How To Use a Car Diagnostic Tool or Scanner
Whenever there’s a problem with a vehicle that you can’t answer, it’s time to pull out your car diagnostic tools. Car diagnostic tools and OBD-II scanners help a mechanic understand what the problem is when the symbols on your dashboard—like the check engine symbol—light up. There are many different things that each symbol can represent, so using a car diagnostic tool will clear up any confusion and allow the mechanic to pinpoint the exact problem. Knowing how to use a car diagnostic tool or scanner is an essential skill that enables mechanics to solve automotive issues with efficiency.
Plug It In
Car diagnostic tools can vary in their specialties, but many require that you turn off the vehicle and plug the device into a vehicle’s ODB-II port. This port is typically located near the vehicle’s steering wheel, but this may vary based on the make of the car. Once you’ve plugged in the diagnostic tool, you can turn on the car. The display of an OBD-II scanner may ask for the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN.
After you’ve entered the VIN, and the tool finishes testing the vehicle, the scanner will display any error codes. If you want, you can perform another scan to make sure the results are correct. If the scanner displayed the codes by error, you can clear them after the scan and turn off the check engine light.
Check the Error Codes
A basic ODB-II scanner will only show an error code after a diagnostic scan. The technology in scanners is improving to provide more detailed error code information after a scan or even display extra vehicle information and statistics. Now that you have the error code, you can search for it online or look at the details on your diagnostic tool. A mechanic may support software to download and interpret diagnostic tool results immediately on a computer. From this research, you should be able to decipher what’s wrong with the vehicle.
Fix the Vehicle
To complete your training in how to use a car diagnostic tool or scanner, you’ll need to use your mechanic skills to fix the vehicle. At this point, you’ve diagnosed exactly what’s wrong and can use that knowledge to fix the problem. Make sure to confirm what the error code said was wrong for yourself before getting to work. The process of using a diagnostic tool shouldn’t take you too much time.
Tooldom boasts a huge selection of automotive diagnostic tools that specialize in brakes, power, or heavy-duty vehicles, along with scanners that hook up to your phone or computer through Bluetooth. When you need tools that will make the diagnostic phase of repair go faster, rely on us to keep you supplied.