Table of Contents
1.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND WARNINGS .............................................. 1

2.

USING THE TEST TOOL .............................................................................. 2
2.1

TOOL DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 2

2.2

SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................................ 3

2.3

ACCESSORIES INCLUDED............................................................................... 3

2.4

GENERAL DESCRIPTION ................................................................................ 4

2.5

POWER .......................................................................................................... 4

2.6

QUICK SELF-TEST......................................................................................... 4

2.7

CIRCUIT BREAKER ........................................................................................ 6

2.8

WORK MODE ................................................................................................. 6

3.

TEST APPLICATIONS ................................................................................... 9
3.1

VOLTAGE & POLARITY TESTING .................................................................. 9

3.2

CONTINUITY TESTING ................................................................................... 9

3.3

SIGNAL CIRCUIT TESTING .......................................................................... 11

3.4

ACTIVATING COMPONENTS IN YOUR HAND ............................................... 12

3.5

TESTING TRAILER LIGHTS AND CONNECTIONS .......................................... 13

3.6

ACTIVATING COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE ............................................. 143.7

ACTIVATING COMPONENTS W/GROUND ..................................................... 15

3.8

CHECKING FOR BAD GROUND CONTACTS .................................................. 16

3.9

FOLLOWING & LOCATING SHORT CIRCUITS.............................................. 17

3.10 RED/GREEN POLARITY LED ...................................................................... 18
4.

TEST TOOL SPECIFICATIONS................................................................. 19

5.

TEST TOOL KNOW-HOW .......................................................................... 20

6.

WARRANTY AND SERVICE ...................................................................... 22
6.1

LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY ................................................................ 22

6.2

SERVICE PROCEDURES ................................................................................ 22

1. Safety Precautions and Warnings
To prevent personal injury or damage to vehicles and/or the test
tool, read this instruction manual first and observe the following
safety precautions at a minimum whenever working on a vehicle:















Always perform automotive testing in a safe environment.
Wear safety eye protection that meets ANSI standards.
Keep clothing, hair, hands, tools, test equipment, etc. away fromall moving or hot engine parts.
Operate the vehicle in a well ventilated work area: Exhaust gases
are poisonous.
Put blocks in front of the drive wheels and never leave the vehicle
unattended while running tests.
Use extreme caution when working around the ignition coil,
distributor cap, ignition wires and spark plugs. These
components create hazardous voltages when the engine isrunning.
Put the transmission in PARK (for automatic transmission) or
NEUTRAL (for manual transmission) and make sure the parking
brake is engaged.
Keep a fire extinguisher suitable for gasoline/chemical/ electricalfires nearby.
Don‟t connect or disconnect any test equipment while theignition is on or the engine is running.
Keep the tool dry, clean, free from oil/water or grease. Use a mild
detergent on a clean cloth to clean the outside of the test tool,
when necessary.
When the power switch in the tool is depressed battery
current/voltage is conducted directly to the tip which may cause
sparks when contacting ground or certain circuits. Therefore thetool should NOT be used around flammables such as gasoline orits vapors. The spark of an energized tool could ignite thesevapors. Use the same caution as you would when using an arc
welder.

1

2. Using the Test Tool
2.1 Tool Description① Probe Tip – Contacts the circuit or component to be tested.
② Head Lights – Illuminates dark work areas or work areas atnight. .
③ Red/Green Polarity Indicator – Identifies positive, negative oropen circuits. The RED Indicator lights when the Probe Tip is
2

④
⑤
⑥

⑦
⑧
⑨
⑩

contacting a positive circuit. The GREEN Indicator lights when
the Probe Tip is contacting a negative circuit.
LCD Display –Indicates test results.
Circuit Breaker Reset – Resets the tool when the Circuit
Breaker is tripped。
Power Switch – Allows you to conduct a positive or negative
battery current to the tip for activating and testing the functionof electrical components.
Mode Button – Selects the work mode: AC voltage, DC
voltage, resistance, tone.
Speaker – When the audio tone is turned on, a beep will beheard.
Auxiliary Ground Lead – Assists test as a ground lead.
Adaptor – Connects to the battery.

2.2 Specifications
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

6)

Display: TFT color display (160 x 128 dpi)
Operating Temperature: 0 to 60°C (32 to 140 F°)
Storage Temperature: -40 to 70°C (-40 to 185 F°)
External Power: 12.0 or 24.0 V power provided via vehicle
battery
Dimensions:
LengthWidth
Height
126 mm (4.96”)
46.5 mm (1.83”)
35 mm (1.38”)
NW: 0.105kg (0.23lb),
GW: 0.726 kg(1.6lb)

2.3 Accessories Included
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

User‟s Manual.
Cigarette lighter adapter.
Battery hookup clips
Probe tip.
20ft. extension cable.
3

6)

Rugged blow molded case.

2.4 General Description
The tool is the best electrical tester for reducing diagnostic time in all
6- to 30-volt vehicle electrical systems. After a simple hook-up of thetool to the vehicle's battery, you can: determine at a glance if a circuit is positive, negative, or open
without having to reconnect clips from one battery pole toanother.
 test for continuity with its built-in auxiliary ground lead.
 by depressing the power switch, conduct a positive or negative
battery current to the probe tip for testing the function of anelectrical component without the use of jumper wires.
 test for poor ground contacts instantly without performing
voltage drop tests. The tool is also short-circuit protected; its
internal circuit breaker will trip if it becomes overloaded.
 follow and locate short circuits without wasting fuses. The tool's
long cable allows you to test along the entire length of thevehicle without constantly searching for suitable vehicle
grounds.

2.5 Power
The tool is powered via the vehicle battery. Connect the RED battery
clamp to the POSITIVE terminal of the vehicle‟s battery, and the
BLACK clamp to the NEGATIVE terminal. When the tool is firstconnected to a battery (power source), it will sound a beep and theHead Lights will be on to illuminate the test area of the probe tip.

2.6 Quick Self-Test
Before you test a circuit or component, be sure your tool is in goodorder by doing a quick self-test.

4With the tool connected, perform a quick self-test. The power switch
is a momentary rocker switch located on the tool's body. Flanking theswitch are positive and negative markings.
Press the Power Switch forward to activate the tip with a positive
voltage. The Red LED should light and the LCD display will readthe battery voltage. If the tone feature is turned on, a high pitchedtone will sound. Let go of the power switch and the LED will turnoff and the high tone will cease.
Press the Power Switch rearward to activate the tip with a negative
voltage. The Green LED should light and the LCD display will readthe „0.0V‟ (ground). If the tone feature is turned on, a low pitchedtone will sound. Let go of the power switch and the LED will turnoff and the low tone will cease.
Your tool is working correctly and is now ready for use. (Figure 1)

Figure 1
IMPORTANT: When powering-up components, you can increase
the life of power switch in the tool if you first press the switch, then5contact the tip to the component. The arcing will take place at the tip
instead of the contacts of the switch.

2.7 Circuit Breaker
The tool is short-circuit protected. Its internal circuit breaker will trip
if it becomes overloaded. The circuit breaker is a valuable test tool aswell as a safety measure to protect the tool from overload.
When circuit breaker tripped, the LCD will display as below. (Figure2) All other functions of the tool are still active, which means you
can still probe a circuit and observe the voltage reading. When thecircuit breaker is tripped, the tool will NOT be able to conduct
battery current to the tip even when the power switch is pressed.
Intentionally tripping the breaker and using the tool to probe can beconsidered an added precaution against accidental pressing of thepower switch.

Figure 2

2.8 Work mode
There are four modes to diagnose the electrical systems, which canbe accessed by depressing the Mode Button and cycling through eachone.

DC voltage

6While the tool in this mode, contact the probe tip to a circuit, then the
LCD display will read the DC voltage with a resolution of 0.1 volt.
(Figure 3)

Figure 3

AC voltage
While the tool in this mode, contact the probe tip to a circuit, then the
LCD display will read the Max. voltage, the Min. voltage, frequency
and duty cycle. ( Figure 4).

Figure 4

Resistance
While the tool in this mode, contact the probe tip to a circuit, then the
LCD display will read the resistance between the tip and auxiliary
ground lead. (Figure 5)

7

Figure 5

Tone On/Off
While the tool in this mode, just do a quick press of the mode button
to toggle the tone on or off. While quickly pressing (a quick press
and release) the mode button, if a short high beep is heard, thismeans the audio tone is turned on. If a short low beep is heard, theaudio tone is turned off. (Figure 6)
This function is invaluable when working in bright areas where LED
illumination alone is not sufficient. The audio feature may bedisengaged when desired, such as for applications where the tool will
be connected to circuits for long periods of time and the audio could
become annoying.

Figure 68

3. Test Applications
3.1 Voltage & Polarity Testing
While the tool is in DC Voltage mode, contact the probe tip to a
POSITIVE circuit. The red LED will light and the LCD displays thevoltage with a resolution of 0.1V. If the beep is turned on, a highpitched tone will sound.
If contact the probe tip to a NEGATIVE circuit, the green LED willlight and the LCD displays the voltage with a resolution of 0.1V. If
the beep is turned on, a low pitched tone will sound.
If contact the probe tip to an OPEN circuit, neither of the LED willlight.(Figure 7)

Figure 7

3.2 Continuity Testing9

While the tool is in Resistance mode, using the probe tip with chassis
ground or the auxiliary ground lead, continuity can be tested on wires
and components attached or disconnected from the vehicle‟selectrical system.
When the probe tip is contacting a good ground, the LCD will
indicate “0.0Ω ” and green LED will be on. If the tone feature isturned on, a low pitched tone will sound.（Figure 8）

Figure 8In other cases, the LCD only indicates the resistance value.
（Figure 9）

Figure 910If the resistance value is greater than 200kΩ , the LCD willshow “0L”.

There is also another way to prove continuity of connections toground or battery. Power up the connection using the power switch.
If the circuit breaker trips you know that you have a good solid low
resistance connection.
NOTE: You can use the probe tip to pierce the plastic insulation ona wire. This means that you can test the circuit without
disconnecting anything.

3.3 Signal Circuit TestingOnce you extract a DTC from the vehicle and realize thattroubleshooting begins with some kind of sensor circuit, there is aquick test you can perform to verify the code. Testing your sensor iseasy while using the tool.
For example, you suspect there is a problem with your M.A.P. sensor
circuit, then follow the procedure involved with testing this sensor:

Set the tool in AC Voltage mode, using the probe tip withchassis ground or the auxiliary ground lead.

Connect vacuum pump to MAP sensor.

Contact the probe tip to the MAP sensor positive terminal andobserve the LCD readings which should be a sine wave innormal condition.

Apply vacuum.



Release vacuum and observe the LCD readings.（Figure 10）11

Figure 10
If the LCD readings are abnormal, there is a problem with thissensor.

3.4 Activating Components in Your Hand
While the tool is in DC Voltage mode, by using the probe tip inconnection with the auxiliary ground lead, components can be
activated right in your hand, thereby testing their functions.
Connect the auxiliary ground lead to the negative terminal or groundside of the component being tested. Then contact the probe tip to thepositive terminal of the component, the green LED should light,
indicating continuity through the component.
While keeping an eye on the green LED, quickly press and release
the power switch forward. If the green LED went out and the red
LED came on, you may proceed with further activation. Rock thepower switch forward and hold it down to provide power to yourcomponent. With the power switch rocked forward, power will flowfrom the positive lead on the battery into the probe tip, through the
tip into the component‟s positive terminal, into the component andout of the component, through the auxiliary ground lead and backinto the tool, and back to the vehicle‟s battery‟s ground. (Figure 11)12

Contact the tip to thepositive terminal of thebulb

Connect the negative
auxiliary clip

Press the powerswitch forward toactivate the bulb

Figure 11
If the green LED went off at that instant or if the circuit breaker
tripped, the tool has been overloaded. This could happen for thefollowing reasons:

The contact you are probing is a direct ground or negative
voltage.



The component you are testing is short-circuited.



The component is a very high current component (i.e., starter
motor).

If the circuit breaker is tripped, reset it by waiting for it to cool down
(15 sec.) and then depressing the reset button.

3.5 Testing Trailer Lights and Connections
While the tool in DC Voltage mode, clip the auxiliary ground lead tothe trailer ground, probe the contacts at the jack and then apply
13

voltage to the probe tip. This lets you check the function andorientation of the connector and trailer lights. (Figure 12)
If the circuit breaker tripped, that contact is likely a ground. Reset thecircuit breaker by letting it cool down for 15 seconds and depressing
the reset button until it clicks into place.

Figure 12

3.6 Activating Components in The Vehicle
While the tool in DC Voltage mode, contact the probe tip to thepositive terminal of the component, the green LED should light,
indicating continuity to ground. While observing the green LED,
quickly depress and release the power switch forward. If the green
LED went out and the red LED came on, you may proceed withfurther activation. (Figure 13) If the green LED went off at that
instant or if the circuit breaker tripped, the tool has been overloaded.
This could happen for the following reasons:

The contact you are probing is a direct ground.



The component you are testing is short-circuited.
14The component is a very high current component(i.e., starter
motor).

If the circuit breaker is tripped, reset it by waiting for it to cool down
(15 sec.) and then depressing the reset button.
WARNING : Haphazardly applying voltage to certain circuits cancause damage to a vehicle’s electronic components. Therefore, it isstrongly advised to use the vehicle manufacturer’s schematic anddiagnosing procedure while testing.
NOTE : When powering up components, you can increase the lifeof power switch if you first press the switch, then contact the tip tothe component. The arcing will take place at the tip instead of thecontacts of the switch.

Figure 13

3.7 Activating Components w/Ground
While the tool in DC Voltage mode, contact the probe tip to thenegative terminal of the component, the red LED should light. Whileobserving the red LED, quickly depress and release the power switch
rearward. If the red LED went out and the green LED came on, you
15

may proceed with further activation. (Figure 14) If the green LED
went off at that instant or if the circuit breaker tripped, the tool has
been overloaded. This could happen for the following reasons:

The contact you are probing is a direct positive voltage.



The component you are testing is short-circuited.



The component is a very high current component(i.e., starter
motor).

If the circuit breaker is tripped, reset it by waiting for it to cool down
(15 sec.) and then depressing the reset button.

Figure 14
WARNING : With this function, if you are contacting a protectedcircuit, a vehicle’s fuse can be blown or tripped if you apply groundto it.

3.8 Checking for Bad Ground Contacts
Probe the suspected ground wire or contact with the probe tip.
16

Observe the green LED. Depress the power switch forward thenrelease. If the green LED went out and the red LED came on, this is
not a true ground..
If the circuit breaker tripped, this circuit is more than likely a good
ground. Keep in mind that high current components such as starter
motors will also trip the circuit breaker.

3.9 Following & Locating Short Circuits
In most cases a short circuit will appear by a fuse or a fusible link
blowing or an electrical protection device tripping (i.e., a circuit
breaker). This is the best place to begin the search.
Remove the blown fuse from the fuse box.

Use the probe tip to activate and energize each of the fusecontacts. The contact which trips the circuit breaker is theshorted circuit. Take note of this wire‟s identification code orcolor.



Follow the wire as far as you can along the wiring harness.

Here is an example for this application.


If you are following a short in the brake light circuit, you may
know that the wire must pass through the wiring harness at thedoor sill. Locate the color-coded wire in the harness and exposeit.



Probe through the insulation with the probe tip, and depress thepower switch forward to activate and energize the wire.



If the circuit breaker tripped, you have verified the shorted wire.
Cut the wire and energize each end with the probe tip. The wire
end which trips the circuit breaker again is the shorted circuit
and it will lead you to the shorted area.

17

Follow the wire in the shorted direction and repeat this processuntil the short is located.

3.10 Red/Green Polarity LED
The Red/Green Polarity LED lights up when the probe tip voltage
matches the battery voltage within ±0.8 volts. It is added informationthat could be valuable to the technician.
If the circuit you are testing is not within a 0.8 volt (plus or minus) of
supply voltage, you will see the voltage reading on the LCD but you
will not hear a tone or see a red or green LED. This tells you either
you have a voltage drop in excess of 0.8 volt from battery voltage or
you are probing a circuit that has an increase of a 0.8 volt or more
over battery voltage.
To determine battery voltage, simply remove the tip from the circuit
and press the power switch forward. Battery voltage will then be
displayed on the LCD. The difference between the battery voltage
and what is read on the circuit is either voltage drop or voltage
increase. This allows you to determine a voltage drop without
running back to check the battery. It‟s just another one of time savingfeature the tool has.

18

4. Test Tool Specifications
DC voltage range : 0-65V +1 digit
Resistance range : 0 – 200 KΩ
Frequency response of tone pass through0Hz to 10Khz.

Circuit Breaker
Rating current: 1 – 10 Amp
Testing Standard
100% current : no trip
150% current: trip in one hour
200% current: trip in 3-30 seconds.
300% current: trip in 0.5-4.0 seconds.

19

5. Test Tool Know-how
1)

Is the PowerScan Probe Tester computer and air bag safe?
The tool LED and LCD pull no more than 1 milliamp of current,
therefore when using it as a test light or multimeter it is computerand airbag safe. However, pressing the power switch is a different
story. When you press the switch forward, you are conducting fullbattery current to the tip of the probe. There is a nice safety featurebuilt into the tool. Simply connect the extra ground lead to the tooland press the power switch forward until it trips the circuit breaker.
This will prevent power from going to the tip but still allow you to
use the tool as a multimeter. When you are away from computercomponents, simple press the reset button and you are ready to
power up again.

2)

Why do I have no power at the tip when I am pressing the powerswitch forward but the red LED is on?
The power switch goes through a lot. It is one of the few things thatgo wrong with the tool. The switch is a consumable that needs to be
replaced on occasion. We have made it real simple to not onlychange it but also buy a new switch. The switch can be snapped out
and replaced in seconds.
You can buy switches from your Autel authorized tool supplier.
The tool with the Rocker Switch slots makes it easy to replace aworn switch in the field without having to send it in for repair.
Power Switch replacement procedure:Remove the worn switch with a pry tool. Be careful when
applying force. (Figure 15)20

Figure 15Make sure to install the switch straight and press until flush withcasing. (Figure 16)

Figure 16
It is recommended when buying you get two. This will fix your tool
now and give you a spare so you won‟t experience any down time in
the future.

21

6. Warranty and Service
6.1 Limited One Year Warranty
Autel warrants to its customers that this product will be free from all
defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year fromthe date of the original purchase, subject to the following terms andconditions:1) The sole responsibility of Autel under the Warranty is limited toeither the repair or, at the option of Autel, replacement of the test
tool at no charge with Proof of Purchase. The sales receipt may be
used for this purpose.
2) This warranty does not apply to damages caused by improper use,
accident, flood, lightning, or if the product was altered or repairedby anyone other than the Manufacturer‟s Service Center.
3) Autel shall not be liable for any incidental or consequential
damages arising from the use, misuse, or mounting of the test tool.
Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied
warranty lasts, so the above limitations may not apply to you.
4) All information in this manual is based on the latest information
available at the time of publication and no warranty can be madefor its accuracy or completeness. Autel reserves the right to makechanges at any time without notice.

6.2 Service Procedures
If you have any questions, please contact your local store, distributor
or visit our website at www.auteltech.com.
If it becomes necessary to return the test tool for repair, contact yourlocal distributor for more information.

22