how to buy an obd ii scanner?

Question

how do iknow what to buy, my car is an 2004, and most models say after 96 is fine, but how do they work, do they only work if the engine light is on? how much should i be spending for a pretty good one? any samples/links/model numbers would be good. thanks a lot

Answer 1

The changeover from OBD1 to OBD2 was in 96. The government regulated that the cars manufactured after that be OBD2. A GOOD scanner will run you around $220-$250. I use a SNAP-ON M.O.D.I.S. in my shop. it ran close to $7,000 for the base unit. I also purchased the extra plugs for vehicle specific applications. Most code readers will give you "Generic" codes such as O2 sensor default. What will happen is that the O2 sensor will read the gases from the exhaust are wrong and it will send the code to the ECU, and instant check engine light. However the problem may have been the sparkplug misfired and caused the bad gases. You buy the O2 sensor $65.00 and the problem still is there. Instead of giving the specific code for the misfire you spent $60.00 more than you needed and still have the problem. So don't get a $40.00 scanner it will cost you more in the long run.

Answer 2

A "Code Reader" costs as little as $80, only works when the check engine light is on or there is a code in history and doesn't give you any performance or diagnostic data - it just reads codes. These are quite popular for some reason but in my opinion totally useless as a diagnostic tool since the trouble code doesn't tell you what to fix, just where to start looking. Most people don't understand that and end up throwing endless parts at the problem without fixing it.

A "scanner" can cost $800 for a crappy one to $6,000 for a good one and gives you not just codes but TSB's and recalls, diagnostic and troubleshooting procedures, real-time and freeze-frame data, etc.

Answer 3

A OBD scanner will in straight forward terms set a code for the crank place sensor on condition that it sees it is electrically malfunctioning. If in resistance, you may no longer confirm it without a o-scope as somebody reported. Ford crank place sensors would be intermittent now and returned yet very hardly ever flow down with out placing a code. Cam sensors additionally govern gas and could now and returned fail at greater RPMs with out codes yet no gas spray and intermittent spark concerns me. yet many stuff would reason those indicators which contain a fuse being blown (powering the PCM) however the crank is oftentimes checked via Ford techs with a ingredient called a ruin out field and a a/c voltmeter (the ruin out field facilitates the tech to "flow between" the PCM and the motor vehicle harness to accurately gauge what is going on. you may examine the the tooth ring on the crank pulley and if particularly demanding , replace the crank sensor and retest yet with out seeing the motor vehicle, i can not inform you (BTW, are you helpful he's getting 12 volts on the gas injector on the crimson twine and that the different twine is pulsing while cranking?) additionally the gas pump will run for some seconds once you turn the main on self sufficient of the crank sensor... so if after 5 turns of the main, in case you haven't got gas tension, it's time to seem someplace else and practically all tauruses use a timing chain that i'm attentive to (in straight forward terms lots of the older SHOs had a belt if I undergo in innovations)

Answer 4

Try checking out http://www.obdii.com/ lots of info there.

Paul