Twenty five years ago a shop with a couple of test lights, an analog voltmeter and an ignition scope was ready for any diagnostic situation. Due to the change in the level of sophistication in electronics, performing diagnostics will require a little bit more than that. It is most important to know your test tool’s capabilities and limitations, and learn to work within them. There will be situations where a multi-meter is just as helpful as a top of the line labscope. On the other hand, using a noid light to check how long an injector is pulsing in milliseconds is not recommended.

Let’s identify some of the testing equipment that’s available and their capability.