ECU readers

[RogerS]

The Mazda throwing up a 'Check Engine' warning light got me Googling and in passing saw reference to code readers being available on eBay for between £30 and £50. Well, haven't managed to find one that low in price...more like £130 or so. But it did get me wondering whether it might be worth having one of those in the car.

My reasoning is that all our cars are elderly and so one could expect to start getting more niggly possibly intermittent problems. Or warning lights that come on such as the Check Engine one. If one was able to read the codes one would perhaps be then a bit better informed as to whether one could limp home/wait for a recovery etc.

Just wondered if anyone else had experience or thought about getting one.

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Search under OBD 2 scanner - you can even get software to load onto a lappy and a lead to plug into the car.

I have a stand alone Can-Bus version which has been very useful to me and my associates.



Regards Mick

 

[KevM]

Do a search on Amazon/Ebay for OBDII/OBD2 - I bought a unit with Bluetooth for less than a tenner delivered and then bought the Torque app for Android that allowed me to read diagnostic information and reset. I'm sure similar software is available for Apple and PCs equipped with Bluetooth.
For me the cost of reader and software was well worth it, and less than the cost of a diagnostic at my local independent garage.

 

[nev]

as above

a new basic standalone one cost me 12 quid on ebay, which identified and reset most of the idiot lights on my rover.

 

[RogerS]

Thanks guys. A quick check throws up quite a few that seem to support the same list of cars. One of ours is on that list RX8 (CAN)...whatever CAN means. But the other two aren't featured. Does this mean that there are some type specific readers? I'm after one to read a 1999 Honda S2000 and a Discovery 2 on an '04 plate.

Does torque convert the codes into something human-understandable?

 

[KevM]

CAN stands for Controller Area Network, a technology developed by Bosch and now ubiquitous in the car industry, basically it connects all of the interfaces in your car from engine RPM, turbo boost, coolant temperature....

Yes, Torque converts codes to human readable, there may be better out there - it was the first one I stumbled across and worked for my car. From memory you can install the free version or check on their website to check your car is on their database. I've not actually used it since I made the irritating light on my Toyota go away! It did seem a little boy racer oriented, e..g. measuring 0-60 times, etc.

 

[RogerS]

...., e..g. measuring 0-60 times, etc.

Thanks, Kev

LOL....the minute hand on my watch will do just fine to measure that on the Disco.

 

[nev]

you can get simple car specific ones like mine (cheaper) or multi car / multi connection ones (proper and more expensive)
probably worth a call to someone like http://www.obd2express.co.uk/wholesale/car-code-reader/
sorry i cant be more specific

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Fault code definitions are readily available on the web if your code reader does not give them

Regards Mick