I'm really getting into the thick of the 94 manual and came across these tools.

1. Do you really need them?
2. Is there a way to work around not having them?


49H018 941 Self-diagnosis checker. - I assume you can just count the pulses manually, but what else does the thing do?

49B0190A0 System selector. Use in connection with the self-diagnosis checker. Looks like it tuns this into sort of a mult-meter based instrument.

499200162 Engine signal monitor. This thing looks pretty important and it's the one I came upon while figuring out how to test my TPS.

49F018902 Some sort of adapter harness for the Engine signal monitor

DT-S1000 The grand signal tester. Yeh, I saw Dale's discussion of this with a search. I assume there's a way around using this because no one owns one. Someone thought it cost like $10,000????

 

I have those.. But you don't need them..

 

I doubt you need any of that crap. I have a compression tester, which is very useful (sometimes).

With the Power FC and Commander, you can check the voltage across the TPS and use that to help you adjust it. Easy as pie .

 

It would seem to make sense that there are workarounds for all of them. But some, like the engine signal monitor would make life easier when troubleshooting the fuel/emission system. Are they still available or can they be had? I ran most of these through Google and came up with very little.

 

There's really no tools you *need* as far as the electronics. The code checker you can just use a jumper wire and count the Check Engine flashes. Setting the TPS, you can strip the signal wire back just a hair and put a multimeter on it.

I've yet to find any of those tools that were really necessary. Some might make diagnosing a problem by a dealer faster, but sometimes I've seen mechanics rely on those tools too much instead of good ol' troubleshooting skills.

Regardless, countless 3rd gen owners have fixed nearly any problem you can think of on these cars without those tools. I wouldn't worry about it.

The only real special tools I can think of would be the pilot bearing removal tool for doing a clutch job. The Mazda tool works like a DREAM.

Dale

 

^^Don't forget about the bearing press and endplay SSTs

 

Thanks guys. Looks like the least I need to do is to replace my analogue muti-meter with a digital version.

 

Yeah, I have an engine signal monitor(ebay) and a DIY compression tester. ...most of those diagnostic tools were replaced by one tool, Hickok NGS ocasionally you can find a cheap one on ebay. I just go to the local Auto trade school, they'll hook it up for free. But you can get away with a compression tester, mityvack silverline and a ohm/voltmeter...it just may take a little longer under that hot hood. The nice thing about the Hickok is that you can run simulation tests on just about everything.