Using Global Service Information (GSI)
As we move forward with the proliferation of integrated vehicle systems, addition of more electronic control modules, the higher speed data busses and the increased amount of information that vehicles must move from bumper to bumper, we should take a look at your approach to diagnosis and Global Service Information (GSI).
Recent Changes
There is a new look and some enhancements to GSI due to the "Global Format". The figure below shows a brief look at how
the new categories will line up after "building" the vehicle (make,
year, model). 
Some things to note in the example to the left is that the "Diagnostic Navigation" is still a good place to start as the section contains several important links such as "Strategy Based Diagnostics", the instructions for using the Global Format diagnostic charts, and the ever important "Diagnostic System Check-Vehicle". The section also has links to take you to the lists of Diagnostic Trouble Codes or DTCs that are on board as well as a link to possible symptoms in ALL areas of the vehicle, all in all, a great place to start.
Another area that have seen a great deal of changes is Electrical schematics
Keeping Your PC Healthy
A few of the best practices you can do to keep your PC healthy include
It is also highly recommended that you keep up on your virus protection as well!!
Tips and Tricks - Keyword
Searches
One of the skills we have techs
work on while here at the Training Center is to navigate around SI. Most have
used the Keyword search at one time or another, however, he who lives by the
Keyword Search can die by it! It is always best to know how to navigate to where
you need to be. But when you are confronted
with a large document (such as the Master Electrical Component List) a lot of
time can be wasted scrolling down the page to find what you want. Here's a way
to shortcut the search, press the CTRL and F keys at the
same time and a box
will pop up asking to type in what you are looking for. Type in the word you are
looking for, within that eSI document, and you will be directed to it wherever
it is in the page.
Changes to Keyword Searches
In Global Service Information
The keyword search in Global SI has been expanded to not only search titles but within documents as well.
Previously a Keyword search only looked at the title of the document and NOT in the content of it. By using the drop down menu (shown above) you can expand your search accordingly. Remember though, that if you choose the "document" search, it will bring back a lot more hits and will leave you with a lot more text to read through in your quest to find information. Advanced searching options will lwet you search either documents or titles for a phrase that you may be looking for. Try it if the Basic Search options don't provide you with what you need.
Looking at a picture in GSI without using the TIFF Plug in? If you are using Windows 2000 or XP, right click on the image and go to "Save Picture As" (at this point the file will be assigned a number, but you can rename the file if you wish). Once you decide what to call the file, it is defaulted to be saved in the "My Pictures" folder in Windows. Of course, you can choose to put the file in a different location as well. You can open the file and see the image quite clearly however you won't have the functionality of blowing up and moving the image around.
While we are on the subject of
images in GSI , there is an icon that is popping up in the schematics that
will link you to the Control Modules Reference Page for the vehicle. The
image below is an example. If the schematic refers to a Controller or Module,
clicking on it will take you to the page with links for replacement instructions,
programming and setup as well as related schematics.
Feedback Feature
When using GSI, be aware of the function that allows you to send in problems you find in the
program right away.
The "Feedback"
button is a link that generates an actual form to send to the folks that run the
show, with some fields filled in for you. Now, if you find a problem, you
can get the info to them at once without having to worry about doing it later.
This is a great tool to make sure that GSI stays current and accurate.
Using the "F11" Key
When working in the new format of GSI, the
toolbar at the top of the page may be reduced in size to give you more area
within the GSI screen. You can minimize the amount of space the toolbar takes up
by pressing the F11 key at the top of your keyboard (Internet Explorer only). By
opening up the area you can see more of the GSI document, schematic or Connector
End View etc. If you want to get the entire toolbar back, just hit F11 a second
time.
Printing
The time will come when you only want to print part of a large document, here's how to save paper; Left click and drag your mouse through the part you want to print to highlight it. Then from the "File" selection on the Menu Bar choose "Print". A box will pop up and give you the option of printing the entire document or just the "Selection". Choose the button next to the "Selection" choice. You can also do something similar to this if you want different pieces of information from different pages but want to put them all on one page. Just drag and highlight like before, but from the Menu Bar choose "Edit" and then "Copy". Next open the Program WordPad and you should get a blank page. From the Menu Bar in WordPad select "Edit" then "Paste" and the text you highlighted will appear. When you have what you need on your new document simply print it out. This can also work with NotePad but you will not be able to paste pictures, only text.
Where, oh where, can it be? Ever go looking for a component in GSI in the "Component locator" only to find that you can't find it. Try looking for that same component in the "Repair Procedures" section of GSI and see if it is listed.
Where to get the Latest News!
It's a good idea to periodically click on the
"Latest News" tab to get recent information that SI has received
from updates. Bulletins, PIs and other useful information are listed there. If
you access the web version pf eSI, it is now updated on a daily basis so when
problems are found, they are resoved much more quickly.
That's the latest for now, I will add any updates to this article as they become available. But until then, take the new SI for a road test and see what it can do for you!
Mik Stubing Lead Instructor, GMTCNY