Ctek’s Guide For Avoiding Ghost Faults In The Workshop
Ctek’s Guide For Avoiding Ghost Faults In The Workshop
In most cases, when a vehicle is brought into a workshop for any kind of repair or fault finding, you’ll connect it up to a diagnostics device to determine the exact location of the problem. If the battery voltage is low and the vehicle has not been supported, the diagnostics may report an incorrect error code, also known as a “ghost fault”. Ghost faults are caused by the vehicle trying to protect an unsupported battery. It does this in many cases, shutting down systems that it doesn’t need like the air conditioner, sound system or start/stop feature. These can be recorded as faults.
When we say ghost faults we are referring to a fault your diagnostic tool detects on one component that actually originated from another. Does that make sense? You may try to fix a fault when it isn’t there if you don’t know what the original cause was.
CTEK offers some tips to help you avoid ghost faults when working in your workshop.
It is vital to check the voltage of the battery before undertaking any diagnostic work. It is important that when the vehicle is being serviced or diagnostics is performed, the battery be connected to a battery-support unit.
Workshops can avoid “ghost faults” and other frustrating situations by ensuring that the battery of a vehicle is tested and supported when it enters their workshop.
You will look for a fault when you don’t know that your battery is low-voltage. Ghost faults increase service time and can put the reputation of the workshop at risk.
CTEK recommends that you take two important steps as soon as your vehicle arrives at an auto shop:
- You should first test the battery for low voltage. CTEK PRO Battery Tester is a good tool for this.
- Before you begin any diagnostic work, you must connect the vehicle in supply mode to a battery-support unit. You can specify the voltage required by many battery support units such as the CTEK MXTS40 PRO60 and PRO120 to avoid ghost faults.
A power supply unit is required to provide the correct voltage for your diagnostic equipment. Stable and adequate power supplies can prevent voltage fluctuations that could trigger ghost or false error codes. Unstable or inadequate voltage can lead to inaccurate or incomplete diagnostics.
Mark Poole, CTEK’s Sales Manager, stated: “We are aware that 50% of the vehicles that enter the workshop have batteries that need attention. It is therefore likely that the battery will require support during any workshop procedure. A smart battery charger will not only support the battery, but also charge it as it travels. This prevents the voltage from dropping even further than it was when the vehicle arrived at the workshop.
The battery should be tested and supported during diagnostics and servicing to avoid ghost fault reports that waste resources, time and cause headaches.
CTEK PRO products are perfect for professional workshops. The PRO products are protected against de-rating and have a selectable voltage. Battery support units can be used with any 12V battery type and automatically compensate for parallel loads.
