You can get basic data about the car as well as error codes from your car yourself and without visiting a service center. All you need is a small box for a few hundred and a smartphone.
The infamous orange engine light, nicknamed the grilled chicken by the driver, appeared on the dashboard of our car. Something is wrong, but we don’t know what. In today’s cars, this warning can mean about a million things. So if you feel a little panicky at such a moment, your fears are justified. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy way to find out what caused the evil alarm light to turn on. So you don’t have to drive to the service center for every potential puncture to have the car inspected. You can find out the error codes that are written into the car’s memory when the warning light comes on right at the parking spot.
All you need for this is a smartphone and mobile diagnostics that connect via bluetooth. It can be purchased in general electronics stores for a few hundred crowns. The module used in the test cost us three hundred. You will also need one of the mobile applications that can work with the module. There is an abundance of them, their basic versions are free in mobile application stores. Even in basic variants, however, they can be a useful helper, displaying a lot of data. So you don’t have to force yourself to buy them right away. For a fee, they usually offer only slightly more data or, for example, the removal of ads.
A 2017 Opel Zafira with a 1.4 unit and 103 kW power was used as a test car. The check engine light comes on occasionally, but is off most of the time. The car was recently serviced, but no defects were found. As if on purpose, after returning, the orange light grins evilly at us again. Emotionally, however, we don’t notice any deterioration while driving, and we don’t want to go back to the workshop right away. So it’s the perfect time to try out the diagnostic box.
Approach
1. First of all, you need to find the OBD II diagnostic connector in the car, to which we will connect the module. According to the standard, it must be easily accessible. It must be located in the interior, at a maximum distance of 50 centimeters from the steering wheel. In most cars, you will therefore find the socket under it. Right under the edge of the dashboard, we also find it after a while of searching. In cars of some brands, however, the socket can also be located on the other side of the dashboard or under the cover in the center console.
2. After connecting the module, we can turn on the ignition and pair it with the phone. Even before that, however, you need to select the car brand and year of manufacture in the diagnostic application on the phone in order to help the module communicate with the car. In the list of bluetooth devices on the phone, we then find one called OBDII and after entering the base code 1234, we connect it. Now everything is ready.
3. Our chosen OBDclick, randomly selected from free options in the mobile app store, is clear and easy to use. However, the downside may be that it is only in English. However, some applications from other developers are also available in Czech – for example, Car Scanner. But they all offer identical functions, their controls are also similar. The main menu contains basic information about the car. The current speed, battery voltage or coolant temperature can be seen here. In addition, the intake air temperature is also displayed here. We have several options here – mainly diagnostics and performance data.
4. In the main menu, we are interested in the first button – diagnostics. After pressing it, another menu pops up, which already allows access to individual data. First, we will look at the operational information about the vehicle, which we can see in real time thanks to the module. In addition to the data displayed in the main menu, we can find information about, for example, intake pressure, catalyst temperature, advance value, lambda probe voltage or perhaps engine load. But we were mainly interested in the data on the mixture ratio compensation in percentages. They are already telling us that something is probably wrong. The long-term value is high, indicating a lean mixture that the computer must compensate for.
5. After viewing the data in real time, we immediately go to the next option – Error codes. This brings us to the list of error codes written in the computer’s memory. We find here only a single code P0171 with a strangely Czech, albeit incorrect, description “system too lean, bank 1”. In common parlance, it can be translated as too lean mixture. This confirms our suspicions.
6. A search on the Internet reveals that the P0171 code is not the crash we were hoping for. A mixture that is too lean can have several causes – from cracks in the intake system to broken sensors to faulty fuel injectors. This is already beyond our domestic capabilities, so the car will head to the workshop as soon as possible.
7. Out of curiosity, we try the last step that the module should be able to do – erasing error codes. During the preparation of this article, we learned in several places that the deletion of errors is unreliable. Deletion may not be successful, it is said that the connection between the phone and the module may even be lost. However, we succeeded without any problems and on the first try. The application warns before that deleting the code does not solve the problem and the car needs to be repaired. Otherwise, the error may reappear at any time.
Verdict: A handy helper
We cannot avoid another visit to the service center, but the small box for a few crowns has proven itself. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information that a cheap device can get from a car. At the same time, I was also pleased with the possibility to delete codes from the car’s memory directly and simply. We were worried it would be a problem. However, the module’s capabilities are limited – it can only connect to the engine or gearbox control unit. He does not see other units in the car. It does not offer so many functions compared to classic diagnostic devices at prices of many thousands of crowns, which are available at service centers. However, it is plenty enough for basic diagnostics of the most important components. Diagnostics is indispensable for identifying simpler defects that can be repaired at home.
Where diagnostics will be useful to you
The module can be connected from all cars equipped with an OBD II connector. All cars manufactured since the mid-nineties should have it. But be careful – diagnostics cannot work with the older ones. The manufacturer of our module claims that it will only work reliably with newer ones.
Module compatibility European vehicles (petrol) from 2000 European vehicles (diesel) from 2004 American vehicles from 1996 Asian vehicles from 2000
2024-03-03 10:46:00
#diagnose #car #phone #box
