Learning from a racing legend

Feb. 24, 2014
While there still might be some types of racing that keep it simple, the use of data acquisition devices has become relatively affordable for most forms of racing.

Growing up in my dad’s auto electric business in Kokomo, Ind., I have to admit I didn’t migrate toward the performance side of the industry. While my gearhead friends in high school were making horsepower mods on their rides, I was playing with electronic ignition conversions and water injection. I guess that made me a geeky gearhead.

Looking at this 2009 Dodge Caravan’s Mode $06 descriptions from Chrysler OEM information, we can determine that EGR flow is checked via the O2 sensor(s) affect on fuel trim when EGR is operated during the test period.

When I left the family repair shop in 1989 to go to work on the technical assistance hotline at Delco Electronics (now Delphi), I was immediately immersed into the world of auto racing thanks to a colleague named Steve Butler. In his spare time, Steve was a racer – and a good one at that. He raced motorcycles on the flat tracks taking the Indiana half-mile AMA championship in 1976 and had transitioned into racing sprint cars prior to our working together. Steve wasn’t your typical short track driver – he was as talented in the technical aspects of racing as he was the behind the wheel winning a half dozen USAC Sprint and Silver Crown championships. After retiring from racing, Steve kept on working at Delco Electronics (now Delphi), becoming a very successful systems engineer.

Looking back on the days we worked together I consider myself fortunate to have worked with a true champion. While I learned most of the fundamentals from my father, I learned a lot of technology working with Steve. No doubt Steve Butler is blessed with talent, determination and sheer nerve but I suspect there is something more than that. I believe it has been his ability to discern the proper time for fundamentals and the proper time for technology that gave him that winning edge.

Anyone with a J2534 universal reprogrammer can subscribe and download Toyota’s factory Techstream scan tool software on their laptop. While most older non PC based factory scanners like GM’s Tech 2 and Chrysler’s DRBIII don’t do Mode $06 the Toyota Techstream has an OBDII generic feature that will run Mode $06.

Is There a Winning Edge In Your Shop?
Both today’s production cars and race cars have seen tremendous changes in technology. One of those changes on the track has been data acquisition. While there still might be some types of racing that keep it simple, the use of data acquisition devices has become relatively affordable for most forms of racing. Even if the rules don’t allow data acquisition during the actual race, it’s often still allowed for car testing and setup. A dozen or more sensors on the car capture information ranging from track speed to rpms to lateral G’s that stream into a black box so the crews in the pits can analyze and determine what changes the car needs to win.

It’s one winning edge you need to be successful on the track. It’s very much the same with data acquisition in the world of production OBDII vehicles. You need that edge to be successful in your service bay tackling challenging drivability problems. What data recording acquisition do I refer to? Mode $06 data for non-continuous emissions monitors is one such edge.

Notice bank 2’s cat passed but just barely by coming in right under the 0.686 percentage mark. This vehicle most likely will be back in the shop with a MIL illuminated.

Mode $06 Basics
Using the terms Mode $06 and basics together is a bit of a stretch for those who know anything at all about this subject. The very presence of the dollar sign ($) symbol indicates that the numbering system associated with this diagnostic technique is not in the normal base 10 numbering system we all learned in grammar school. That $ symbol represents the origins of Mode $06 data being in hexadecimal.

Hex (for short) is a preferred alphanumeric system used in computer engineering leading me to my personal theory that Mode $06 originally was developed by engineers for other engineers to analyze - meaning it was never intended for the rest of us! Hex uses the digits zero to nine used in our familiar Base 10 numbering system along with the addition of the letters A through F. Fortunately, if your scan tool was made in the last decade it probably converts from Hex to Base 10 for you already.

This 2009 Dodge Caravan came in with a P0404 EGR position sensor performance code. The valve was replaced for the same DTC two years previously. If the old valve had been stuck closed or was inoperative, there could be excessive carbon to limit flow once the new valve was installed. Mode $06 provides the clue.

How Can it Help Me?
In a nutshell, Mode $06 data is much like an enhanced freeze frame, giving a look at exactly what the results were when each OBDII non-continuous monitor ran. It is the details of diagnostic trouble code (DTC) magic so to speak. Mode $06 also might have some monitors that are continuous such as O2 sensor and misfire on some vehicles. While OBD I Freeze Frames become available only when a DTC sets, Mode $06 data is stored whenever a monitor runs – pass or fail and whether the DTC is current or pending. Like a DTC Freeze Frame, Mode $06 is not dynamic – it only shows information that was stored from the past. Mode $06 came onto the scene in the service bay when Ford misfire diagnostics without the factory scanner proved to be a bit unreliable. When it was discovered that you could enter into this special scan tool mode to more accurately determine which cylinder was misfiring on those stubborn Fords, the interest in this diagnostic method picked up. Don’t assume misfires are all you should use this very in-depth diagnostic technique on, however.

Master Mode $06 with an OBDII Review?
You have to get inside the Powertrain Control Module’s (PCM) head a bit to determine the best use for Mode $06. First off, recall there are different types of tests (monitors) that the PCM performs to ensure that emissions don’t exceed the limit of 150 percent of the federal government’s test procedure (FTP). If you’re an older tech like me who worked on OBDI vehicles, you recall sensors getting unplugged, shorted or just plain going bad that turned on a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL). Those types of continuous tests (referred to as Comprehensive Component Monitors) ran and when they failed the light came on and a Freeze Frame was recorded.

Back probing the digital solenoid style valve proves what the scan tool PID shows the EGR position steady at 3.8 volts (valve closed), but doesn’t move even when the PCM gives a command to move the valve. The solenoid in the valve is not open or shorted. 

Data Parameter IDs (PIDs for short) allowed us few clues after a DTC was set and a Freeze Frame stored to recreate the condition and observed the entire PID list on a road test to confirm our diagnostic suspicions. That dates back to vehicles where the PID list numbered maybe a few dozen. Now PIDs can range in the hundreds. Today’s OBDII vehicles have a growing list of monitors that are non-continuous. The list includes Catalytic Converter Efficiency, Evaporative Emissions (EVAP) Leaks and Performance, Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Performance, Variable Valve Timing Performance, Thermostat Performance, O2 and O2 Heater Performance, Secondary AIR and even the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) System.

Some of these monitors no vehicle on the road has and some are just not on every vehicle. How do you know which ones? If the vehicle doesn’t have that equipment then the monitor is not relevant even if it shows up in Mode $06. Examples are Secondary Air Monitor and EGR. Some vehicles don’t have either one of those systems. You might see “Not Supported” or “NA” when you review the status of all the monitors in Mode $01 when that’s the case. You’ll always see a “Not Supported” note on your scan tool for Heated Catalyst Monitor and A/C Refrigerant Monitor as OBDII vehicles and R-12 never coexisted and there has never been a “Mobile Chernobyl” heated catalytic converter on a production vehicle to date.

OEMs vary in how they display the values when monitors have not yet ran. Always go to OBDII readiness status before putting stock in your Mode $06 results.

When you look at a scan tool’s OBDII Readiness Test screen displaying which monitors have ran and which ones haven’t, you’ll always see comprehensive component monitor saying “Ready,” “Complete” or some similar word. You also might see in the category for other continuous monitors like Misfire and Fuel System either “Ready / Complete” or “Not Ready / Incomplete.” Under those categories, you’ll then see the list of non-continuous monitors which Mode $06 addresses in more depth. They will also say either “Ready / Complete” or “Not Ready / Incomplete.” Take note, regardless of whether it is a continuous monitor or non-continuous monitor “Ready / Complete” does not necessarily mean it passed. If you successfully completed a test in school did that mean you passed? No. It means you took the test, and got it turned in on time with your name on it. The teacher then graded it and told you that you passed or failed. In the school of OBDII if the teacher (PCM) sees one or two fails (depending on the DTC), the MIL will illuminate. You don’t know how badly that particular test failed or what part of the test caused the F on the report card.

Mode $06 is like looking at your test after it was graded by the teacher. If you just barely passed a test in geometry wouldn’t you want to know not only that fact but also know what aspect of geometry you are weak in? Mode $06 does just that. It tells you if a monitor was close to failing. It tells you what aspect of the monitor had the problem.

Take a P0440 for example. The books just say “EVAP Performance.” If you know EVAP you know you can have a big leak, a small leak, a problem with the purge valve or the vent being restricted and a whole bunch of other things. What good does a P0440 do then? Not much. A P0440 really just tells you that a smoke machine may or may not shed sufficient light on the problem. Mode $06 data can often shed the light on a problem like a P0440 that you desperately need for that winning edge in the service bay.

This Delphi J2534 PC based programmer/scan tool combo is similar to many scan tool applications of Mode $06 in that in order to get the MID/TID to be translated beyond Hex you simply click on a monitor. MID 01 / TID 01 (O2 B1/S1 Rich to Lean Threshold Voltage) is selected and shown in blue.

Obstacles of Mode $06
Aspects of Mode $06 can at times be less than perfect. Mode $06 test results are not dynamic. They are static. Unplug a spark plug wire and Mode $06 test results won’t change on most scan tools. Unless your tool’s Mode $06 has an update/refresh feature you might have to back out of Mode $06 and then re-enter it to see a monitor in Mode 6 change. Understanding the drive cycle and knowing the art of monitor completion is a MUST for using Mode $06 with any success. There are times where you might observe Mode $06 data looking exceedingly perfect. That might be another indication that a monitor has not been totally completed or doesn’t exist on that vehicle. Always ensure monitors have run before putting any credence in Mode $06 data.

Info You Must Know – Where to Find It
You’ll typically find Mode $06 on the generic OBDII side of most scan tools, but on many scan tools you also will see it on the enhanced side of the tool in the powertrain section. Often when this diagnostic mode is accessible in both the generic and enhanced powertrain, the version in generic lacks any detailed explanations of the data and sometimes is even in a raw untranslated hex format. If your scan tool doesn’t simply call it by name (Mode $06) it may be called Non-Continuous Monitored Systems or Display Test Parameter Results, (Snap-On) On Board Test Results, (Auto Enginuity) Diagnostic Monitor Test Results, (NGS) Special Tests/Component Parameters, (OTC) or Non-Continuous Test Results. (BDM)

Info You Must Know – TIDs, CIDs and MIDs
Mode $06 data is divided into 2 sections – the general monitor that was run (i.e. heated O2, Misfire, EGR, Evap, etc.) and the more specific detail (component) of that monitor such as which O2 sensor or cylinder is being reported on, what is looked at when EGR is commanded off, or the exact type of test being performed for EVAP such as time vacuum is held or presence of excessive vacuum. The first section, the general monitor that was run, is called the TID (Test ID) on pre-Controller Area Network (CAN) bus vehicles and MID (Monitor ID) on CAN bus vehicles. The second (more detailed) section is called the CID (Component ID) for pre-CAN bus vehicles and TID (Test ID) for CAN bus vehicles.

Color displays like those made possible with the latest stand alone scan tools and PC based scan tools bring faster diagnostics to Mode $06. Results in green passed with flying colors. Those in yellow just barely passed (and deserve a closer look) while results in red mean stop and look very close at that data.

On pre-CAN bus vehicles TIDs are all over the place in regards to their Hex number identification. CAN vehicles have those Hex assignments more standardized which can be a help. CAN communications are standard on everything 2008 and up and started appearing in the Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC) on pins 6 and 14 around 2003. I suppose engineers saw the new bus as an opportunity to do a better job at making Mode $06 usable for us.

 An even bigger help with CAN vehicles is the lack of need to run something called a conversion on reported Mode $06 values. Take for example TID $53 on a pre-OBD II Ford. (TID $51 on pre-1998 Fords) When you scroll down the TID list on your scan tool and come to that group of TIDs with CIDs $01-$0A (cylinders 1 thru 10 potentially) you’ll see numbers on some scan tools that don’t make any sense at all.

TID$53 - CID$04 - RESULT / PASS - TEST VALUE / 37819 - MIN / 0 MAX / 65535

TID$53 - CID$05 - RESULT / PASS - TEST VALUE / 0 - MIN / 0 MAX / 65535

If you’re working with a scan tool with a color display, the hard part is close to over. With these newer

generations of scanners, the test result not only will show a clinical “Pass or Fail,” but the result value will be color coded green for passing with flying colors, yellow for just barely passing and red for the failing Mode $06 test results. Not only that, but you’ll likely see the TIDs and CIDs described in plain English. This gives you one more winning edge that you need to make this otherwise complex subject more practical for repeat use.

The exact component of the test (CID $00 for Phase 4 Vapor Generation) is a bit overwhelming. Ford gives full explanations on all J1979 data (a.k.a. Mode $06) in their free downloadable files titled OBD II Theory and Operation located at www.motorcraftservice.com. This is the same document that gives the conversion numbers to subtract from and then multiply by the test result in order for the number to make sense.

Should you still want to make sense of those test result values that are less than self-explanatory, you can look for the information to convert the numbers for MIN, MAX and VALUE to something you can get your head around. Ford doesn’t like misfires to go much over 1 to 3 percent. If you consult service information for Mode $06, you can obtain the magic numbers to do a bit of math that will convert your specs and test values to something more understandable. In the case above, a quick trip to a very in-depth (and free) OBDII Theory of Operation booklet (downloadable as a PDF file) from www.motorcraftservice.com tells us to multiply those misfire CID values by 0.000015 to get usable percentages. Following Motorcraft’s directions we multiply all the numbers above by that tiny fraction and apply the percentage unit to get these converted numbers.

TID$53 - CID$04 - RESULT / PASS - TEST VALUE / .5673 % - MIN / 0 MAX / .983 %

TID$53 - CID$05 - RESULT / PASS - TEST VALUE / 0.0 % - MIN / 0 MAX / .983 %

If you did have a color display scanner, you might see cylinder 4’s results in yellow meaning its getting too close to comfort (more than half way there) to that maximum value. Other test results may require a certain numeric value to be subtracted from the test result value prior to being multiplied by the magic conversion number in order to come up with the correct understandable number that makes sense when sat next to the unit of measurement such as percentage, voltage, amperage, etc. CAN bus vehicles will not need such conversions (math) on Mode $06 test results. They will be numbers that make more sense right off the bat. A helpful quirk to know about CAN vehicles and Mode $06 is the fact that the MIN and MAX specs will be reset to zero for each TID when that particular monitor hasn’t fully ran. You still might see a reported value but don’t assume it’s valid yet.

When to Use This “Winning Edge”
I don’t find a need to use Mode $06 on every MIL or whenever an engine hiccups. Personally, I use it to

1. Locate and quantify misfires on Fords and some other vehicles.

2. Prevent yet another comeback for a stubborn MIL.

3. Supplement other diagnostic methods when making a decision on an expensive catalytic converter.

4. Solve tough evap problems that I can’t find with a smoke machine and the DTC is less than helpful.

Another personal preference of mine due to the quirky nature of Mode $06 is I only pay close attention to monitors that are associated with a system on the vehicle that is having a DTC, complaint or symptom. For example if the vehicle is in for a difficult EVAP problem and I see some Mode $06 test results with a variable valve timing monitor I may elect to disregard those MIDs. I’ll record them for posterity just in case but I won’t usually go much further. As I’ve learned in my years in this business, you can go broke chasing ghosts. Like so many other specialized techniques that get used infrequently, Mode $06 takes some getting used to but when you do you’ll agree that it was time investments like this that gave you the winning edge in your shop. 

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