OBD-II Diagnostic ScanTool User Guide
As an avid car fan, I love working on my cars; but before ScanTool, I was limited by my vehicle’s computer which “hid” the information I needed to understand the problem. Sure computers make cars more efficient and lighter; but, they also hide all the information away in proprietary interfaces.
AutoEnginuity’s ScanTool gives you access to the abundance of data that any 1996 and newer vehicle provides through the OBD-II and optional manufacturer interfaces. It will help you determine what repairs are necessary, and determine whether you can repair it yourself, or whether it’s something that requires more assistance. What’s more, AutoEnginuity’s ScanTool allows you to verify that work you have done—was done properly. Whether you’re an independent service shop, or simply a vehicle owner, now you can diagnose a broad range of vehicles, accurately and quickly, with just one tool.
What is OBD-II?
OnBoard Diagnostics Version 2 (OBD-II) is in all passenger vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. beginning in 1996. It has three main purposes; it: 1) alerts the vehicle operator if the vehicle’s emissions output rises in response to a system failure; 2) performs real-time analysis of the engine’s performance to help manufacturers achieve regulated vehicle fuel economy; and, 3) standardizes the electrical and communications protocols for the automotive industry. OBD-II has allowed vehicle manufacturers to stay within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) emissions guidelines, and made it easier to diagnose problems in a wide variety of vehicles using only one tool. OBD is more or less a sophisticated data-acquisition system for vehicle emissions and performance.
What is the History Behind OBD-II?
In 1955 the government took notice of the detrimental effects that car emissions were having on the atmosphere. Early laws were passed that gave vehicle manufacturers strict guidelines to follow with regard to vehicle emissions. These laws were generally ignored until 1988 when the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) proposed several standards, and the Air Resources Board (ARB) mandated them on all 1988 and later vehicles. These mandates were, in effect, OBD-I.
The original OBD was a simple system that monitored the oxygen sensors, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, fuel delivery system, and the engine control module (ECM) for excessive emissions. Unfortunately, different car manufacturers complied with the ARB’s mandates in different ways. In fact, compliance was so varied that a new problem developed.
The problem was that manufacturers had equipped their vehicles with OBD systems that weren’t standardized. Consequently, each manufacturer had its own set of fault codes and its own tools to interpret the codes. Independent repair facilities across the country were struggling to diagnose vehicles with such a wide variance in both fault codes and in the equipment necessary to interpret them.
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