A benefit to most aftermarket scan tools is that they are designed to provide coverage for multiple OEMs. This saves shops from having to pay for individual tools and software subscriptions, but in some cases, it can sacrifice convenience or efficiency if the scan tool provides generic, non-OE information which the technician then needs to look up.
According to Jim Calabro, fleet parts manager at Buy Wise Auto Parts in Vauxhall, New Jersey, Cojali provides a solution to that problem with its Jaltest CV Kit. Calabro says the Jaltest CV, designed to cover all commercial vehicle makes and models, provides OE-specific data such as codes and operating values of most components (i.e. voltage, resistance, or torque), saving valuable time and improving the efficiency with which fleets can diagnose a vehicle.
“That's a time-saver just on lookup,” Calabro says.
Another feature the parts manager appreciates is the Jaltest CV’s wiring diagrams, which use actual photographs instead of just conceptual schematics.
“The wiring diagrams are live data information,” Calabro explains. “They use a template that shows a standard wiring diagram, but they [also] use live pictures to help locate the parts and the components.”
Perhaps his favorite part of the Jaltest CV is how easy it is to use, Calabro says, pointing specifically to the intuitive user interface.
“It is user-friendly because it has what I call a ‘cookie cutter’ dashboard,” he says. “If you have five techs or 10 techs, everybody doesn’t have to learn Cummins, they don't have to learn Detroit, they don't have to learn PACCAR; it's the same setup for every nameplate. When you wake up the screen and you open it up and you want to do a complete fault scan and it comes up with the codes, it's the same for every nameplate.
“Wiring diagrams are the same for every vehicle, every nameplate; how to do the process is always the same,” Calabro continues. “If you had a Cummins program or you had a Detroit [program] or you had a PACCAR program or Hino program, you would have to learn all those programs and they're all different. With Cojali, it's the same every day, every time, every way.”
The Jaltest CV Kit allows technicians to connect to a wide variety of vehicle types, Calabro says. And if a VIN scan is not possible on a piece of equipment or a vehicle such as a custom body on a frame with a Cummins engine, the scan tool offers the ability to connect to the engine and scan all of the computer modules that way.
“If you had a ditch digger, a paver, [or other] equipment, this Cojali will get into all that,” Calabro explains. “You don't need to know the make and model, you just need to know the engine. So now you're expanding from a truck scanner to an equipment scanner, to a marine scanner, to a jet ski scanner.”
The kit includes different types of connectors including 9-pin Deutsch and OBD-II, but it also includes a pin kit in case users need a connector that is not available.
“Let's say you want to scan a forklift and you don't have the right connector,” Calabro offers as an example. “You actually could make the connector.”
The Jaltest CV Kit comes in a protective, heavy duty case with a foam insert for included components. Calabro says it comes with an optional rugged laptop, the Jaltest Link interfacer, connectors, wiring, the pin kit, and “everything you need to start.”
“You can also add software,” he says. “You can add off-road, highway, agriculture software, and there are the different connectors … the website tells you exactly what you need.”
Instructional videos are also available on Cojali’s website, and the company offers technical support based in Florida, which Calabro says is “phenomenal.”
The easy-to-use interface, OE information, and versatility of this scan tool won over the reviewer.
“I think Cojali has done research and they know the field, and their information is second to none,” he says. “What they're doing is above any heavy duty scan tool I've seen out there.”
