If you have a specific issue with your car that you’re hoping to diagnose, make sure that the device you pick supports that component. Clearing a code without resolving the underlying issue could just mean it will reappear seconds, hours or even weeks later, and you could be storing up problems for yourself down the line. You should take care when doing so because these errors are logged for a reason. However, many do offer the ability to clear fault codes. So the risk is extremely low with the kind of OBD-II scanners we’re looking at here. The OBD-II socket does have the capacity to reprogramme all sorts of parameters, but the software required tends to be advanced, expensive and requires significant know-how. The vast majority of commercial OBD-II scanners only read the car’s data and are unable to write data back onto the car’s systems. Can I damage my car with an OBD-II scanner? ![]() Crucially, OBD-II is now the standard access point in every new car and van sold. Quite simply, OBD-II – also known as OBD2 – is a more advanced, more sophisticated version of the relatively short-lived OBD system. How to choose the best OBD-II device for you What’s the difference between OBD and OBD-II? ![]() With the falling prices for the tech to access these fault codes and the concomitant rise of smartphones, Bluetooth connectivity and the internet, there is now a market for easy-to-use OBD-II readers suitable for the home mechanic, effectively ending the need to travel to a garage every time an engine management light appears.įollowing our buying guide below, we’ve compiled a list of the best devices to suit all kinds of budgets and needs. These mandatory connections are standard across all makes and models. They may even carry data about how you drive, which could include the car’s mileage as well as speed, braking and acceleration.īy using an OBD-II scanner – a small device that plugs into this innocuous-looking socket, usually hidden away under the dashboard – you can read the car’s computerised fault logs to see precisely what’s wrong, so you can either set about fixing the fault yourself, or you can tell a mechanic exactly what needs to be looked at. OBD-II ports started to be used in 1996 to allow access to the endless data a car or van generates – like a window into your car’s brain – including any error codes resulting from faults in a vehicle’s myriad electronically managed systems, such as fuel injectors, dashboard electronics, engine sensors, or electric windows, to name just a few. Today’s vehicles are festooned with tech, one of the most useful being an OBD-II port – OBD standing for On-Board Diagnostics – and now the days when you’d need a finely tuned ear and deft mechanical prowess to identify a fault with a car are long gone.
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