Love the free scanner tests at Auto Parts stores

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Had Abs light come on. Took it to AutoZone and had it scanned. Needs a new wheel sensor. Price was actually decent and should be an easy fix.

Have you ever had anything scanned or do you have your own?
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Had Abs light come on. Took it to AutoZone and had it scanned. Needs a new wheel sensor. Price was actually decent and should be an easy fix.

Have you ever had anything scanned or do you have your own?

have a couple of my own

ScanguageII perm. hooked up in the car. it does the basics.
also have an ELM327 Clone "hacked" w/an HSCAN/MSCAN switch, that I use with a few different pieces of software.
 
Up in Canada we don't have many stores that scan for free. Bought a cheap scanner for under $40 at the time. Upgraded to a better one from Harbor freight with the ABS for around $100.

Now you cann use your smart phone with the Bluetooth adapter, there's no good excuse to have your own scanner.
 
I had a CEL turn on with my truck while going into town to pick up an alternator for my Jeep. Had I not been already there and using the parts stores goods and services, I would have just waited until I got home.

Something about the EGR pintle valve stuck open? I reset it once I got home and it hasn't been back since. This was New Years Eve actually.
 
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I have a cheap $10 scanner that works with my iPhone.

The Camry was running bad last year and finally set a CEL for a misfire. Found a burned spark plug wire.

My Jeep was running bad too and finally set a CEL for an O2 sensor, that I recently replaced. Used an OEM one and it runs great.
 
I typically use Carista app with a cheap OBDII BT dongle. In addition to scanning for error codes, it also allows for various customizations on wife's Q5. My 530i is too old for any kind of customizations, but I can still read and clear error codes.
 
I have a $15-20 OBD II dongle and use the Torque Pro app on my phone ($5?).
Started getting persistent CELs with tranny-related codes at the start of February, knew it could not be good news when they kept returning after I would clear them. Car also felt a little odd when backing up.
Ended up having a valve body in my CVT replaced under warranty, Subaru extended their CVT warranties to 100kmiles a few months before that.
Also had a weird code pop up once right after I had just filled up and added a new fuel injector cleaner with PEA, the code was something to do with a fuel level sensor. It was good to be able to clear that as the turbo was disabled in that particular limp mode and my car felt like a '70s Caddy with a lawnmower engine. Never bought that cleaner again and never saw the code again...I still keep in mind that correlation is not causality.
 
I bought my own for the convience of using at home.
I paid around $40.00

Plus, it should detect Pending Codes that don't yet show up on CEL
So I check it in Spring / Fall while doing PM work.
 
With a 1985-up Chrysler product,you don't even need a scan tool.Key dance is all you need.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Had Abs light come on. Took it to AutoZone and had it scanned. Needs a new wheel sensor. Price was actually decent and should be an easy fix.

Have you ever had anything scanned or do you have your own?


99% DIY (unless I'm caught on the road without my kit). I have a bloetooth OBD2 dongle and Torque for most vehicles, and a ELM327 with Forscan for my Fords.
 
which of the guys have the scanner which gives ABS and/or Airbag codes? These scanners are only now getting around $100 price point.

If you have $10 gizmo giving you ABS/SRC codes, I am all ears.
 
Watch SMA or other videos on YT to learn proper diagnosis and why you can't just go running around with a code reader. Firing parts to solve an issue can end up being very costly.
 
Exactly.
A code which sends you in the correct hemisphere is a good start.
A code can be effected by something else.
Sometimes a particular sensor picks up on the problem and shade tree mechanics "go for" the sensor (or its closest, apparent part).
EX: An O2 sensor detects a lean out of trim condition and people replace the sensor needlessly.

My very first code was a "bulls eye" P0138 on Sis' Jeep 4.0l. A sensor just died.

I got a ScanGuage (1st gen.) and a BSR-PPC reader which is made for Volvos. The BSR reads in Volvo's language. Each module stores codes.
 
A while back, I bought one of these OBD-II dongles from Amazon for about $12. It stays in the car 24/7 connected to the OBD-II port. I also have the Torque Pro app installed on my old Galaxy S3 phone, which I keep mounted in my car whenever I'm driving anywhere over (approximately) 5 miles away. I have it mounted on a magnetic vent mount.

I have configured a few screens of 'dials' in Torque Pro, and I basically use it as a 2nd HUD providing extra info, like coolant temp, EGR status, MAF flow, intake vacuum, etc..
full-64489-6402-phon.jpg


When my car has thrown a code (rare), I just switch it to scan the codes as needed.

If you have the space, and are willing to spend the relatively small amount to get one of these dongles (they range from about $10 to about $100), and willing to take the time connecting and configuring Torque on your phone, then I definitely recommend doing this.
 
Originally Posted By: ZZman
Had Abs light come on. Took it to AutoZone and had it scanned. Needs a new wheel sensor. Price was actually decent and should be an easy fix.

Have you ever had anything scanned or do you have your own?


I do my own but you have to be careful with free scans at parts stores, many times the code does not get to the root of the problem and you can end up buying parts you don't need and in many cases are not returnable.
These monkeys see an O2 code and the next thing you know the guy is walking out with a new O2 as an example.

A good rule of thumb is use the info they give you as a starting point for further diagnosis, do not buy any parts based on their recommendation unless its clearly defective eg broken connector of burned.
I had a Nissan Z with $600 of new sensors in it when it was just a loose hose.
 
Originally Posted By: SirTanon
A while back, I bought one of these OBD-II dongles from Amazon for about $12. It stays in the car 24/7 connected to the OBD-II port. I also have the Torque Pro app installed on my old Galaxy S3 phone, which I keep mounted in my car whenever I'm driving anywhere over (approximately) 5 miles away. I have it mounted on a magnetic vent mount.

I have configured a few screens of 'dials' in Torque Pro, and I basically use it as a 2nd HUD providing extra info, like coolant temp, EGR status, MAF flow, intake vacuum, etc..
full-64489-6402-phon.jpg


When my car has thrown a code (rare), I just switch it to scan the codes as needed.

If you have the space, and are willing to spend the relatively small amount to get one of these dongles (they range from about $10 to about $100), and willing to take the time connecting and configuring Torque on your phone, then I definitely recommend doing this.


Interesting. I have never heard of these things.
 
Not available here, AFAIK.

This is OK since it wouldn't be any use to me anyway, partly because theres nowhere to plug it in, mostly because I wouldn't trust a local mechanic, (and certainly not a parts store operative, if there were any), to do it.

The above are mostly success stories, but I console myself with the many expensive wild goose chase stories I've also heard.

I do have a Colortune though. Could also use a Tach/dwell meter.
 
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