Since 2001, all vehicles powered by gasoline have been required to have what is known as an “OBD2” interface.
Since 2004, it has been a standard feature on diesel-powered vehicles. Because of the ever-increasing complexity of modern automobiles, these valuable tools make diagnosing and fixing problems much more straightforward, which is both convenient and essential.
Finding any remaining traces of potentially hazardous substances
It isn’t easy to conceptualize how car engines were assembled before the 1970s, given the state of the industry today.
They were large machines that used up a lot of leaded gasoline and released exhaust gases into the environment without purification being carried out on them.
This was still the norm at the beginning of the 1980s.
The transition from led to unleaded gasoline involved a significant uphill battle and ushered in a genuine revolution.
On the other hand, the exhaust fumes were unsafe for one’s health. As a fuel component, benzene eventually replaced lead as the material of choice.
It is believed that this, in turn, may be detrimental to one’s health. In addition, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides will always be produced whenever atmospheric oxygen is involved in a combustion process.
Carbon dioxide would still be a problem even if it could completely filter out all of these pollutants.
During the combustion process in the engine, carbon-containing gasoline is converted into carbon dioxide when it comes into contact with the oxygen in the atmosphere.
Even though it is more or less natural gas, it is a hazardous substance that contributes to the greenhouse effect.
Clean combustion is a challenge from a technical standpoint
A significant amount of technical effort is required to achieve the highest possible cleanliness in the exhaust gases produced by gasoline or diesel-powered vehicles.
In the days of the Volkswagen Beetle, simple engine controls for reducing pollution had already been developed.
In a short time, unregulated catalytic converters were phased out and replaced by three-way catalytic converters, which have been the focus of research and development ever since.
Due to the high soot particle formation in diesel engines, exhaust gas purification presents a tough challenge for diesel-powered vehicles.
Urea injection is the most recent development in technology. This technique has already proven successful for construction equipment and industrial vehicles and also finds increasing application in automobile engines.
The engine now bears the imprint of each of these advancements in technology.
Before the combustion process begins, a significant number of recently invented components are activated to clean the exhaust gases that are produced.
Adjustments to ignition management, intake air coolers, and exhaust gas recirculation, amongst many other things, must be made to forestall the formation of contaminants in advance.
This operates quite effectively most of the time.
Complex but delicate systems
The high technical sophistication required for exhaust gas purification systems increases the likelihood of malfunctions.
Each setback has a multiplicative impact that can result in significant fallout.
1. Defective components are unable to carry out their function any longer.
2. The control system is being fed inaccurate data, which results in it not functioning correctly.
The monitoring system was implemented so that the vehicle would not inadvertently emit excessive pollutants over time or damage the various engine components.
Because it is constantly monitoring for errors, the control device can respond even before significant damage has been done.
However, the control unit cannot repair a malfunctioning component in the system. The operator’s assistance is required for this activity; consequently, the OBD was developed so that operator would know where the problem was located.
OBD2 is functional, accessible, and reasonably priced.
The “reading of mistake memory” was for a long time a mystery operation that required expensive specialized equipment to do it.
For a long time, this was the case. Auto repair firms would demand a hefty fee for this procedure even before removing the first nut or bolt from the car.
Anyone can now easily get on-board diagnostics for a surprisingly low cost. This is possible because OBD2 parts have undergone rigorous standardization.
The law specifies the dimensions of the connector, its precise location, and the kinds of error codes that can be generated.
The only permitted position for the common double-row flat plug needed to attach a diagnostic system is the driver’s operating area.
It frequently sits beneath the car’s steering wheel or on the left side of the fuse box. If you look at the operating instructions, you can get more information.
Any appropriate device can be connected. Although it was still feasible to use OBD1 alone in the past, automakers are no longer permitted to travel alone.
Standardized connections and the interpretation of error codes have resulted in a significant decrease in the cost of diagnostic equipment.
Real high-performance PCs may now be bought for about $50, compared to the hundreds of euros these devices used to cost only a few years ago.
The ace up your sleeve in this situation is that the driver supplies a significant portion of the required computing power in addition to the display options.
Although the gadgets are adequate, wireless plugs are vastly superior.
checking equipment for mistakes Today, memories are still a commodity that can be bought. However, they face a formidable and, to be quite honest, far superior rival in the form of smartphones or tablets.
All that is required of these widely implemented standard devices is an interface to the control system and an appropriate program.
This connection point is provided by a wireless plug, which is available for purchase for as little as twenty euros and has a great price range of just twenty to thirty dollars.
However, exercise extreme caution. In a situation such as this, one would purchase the specialized trade.
The devices purchased through online marketplaces are frequently imitations that are either faulty or do not send signals.
The plug-in module needs to be connected to the car’s OBD2 port. All that is needed right now is a competent smartphone application.
These will either set you back a tiny amount of money or won’t cost you anything at all. This makes figuring out what’s wrong with the car relatively simple.
It is generally safe to assume that any supplier of radio-controlled sockets offers a customer-downloadable app.
If the quality of the gadget is higher, the cost to acquire the corresponding app will be lower.
Genuine professional plugs that cost more than 100 dollars frequently have a free app version that corresponds to the pin.
Compared to complete systems, the topicality of solutions with mobile apps is a significant advantage that sets them apart.
To make the programs better, work is done on them constantly. With only a few mouse clicks, this makes sure you’re always up to date.
It was typically impossible to update the computer’s operating system when using traditional methods, or doing so required significant effort.
Error codes and the appropriate readings of each
The OBD2 error codes are represented by a string of letters and numbers.
The letter should appear first, followed by the four-digit number.
The letters lead to the conclusion that:
Despite this, it does not specify what exactly is broken in the system. However, it gives a rough estimate in the letter.
The following is what the four-digit number indicates:
P-Transmission
B- Body
C- Chassis
U- Data Bus
The precise part designation is shown by the third and fourth numbers.
Example:
The following describes the meaning of the error code P0400:
P: The transmission isn’t working properly.
0 indicates that the error code is correct by the standard.
4: The malfunction is located in a system component that cleans the exhaust gas.
00 The AGR valve indicates that there is a problem.
What is the function of the OBD2 module?
Regardless of whether a wireless plug-in mobile app or the entire device is used, the procedures for reading the error memory are the same.
1. The engine warning light illuminates
When there is an issue with the vehicle’s engine, the engine warning light will come on. This light serves as a fairly general trouble indicator.
There is a yellow indicator light on the dashboard. If this happens, there might either be nothing wrong at all or there might be a serious problem.
The spectrum goes from
“The catalytic converter is not operating as it ought to,” If the engine is not fixed, it will permanently fail from overheating.
As a result, you mustn’t, under any circumstances, disregard this signal. When a modern car’s engine is about to break down, it will activate an emergency program.
Performance has drastically decreased, but it is still safe to drive the car to the nearest mechanic at this point.
2. Making contact with the plug-in module
The plug-in module will be attached to the OBD socket if there is an issue. At that point, the engine warning light will come on. It should be usual practice to activate the plug-in module.
3. Start diagnostics
Diagnostics cannot start on their own; a program or application must start them first.
After a brief pause, the error code will become visible on the screen. In addition, a protocol is developed that supplies information regarding all of the systems.
Applications have the advantage of being able to use the entirety of the screen on a mobile device like a tablet or phone.
In most cases, the only screen available on complete devices is a monochrome display that can only display the error code itself.
A smartphone OBD2 app, on the other hand, will often translate the problem code and deliver it in the proper language automatically. The repair will therefore be simpler as a result.
4. Make the necessary repairs
It is advised that you immediately review the vehicle’s maintenance records to replace or fix the malfunctioning part.
OBD2 is always dependent on the sensors in the car, thus it’s important to examine them.
Sometimes, something as trivial as a wire break or oxidation stains on the connector can be the source of error messages.
The use of electrical tape or sandpaper can fix such defects without the need to replace the offending component.
5. Error memory contents are deleted
Following the completion of the maintenance, the error memory will be reset.
Through the application menu, you select the desired function, and with a single click, the error memory is once again cleared.
