I don’t have to go very far out on a limb to suggest the multi-probe engine monitor has revolutionized how we manage piston powerplants. Gone are the days when we depended on a gauge system borrowed from a ’37 Buick to know one or two temperatures. Now, we can see at a glance how each cylinder is doing or which spark plug isn’t sparking. The little black boxes also typically store the data they collect for later retrieval and analysis. Try that with your ’37 Buick.
But an engine monitor can do much more than help us lean the mixture. With a little ingenuity and button pushing, pilots can diagnose a rough-running engine down to the cylinder, magneto and spark plug, or confidently tell the mechanic which fuel injector needs cleaning. While the latest devices offer color coding and keep track of many more parameters than just cylinder heat temperature (CHT) or exhaust gas temperature (EGT), even a basic device can provide detailed information you never knew you had.
