TOP 20 TOOLS AWARDS. Each year the call goes out to the world s automotive tool designers, BY THE EDITORS OF MOTOR

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2 TOP 20 TOOLS AWARDS BY THE EDITORS OF MOTOR Each year the call goes out to the world s automotive tool designers, manufacturers and suppliers. The message is simple: Send us your latest and greatest tools that are truly new and innovative. Show us something that makes us say: Wow! We ve never seen anything like this before. Besides breakthrough originality, there s only one other criterion that must be met for consideration: The product must have been introduced between May 1, 2014 and June 30,. Motor s annual Top 20 Tools competition is now in its 24th year. As in years past, we were impressed by the quality and ingenuity of the entries we received. We extend our sincere thanks to all companies that submitted candidates for consideration, and offer a special congratulations to each of this year s winners. Without further ado, we proudly present Motor s Top 20 Tools for. Graphic design: Jessica Nestorovski 21

3 Giotto Scan Tool Software with ProLine VCI Wi-Fi Interface by AutoEnginuity Giotto software is the newest evolution in the AutoEnginuity lineup of scan tool products. It features larger touch-friendly controls and added touch-based gestures support, such as pinch to zoom. Variable resolution (high DPI) and rotation support means Giotto can operate with older screens and new ones correctly without being locked into fixed scaling or orientation. Quick Lists presorts the systems on a vehicle so the user won t have to know which controller has the TPMS or air bag coverage, for example the scan tool sorts the systems into groups. Quick Lists takes the guesswork out of discovering where specific coverage will be in the vehicle system list, and works for engine, transmission, safety, brake and TPMS systems. Another exclusive Giotto feature is its fully definable formula option for sensors. With it, a technician can customize outputs from the vehicle s stock inputs. This can allow the creation of complex results without having to compute them offline with a spreadsheet results are shown in real time. Giotto s X-Y plot with histogram integration offers the ability to show two sensors creating the X and Y scale, while plotting the third sensor against them in a weighted format. A technician can plot complex multisensor relationships visually in real time e.g., engine rpm, MAF and throttle position sensors. The new ProLine VCI Wi-Fi bypasses the use of Bluetooth technology for faster data rates and more robust network support. It s the first of its kind to support both network and ad hoc user formats. A technician can use the shop s network to extend the range and do mass distribution of the vehicle bus traffic. Make-specific commands optimize data rates for engine and transmission controllers to allow the highest possible bus throughput. ( com) Circle #109 No NI R-134a Refrigerant Recovery, Recycling & Recharging Machine by Robinair If R-1234yf is the wave of the future, then why is the Robinair No NI R-134a machine a Top 20 Tools selection? The answer is that R-134a is going to be around for a long time, as the OE phasein schedule will take years, perhaps to Further, R-134a will be available for service use as long as there s a market. We ll never retrofit R-134a systems to R-1234yf or any other new refrigerant that might emerge. So a machine that can recover/recycle/recharge R-134a systems will enjoy a long, productive life. Robinair s new machine will be made in two flavors with the addition of one with an oil-clearing cycle (No NI-H), to service vehicles with high-voltage electric drive compressors, which use a specific oil that should not be contaminat- 34 Top20Feature3.indd 13 ed with a conventional (PAG) oil. Both versions are the company s highest-efficiency offerings, with reported 98.5% recovery efficiency, compared with the SAE J2788 standard s minimum performance specification of 95% recovery. The machine can be programmed to recover, vacuum, leak-test and recharge without the need for a technician to operate panel valves. Other automatic features are air purge and automatic refrigerant refill of the internal vessel, and a warning when the supply tank should be refilled or replaced. The machine includes a system flush capability, using liquid R-134a. Optional are a refrigerant and oil capacity database for North American market vehicles, a printer, wireless module for Bluetooth and Wi-FI, plus refrigerant identifier. Robinair says the new machines are a tighter package than the previous R-134a models, so they take up less floor space. ( Circle #110 8/21/15 2:39 PM

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5 ADVERTISEMENT AutoEnginuity Work Hard, Play Hard. A utoenginuity was founded by a car enthusiast who has been racing cars for almost two decades now. This is the company s third year sponsoring Jay Horak in the Mazda Road to Indy racing series. The Mazda Road to Indy is a long-running program that feeds drivers into the Verizon IndyCar series. The Verizon IndyCar series is the premier and most competitive open-wheel racing series in North America. Jay has succeeded in winning the 2013 Expert Championship and was the 2014 Runner-Up. At AutoEnginuity, we have spent the last 15 years perfecting PC-based diagnostics. When you need the same level of passion in your tools as you put into your work look no further than AutoEnginuity. AutoEnginuity 3715 E. Palm St. Mesa, AZ TOOL (8665) 36 Top20Feature3.indd 14 8/21/15 2:39 PM