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 ?
( 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 ?