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Many of you already know the Autel ITS600 for its extensive TPMS, diagnostic and routine vehicle service functions. But it doesn’t stop there. By pairing it with the Autel MaxiBAS BT506, you can expand its capabilities and take advantage of complete battery and charging system testing. The MaxiBAS BT506 is a dedicated battery and electrical system tester that uses adaptive conductance to analyze battery condition, and it can test 12 and 24 volt starting and charging systems. It can be used as a standalone tester with its free app or with one of Autel’s compatible tablet tools, such as the Autel ITS600.

So let’s get into it and see how it works with the ITS600. I’ve already got the wireless VCI connected to the car, and the ITS600 will automatically confirm the VIN, or if necessary you can use the VIN scan camera feature to easily grab the vehicle data off the driver’s side door jamb. Now I’m going to connect the BT506 to the battery, and you want to make sure the negative clamp is directly pointed toward the battery because it has an infrared sensor mounted in the end that will pick up battery temperature, which is important for accurate test results. I’ve already done the initial pairing of the BT506 with the ITS600, so the tablet will automatically connect in seconds in subsequent uses.

Okay, we’re ready to go. On the main menu of the ITS600, select the battery test icon. You’ll see two options, in-vehicle and out of vehicle test. We’re going to select in-vehicle test, and right away you’ll see it pulls up the vehicle info and displays the original battery options. Select the battery that’s in the car, but don’t worry if it’s not one of the ones listed, just select any of them and you’ll have the option to manually select the type of battery and the Cold Cranking Amps for what’s actually in the car. Once you’ve selected the battery hit continue and a checklist of required operations needed before testing can begin will come up on the screen.

In this case, we have number one, turn off all electrical appliances. Two, turn off the ignition and three close all vehicle doors. Once that’s done, simply check all three and press start testing. You’ll see the process on screen as the BT506 is working and within seconds you’ve got a complete report of battery condition. Now select continue and next up is the cranking test. Again, you’ll see pre-test requirements, check them off and start the engine. And again, in seconds you’ve got results from the cranking test. Hit continue and we’re at the charging system test. One final time you see pretest requirements and the ITS600 walks you step by step through the test, giving you parameters for on off throttle and engine RPM and when to shut the car off when you’re done.

The BT506 makes this a completely intuitive process that is just as efficient if you’ve done it once or a hundred times. To top it off, the ITS600 will store a complete battery and electrical system report. That includes battery specifications, state of charge, service recommendations, and cranking and charging system specifications. And it can be printed or easily emailed directly to the customer along with any other TPMS or service reports that have been generated for the vehicle. The ability to efficiently perform battery and electrical system testing is a vital part of your business and the BT506 when paired with the ITS600 makes that possible. This functionality along with the TPMS diagnostic and service functions make this duo a smart choice for your technicians and your shop. Thanks for taking the time to see the complete battery and electrical system testing you can perform with the Autel BT506 and the Autel ITS600. We’ll see you next time.

This video is sponsored by Autel.