Wednesday 22 March 2017

Automotive Diagnostic Scanner – What Is It and Why Do You Need One?

Automobile technology has grown at a staggering pace in the past few decades. Driving a car has never been so easy, comfortable, and safe. Similarly, diagnosing a car’s problem has also never been easier, thanks to tools like the automotive diagnostic scanner.

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A diagnostic tool interacts with your car’s onboard computer, which controls most of the systems, to find out what the problem is. It gives you a list of trouble codes to indicate the problem in your car. These tools generally come with an instruction manual, booklet, or CD, which contain all the information pertaining to these codes. So, you can refer to the manual to interpret the code and diagnose the problem with your car. For a car loving nation like Australia, such a tool is indispensable to say the least!

Advantages of Using an Automotive Diagnostic Scanner

Time-Saving

One of the biggest advantages of a diagnostic tool is that it is a real time saver. Earlier, you had to take your car to a mechanic every time the warning light flashed up. There was simply no other way to diagnose the problem. With the diagnostic scanner, you can run a check on your car’s system yourself and find out what the problem is. It saves you a lot of time. Moreover, you do not have to panic every time the warning light comes up. You can use the scanner to find out what the problem is and decide to deal with it right away or at a later time, depending on the seriousness of the problem.

Complete Range of Solutions

While the low-end scan tools only offer you a list of error codes, the high-end scan tools offer you a whole range of solutions to detect and fix the problems in your car. When your car throws up a warning light, the scan tool will communicate with the car’s onboard system and give you a list of probable causes as well as a list of possible fixes to the problem.

Wide Range of Data

Modern day diagnostic tools can read an exceptionally wide range of data – from the vehicle’s VIN number to fuel consumption, engine data, engine’s coolant temperature, and many more. Some of the tools even have a ‘smog check’ feature, using which you can find out if your car will pass an emissions test or not.

Data Recording

An advanced automotive diagnostic scanner can also capture and play back live data. You can connect the tool to your car and capture the data you want, disconnect it, and play it back any time you want. If you want to test drive a car and like to monitor the performance of a particular system, this feature can be very useful to you.

Ability to Upgrade

The latest diagnostic tools are designed in such a way that they can be upgraded online. Whenever there is a new version or an update to the existing version available, you can simply go online and upgrade your tool. What this means is that you can have the latest automobile diagnostic technology at your disposal without having to buy new tools on a regular basis.

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How to Choose the Right Automotive Diagnostic Scanner

The first thing you need to consider is your technological prowess. There is no point in buying a top-notch, high-end scanning tool if you are not able to operate it properly and make full use of its features. So, if you are sure that you can operate an advanced scanning tool, go for it by all means. Otherwise, choose a low-end tool that can read and clear error codes.

The next thing you need to consider is your budget. High-end scanning tools are generally expensive and can set you back by quite a bit of money. Basic code readers and low-end scanning tools, on the other hand, are very affordable.

Another important thing to be considered is the tool’s compatibility with different cars. Some of the scanners available on the market today are only compatible with the vehicles in the US and Canada. As an Australian, this is something you need to check and verify before buying a scanning tool. Similarly, some scanners are not known to work with certain brands of cars. So, before you choose a tool, make sure it is compatible with the car you drive. If you are planning to buy a new car in the near future, make sure the tool is compatible with that one too. A high quality scanning tool is a long-term investment, so make sure you consider all these factors before buying one.

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