OBD Scan Tools

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Over the past ten years or so, vehicle engines have become ever more complex, with high technology computer management systems being installed as standard. Drivers get better fuel economy and performance from their cars, and mechanics get access to a wealth of diagnostic information that allows them to discover problems faster and more efficiently – provided that they have access to OBD scan tools that can interface with the computer that controls the engine, and download its information.

OBD stands for OnBoard Diagnostics, and is a system by which the engine management computer collects and stores information about many different aspects of the engine so that if a problem occurs, it will be easy to trace the source and then take the appropriate action to remedy it. The first generation of OBD systems was installed into cars back in the early 1980s, and was very limited by today’s high standards. The information that they were able to capture was simplistic at best, and gave very little insight to mechanics about what was happening due to the then very high cost of the early OBD Scan tools.

Over the intervening years, the second generation or OBD 2 scan tools have come onto the market and offer far greater functionality to mechanics, and allow much greater insight into the operating condition of a car on many different levels.

There are numerous OBD scan tools available from a number of different manufacturers, and the difference in prices between models can vary wildly due to the relative complexity of the system. Different auto manufacturers have slightly different implementations of the basic OBD protocols, and this means that you need a tool that is flexible enough to work across a number of different platforms and get the right information from all of them.

Using OBD scan tools is just one step in the mechanical process, but it is just another tool in the arsenal of a mechanic, a way of getting to the bottom of a problem, the skill in knowing what to do in order to correct the malfunction is still essential. Diagnostic tools simply assist in finding out what is wrong in order to be able to take the appropriate action quicker.

OBD scan tools are an essential part of the tool kit of anyone who works with modern vehicles, and choosing one that meets the specific needs of your business can be difficult when you have to weigh up the material cost of the unit against the amount of time that it will save you and your staff over its lifetime.

Even a basic OBD scan tool such as the Equus Products EPI3120 that retails for around $200 from Red Hill Supply offers insightful diagnosis tools that can gather data from many of the top makes of car including Ford, Lincoln, and GM. This tool interfaces with Windows computers to allow further investigation of data, as well as having a large LCD screen that presents information quickly to allow a mechanic to make a rapid diagnosis of problems and take appropriate action.

Although top end OBD scan tools like the OTC Vision Premier Analyzer cost more than 50 times as much as a basic model, the sheer flexibility and scalability that they offer means that they are worth every cent of their $11,000+ price tag. Incredibly fast, able to connect with modern PCs, and fully upgradeable, this is a piece of equipment that is able to revolutionize the workplace. The major benefit of this tool is that it is able to crunch vast amounts of data at incredibly high speed, and then gather information that other OBD scan tools are simply not advanced enough to pick up on. This, coupled with the fact that the tool can be updated whenever you need to by installing new software means that it is perfect for a busy workshop where time and efficiency are essential.

Whether you run a workshop that deals with 20 cars per week or 200, having access to vital information about all areas of engine function through the OBD system makes the task of repairing vehicles much more straightforward. Using OBD scan tools to shoulder the analysis of engine management data means that you can get to the bottom of a problem much faster and then spend your time fixing the problem rather than searching for it as you would have had to do in the past.