How To Find Out What’s Wrong With My Car?

So you’ve heard a disturbing sound coming from your car. You lift the bonnet only to be faced with an engine you know barely anything about or worse still, an engine you can barely see or get to. While some may find themselves booking in at their nearest mechanics at the quickest opportunity, here at LJM Car Diagnostics, we have a far better idea - diagnostic tools.

By using an on-board diagnostic tool, you can find out what’s going on with your car and in some cases, even fix the issue yourself without ever having to set foot in a mechanic or pay the usually hefty bill that comes with it.

When To Use Your Diagnostic Tool

Here’s a rundown of when a diagnostic tool may come in handy for checking out the health of your car…

• Dashboard Light Is On - there are numerous lights upon our dashboards. From the ABS to the brake light and even the engine check light. If you see a light on the dashboard that you aren’t familiar with, connect your OBD2 scanner and check it out. Not only will this help reset said light should that need doing but it will give you a great idea of what’s going on and what you need to do next.
• Record Vehicle Stats - OBD2 scanners can also be very handy when it comes to regular check ups and performance reviews. In some cases, you may even find a small, lingering issue that can be dealt with early as opposed to it becoming bigger and ultimately more expensive to repair.

How Do OBD2 Scanners Help Check Your Car?

OBD2 scanners are a great piece of kit. They allow you to read the onboard diagnostic system. They download the relevant codes relating to the current issues within the system, which can then be interpreted and ultimately dealt with by yourself or a mechanic. 

OBD2 diagnostic tools will read the system, and deliver the universally recognised code to the screen on your device. This code will show you where the issue is and in some cases, what that issue is. What makes these scanning tools even more incredible is the fact that many of them will cover a range of different vehicles and what’s more, they’re super easy to connect, providing you with the information in just a few seconds. 

How Do I Use OBD2 Scanners?

While they may appear daunting at first, they’re actually fairly easy to use.

• Locate Your Cars OBD2 Port - this will typically be near the steering wheel, underneath the dashboard. Some cars may have it on the passenger side or around the centre console. Regardless, it should be fairly easy to find in your car’s manual.
• Turn Off The Car - once your car has been turned off, plug your scanning tool into the port. Ensure you have a good secure connection.
• Turn Your Car On - some cars may store their health codes within their memory in which case you won’t need to turn it on. Your cars manual will be able to tell you this. If however it doesn’t, turn it on.
• Turn On The Diagnostic Tool - switch it on and start to read the codes delivered to the device’s screen. This will usually take a few seconds. Once you have the codes in front of you, record them and interpret the data. It’s that simple.

Contact Us Today

For more information on car diagnostic tools, contact us at LJM Car Diagnostics today. We stock a range of tools and can help you make the most of your diagnostic device.