OBD in a nutshell
I get a lot of questions about what an OBD is in a car and what the task of scanning is supposed to do. These questions almost always include the words “expensive” and “necessary”.
Well, an OBD or “On-Board Diagnostic” is an automotive term referring to a vehicle’s self-diagnostic and reporting capability. OBD systems give the vehicle owner or service specialists access to the status of the various vehicle sub-systems usually stored in the vehicle’s Engine Computer Unit(ECU). When your Check Engine Light or the other lights in the dashboard, that are usually off during operation, decides to turn On, that is what we call a fault.
The OBD Scanning is a tool that pinpoints what’s behind the fault.
In a nutshell: The on-board diagnostic is a feature of a modern car that started in the 90s. This is an intelligent system where different types of the sensors are integrated into the vital areas of the vehicle that monitor the performance and report the status to a central control computer.
These sensors relay information on whether those areas are working according to the designed specifications of the vehicle or not. When any differences are found, the sensors trigger a warning light on the vehicle’s dashboard, giving a signal to the driver thata part may need to be repaired or addressed.
The several diagnostic codes are stored in the system which is reflected on the dashboard panel, but there are a thousand different errors that could occur. To eliminate the confusion, the mechanics will need to plug one end of the OBD cable to the OBD port in the car’s dashboard, the other end to a computer and diagnose the problem by conveniently reading the data.
The first OBD system with vehicle’s self-diagnostic and reporting capability was in road cars in 1989 in Japan and Europe and subsequently made is wayin the US in 1991. This system did not have an access port or plug where you could pull out information from the car’s computer unit with a cable. It had a simple service protocol signal system based on the warning light codes in the dash. A sequence of blinks was a standard procedure of reading the error or fault codes.
In 1995, a new OBD-2 was introduced and soon was mandated to be fully implemented in all the cars manufactured and sold in the USA and eventually, all over the world. The improved OBD 2 already had an access port where the service specialist can attach his computer to through a cable. With a paired software, he could pinpoint the area where the engine sensor was giving a faulty code, hence giving more accurate diagnosis.
Presently, almost all types of the passenger cars in the Philippines have OBD-II systems integrated in their engine managements. This is for service centers to accurately pinpoint faults in cars, eliminating the guessing games. This system also reads faults that pinpoint high emission, lesser economy, low-performance, and hundreds of small issues. The diagnostic software that manages this system offers a ton of benefits to the Taxis and Transp ort Network Vehicle Service, Car rentals and Fleet Services as downtime will be cut by a big margin.
Is the OBD Diagnostic Scan really that expensive? If your car throws a tantrum, the scan in the dealer (casa) normally ranges from P 1,500 to 10,000 depending on the car brand, with high-end brands charging more. Yes, high-end brands and models tend to cost more in maintenance, parts and diagnostics too. If you want a cheaper alternative, go to your trusted service mechanic for a scan.
Is it necessary? Yes, it is. It’s about the only way to pinpoint a busted sensor in your engine. Unless the fix is pretty obvious, the OBD scanning is practically a protocol in every trusted shop. I personally would trust a scan over a guessing mechanic.
Another good thing about a OBD Scan Tool is that you can buy one for yourself and is widely available all over the shopping sites in the net. Cheapest is just about a thousand to more than a P 100,000 for the ultra-universal, ultra-sensitive ones. With your own OBD Scanner and a bit of Youtube assistance, you can now do a DIY fix.