pressure before and after the particulate filter (to calculate soot loading) and second between the DPF outlet and the point after the EGR valve, before the turbo. Coupling these six signals with the Mass Airflow sensor, the positions of both EGR valves and the intake flap, the turbo variable-vane position and the intake pressure (MAP), using the mapping within the PCM’s software means it can also make all calculations necessary. This provides an extremely high intake pressure and exhaust after treatment control.
  
  The key benefits of this system are that the exhaust gases are free of any particulate matter which keeps the entire system much cleaner and therefore reliable. The gases are also cooler meaning a greater mass can be used in a more effective way. Finally the gases re-enter the system before the turbocharger, allowing for the increase in boost pressures at lower engine load and RPM.
  
  Does this make diagnosis harder than before? Not if you take the time to study the purpose of each component and how it works. I’ll openly admit it wasn’t that long ago that I would have taken one look at this system and sent it on its way! Nobody likes being beaten by a job but neither should we have to waste too many hours trying to guess what’s wrong with it, worse still start throwing parts at it. It took me half an hour to locate this info, an hour studying it and a further hour planning what tests I was going to conduct and what results I was expecting to see. What was wrong with it in the end? A faulty sensor confirmed with no more than a voltmeter! After replacing the sensor I wanted to confirm the repair and monitor the function of the components using serial data. Something I highly recommend doing is picking five lines of serial data on every car you work on that requires an extended road test and monitoring them to see how they behave and what effect driving style (engine load) has on them. I guarantee after 10 cars you’ll know what to expect and be far more confident in diagnosing related faults. It works for me!
  
  

• Diesel diagnostics for the workshop 

  I’m mindful of several recent diagnostic topics that focused on cutting edge opportunities such as noise and vibration analysis. It also reminded me of the most important aspects of fault finding; to focus on the symptoms, ask relevant questions and conduct a methodical approach based on systems knowledge, accurate data and a proven process.
  
  All of this really boils down to training, experience, and confidence. There are no short cuts, cheap fixes or internet gurus. There are however basic steps that are easily introduced into your workshop procedures.
  
  This brings me to the topic in hand. Can we conduct relativity simple tests on common rail diesel systems? Not only can we, but we must! Remember, the foundation rule of fault finding is a simple methodical approach. Don’t expect a magical fix-all in less than 1,000 words. However, I can provide a pathway that will illustrate the area of responsibility and potential investment in time and money.
  
  Vital information
  The first vital step is to listen and ask questions. Owners often have vital information. Remember this is not a recipe for short cuts or silver bullets for your machine gun. Your approach will always depend on the extent of problems. Will it run? are there any mechanical noises? Is there a loss of power? if so when? Is the fault intermittent and how did it start? There is an endless list of questions that will help establish a hidden history.
  
  I often find that a physical examination or health check helps understand the way the vehicle has been driven and serviced. This will often expose basic problems especially with charge pressure circuits.
  
  Try to explore all non-intrusive tests first. They may not be entirely logical in order of priority, but do provide results in the minimum time period. With experience, you will hone these steps into a razor-sharp intuitive process.
  
  Serial investigation
  Serial investigation is without doubt the correct first step. Do not jump to premature conclusions as serial data often shows symptoms, not cause. For example, a faulty air mass meter will cause EGR calculation error values, incorrect load and boost calculation. This is a common problem with many causes.
  
  The volumetric efficiency relies on the intake system, swirl flap control, turbo spooling, and a free-flowing exhaust system. Please note that I keep my thoughts non-specific yet focused on all possible causes. This is a very important reaction in any diagnostic process.  
  
  Assuming a non-run condition, excluding any serial clues as often there are none, I would always check for the correct rail pressure. This can be done with a DMM. Expect around 1-1.5v with a quick rise time of 0.5-1sec. If it is slow to rise or low, check the priming system including the filter. This should be done with a gauge. Remember pressure, flow and pump current. This will depend on system type so check the schematics carefully. Most systems now prime at 5-6bar.
  
  Isolate components
  A slow rise time may be due to an internal leak or worn components within the high-pressure system. This includes the HP pump, rail limit valves, and injectors, as well as volume and pressure regulation devices. Always isolate various components and conduct a blind or proof test before suspecting the pump. They rarely fail, unless run dry or have contaminated fuel.
  The PCM requires camshaft position data to sync the injectors and crank position once running. If recent belt replacement or engine repairs have been carried out, add this to your list. To check the injector sync against cam and crank position is a bit technical. To perform you will require a scope and current clamp.
  
  Quite often the serial data identifies the incorrect timing sensor for position error. This is due to the PCM looking at the camshaft first. Slow rotation speed may be due to a faulty or incorrect battery, so check charge and health status with a suitable conductance tester. Yuasa have a fantastic free online training academy.
  
  Next check relative compression. This is a simple cylinder balance check but when compared with current and rotation calculation will accurately predict correct compression.
  
  Identify
  A blocked exhaust or failed open EGR will prevent the correct combustion properties. Exhaust back pressure can easily be proven from the map and DPF pressure sensors. Plotting them with a scope will quickly identify intake or exhaust restrictions. The maximum DPF sensor value cranking or at idle should be 0.5-1.25 volts, 100mbar-1.5psi.
  
  Injector type, solenoid or piezo faults will normally be identified within serial data. A single faulty injector circuit will normally shut down all fuel delivery. It is also worth noting that if a minimum rail pressure is not reached, the injectors will not be activated.
  So back to priming. Leaks, faulty rail sensors will all contribute to a non-start.
  
  If you are looking for more information, visit www.ads-global.co.uk for courses and dates, and Autoinform events.
  
   
  
  
  
  
  

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