Advanced Diagnosis Class

Alignment step 1: drive onto lift. 

Step 2: attach sensor things on each wheel. 

Step 3: adjust as indicated by the computer. 

Somehow I got enrolled in medical school and started Advanced Diagnosis class. This should be good, since I don't know my pancreas from my intestines! Nah, it's still the automotive technician program at York Technical College in Rock Hill SC. After finishing Automatic Transmission class, this class is a big review of engine and other systems, and how the OBD II system monitors everything, and how we can use scan tools and other technology to diagnose car problems. 

Oil change time. Like some other cars, this one does NOT have a dipstick, so you have to run the engine and read the oil level on the dash. If elected President, I will bring dipstick equality to all!

Along with learning material from our digital text book, we've been working in the shop a pretty good amount of the time, so here's a look at some of the projects my group has been doing. Our class has five different groups, and they're working on other cars and trucks too. 

Here's one of our shops at school, five bays and four lifts. There are also two other shops of similar size. 

Last Friday was a good day, as my group knocked out two jobs and started a third. First we did an alignment on a Chevrolet SUV using the school's computer alignment rack. This device almost does everything for you, because it shows you each wheel's status regarding toe, camber, and caster, and updates in real time as you wrench on it to make your adjustments. Heck, before that it even will show you what size wrenches you'll need for that model of car!

Today we replaced a fuel injector on a 2015 Hyundai. The fuse box is open because we took out the high pressure fuel pump fuse before running the engine briefly to get fuel out of the system, and then we disconnected the battery. PRO TIP: Electricity, sparks, and GASOLINE do not mix well. 

The four largest openings towards the top of the diagram are the air intakes, with four smaller holes directly below them where the Gas Direct Injectors (GDI engine) go. Towards the bottom of the photo is the disconnected fuel rail with the four injectors sticking up, we replaced the one on the far right that is silvery new on the tip and not dark from use. The largest open tube sticking up below that is the dipstick tube. Yaay for dipsticks!

And then we put the fuel rail and injectors back in place. Still have to connect everything and put the air intakes on top of this. 

Earlier the black plastic air intake section also got a new green gasket for this job. Easy to do on the table.