Get on Board
Before 1996, vehicles used this early diagnostic system with manufacturer‑specific connectors and codes.
What is OBD 1?
Detailers wash a vehicle in this direction to avoid dragging heavy dirt from lower panels onto cleaner upper surfaces.
What is top to bottom?
If voltage rises to around 14 volts with the engine running, this component—not the battery—is doing its job correctly.
What is the alternator?
Voltage, resistance, and continuity are three common measurements taken with this essential diagnostic tool.
What is a multimeter?
A typical 12‑volt automotive battery contains six of these, each producing about 2.1 volts.
What are battery cells?
A typical oxygen sensor switches between 0.1 and 0.9 volts, indicating whether the engine is running lean or this.
What is rich?
This wash method uses one bucket for soapy water and another for rinsing the mitt to reduce swirl marks.
What is the two bucket method?
This protective device melts when current exceeds its rating, preventing wiring damage and electrical fires.
What is a fuse?
This famous electrical formula states that voltage equals current multiplied by resistance.
What is Ohm's Law?
This number—such as 24F, 35, or 49—refers to the physical dimensions and terminal layout of a battery.
What is the group size?
These sensors help keep your tread wear nice and even.
What are TPMS (Tire pressure monitoring system) sensors?
Placed at the bottom of a wash bucket, this plastic insert traps dirt so it doesn’t return to your mitt.
What is a grit guard?
This electrically controlled switch uses a low‑current signal to control a high‑current circuit, often heard clicking under the hood.
What is a relay?
This simple tool or a multimeter can be used to confirm whether voltage is reaching a component.
What is a test light?
When checking battery voltage with a multimeter, this setting is used to measure the battery’s DC output.
What is the DC volts setting?
This high‑speed communication network allows modules like the ECM, TCM, and ABS to share data across just two wires.
What is the CAN bus?
This long‑lasting protective layer bonds to paint and offers hydrophobic properties far beyond traditional wax.
What is a ceramic coating?
Copper and aluminum are commonly used for this part of a wire, responsible for carrying electrical current.
What is a conductor?
These inexpensive tools read basic codes and live data, while professional ones add bi‑directional controls, programming, and advanced diagnostics.
What are scan tools?
A draw above 50 milliamps during this type of test can drain a battery overnight.
What is a parasitic draw test?
This dashboard warning, also called the “check engine light,” illuminates when the ECM detects a fault.
What is the MIL (malfunction indicator lamp)
Using a dedicated degreaser and avoiding direct spray on electrical components is the safest way to clean this under‑hood area.
What is the engine bay?
A zig‑zag line for a resistor and a triangle‑to‑line symbol for a diode are examples of these diagrammatic representations.
What are schematic symbols?
This handy tool helps locate leaks in the combustion chamber.
What is a leak down tester?
This test applies a heavy electrical demand to a battery to see whether voltage stays above 9.6 volts under stress.
What is a load test?