TechMade

08/10/2026

Check them out here 👇😎

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Replacement Tip Suitable For Power Probe III 3 and similar, convert back probe at the best online prices at eBay UK! Free delivery for many products!

29/09/2026

New probes being tested today on this suspension module,

These will be available in various colours to suit

27/09/2026

For a while I’ve wanted to make an adapter to convert the power probe to take a fine back probe, a simple male to male banana adapter but flexible and durable for the workshop, this prototype I’ll be testing out this week, and if ok some will be available to buy, so keep an eye out if it’s of interest.

I hope everyone’s had a great weekend.

17/09/2026

When the timing marks line up, the engine's mechanical timing should theoretically be spot-on—but as this case proves, visual alignment doesn't always tell the whole story.
While the belt was tight and the marks aligned, the oscilloscope revealed the true mechanical discrepancy. The culprit: a sheared crankshaft sprocket keyway that allowed the crankshaft to rotate independently of the sprocket, throwing off the actual engine timing and setting code P0344 (Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Intermittent).
Fortunately, the valves avoided contact, and a new crankshaft sprocket along with a fresh timing belt kit restored correct timing and got the Zafira running again.

12/09/2026

This is certainly a hot topic right now in the automotive world

The UK MOT testing will soon properly test DPF particulates, and cars will fail.

Remember, whoever deleted the DPF will have caused the vehicle to be scrapped, not the MOT, which only proved that the delete was done.

Don’t blame the MOT, blame whoever deleted the DPF.

29/08/2026

I was asked for a nice custom order of the small magnetic bus box with a 4m lead.

These are now available in my shop and can be customised to (almost) any colour

15/08/2026

I know there’s some people still wanting one of these I’ve a couple more available now thanks

For professional use only:- Until now, the industry advice has been "Never use a test lamp on 5V sensors" because standard 12V incandescent test lamps pull too much current and can instantly destroy a delicate ECU driver channel or more likely will just short the circuit to ground. This custom-engin...

02/08/2026

Some nice bits being prepared to go out tomorrow, check them out in my eBay shop

14/07/2026

This 2022 fiesta was recently in the workshop.

Just been re-gassed by a local garage but the AC was still intermittent.

A quick scan revealed no fault codes present relating to the AC. Wiring, control, temp sensors and pressure switch all tested ok and I was able to prove the ecu was capable of commanding the compressor clutch on, but something was preventing it

This one was a classic case of modern vehicle strategies catching a technician out if they don't look at the bigger picture.

Modern smart-charging systems are programmed to shed non-essential loads to prioritize battery recovery. The ECU was intentionally disabling the AC compressor to reduce engine load and alternator demand until the battery state of charge (SoC) crossed its programmed threshold

A couple of hours on the battery charger proved the fault and customer advised of issue.

10/07/2026

End of another week and a couple of brilliant diagnostic jobs in the shop today that perfectly highlight why guessing never beats proper testing and scoping.

This Ford Ranger I found particularly interesting.

This one came in with a noticeable rough idle and a distinct injector knock. I used the oscilloscope and let the data tell the story.
Conducted a relative compression test, which confirmed even compression across all cylinders. This ruled out mechanical base-engine failure.
Hooked up the pulse sensor to analyse the crankcase first with a sinc on cylinder 1 injector

What was fascinating was capturing the actual physical sound of the injector knock. By placing the pulse sensor on the crankcase, the scope clearly captured the mechanical shockwave of the knock when induced, definitively pinning the issue to Cylinder 4.

I backed this up by checking the exhaust pulses, which showed a significantly lower contribution from Cylinder 4,

Scope waveforms don't just show voltage and current; with the right pressure/pulse transducers, you can visually map mechanical noises and gas dynamics to exact engine cycles.