How To Use Car Diagnostic Tools For Your Vehicle

Source: DHgate, Tag: Car Motorcycle

Car diagnostic tools are great ways to ensure your car is in good health. Find out how to use diagnostic tools and keep your vehicle up and running.

Cars are mechanical machines, and machines are often unpredictable. Most people say they do the normal daily checks before heading out daily, but they still have an issue with their car during the day. This is not a myth, nor is it true; most cars can still get going even when there is a problem with the car.
But over time, these problems get escalated into other things; some of these problems might not affect the major operations of the car. But it could end up damaging some vital aspect of the car, which might lead to the car developing fault along with your daily routine.
Today's cars are electronic, and although cars are evolving to be more advanced as we progress, with the likes of tesla building amazing smart cars, there will come a time when you cannot actually understand the problems developed by most cars. And this is where the car diagnostics tools come to play. If you have one, you can easily diagnose your cars every week, and this will give you an insight into the problems that are not yet happening but smaller faults that can lead to bigger issues.

At times you can hear some sound coming from your car, and then you pull over and open up the hood of your engine, but while looking, you couldn't see anything, so what do you do in such a situation? You might think of calling your auto mechanic or probably call out to a tolling vehicle, but before you jump to such conclusions, it is more advantageous to pull out the diagnostic tool and get more information about why your car is making such noise.
If you use an onboard diagnostic tool, the scan result can give you the things that are wrong with the car, and you might be able to fix your car; that will make you look like a pro mechanic.
Using a car diagnostic tool for your car has many impressive advantages, many of which we will discuss in this article. We will also discuss how to use the diagnostic tool, a step-by-step guide, and some tips that will help you while handling the tool.
Understanding when to use car diagnostic tools
The fact is that a diagnostics tool is not going to solve all your vehicle issues; it's not a magical wound that fixes things. Today, it is apparent that a diagnostics tool is not going to fix a flat tire, neither will it fix a busted exhaust, and if it does down the years, that might have been some great AI work.
Most times, car diagnostic tools will display different codes when you try to use them on your car. Most of these codes might confuse you a bit, and you might actually think that the diagnostics tool is not useful for you. However, what you need to understand is when to use it, which is one of the things we will discuss.
When your cars display a bussing light of "check engine," the light is always on even when you are on the move to indicate that you need to check your engine. This light can mean many things, and the light can indicate many problems that can be found anywhere in the engine. It can also be in the transmission or the exhaust systems. Instead of just ignoring the light and keeping using your car, in this case, the diagnostics tool can come in handy, and it will help discover whatever the problem might be.
While most diagnostics tools you see around are only good for reading engines and showing error codes, some advanced diagnostics tools will help take your cars lice data measurements and help you fine-tune the setup of your car for more effective performance.
How to use car diagnostic tools
Diagnosing your car can be pretty cool and easy on paper; we can ignore that a high level of mechanical know-how is needed. And the need for some specialized tools that will come in handy to fix your car, the fact that you will also go through numerous trials and errors while getting your car fixed. But basically, all you need is your car and a diagnostics tool.
Needed tools for diagnosing

• • OBD diagnostics tool: this tool will help you read the diagnostics codes that your car display when the diagnostics tool detects a problem. You can use different scanners, including those that are OBD 2.

  • Cars made after 1996 most defiantly will have the needed OBD-II port and a diagnostics system that will fit in effectively with the diagnostics tool. However, suppose your car is older than the 1996 car. In that case, that means you might still have the regular system of diagnostics, which is getting your car to an auto mechanic.

Getting ready to use the diagnostics tool
The diagnostics tool is a simple device to use; you can easily plug the device into the car and turn it on. The device will do its trick by finding the fault. Follow the following step:

• • First, you need to turn the car off before plugging the diagnostics scan tool into the port.

  • It would be best if you located where the OBD-II port is on your car secondly. For most, it is located right under the steering wheel, under the car's dashboard. Some other cars have there's on the passenger side of the car, while others have theirs around the console. You might need to check your car manual to know the specific location, or you can try searching online for faster answers.

Step by step guide:
While diagnostics tools look similar in their design and function, some of them are more robust in their capability and features, and they offer advanced reading using statistics. However, almost all of them require you to plug and scan. Therefore this step-by-step guide will be helpful for you if you are using any diagnostics tool.
Code reader
While most mechanics use some advanced tools to check your car whenever you take it to them for some check, the process of checking the problem of any car remains the same. If you are trying to troubleshoot your car using the diagnostics reader to decode the problem, the end game for you is finding out what's wrong with the car. Your diagnostics tool will help you automatically diagnose what is wrong with your car and record it when it has detected any problem.
Plugin the diagnostics tool into the OBD port
A diagnostic tool will download data vehicle OBD port; this port, also known as the universal port, will give you all the access to all the problems detected by the machine. To have access to the information, you might need to adjust the setup a bit.

• • First, you need to plug the tools detector end to the vehicle's OBD-II port; now you need to ensure that the plug is well fitted to the tool to ensure that it can communicate effectively with the vehicle's computer.

  • You might need to turn on your car after the first step, but you do not need to turn on the car if your vehicle can store the codes in its memory. However, if the engine has to be on for the tool to monitor the car fully in real-time, then you might need to have your engine switched on for the whole process.

Reading the code
One of the major aspects of the diagnostics process is reading the codes, and the tool displays a code when it finds a fault. The diagnostics can download the code and then read it so that you have an idea of what's wrong with the car. It would be best if you did not try reading the code yourself; you can try if you fully understand car codes. Follow the following step:

• • Turn the diagnostic tool on: Most tools have a simple switch button that allows you to turn it on and off. However, if your diagnostics tool has Bluetooth capability, turn on the tool from where it's plugged into if it doesn't come on automatically.

  • Use the diagnostic scanner: most scanners will start scanning once the device is switched on, but if it doesn't start, you should locate a scan button on the device or check the menu and then look for a scan button to start scanning.

  • Take a record of the data: after scanning, the device will display some error codes to indicate the problem vehicle is experiencing. You need to note down these codes in case your scanner doesn't give you detailed information on the meaning of the codes. Some scanners have the features to store the codes, and then you can download them into your computer later, where you can check the meaning of these codes.

  • You can clear the codes or leave it: after scanning the error, if you want to turn off the "check engine," you can easily use the diagnostics tool to clear the warning light; this is applicable for some scanners.

Interpreting the code
After scanning the car and getting the response in the form of code, it's time actually to understand what the code means. To understand the codes, you need a code reader. The code reader will help you interpret all the codes into plain words that you can understand.
You can go about this in different ways, and you can choose to do some online search about the code; searching online will help you get some answers about the codes, automotive websites, and a manufacturer's website can be a very good place to search.
You can also use software to help you interpret the codes into plain words through your computer or laptop. Some high-end car diagnostic tools can help you interpret the codes on the screen of the scanning device; this might get you more information than the other types of scanners.
Fixing the problem
Having gotten the codes interpreted, you need to fix the problem then; this is the point where you will test your mechanical expertise and level of experience. There are some options for you to consider in this case:

• • You can fix it yourself: if you have great experience as an automotive person, you should be able to fix the problem yourself after getting the code interpreted. You might need some tools to achieve this, and you easily buy them.

  • Find and hire a good mechanic: it's great if you have the experience or the know-how to fix the problem, but it is better to hire a mechanic to help you out. Not only will you need to spend a lot of money trying to buy the tools you need, but you might also end up spending more on fixing your own mistake. Therefore, it is smarter to get a professional who can help you fix the car and use their higher-end devices to further check for any problem.

The upside for you is that you will understand what is wrong with your car. If you can trace what might cause the problem, it will help you avoid repeating the situation that caused the problem in the first place. You also have the advantage of understanding your vehicle better, which is a great advantage to using any mechanical device.
FAQ
Can I use car diagnostic tools if my car is older than 1996?
For most cases, no, this is because older cars are not compatible with the OBD-II ports, while some of them use the OBD-I port and others have nothing at all. However, the traditional way of diagnostics can still be very useful for you, going to a mechanics auto repair centre.
What are the issues that the OBD–II scanner can detect?
This depends on the type of car and the diagnostics scanner; most car diagnostic tools can detect anything that triggers checks of light within the vehicle.
Can I use car diagnostic tools on a European car?
This is more relevant to the country because many European vehicles are built with an EOBD (onboard diagnostics system).
How important is the diagnostics tool for every car owner?
The diagnostics tool is a great device that will help all car owners understand their vehicle better and find solutions to some of the problems with the car. However, most users might need to approach a professional mechanic who will help them fix the problem detected. This doesn't make the tool-less relevant for car owners, and it can come in handy.