Tool Review: ACDelco Heavy Duty 6V Inspection Camera, No. ARZ604

June 27, 2011

The ACDelco 6V Alkaline-Battery Digital Inspection Camera, No. ARZ604, allows users to check tight spots where lighting and visual contact is limited. The ARZ604 provides advanced digital imaging technology with a 3" high-resolution color LCD display. A camera head diameter of 8mm (0.32') provides a crystal clear picture of tough-to-reach places. Other features include a two-setting view flip, 2.5x 11-setting adjustable image digital zoom and five-setting LED brightness control. A waterproof flexible cable protects the camera head to explore in any jobsite environment.

The Review

Lou Fort, Lead Technician at K.A.R.S. Inc. in Huntingburg, IN, tested out ACDelco's ARZ604 Inspection Camera.

“Using the ACDelco ARZ604 is as easy as turning on a flashlight,” says Lou. “Getting used to manipulating the camera can take a bit ... not unlike working with a mirror.”

Lou mentioned he would like to have had this camera a couple years ago, when he first bought a new inspection scope.

“At it’s current price I couldn’t find better for less,” says Lou.

Lou commented on some of the highlights of using this inspection camera: the simple zooming feature, the 3” color display and the ability to change the amount of light emitted from the unit. “With a push of well-placed buttons, (these functions are) handier than I thought (they) would be.”

He also mentioned one handy feature in particular for finding product numbers on different parts of a vehicle during repairs: “There is a button to flip the image 180 (degrees), so if you're trying to read a tag to casting number you won’t have to worry about it being upside down.”

As personal preference, Lou says he prefers an inspection camera with a rechargeable battery. He completed his own test with removable, rechargeable batteries to see how the unit might fair.

“In case you are wondering how well (the ARZ604) performs on rechargeable batteries, I can tell you it does very well,” says Lou. “I turned the unit on with full illumination and let it sit. Ten hours later the lamp started flashing and it turned off. This is about the same amount of time they say the ARZ1204 (ACDelco’s 12V version inspection camera, with rechargeable battery) is supposed to run between charges.”

About the Author

Erica Schueller | Editorial Director | Commercial Vehicle Group

Erica Schueller is the Editorial Director of the Endeavor Commercial Vehicle Group. The commercial vehicle group includes the following brands: American Trucker, Bulk Transporter, Fleet Maintenance, FleetOwner, Refrigerated Transporter, and Trailer/Body Builders brands.

An award-winning journalist, Schueller has reported and written about the vehicle maintenance and repair industry her entire career. She has received accolades for her reporting and editing in the commercial and automotive vehicle fields by the Truck Writers of North America (TWNA), the International Automotive Media Competition (IAMC), the Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards and the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) Azbee Awards.

Schueller has received recognition among her publishing industry peers as a recipient of the 2014 Folio Top Women in Media Rising Stars award, acknowledging her accomplishments of digital content management and assistance with improving the print and digital products in the Vehicle Repair Group. She was also named one Women in Trucking’s 2018 Top Women in Transportation to Watch.

She is an active member of a number of industry groups, including the American Trucking Associations' (ATA) Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC), the Auto Care Association's Young Auto Care Networking Group, GenNext, and Women in Trucking.

In December 2018, Schueller graduated at the top of her class from the Waukesha County Technical College's 10-week professional truck driving program, earning her Class A commercial driver's license (CDL).

She has worked in the vehicle repair and maintenance industry since 2008.