OBD Scan Tool

March 11th, 2010 |

obd tool

OBD II Scanner

Modern vehicles, starting for 1996 onwards in the US, and 2000-2002 for European models are equiped with a special engine management system, known as the On-Board Diagnostics vers.2 (OBD II). These OBD II systems were introduced mainly to improve emissions output by reducing the unburnt fuel through the exhaust which comes from the engine’s burning cycle. While they are very accurate and self-sustained through variable pre-programed output parameters they do sometimes go wrong. And when they do go wrong there isn’t much you can do to fix the repair. All there is to it is a special engine diagnosis fault symbol ‘Check Engine’ or Malfunction Illumination Light (MIL) to show the driver that something is a-miss. So unless the car starts to perform badly you will probably notice nothing, if the warning bulb is blown.

This is where the special diagnostic tools for modern vehicles enter the scene. Some might have considered this to be like the space-age (future), but in reality all cars from 1996 onwards and 2002 in Europe had to have this OBD2 system installed. This means that the majority of the vehicles on our roads today are susceptible for an electronic diagnostic scan sometime in their lifetime. This can be quite expensive if done through a specialist mechanic with the required equipment, even more if done through the vehicle’s main dealer.

The funny thing is that while today’s cars are no doubt more complex to work on, the scan test does the hard and sometimes impossible work a trained technician can accomplish in diagnosis. When the diagnosis is done you are left with the fault codes, which means the parts that need replacing, or in certain cases which area you must dig deeper to confirm the fault through backward fault-finding. This can save much precious labor time when compared to the original human diagnosis. With the autoscanner it’s usually done with the results within just a few minutes.

With a good DIY approach or technical background, sometimes even the less technical people can do these simple repairs on their vehicle, if they have access to a similar “computerized” tool. Anyone willing to replace an oxygen sensor (O₂) can do so once they know for certain that it is faulty, or say a throttle position sensor. Even if they are not willing to replace these items themselves they can print out the diagnosis scan test and show it to their mechanic of choice. This way they will be saving their labor time — which you will be charged for and reducing the risk of them swapping parts blindly to do the fix. This is what I like to refer to as “clueless remedies until it finally works.”

So if you think that you can do some simple service and maintenance tasks on your own vehicle and save on labor in the process I would highly advise you to invest in at least an obd fault code reader which is the most basic tool of engine diagnosis. You will be limited to only getting the fault code numbers and will be able to reset the faults from the engine management unit once you performed the required repairs. If you think you can take it a step further in repairs, the way to go is to buy an diagnostic OBD scanner or the ELM327 which can be hooked up to your laptop or pc. I personally prefer the hand-held diagnostic obd scanner because they do the job accurately within the unit itself. I consider them to be a micro computer with all the necessary test functions, including emissions testing for professional quality repairs.

My personal suggestion to anyone buying such diagnostic tools is to never buy them from an auto parts store or similar. Search for these new items online through eBay or Amazon as you will get an incredible deal most of the time because of the fierce competition between the big power sellers. As they buy in bulk they can get very cheap unit prices, which ultimately they’ll transfer to their products for sale. The intention is to grab as many customers as they can, meaning more sales and profit for them and a better bargain for you. It is known that some items are with approximately a 50% discount from the original purchase price, sometimes even more! You can access the diagnostic tool database here of the best deals possible, most include free shipping too.

ATEQ VT55 TPMS reset tool with OBD connector

CarMD 2100 Vehicle Health System and Diagnostic Code Reader for OBDII Vehicles

$93.99

This product offers peace of mind for anyone who has ever worried about car maintenance and repairs. The easy-to-use device, which fits inside a purse or glove compartment, empowers drivers to monitor their vehicles health. The CarMD tool can be used to quick-check an unlimited number of vehicles. Within seconds, its color-coded (green, yellow, red) vehicle health monitor LED’s tell you if your ve…

INNOVA 3160B ABS/SRS+ Professional CanOBDII Diagnostic Code Scanner with Enhanced Live Data

$197.01

Diagnoses Check Engine light problems on all 1996 and newer vehicles Reads ABS codes on most 1996 and newer GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles Read, record and displays live data All in one backlit blue screen shows 25 pieces of info at one time Comes with access to optional canobd2.com repair solutionThe INNOVA® 3160 ABS Plus CanOBD2® Scan Tool diagnoses all check engine lights on 1996 and newer O…

INNOVA 3030 Diagnostic Code Reader for OBDII Vehicles

$128.06

Read trouble codes in a snap. See product details Designed to empower vehicle owners when it comes to maintenance, the Innova 3030 Diagnostic CarReader is the perfect entry-level tool for quickly revealing the cause of “Check Engine” light warnings on any 1996 and newer car, light truck, or SUV–foreign and domestic. The tool features a unique, patented all-in-one screen and a 3 color…

CarMD 2100 Vehicle Health System and Diagnostic Code Reader for OBDII Vehicles

$93.99

This product offers peace of mind for anyone who has ever worried about car maintenance and repairs. The easy-to-use device, which fits inside a purse or glove compartment, empowers drivers to monitor their vehicles health. The CarMD tool can be used to quick-check an unlimited number of vehicles. Within seconds, its color-coded (green, yellow, red) vehicle health monitor LED’s tell you if your ve…