EP on OBD-II code readers: Listen when your car speaks

These things have been around for years.

The main things to remember, without using a tester (unless you need
to
reset the check engine light) are:

1.If you ever overheat badly, replace all of the temp sensors.
Might want to replace all the hoses too ;)
2.If you find yourself replacing the oxygen sensor every 2 yrs
Check the wiring to the sensor with an ohm meter. Chances are
Theres a problem there. Move the wire around while ohming it out.
3.Clean off the Mass air flow sensor wire (carefully) good svc.
manual.
4.when smogging run it until its HOT for older cars (20-30 miles city
driving)
5.Keep the injectors clean with occasional Lucas Gas Treatment gas
Tank injections. Especially before smogging it.
6.Dont smog with old gas in the car (if its been sitting)
7.Change spark plugs every 30k on fuel injected, 15k on carbureted.
8.Clean air filter every year or two. Do you drive on dirt roads ?

FI cars almost never need a tune up. But, if you remove the battery
And performance is dismal for about 40 to 50 miles then shapes up,
You've got some sensors that need replacing. Most likely temp. sensors
As they get the most abuse. For that first 40 miles it ran open-loop
Until it relearned the sensors.

Most computers in cars can give diagnostics back without shelling
Out for this tester. Flashing light patterns, horn honking or what
Ever. A manual is worth more than an OBD tester, dollar for dollar.

Not a chiltons manual, but the mfg. manual that's 40-50bux. They will
Usually show the computers built in diagnostics and ways to read it
With an led light. 4 slow blinks 5 fast etc.

All good now.

Just saved ya 300 bux ;)

--

http://www.andybrain.com/archive/obdii-code-reader.htm

OBD-II code readers: Listen when your car speaks

You're standing next to someone and they suddenly yelp "technology!"
What
would you think? First, you should back away slowly. After you're
safe,
avoiding eye contact, you'd think, "Technology. Beeping, blipping
computers.
Things we type on and talk into and sometimes want to smack with a
large
hammer."

Well, not today. Today we're getting dirty, greasy and oily. And maybe
just
a little smelly. Technology comes in many forms, and some are
automotive.
Let's take a drive.

Today's do-it-yourself weekend mechanics are frustrated. Gone are the
days
when they could get under the hood, remove parts, and put things
together
again without worrying about the car's computer. Fuel systems,
ignition
timing, temperature sensors and more: Most are controlled and
monitored by
computer. You've got to have at least a vague idea of what you're
doing.
Short circuit the wrong terminals, and FWOOSH - insty-airbag
deployment, or
KAZAKKLE - you've just fried your car's internal computer chips.

When something goes wrong with these systems, a light appears on our
dashboard display, telling us "Service Engine Soon" or "Check Engine".
When
you see this light happily shining for the first time, does your car
need
some basic maintenance, or is your engine about to explode?

So you visit a mechanic. He tells you it's nothing to worry about. You
just
need some new blinker fluid. No problem, $10 for the fluid, and $50
for the
diagnostic. How did he know? He may have used a special computer
interface,
allowing his computer to talk with your car's computer. The car tells
him
what's wrong by showing a diagnostic code.

Called OBD-II (oh-bee-dee-two), a special plug is available on all
cars 1996
and newer. This computer interface standardizes the way we monitor
emissions
and other critical systems.

Think of how handy this is by comparison to the human-world: Go to the
doctor, have a cable shoved up your nose, and listen as a computer
announces, "Patient has Amaxophobia: Prescribe over-advertised
medication
and call me in the morning."

Read your car's Check Engine light yourself in about ten seconds: The
Actron
CP9135 ODBII AutoScanner, $100 on eBay and Amazon, is a small OBD-II
handheld code reader. Plug it in to your car, and display problem
codes or
erase them if you think you've fixed the problem:

For monitoring details, use ProScan, available for $100-$160 at
http://myscantool.com. View tech-level info like manifold pressure,
coolant
temperature, and fuel trim settings. Get graphs and readouts of this
information in real time. You'll need a Windows laptop, as the
software runs
on a computer plugged in to your car.

For those wanting more information, but want things simplified, check
out
CarMD. Give them $90 and you'll get a code reader and some software.
Read
codes from your car. Then plug the reader in to your PC, and "retrieve
diagnostic information, including probable cause, fix and estimated
repair
costs". Also upload the ODB reader information to the CarMD folks, and
you'll get extended diagnostic reports at no additional charge
(register up
to three cars and get up to three reports per month).

For fans of the open source movement, or people with an interest in
ODBII
hardware and software design, check out open source ODBII hardware and
software from Stern Technologies. They offer multiple ODB scanners and
code
readers, and also provide source code and ODBII hardware scematics.

If you want the best possible ODBII monitoring tool for laptops and
Palm
handhelds, and don't mind spending hundreds of dollars, get AutoTap at
http://autotap.com. Below are some screen shots of the realtime
information
auto sensor monitors available from Proscan:

The text above is a little small, so what we're seeing are graphs of
Engine
Coolant Temperature, Engine RPM, Absolute Throttle Position, and
Intake
Manifold Absolute Pressure.

How do I find my car's OBDII connector? What does an OBDII plug look
like?

Here's where it is in my car, a Saturn SL1. Generally, they're located
near
the driver's foot area. Legally, they need to be within three feet of
the
driver, and must not require tools to access. Stick your head near the
pedals, open fuse box covers and armrests, and look around.

Advanced ODBII interfaces like ProScan and AutoTap allow us to get low-
level
analysis of our car's performance, great for advanced weekend
mechanics. But
even if you can barely change your own oil, handheld readers like the
Actron
will quickly save you money in diagnostic costs and simple repair
jobs.

When your car talks, now you can listen.

Get a listing of generic and manufacturer-specific ODBII trouble
codes, or
get more information on ODBII interfaces, including free ODBII reader
software and hardware kits: http://obddiagnostics.com and
http://www.scantool.net.
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