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 My wife and I have recently bought our first home, and we are very excited about our new purchase. The excitement rests on two levels. First, we finally have a place of our own to raise our son. Second, I get to buy power tools! For years I have been bugging my wife that I need a miter saw. Of course, she would reply “What the hell do you need a miter saw for? We don’t even own a house!” Ahh, touché. However, now that we own a home, the battle for the miter saw has resumed (I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted on my progress). Nevertheless, in order to complete certain projects in or around the home, you need the proper tools. The same holds true in any retail tire shop. Operating and maintaining a competitive retail tire shop requires a huge investment in tools and equipment. There are many different types of balancers, changers, impact tools, repair products, and so on. One must evaluate each tool or piece of equipment and decide if it is the best fit for the job at hand. For instance, if your shop has never seen a rim larger than 20 inches, then purchasing a tire changer that has a 32-inch capacity might be a waste of resources. With that said, we are now entering a new era in the industry that I like to call, the “Age of the Sensor.” In order to successfully service today’s vehicles with Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS), purchasing a scan tool is a necessity. But what tool do you purchase? The 21220 by Schrader-Bridgeport? The Ateq VT-55? The Bartec Tech400? The KTi p.s.t. or “K-Tool”? In the last issue of Today’s Tire Industry, Kevin Rohlwing had hinted that in this issue we would look at the presentations of the scan tool manufacturers that were in attendance at SEMA. After some in-depth discussions (actually, it was more like Kevin walking into my office and telling me what his idea was) we decided to take these tools into the field and conduct some tests of our own. So, I was charged with the task of packing up my tools and heading up to Syracuse, New York to join forces with Matthew White, who is our Senior ATS Instructor and expert in the field, to see what these tools were made of. On the morning of our tool test, I awoke to a much welcomed warmer than usual day in upstate New York, around 60 degrees and sunny. I had just poured my first cup of coffee when Matt called. He was very excited because he had a 2006 Nissan Quest with TPMS and fixa- flat in one of the tires at the shop. Why is this exciting do you ask? Because two of the biggest tire dorks on the east coast now have a prime vehicle to use for our first scan tool test. Matt raced over to pick me up and we arrived back at the shop to find the suspect tire removed and dismounted to reveal a rim and sensor dripping with fix-a-flat. Jackpot! After snapping a few quick photos, I proceeded to pull each tool out and see if I could get a reading from the sensor. First up was the Schrader-Bridgeport 21220. I held the tool up to the sensor, hit the test button and waited for a response. Sure enough, after a few seconds, the display on the 21220 showed me the sensor ID number, battery state, and psi. Next was the ATEQ VT-55 which displayed the ID number, temperature, psi, and what signal the sensor was transmitting on. Third, I used the Bartec Tech400. This tool also confirmed that the sensor was working by displaying psi, ID number, temperature, and battery state. Finally, I used the K-Tool to test the sensor. After pressing the activation button, the tool was able to detect what frequency the senor was transmitting on and then displayed the necessary protocol that will need to be utilized in order to relearn the sensor upon completion of service. As a side note to retailers out there, even though at that particular moment the sensor was transmitting, you must also remember that the inside of that sensor has been exposed to a high-velocity aerosol propellant that could cause internal damage to the system. It is imperative that when faced with this situation, you inform the customer that later on down the road, the sensor could fail as a result of being exposed to the fix-a-flat. It may be a good idea to ask the customer to return periodically for a free sensor and air pressure check. So after our first test, all of the tools were able to tell me if the sensor was working. Some tools displayed more information than others, but all were able to detect the sensor signal. Our next test was to find out how each tool performed on a 2007 Jeep Grand Cherokee.  AirAware Schrader-Bridgeport Model 21220The 21220 model is the latest addition to the AirAware system offered by Schrader-Bridgeport. This diagnostic learn tool features a display that shows the user what it is reading from the sensor. For instance, the 21220 can display the Tire Pressure Monitor (TPM) ID number, battery state, psi, and temperature. It will also display a special icon if it detects a senor that needs to be triggered by use of a magnet. The 21220 uses a rechargeable 9v battery and the tool can be charged by simply connecting it to a power source so there is no need to remove the battery from the tool. It also functioned right out of the box with no set up time. Updates are handled by use of a mini SD card that can be inserted into the back of the tool so updates can be obtained without the use of the Internet. The cost is $25 per update. The customer must send in the old SD card, and then a new one will be shipped out to them. A printer is also available for use with this tool so by connecting the 21220 to the printer, a read-out can be printed for each test performed on a TPM system. The 21220 also features an audit mode. In this mode, the tool is connected to a personal computer via a USB connection and is then recognized by the computer as a mass storage device so it can transfer and store any tests. This allows the user to access any previous tests that were performed in order to show a customer that the sensors were working when the vehicle was returned to service. According to Schrader-Bridgeport, the 21220 can perform tests and relearns on any vehicle, even older Toyotas that transmit at 309MHz. While testing these applications, air must be drained from the valve while the tool is in test mode in order to trigger a response. Now that we know how it works and what it can do, it is time to move into the meat of the test results. We approached the Jeep and proceeded to identify each sensor on the vehicle. The 21220 was able to tell us everything we needed to know in order to know that the sensors were transmitting. The TPM system was identified by manufacturer and ID number, along with temperature, psi, and battery state.  ATEQ VT-55The VT-55 is a universal learn and diagnostic tool that provides its user with the means to tackle most TPMS jobs and is powered by a rechargeable battery that eliminates the need for stockpiling a number of batteries in the shop. The interactive screen display allows for the user to cycle through vehicle makes and models so once the correct vehicle is selected, all the user needs to do is point and click the VT-55 towards the sensor. Once the sensor is detected, the screen will display the sensor ID, temperature, battery status, transmitting signal in MHz, and psi. The display will also identify the position of the tire you have selected, for example, left front. So if the position on the screen does not match the position on the vehicle, a system relearn is probably a good idea. We took the VT-55 out of the box and Matt was able to start using the tool without having to read any instructions (not that he would) and the on-screen prompts allowed for easy use right away. It can be connected to a personal computer in order to store TPM data and customer records, and can be updated by use of the Internet. The cost of the updates was not available at the time of publication. I also liked that the instruction manual included with the tool is on a CD in PDF format, which can be copied and saved to your computer. For the test, the VT-55 was able to read all of the information off the sensors on the Jeep. We were able to see the sensor’s ID number, the temperature inside the tire was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it was transmitting at 315MHz, the psi was 31.67, and the battery was OK.  Bartec Tech400The Tech400 offers a larger interactive screen allowing the user with poor eyesight to select the proper make and model vehicle that is to be worked on. The Tech400 runs off of a rechargeable battery, so there is no need to keep replacing batteries. When the Tech400 scans a sensor, it displays the battery status, temperature, position of the tire, sensor ID number, and psi. It also features an OBD connector that will connect to Nissan, Infiniti, Hyundai, and KIA vehicles allowing technicians to perform previously impossible ID relearn tasks. In February or March of this year, Bartec will release an update module for Toyota and Lexus. However, on vehicles such as Toyota, it is necessary to use an OBD scan tool to put the vehicle into learn mode. The Tech400 was simple to conquer right away, providing easy to follow on-screen directions that Matt completed without studying a manual. Like the other tools, the Tech400 can be connected to a personal computer to allow for the storage of TPM tests and customer records. The tool must also be updated via the Internet, but the subscription to the website is waived for the first year and is only $25 each additional year. Apart from the website subscription, the upgrade module with only the software, and the upgrade module software with a new OBD connector must be purchased separately. During the test, the Tech400 had no problem recording the sensor ID, temperature, battery status, psi, and sensor position on the Jeep.  KTi p.s.t. or “K-Tool”The K-Tool features durable construction with a magnet built into the tool and runs on six AA batteries which, according to the manufacturer, can perform around 2,600 relearns before needing replacement. The K-Tool does not offer an interactive display, but instead utilizes a series of flashing lights to identify the proper protocol for the sensor at hand. A reference guide comes with the tool kit that can identify the protocol for the vehicle without having to use the tool’s “hunt” mode. The “hunt” mode will identify the transmitting signal and type of protocol, but it takes a little longer than if you follow the reference guide. In order to keep the tool up-to-date with the latest protocols, you must also purchase a Programming Interface Module (PIM) that allows for the tool to be connected to a personal computer. The first update is free, in order to make sure that your tool is up- to-date right out of the box. Subsequent updates require a fee. Once connected to the computer, the tool’s data can then be stored in a file to help keep complete customer records of TPM tests. When the K-Tool was placed up to the tire on the Jeep, we pressed the activation button to put the tool in “hunt” mode to locate the sensor signal and protocol. After several seconds, the tool lit up the signal type and was followed by the correct protocol. The tool provided a quick ID of a TPM system and showed that the sensor was indeed transmitting a signal. The tool worked well on the Jeep, but according to the manufacturer, it will not perform an ID relearn on many Asian makes and models. Each tool used in our tests was able to provide some type of information regarding the type of TPM system we were dealing with. I want to take a moment and make the point that the number one benefit of all of these tools is their ability to perform the most basic diagnostic function. These tools can test the sensors before any work is performed, so dealers don’t have to pay for sensors they do not break or damage. They also work great in identifying where a banded sensor is located inside the tire and rim assembly. For those of you who have heard the sickening sound of plastic crunching when the sensor is broken, one of these tools may prove to be a wise investment. My biggest challenge was to review the tools without endorsing any of them yet still provide useful information to our readers (actually that was Kevin’s challenge again). I’m not sure if I accomplished my (his) goal, but now that we have all of these tools in our possession, we are able to travel anywhere in North America to conduct training using all, one, or a combination of them. I’m also working on getting the OTC tool so we can follow up with another article that describes how it works out of the box and in the field. Just contact TIA and I will show up with my bag of tools so we can have some fun working with TPM sensors, performing some relearns, and then, maybe you can give me some tips on how to convince my wife that I need a miter saw. If you are interested in scheduling some TPMS training using these scan tools, I can be reached at 1-800 876-8372, ext.136, or by email at smackinnon@tireindustry.org. TTI
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