However, it is only utilized in older automobiles newer models utilize OBDII, an improved version. The On-Board Diagnostics software system in an automobile is referred to as an OBD. Then they address the minor issues on their own, saving money on ties, gasoline, and inspections. This is why many automobile owners would rather spend a little amount of money on an OBD, or OBDII, scanner. This a not a magic box of tricks that will fix the fault for you, it is just a tool like a spanner and will only indicate where or what the fault is !!įor most of my life I have worked on cars, now a retired aircraft engineer this tool is a must if you want to continue doing your own repairs or helping others !!! I already have 2 other cars to look at with airbag faults, one being my daughters.Every year, we pay a lot of money merely to get our OBD system tested. All fault codes can be saved to the mem card if required for future reference etc. Active faults can not be reset/cleared until the fault has been fixed, as in my case, a broken wire in the airbag system. These can be reset and cleared from the code reader. Passive faults are faults the have occurred and been registered in the system (ie intermittent/transient faults). Before using for the first time, I registered the tester and did a full update which took around 20 mins, returned the mem card to the unit and was ready to go.Īny faults detected are displayed as Active or Passive. This is used to update the software, ie remove the 16GB mem card, plug into the USB adapter and then into your PC.

It comes with any cables required and supplied a tough plastic carry case and manual, also a USB card reader. So in essence this has already paid for it's self, with the cost of getting it diagnosed at a garage and then repaired.

I repaired the damaged cable, re checked the fault code with was no longer ' an active fault ' I was able to clear the fault and was therefore able to take my car for it's test and it passed, all due to this diagnostic tester. With this tool I was able to pin point the area of the fault and found the damaged cable within minuets. I had an airbag fault on my car which is an MOT failure and just 2 days left to go for my test!! Without knowing where to look it is an almost impossible task ! A great and invaluable tool for the everyday mechanic, with today's complex computer controlled engine management systems on cars these days, it is a must have diagnostic tool.

Foxwell nt614 elite update