For the first time last weekend I went to the biggest diagnostic training event of the year, NCTS UK 2013 with Autologic. Technicians attended from every continent and it was a great event with excellent seminars on specific subjects such as the New Range Rover, Jaguar X150, New Mercedes engines, VAG FSI, TFSI and diesel engines and BMW energy diagnosis to name only a few. Not only was the training first class but the company was great too, networking with many of the best diagnostic technicians in the country including previous Top Technician winners and current friends. I will definitely be attending next year.

It was a very busy week, a few jobs I encountered were:-

-A Vauxhall Zafira with a hard start condition and a warning light on. This was cured with a new EGR valve.

-A Renault Megane with the A/C not working despite having been re-gassed. A software update was required to widen parameters in the engine ECU to make it less fussy!

-A Mercedes ML270 with ABS/ESP lights on plus it was stuck in park. Several wires to the ABS computer were corroded and once replaced, normal operation was resumed.

As you can see, 2 of those 3 jobs required no parts to repair, just the correct system knowledge, the right tools and a structured approach. All are needed together to make the correct diagnosis without playing ‘parts darts‘!

Let’s see what challenges this coming week brings, hope you all have a good one!

Dan