Even if you have the most expensive brands of cars like Ford or Toyota, problems can still occur. Solutions for vehicle problems can come in the form of a car scanner. This is a widening trend in automotive technology that makes it easier to deal with any problems drivers occur. A scanner is simply a device that checks your vehicle for small problems before they become bigger. The warning light indicates whether your automobile has issues that need to be fixed soon.
Cars made after 1996 have built-in car diagnostic software, which keeps them running without any glitches. Today, car makers have developed the onboard diagnostic system or the OBD. The latest version of this technology is the OBD-II. It is extremely handy for car owners and drivers who want to monitor the condition of their automobiles. The OBD-II comes with sensors and ports distributed in key points of your vehicle. A port can be seen under the dash or under the driver's seat. Ports in different sections of the car all together monitor its condition. This means that the car diagnostic tool has pieces spread throughout your automobile.
Much of the automobile diagnosis is on the condition of the engine, although the frame may also have sensors. A sensor would keep data of the functionality of the part it is in. The data are in a form of codes that can be downloaded by a mechanic during the inspection. Once downloaded, the codes can be translated to determine what is wrong with a specific part of a vehicle. Therefore, diagnostic software in your car is not enough. It should come with an auto-scan tool that will read the data given by the diagnostic software. This tool is called an OBD-II scanner or simply a car code reader. An owner can purchase this tool to determine the issues of his or her vehicle. This is preferable to going to a mechanic, whose analysis may cost a lot.
If you want to do your own car diagnosis, you need to have a computer, jack cables, port connector, car code reader (OBD-II scanner), and a list of codes and acronyms for your automobile. Here is the process:
1. Install the software. Since scanners should be read on a computer, the software tool should be installed on your PC first. If you are using an iPhone, note that only certain diagnostic tools may work with an iPhone. The scanner system comes with the software that you need to install to be able to read the codes provided by the diagnostic tool.
2. Look for the port to attach the scanner to. It can be found on the dash, as that is where it is located. You may refer to the manual if you cannot find the port.
3. The scanner tool comes with instructions on getting a reading. If you do the process right, you should see the codes on your computer screen. Look at the code translation sheet to figure out why your car is having a glitch. If the problem is simple, you probably would be able to fix it without having to go and have an expensive visit to the mechanic.
