Thursday 5 April 2018

A Guide To Selecting The Best Automotive Scan Tool


Since the advent of On Board Diagnostic II, it has become much easier to pick up error signals, interpret them and rectify the anomalies. In fact OBD-II has helped DIY car owners a lot. Whether it is the engine, the fuel supply system, the ignition system, the suspension and brake system or anything else, getting the hang of the problem has become easier than before. As soon as you get the check engine light blinking, diagnostic scan tool notify you that something is not right. However, if the light just glows and stays on, the problem may not be so serious as to necessitate a instant check. In case, the light is blinking, you just need to stop your car and check the condition of the car with an automotive scan tool. But the scan tool must be a true friend of ECU of the car. In other words, it must be able to pick up all the signals emitted by the ECU. The problem with many scanners is that many of them are not able to pick up certain signals like OEM specific signals. This indicates that picking up an diagnostic  scan tool is not an easy task. There are several brands and different models of scanners. However, if you follow a certain principle, it may become easier for you to pick up a tool.

Make, Model And Brand Of The Car

You have to ensure that the automotive scan tool you pick up is compatible with the make, model and brand of your car or truck. This is the basic necessity since there are many scanners which are not compatible with some or the other make, model or brand of automobiles. So ask the salesperson, which of the scanners are compatible with the make, model and brand of your vehicle. There are some scanners which are specifically made for Asian cars and there are some others which are specifically designed for European and US made cars. This does not mean that the scanner made for European cars cannot diagnose the fault in your car at all. However, if the ECU of your car emits some OEM specific signal that the scanner is not equipped to pick up, the problem will go unresolved. So the basic idea is to pick up a scanner that is compatible with your car in all respects. 

Communication Protocol
Cars and trucks follow different communication protocols such as CAN, LIN, Ethernet etc. This is a protocol for communication between different electronic modules of a vehicle. You must see that the scanner is compatible with the embedded communication protocol of your car or truck.

Basic or Advanced Capability?

Are you a small time diy car enthusiast or have professional level knowledge about working of a car. If you are just a small time diy car owner, a basic code reader is enough for you. Such a scanner would just be able to indicate a problem so that the car mechanic does not have to start it from scratch. 

However, if you are confident about your knowledge of cars and their workings, you should go for advanced scanners. These are costly too, but are capable of performing a wide range of functions. Apart from interpreting and sorting out engine, transmission and fuel issues, such advanced scanners are also capable of detecting and resetting airbag system, antilock brake system etc. You can go through the data sent by various sensors in the car in real time. This data may be very helpful in having an idea about the performance of the car, if you are well acquainted with such data. Moreover, a huge benefit of these advanced scanners is that most of them show the definition of the error codes displayed on the screen. So even if you are not aware of some error code, most likely some OEM level code, you get the hang of the problem right away.

Can The Scanner Be Upgraded?

This is another very important aspect of selecting an automotive scan tool. If the scanner cannot be upgraded, it may just become an obsolete piece of device in your garage. So, ensure that the scanner can be upgraded, and also try to get an idea about the price that you need to pay for each upgrade. Some companies do offer one year free upgrade. So, make sure that the one you select offers one year free upgrade.

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