Anyone use a home car diagnostic thingy?! ODB2??

stratts

Well-Known Member
My mrs car has just gone in for a diagnostic coz the engine light came on and I think it's around 40 quid, even though they do nowt other than plug the car in to get an engine fault code!

I've found some free software online and a USB cable to plug into the laptop. Is it really as simple as plugging one end into the car, the other USB end into the laptop, running the software on said laptop to get the fault codes from the car? Then punch the codes into google to get the fault?

If so I'm gonna buy a cable for the future just to get the codes in case it's an easy fix to mend meself.

Upshot is the Altea has codes for a faulty control fan and motorised manifold valve (which I've discovered is commonly known as a EGR valve) and I'm potentially looking at a £500 repair bill!!! :( Even though the car is running like a dream!!

Stratts
 
it really is that simple - i got an obd2 off of ebay for £12. you plug it into the 12 pin slot wherever it may be on you car and it will tell you the code. It actually came with a book with almost all the codes in it so you dont even need to google it. Press the reset but and he presto the engine management light goes out - if its just been a wee fault somewhere everything is rosey but if a persistant problem the light will come back on and itll go into limp mode again but atleast when you take it to garage you can tell them whats wrong and save a bit of dosh.

I had egr problems with a diesel vectra - everytime it happened i just cleared it with the machine and away it went again for 6 months then if it popped up again i just cleared it again - i should maybe have taken it to garage for a clean or whatever they do to it but clearing fault seemed to do the trick for me anyway:)
 
Had EGR valve issue with my first Zafie but under warranty so no cost as garage footed the bill. Appears v common issue. Bit of a nerve to charge £50 to hook up a laptop and then say you will have to go to the main dealer as not sure what it relates too.

D
 
Egr valve. Buy the blocking kit, block it off, more power, better fuel consumption and the car would still meet uk exhaust emissions regs.
Reset the fault code and as the sensor never sees any emissions again it won't go off.
 
Whilst talking about faults etc . . . If any of you have a Suzuki Jimmy. . . There is a common fault whereby under certain conditions if you stall the car the engine management light illuminates and won't go out.

Suzuki will charge you an hours labour to 'reset it'.
Apparently there is a gremlin in the ECU in some cars depending on the year of build which causes this.

You can easily reset it yourself by disconnecting the negative battery terminal for a few minutes.
 
I have the torque app on the Android phone, brilliant, clears faults, gives readings on a lot of things, have a look
 
The Egr re-circulates the hot gasses out of the exhaust back into the air intake. Just does not make any logic!!
They fit intercoolers to cool down the air then they do the opposite and stick hot dirty air back into the intake!!!! Looks like a quick fix for emissions but in a backward way!

If you can block them off... On the newer engines though most of the time it's not possible without throwing a load of error on the dash.
UK Guy
 
stratts

if you lived closed you could have borrowed mine bud.

£19 of evilbay and works a treat,

as for the egr valve, i was looking at £800 for one on the saab but got it off cleaned it reset it and (touch wood) the car sailed through the mot a few months back and it running like a dream.

funny enough when i kept resetting it the time until the light came back on became shorter and shorter.

bob.
 
The Egr re-circulates the hot gasses out of the exhaust back into the air intake. Just does not make any logic!!
They fit intercoolers to cool down the air then they do the opposite and stick hot dirty air back into the intake!!!! Looks like a quick fix for emissions but in a backward way!

If you can block them off... On the newer engines though most of the time it's not possible without throwing a load of error on the dash.
UK Guy

quite correct. It was best described to me like eating your own ****!
 
its soley done on the orders of the EU to lower exhaust gasses but actually bu---rs up your turbo by making it dirty and sticks the vanes up.if your google or you tube theres loads of vids showing how to remove and byepass these wastes of money.some of the evilbay vendors of blanking plates even tell u how to do it.if your not mechanicelly munded theres a lot of diagnostic places will disable it from your cpu.therefore it wont show the blanking plate as an error.dont run too long without sorting as its just fowling your engine up atb iain
 
Egr valve. Buy the blocking kit, block it off, more power, better fuel consumption and the car would still meet uk exhaust emissions regs.
Reset the fault code and as the sensor never sees any emissions again it won't go off.

Works we'll on the euro 3 engines I have had,doesn't work on my euro 4 BMW guess I need a remap with egr removed from the map then fit a bypass kit.
 
Yes.
Plug in.
Read code
Look up code
Reset code.


I hade one somewhere - will see if I can find it and bring it to H4H for you.
The cheap ones work.
They don't have the diagnosis the mega bucks ones do but you probably don't need that.
 
Have you ried taking the EGR off and cleaning it? Had the same issue on my Freelander TD4 and took it off cleaned it with brake cleaner and a copper spark plug type wire brush and hey presto fault fixed....... Worth a try.

I used to work it the motor trade and I can tell you an all singing and dancing diagnostic tool if about £4000 thats why they charge you £40 to read your codes. Gotta make your money back some way!


ATB Multiman
 
Vauxhall engine management lights come on for fun... In fact every Vauxhall should be sold with a code reader as standard.

The usual cause is the EGR or O2 sensor heater circuit which causes the ECU to go into "limp home" mode to prevent further damage, even though the engines runs perfectly when the code is cleared. The best cure is to replace the EGR and O2 sensors as cleaning them never seems to work in my experience.
 
Si LOL I did work at a vauxhall dealership! Its 60/40 if cleaning will work but if you are doing it yourself I think for a cost of some brake cleaner and a brush its worth a go.
 
Vauxhall engine management lights come on for fun... In fact every Vauxhall should be sold with a code reader as standard.

The usual cause is the EGR or O2 sensor heater circuit which causes the ECU to go into "limp home" mode to prevent further damage, even though the engines runs perfectly when the code is cleared. The best cure is to replace the EGR and O2 sensors as cleaning them never seems to work in my experience.

For them with a Mark 5 Astra, you can read your own Codes by bringing them up on the Odometer. I did this to Diagnose an O2 Sensor on Wife's.

Yorkie.
 
to clear them engine off ,hold your brake pedal in and press your odometer<speedo>reset button in and turn your ignition on without starting the car,5 seconds will do it .the fault code flashes for 5 seconds then ----- appears then you can start the car and fault code has gone .the brake fluid wire brush clean is on you tube :tiphat:
 
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