#diagnostics

If you’ve spent any serious amount of time as a shadetree mechanic, more than likely, you’ve watched as the number of diagnostic tools in your toolbox has grown steadily over the years. OBD-II scanners, borescopes, multimeters, circuit testers, oscilloscopes – you’ve likely shopped around for one or all of them at some time or another. But there’s one particularly versatile, yet often overlooked, piece of diagnostic equipment that’s been growing in popularity over the past few years, owing both to the breadth of applications in which it can be used, and to the steady growth in availability of the technology: the thermal imaging camera.

What if you could accurately detect engine problems in just seconds without disassembling a single component? This sounds like the purview of a superhero or clairvoyant, but nearly anyone can do it, no cape or special powers required.

German supply giant Continental is working on a lot of cutting-edge technology, much of which is aimed at making things easier for drivers. But that’s not the limit of what they’re developing.