Scanners...Hellllllp!

[Doc Hoy]

I received and am fooling with my scanner. It is an inexpensive ANCEL AD410 for which I paid less than 40.00 and I am happy with it (I think).

 

My question is not about this specific scanner but about scanners in general.

 

I want to verify my knowledge of how these things work.

 

Conceptually, the scanner is connected to the port and the car/truck is running. The scanner reads the vehicles VIN (If it has the capability and mine does) and from the VIN the scanner knows what parameters it will be able to read. It then senses the parameters and if something fall outside of acceptable limits, the vehicle will generate an error/fail test code which the scanner can then present to the user. In my case, the scanner appears to automatically present not just the code but also the title of the failed test.

 

I can also use my scanner to step through various tests of the performance of the truck. So it doesn't just provide data on things that are wrong. It allows me to run tests on other performance.

 

BUT

 

I don't know what the data will tell me about the performance of the truck.

 

Are these test titles pretty much standard?

Are the tests standard but are the titles vehicle specific? (Does Ford call the test of the catalytic converter one thing and Chevy call it something else?)

Once I know the parameter that is being measured, how do I know which system in the truck is being tested?

 

I like this scanner (as I would probably like any similarly priced scanner) but my sense is that I am only using it at about 5% effectiveness

 

 

 

[G B L]

The better the scanner the more vehicle specific codes you will get but the terms that your scanner reads are generic and the same between car brands.

Here is a place to start

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tdmLiyklZMw?rel=0&autoplay=1

[Doc Hoy]

Okay......Very informative.

[Fifty150]

The theory is that the more you spend, the more you get.  

 

With what you have, you could easily solve a lot of your problems.  You can read a code, search online for what the code means, and reset your check engine light.  You should also be able to see things like engine temp, transmission temp, intake air temp, engine load.......and a lot of other information that you may or may not be able to use.  But the fact is that you are able to see all that information, and if need be, collect the data.

 

For a lot less money, about $5 - $10, you could also get a bluetooth device which plugs into the OBDII port, and with a free app download, everything will be on your phone, tablet, laptop, et cetera.  But that is just the gateway to buying very expensive and comprehensive apps which do a whole lot more.

 

You can also move backwards in time like me.  I've got an actual OBDII cable, which plugs into a computer.  Yes.  Way back in the dinosaur days, when laptops were very expensive, I installed a computer in my garage, bought the cable, and sourced software for diagnostics.  Small fortune spent back then.  And now, free phone apps can do more.  

 

The main thing to remember is that pros spend hundreds of dollars on diagnostic equipment.  When regular people like you and I buy something for less than $100, it's almost like a Barbie stethoscope replacing a doctor's office visit.  

 

[Doc Hoy]

150,

 

Yes...Thanks for the info. Trying to isolate the misfire problem has forced me to first buy the scanner and then use it to the minimal amount my brain can assimilate. I'll get better over time. The user manual is not great. But I'll get it worked out. I am going to watch the video that GBL suggested again.

[BSUPC]

Also if you are just reading OBD2 codes then you do not have to have the vehicle running. Just the key in the run position with the engine off will work. 

[Doc Hoy]

Yes. Found that out.

 

In fact I have just bought a second scanner (Foseal ELM327) which will work with an iPad rather than incorporating a display as part of the design. I was initially hesitant about my iPhone or iPad getting to look like the oil pan but after using the Ancel, I realize that the use of the scanner has two phases. 1. Do the readings. 2. Work on the truck. Then it repeats as the repair action continues. Plenty of opportunity to wash my hands before handling my phone or iPad. iPad never leaves the seat of the truck. Never handled by greasy hands.