Human beings are neither the strongest, nor the fastest creatures on this planet, but we are arguably the most successful. Some might say that our ability to use tools sets us apart from the beasts. Others might say that our brains and ingenuity give us an advantage. Any person with a brain and access to the right tools is a formidable force indeed. In the age of the Internet, many of our tools look different from what they did for early man, or even 20 years ago. Computers play a big part in our lives for better or worse, and they are all over the place in our cars. If you drive a car made after 1996, then your car has an OBD2 port, and you need an OBD2 scanner.
What Is OBD2?
OBD2 is the 2nd version of a system designed for On-Board Diagnostics of automobile emissions. If you do a google image search for 1970’s LA smog, you will understand the phrase “you can’t trust air you can’t see.” California started the process of requiring data loggers and sensors on all new cars sold there around 1982. This requirement was revised nationally into the Clean Air Act in 1990, and by 1999 all cars had to be fully compliant. This means that any car sold in the United States after this law went into effect needed to have an OBD2 port. And where there is a port, there is an OBD2 scanner to allow you to connect to the computer and read the emissions data.
What Can I Learn From Emissions Data?
You may not care about how clean the exhaust coming out of your car is, but the U.S. government thinks you should. This is why there is that little check engine light on your instrument cluster. Most modern engines have a LOT of sensors that can feed data into the ECU. There are mass air flow sensors on the intake to tell how much air is coming in. There are oxygen sensors on the exhaust to see how well the fuel is burning. If the sensors on your engine, exhaust, fuel tank, etc. find anything amiss, you get a light on the dash. Fortunately, the computer holds a lot more information than “There is a problem.”, and if you have an OBD2 Scanner, then the computer can tell you exactly what is wrong.
Without an OBD2 Scanner, you really can’t do much but take your car to a mechanic when the light comes on. This is a big win for a lot of mechanics, for a couple reasons. One reason is that a car can seem like it runs fine, but still throw a check-engine-light. This means that even without government mandated compliance, you are more likely to bring your car in. The other reason is that any dope can plug in a computer and google “how to fix a p0401 code“. If you have the right tool, that dope could be you.
But Wait There’s More!
Almost anything your car knows about itself can be monitored in almost real time. The interface of old OBD2 scanners didn’t lend itself to doing much more than reading a code. Today, the average person carries a touch screen, wifi/bluetooth enabled computer in their pocket. For not much more money than you would spend buying a tool that can just read and clear codes, you can buy a wireless adapter for your smartphone. This gives you access to dashboards like you see above by running an app on your phone.
Live sensor data can help you determine if you really need a new catalytic converter, or maybe the sensor is just bad. You don’t even have to be the one to wrench on your car to reap the benefit of having a scanner. Knowing more about what is actually wrong can save you a ton of money by not paying for service you don’t need.
The World is Bigger Than Standard Codes
When I bought my BMW, I was introduced to the world of dealership ECU programming. New cars are a lot more advanced than most of us know. To that end your car may even vary your alternator output based on the type and age of your battery. When I put a new battery in my car, this meant that I had to take the car to the dealership to program it. With a price of over $100 to register a battery, there is some room to buy tools. Enter Carly for BMW for iPhone.
This app cost me $40 plus the in app purchase to unlock the ability to program a new battery. With only one use I am in the black and saving money. Not only can this app reprogram my battery, but it can read all of the other BMW specific codes that other apps cannot. I’m like Jasmine on a magic carpet ride: in a whole new world of manufacturer specific ECU data.
You Can’t Fix Some Things Without A Scan Tool
If you have read my article on changing Toyota Transmission Fluid, you know that a scan tool is essential for certain jobs. You may have to buy an app plugin like I did for OBDFusion, but there was no other reliable way to measure the Transmission temperature with the car running. Your modern automobile has complicated systems that keep it running well, and changing parts sometimes isn’t the whole procedure. Some manufacturers require OBD2 access to reset service lights, and once you have the tool, you can do it yourself.
If You Don’t Have One, Get One
Apps like OBDFusion or Carly for BMW can make it easy for you to interface with your cars brain. Before I got my OBD2 Scanner, I was largely intimidated by onboard car computers. You don’t have to spend a fortune to level up your mechanical abilities when the technology is so accessible. I carry my WiFi OBD2 Scanner with me everywhere, and it has helped me or my friends countless times. Sometimes you just need to clear an intermittent code, and that can save lots of headaches from not knowing.