The details about an automotive diagnostic scanner

 

The recent improvements in cars have centred on the use of technology in the car. Examples are dash cams, for more accuracy front and dash cameras to name a few. The major improvement lies in diagnosing and solving the problem with ease. For this precise reason, the evolution of an automotive diagnostic scanner tool has come into prominence. They also go by the name of OBD or on-board diagnostics. It could be depicted as an automotive term where owners of the vehicles gain access to the subsystems of the car.

Features

Before the mandate of EPA in 1996 for each car, there was a diagnostic process and it did pose a considerable headache to both car owners as well as the mechanics. At that point in time, OBD 1 was in use which was specific to each vehicle brand and type. Since the mandate has come up, most cars are compatible with any automotive diagnostic scanner or tool.

 It means that an owner can go on to purchase any diagnostic scan tool, use it on their car. In doing so they will gain a standard evaluation of their vehicle. The role of the tool would be to provide an informative overview to the driver of the vehicle. In doing so you can avoid paying extra money to the mechanic. An example would mean that if the wheels are not aligned the driver comes to know about it with the information on the dashboard. It could be in whatever form the manufacturer chooses to design it. In modern improvement modules, this works out to be one of the major improvement schemes. But there are various benefits of owning an automotive diagnostic scanner. Let us go through them in details

A comprehensive evaluation of all the systems of your vehicle

When there is an automotive diagnostic scanner in place it monitors the overall system of the car. If any issues crop up they are likely to report the same. There are sensors that are placed in various areas and this transmits data to the computer module of the vehicle where the driver can observe it.

A precise control and monitoring system are in place which enhances the efficiency of the car. With the aid of complex codes, any grave issues are brought to the fore. It alerts the drivers before things go out of control.

Confidence and complete peace of mind

If you are planning a long distance travel one of the issues at the back of your mind would be car issues on the road. With an automotive diagnostic scanner, you can have complete peace of mind. A detailed scanning of the vehicle is undertaken and it specifies whether the car will last the distance or not.

Easy to use

With a diagnostic process, it incorporates troubleshooting where each and every component of your car is accessible in details. A detailed scanning of the vehicle systems is undertaken and problem areas are specified. Taking cue of the fact on how technical the whole operation is, it does help if you have a certain degree of technical expertise and input. One of the focal points of this tool is that all issues are taken care without any currency requirements or knowledge at your own end.

Just you would need to incorporate the VPN along with the basic information of the model and the rest of the work is done for you. In order to conduct the scan, you would just need to follow the instructions that are illustrated on the screen. The current state of your vehicle is displayed in the shortest time frame possible.

Cost-effectiveness and affordable

Before the emergence of OBD 2 tools, there were specific diagnostic tools that catered to a specific model of a car. This did vary according to the rating of the vehicle in the market. In terms of budget, it was something that would cost you a lot of money.

In modern time the diagnostic tools are much more affordable and in terms of effectiveness, it is right up there with the OBD 1 versions. It would be easy to use and it is available in multiple language options as well.

How To Select The Perfect Diagnostic Scan Tool

A diagnostic scan tool can be a very useful device for a professional car mechanic. Automotive workshop mechanics invariably use scan tools to get to the trouble. Without the device they have to undertake a trial and error method to arrive at a conclusion about the malfunctioning part of a car. A scan tool helps mechanics zero in on specific subsystems of a car that is not working properly. However, it must be said that even the most modern scan tool may not be able to pinpoint the trouble. It may just be able to point to the system or the subsystem that is at fault. It is the expertise and knowledge of the mechanic that helps in zeroing on the part that is malfunctioning. A scanner may just indicate a trouble with the fuel mix in the engine. It is the mechanic who has to decide if the problem is with the fuel injection or the air intake. This calls for a lot of expertise and knowledge about cars and their working. This is why it is mostly in workshops that such tools are used. However, DIY car enthusiasts too may use this tool if they are quite at ease with various car parts and their working. If you are among them you need to buy the best one for your car. While automotive workshops have a number of scan tools to cope with the variety of cars coming into their workshops, you need just the perfect one for your car. 

How To Select The Perfect Scan Tool

    • The bottom line is that the perfect scan tool must display all the trouble codes displayed by the OBDII of your car. There are some OEM specific trouble codes in almost all cars. If the Diagnostic Scan Tool is not able to interpret these troubles, the tool is just a piece of crap for you. So make sure that the scan tool is compatible with the make and model of your car or truck. 

    • The communication protocol of the car and the scanner must also be same. There are 5 OBDII communication protocols. These are the protocols that help the scanner communicate with the OBDII and bring out all the trouble codes. The scan tool must have the same communication protocol as the car such as CAN, KWP, VPW or PWM. 

    • The scan tool must have the Parameter Identification Data feature. Even the most modern diagnostic scan tool is not able to interpret all the trouble codes. In fact, there are some troubles which don’t have any code at all. You need to have a look at the live functional parameters of a system to see if there is any anomaly in the readings. This calls for live Parameter Identification Data from the given system. 

    • Bidirectional testing capability is very helpful. Bidirectional scanners are those that not only receive information from the OBDII, but also command it. This is very helpful when you are troubleshooting all alone. You may need to give various commands to the OBDII so that a specific system performs a specific task. You may need to open the boot or do something else while testing. This helps in identifying the problem. A bidirectional capable Diagnostic Scan Tool is able to do that. 

    • The device must explain the trouble codes in detail and also indicate the nature of repair needed. This reduces your workload since you can get to the problem at once, just by going through the code and its details. 

    • The device must be easy to work with. The monitor or the touch pad must have all the relevant tabs in the screen so that you can just select one and start working with it. The screen must be wide enough so that you can view the trouble codes clearly. 

    • A great feature of some modern scanners is that they can be connected to your laptop. If you get one like that you can browse all the tabs and features right from your laptop. For many users this is a great facility. 

    • Data erasing is an essential feature to have for any Diagnostic Scan Tool. After you decipher a trouble code and rectify the trouble, the OBDII needs a few drive cycles to understand that the trouble has been taken care of. Till that point it continues to display the code.