A CAS Tech Alert !

In late July there was a change of 'operators' in the sense of who actually manages the site on a day by day basis. For a number of years the site was managed by SPX Corporation. Approximately 2 years ago SPX was purchased by Robert Bosch and site management continued basically with the same people but under the Bosch umbrella.

  

It seems that Chrysler did not renew the site management contract with Bosch this year but instead awarded the renewal contract to Snap-On. OEM site management is a big deal for these big players and they directly compete for this business. Late July had the Tech Authority (TA) site shifting over to Snap-On servers and then the fun began!  It seems a major issue started because the database transfer from old site to new site servers was not complete. All the current registered subscribers passwords did not get handed off. A software bug? Hard feeling between vendors? A simple mistake? Gross incompetence? It's hard to say, but the end result is that every registered user who tried to log in after late July was 'Not Recognized".

 

Simple fix, right? Just go in and reset your password and all's well again...Not so fast!...Keep in mind that any shop using Chrysler's wiTECH Diagnostic Application (WDA) uses the TA site even without being aware it's in use. WDA connects to TA everytime one uses WDA. This is how the WDA application is enabled to show the tech when there are outstanding flashes files and TSB's for the vehicle that is being scanned. The WDA app is set up to use the same password as TA, so if one inadvertently changes their password to get TA working, they would then experience a wiTECH "Log-in Failed" message when starting wiTECH!

  

A number of shops didn't remember their original TA password so they created new ones and that's why there were so many 'Failed' messages. So, be advised that if you purchased your Chrysler Tech Authority subscription from CAS, we have your original password on file! Just give the CAS Tech Support guys a call and they'll help to get you back up and running ASAP!

 

G-Scan repairs just got a little faster!....After a recent visit to the CAS offices by some of the software engineering team from E-ZDS, CAS was awarded the service contract for performing warranty and non-warranty repairs on the G-Scan scan tool.

 

In August, CAS hosted a visit by some of folks from E-ZDS. This is the company that develops the software for the G-Scan series of scan tools. As the sale of this scan tool continues to climb, the manufacturer wanted to establish an authorized repair center in the USA. With CAS being the major US distributor of this tool for the last 3 years, it seemed a natural that we would be contracted to perform all levels of repair. E-ZDS discovered during their visit that many of the services CAS already offers were exactly what the manufacturer was looking for! Full time in-house telephone tech support, experienced electronics repair personnel, subscription tracking services, an outside technical sales force and available on-car plus off-car vehicle simulators all added up to a perfect fit!

The fact that CAS is now authorized to do G-Scan repairs in-house means shop owners will see a faster turn around time if their G-Scan should require service. Additionally, CAS is also set up to do software renewals at a much quicker rate as we have been given access to the OEM's subscription renewal portal. Again, this will make renewals and updating easier for all !

While meeting with the CAS team, the E-ZDS folks also shared some of the latest software developments for G-Scan, including their latest USA Domestic releases. Three separate 20 minute video's were produced during their visit that highlights the tool's expanded coverage. You can view them by clicking on each of the links here to see the tool's operation on  General Motors or Ford  or Chrysler car lines.

For further information visit our G-scan informational page or call CAS toll free at 1-86-OEMTools (866-368-6657)...

  

If it's a fter hours and you're looking for additional information...You can go on-line to our web site www.OEMTools.com/Contact Us and send us a message!

This months 'Tech Tip' from the CAS Tech Support guys involves one of the more common ways of inadvertently damaging a Tech-2....

 

Tech-2 has been the GM factory tool for years, going back to it's introduction around 1995. Originally designed and built by Vetronix Corporation, (now owned by Robert Bosch Corporation) thousands of shops currently own and still use a Tech-2 today. Any shop that has owned a Tech-2 wouldn't be too surprised if their trusty Tech-2 stopped working after years of service, but there is a preventable failure that CAS Tech Support sees every month.

 

The failure condition reported when a Tech-2 owner calls in is typically described as; "My Tech-2 was working fine, I had it on a GM and then all of a sudden it shut down and would not power back up!" A second described situation is; "It was working fine, I took a break and when I came back it would not power back up" Further discussions between the shop and CAS Tech Support has discovered that in a number of cases the tech had a battery charger on the car during testing. Or the car was off and the battery was being charged while the Tech-2 was connected and sitting on the front seat.

 

The Tech-2 has a voltage regulator on the main PCB which filters and regulates incoming DC voltage from the vehicles DLC connector. This filtered DC voltage powers up the tools electronics. The filtering/regulator component works great in providing a clean, stable voltage supply to the internal electronics within a wide range of expected input voltages. That is until it sees excessive incoming voltage (think voltage spikes). If this occurs it is not uncommon for the main board regulator to be damaged and the output drops to 0. Hence, no more Tech-2 operation or as it's reported 'It won't turn on" !

 

So the lesson to be learned here is to use caution whenever you have a charger hooked to a vehicle. You can damage the Tech-2's electronics and end up with a repair in the $700 to $1,000 range! Best practice is to never have the Tech-2 and a Battery Charger connected at the same time. If you need to maintain battery voltage during diagnostics or reprogramming, a 'Reflashing Power Supply' is the only way to go! We recommend and stock the PSC-550S Kit from Midtronics.

 

If you or your techs require service on your Tech-2 scan tool, in either doing a software update, hardware repairs, parts or resolving other operational issues, call your local CAS Rep for assistance or CAS Tech Support at 1-877-263-4897 M-F 8:30am - 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time. We're here to help!