Right there. on your dashboard. Looks at you, laughs at you, and makes you plot insurance fraud: your car’s check engine light comes on. This little guy has been sitting on your dashboard for weeks, but you can’t figure out why his light is on. No, you don’t have to burn your car to the ground, but it’s time for a breakthrough in this technology. It’s time to use the OBD2 scanner.
While OBD2 scanners used to be a tool for shop professionals and dealers, as cars have become more advanced, OBD2 scanners have become almost a household item. Under your hood there are sensors for almost every vital and non-essential component, and an OBD2 scanner will help you understand much of the information they provide in the event of a fault.
But what does an OBD2 scanner do and how does it work? Fear not, intrepid DIY enthusiast, I’m here to light your way like that damn check engine light lights up your dashboard. Let’s solve this problem.
OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostic, and if you have a car from 1996 to present, there is a small connector/port under the dash on the driver’s side, similar to the port on the tower, that you plug your desktop computer monitor into. V. This is your vehicle’s OBD2 port and is designed to help automotive technicians diagnose malfunctions and other problems that may occur in your vehicle by recording codes that have different meanings.
An OBD2 scanner is a small electronic device that plugs into your car’s OBD2 port to read these codes. As mentioned above, this was once a tool for professional mechanics and dealers. However, like all technologies, they are becoming increasingly cheaper to produce, and the public’s desire to own their own vehicles has turned them into consumer tools.
Connecting an OBD2 scanner to the OBD2 port is quite simple. You simply do what Glade teaches you: “Connect, connect!”
After connecting the OBD2 scanner, different versions will appear. Most OBD2 scanners are battery operated, so you will have to turn them on to read your engine codes. Others, however, use the power from the OBD2 port itself to power the device. There’s also a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner, which is a small dongle (to save you the hassle) and connects to your smartphone.
The steps to read car codes also vary as each OBD2 scanner is slightly different. You may have to select a hint to read the code, or it may be read automatically. But once you do that, you’ll get the specific engine code associated with your car’s problem, and possibly more since some of the more expensive code readers will tell you what that code means. While the more basic ones require you to do some research online.
For example, you may see a “P0171″ pop up on your OBD2 scanner, but nothing else will appear if you have a basic unit. In this case, you go to Google – it’s like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but more sinister at this point – and look for the code that tells you that the engine is running on lean power.
However, fixing the problem may not be as easy as using an OBD2 scanner and additional diagnostics may be required.
However, an OBD2 scanner can also clear the codes once you resolve the problem. It can also clear the code if you no longer want to see the check engine light but risk an engine explosion or other permanent damage to your vehicle.
Honestly, it really depends on your need for convenience. Do you need someone who can read you your code, its contents, and a bedtime story? Because you can use a super expensive OBD2 scanner. You can also go for a good deal, but this doesn’t always work. Likewise, if you don’t need a reader with a long cord, you can use a Bluetooth reader that fits in your car’s glove box.
Post time: Sep-19-2023
