Thursday, January 14, 2010

OBD II Scanners Tells It Like It Is

By Ray. N. Winsome

We have all heard the term OBD II but many of us are not sure precisely what it is and the way the OBD II scanners work. OBD is short of On-Board Diagnostics. These on board diagnostic systems are found on most cars today. These systems were first installed in the latter 70's and early eighty's as a method to control engine functions and diagnose engine Problems when they took place. The idea was that the OBD systems could also help pollution and help with fog control.

All cars built since 1996 have what is often known as OBD-II systems. These systems are an updated version of the first OBD system and are meant to further enable the control over engine functions and ability to diagnose engine issues. The way that the Problems are diagnosed is with OBD-II scanners. These scanners are typically used by auto repair shops but they can also be bought with patrons.

These OBD-II scanners are hooked up to the connector on the automobile. These connectors are generally under the dash or even close to the ashtray in most cars. The OBD-II scanners have a plug that is put into the connector and is then attached to an AutoTap. The scanner is able to determine poisons coming from the vehicle as well as decode any engine troubles. The OBD-II scanners could also be in a position to clear old codes, depending on the unit that is purchased.

OBD-II scanners can range between $50 for hand held models all the way up into the thousands of greenbacks for the console PC based units. The great thing about having your own OBD-II scanners is that it will help you identify where engine difficulties are originating. Instead of guessing what the issue is or ignoring that check engine light, now you can diagnose the problem yourself and decide if it is something that you can fix yourself or if you will need to bring the automobile to an automobile repair center to have the issue fixed and the code cleared from the system.

If you do not need to buy OBD-II scanners you don't have to, you can take your automobile into your local auto repair shop and have them hook it to their scanner. This can usually cost. Most shops will charge anywhere from $25 to $150 for the employment of the scanner. This is where having your own scanner will save you money, although you could be capable of finding a store that will not charge if you've got the repairs done there.

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