Techs Helping Techs is turning 12 And it’s time for another roundup of useful tips and tricks courtesy of your fellow technician readers. While our writers share their expertise in every issue, it’s extra special when our readers share what they’ve learned from their days and nights working in the service bay. Thanks to all who shared their advice.

Current ramping is an easy art to learn and returns many good returns. Virtually every 12 volt output device that is controlled by the PCM can be current ramped by using the low inductive current probe non intrusively by simply clamping around the voltage feed wire or the ground side control wire.

What happens when a vehicle’s fuel tank is filled with “bad” fuel? Well, it varies depending on how bad the fuel is and if the engine is gasoline- or diesel-powered. Fixes can range from cleaning the system with a fuel additive (isopropyl alcohol), flushing the system and refilling with “good” fuel, to needing to repair damage to the fuel system and/or engine.

The process of supplying air to the internal combustion engine’s cylinders is called aspiration, and it involves the induction or intake system of the engine. Engine aspiration takes two forms: naturally aspirated (NA) or forced induction.

Keeping the internal combustion engine as close to the stoichiometric ratio as possible will result in optimum catalytic converter efficiency and fuel economy. The stoichiometric ratio simply means that all the air (14.7 parts) and fuel (1 part) going into the cylinders are being converted to water and carbon dioxide exiting the exhaust. This is the perfect combustion reaction, but this desired stoichiometric operation can’t happen without fuel control.

Our early fleet of electric vehicles all struggled with range in the wintertime. A used 2011 Leaf had a range of 85 miles in the summer, but only 50 miles in the winter. A Chevy Bolt EV in 2017 had a range of 230 miles in the summer, but again the winters took it down to 160 miles. What did they have in common? The cabin heat was created by the high voltage pack heating antifreeze for the heater core. How old school.