An automobile is an assembly of systems. It has major systems like the engine system, exhaust system, engine cooling system, lubrication system, transmission system, braking system, electrical system, air-bag system, air conditioning system etc. All these systems need to work in perfect harmony with each other for the automobile to work like a well-oiled machine. But the harmony is broken if there is a problem with of the subsystems in a systems. This can be best understood by the absence of harmony between the fuel combustion and transmission system. If there is a problem with any of the subsystems of the engine system, the thrust produced in the wheels will not be the ideal one. The harmony between the engine system and the transmission will be lost. A fuel leakage, a problem with lubrication or something else may be responsible for this. How do you know which is the problem element? An automotive scan tool can help you detect this.
Automotive Scan Tool
An automotive scan tool is designed to read the error codes sent by the OBDII computer of your car. This computer receives inputs from the sensors placed in various parts of the systems of a car. These sensors send data about various working parameters of the relevant part in real time. If you are talking about the fuel supply system, the sensors placed along the system will read the parameters like pressure, temperature etc and relay them to the OBDII.
Automotive Scan Tool
An automotive scan tool is designed to read the error codes sent by the OBDII computer of your car. This computer receives inputs from the sensors placed in various parts of the systems of a car. These sensors send data about various working parameters of the relevant part in real time. If you are talking about the fuel supply system, the sensors placed along the system will read the parameters like pressure, temperature etc and relay them to the OBDII.
Error Codes
The OBD comes up with error codes for mismatch in data from different sensors. However, you cannot read the codes directly from the OBD. It is a dumb interface for you. You need a automotive scan tool to read these error codes. An automotive scan tool contains a database of all the possible error codes in a car or truck. While there are some codes that are generic in nature, there are many which are specific to manufacturers. To the scan tool that you buy must be compatible with the vehicle you use it for. It must be able to detect all the possible codes sent by the OBD of your car.
Most Common Error Codes
There are some common and generic error codes displayed by the OBD II.
• Faulty Oxygen Sensor
A code represented by any number between PO171-P0175 in the automotive scan tool signifies a faulty oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor monitors the quantity of oxygen in the exhaust. If the amount is more than the set parameter the ECU can adjust the fuel mixture to gain maximum fuel efficiency and bring down emission. If the sensor does not work properly, the fuel mixture will be thrown out of gear and the car may stall randomly.
• Engine MisfireA code represented by any number between PO300-P0305 in the automotive scan tool signifies an engine misfire. The OBDII checks for loss of speed in the crankshaft with the help of sensors mounted thereon. An engine misfire can cause your car or truck to vibrate while idling. It denotes that one or some of the cylinders is not working properly. You need to get the cylinder repaired by a mechanic.
• Exhaust Gas Recirculation problem
Commonly known as EGR, the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system ensures that the emission of harmful and smog causing nitrous oxide is limited. The actuators responsible for letting a part of the exhaust gas come back into the engine are controlled by the OBDII. If there is a problem with the actuators, it is represented by the code P0401.
• Problem With The Evaporative System
The vapors resulting from burning of fuel are removed by the Evaporative System. If fuel vapor leaks due to a loose gas cap, the evaporative system does not experience enough vapor pressure. This can set off error codes like P0411, P04400, P0442, P0446 or P0455.
• Catalytic Converter Trouble
The catalytic converter is responsible for converting toxic gases and pollutants in the exhaust to more benign ones. It sets up a chemical Oxidation - Reduction reaction to accomplish the task. If the converter has become contaminated, it may not be able to do its job perfectly. When this happens the amount of exhaust gas and the mixture of various gasses in it increases. This can happen if the engine coolant oil is leaking or the engine has become old. In that case the automotive scan tool can display error codes like P0420 or P0430 and also show details of the problem for you to take action.
No comments:
Post a Comment