EOBD diagnostic tools

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Further to my thread in the 'engine' section

( http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engine/181620-using-eobd-code-readers-merc.html )

asking about DIY diagnostic tools , which can be plugged into the EOBD port on newer cars and used to display fault codes , I thought it worth starting a more visible thread here to make more members aware of them .

It would be fair to point out that such code readers will never be a substitute for a proper diagnosis on a STAR machine in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing , but for the semi technical , a low cost code reader which can give a pointer in the right direction might be a useful thing .

Prior to starting the thread , I was only aware of the standalone readers at circa £100 which can be bought from various outlets , and some of them look to be very good , although I have no experience of them .

I was , however , pleasantly surprised to find that there are much lower cost devices which use a bluetooth/wi-fi/or USB interface to connect to your Android/iOS device or Windows computer to work in conjunction with free or inexpensive software .

The one I was pointed towards can be found on the following website and may be of interest

Outils OBD Facile - Car diagnostics - OBD2 plug and automobile diagnostic software

I have ordered an interface for use with my iPhone and will report back how I get on with it .

The interface I ordered via the link in the other thread was £13.99 and the basic software was a free download , with a 'Pro' version available for £10-odds , so not a bank-breaking cost .

I will just finish with a word of caution - not having tried this yet - but I would imagine that merely reading codes from your car is unlikely to do much harm , but with devices which have the capability to delete codes or change settings , there may be a real danger of messing things up or even doing damage - so go carefully .

Then there is also the matter of correctly interpreting codes read from the device to work out what is actually wrong with the car . This may be helpful to some but , equally , may not be for everyone .

Perhaps some members more 'in the know' would care to add their comments and any experiences of these devices ?
 
I've had a device that hooks up to USB for years. They all do pretty much the same thing - it's the software that makes the difference and you can usually get specific software for different car types.

I've used it to reset the airbag light on a BMW (I removed the steering wheel and forgot to connect it up before turning on the car, so nothing wrong with it), used it to determine that the thermostat was faulty on my Ford SMax and when I had an issue with my latest Focus, it diagnosed that the intake temp sensor was faulty. It wasn't but the plug wasn't seated properly.

They're well worth it, but you have to have a basic knowledge of mechanics and electricals and a methodical brain as they don't "tell" you what's wrong, just report errors from modules on the car.

The Ford software I have is very impressive (for free), it can test various modules on the car, including ABS system etc. and report back any faults after testing.
 
I have used this : WiFi WLAN ELM327 OBD2 Car Code Scanner for iPhone iPod iPad diagnostic scan tool | eBay with DashCommand & it picked up a MAF fault & also reset another fault, I have also recently purchased a STAR system as I had to enable my CD Changer & find a fault on the MOST ring both work great.

DashCommand & Torque are good for a bit of fun having dashboards with boost, revs etc & simple error code reading & resetting.

STAR from the little I have used is very powerful & can code modules as well.

Dan
 
danch said:
I have used this : WiFi WLAN ELM327 OBD2 Car Code Scanner for iPhone iPod iPad diagnostic scan tool | eBay with DashCommand & it picked up a MAF fault & also reset another fault, I have also recently purchased a STAR system as I had to enable my CD Changer & find a fault on the MOST ring both work great. DashCommand & Torque are good for a bit of fun having dashboards with boost, revs etc & simple error code reading & resetting. STAR from the little I have used is very powerful & can code modules as well. Dan

Where did you buy the star from and how much ??

Thei
 
Where did you buy the star from and how much ??

Thei

I sourced it from here :

MB STAR compact C4 Fit IBM T30 With 2014.07 software

Working great & great support from them also, arrived in 2 days, I had also bought a D630 laptop to run the STAR software. :thumb:

Dan
 

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