Matt wrote:

Subject:       AeroElectric-List: The HF Inspection camera again
From:       "Harley" <harley@agelesswings.com
Date:       Fri, October 2, 2009 6:30 am
To:       aeroelectric-list@matronics.com

Once more, that little HF inspection camera has proved it's worth...

When I tried to turn the heat on in my car a few days ago, the heater
temperature couldn't be controlled. In fact, all I got was cold outside
air.

Googling online I found a couple of checks to determine the
reason...turns out it was a loose soldered connection on the temperature
control card...found it by using a programmed troubleshooting check I
found the instructions for online.  Not mentioned in any Mazda
literature...including the shop manual! Hold in the radio "On" button,
and push the radio "Scan Up" button at the same time!  It then displays
the temperature control setting in the radio display!  Rotating the
control showed no change from 0.  But I digress...

Had to remove the radio to get to that card, and in the process, lost
the radio's side mounting bolt down behind the dashboard, and behind the
center console and inside the edge of it's carpet. Where I could not get
my head to see it, let alone my hand to retrieve it...

After this weeks discussion, I immediately thought of the HF inspection
camera.  It located the bolt within seconds, and then mounting the
magnet probe on the camera retrieved it as well!

Re-soldered the loose connections on the card (all three of them on the
temperature control potentiometer) and now the RX8 is toasty warm again!
Oh, and the programmed check displays 0 to 16 as I rotate the control!

Harley

Tell us more about the HF camera Harley.

Paul Lamar


Paul,

SuperCircuits sells to "fiber optic" inspection scopes.

http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Video-Inspection-Devices/FS-7   $199

http://www.supercircuits.com/Security-Cameras/Video-Inspection-Devices/FS7-2  $99

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=94958  $199 (often $99 on sale)

Supercircuits is located across the parking lot from my office here in Austin, TX.

Tom Walter

Anything that will go in a spark plug hole with a 45 degree mirror?

Paul Lamar