As a vehicle owner, it is a good idea to have a tool box in your car or garage. Apart of standard tools like spanner or screwdriver, one of the essential tools that you should have is the OBD2 scanner tool.
What is an OBD2 scanner and why is it a must have tool? If you are vehicle’s owner, there’s a high possibility that your vehicle is equipped with On Board Diagnostic systems as most vehicle manufactured today. The OBD system contain information about the status of the vehicle various sub systems. The system allows the vehicle owner or mechanic to access the information and diagnose the vehicle when it has problem. That’s where the OBD2 scanner comes in. It’s the tool that can read the vehicle OBD system and this tool is used by every mechanics and workshop.
Usually, the mechanic or workshop will charge you just to read the OBD system with the scanner. That will cost you around $50-$100 depend on the mechanic or workshop. Sometimes, the vehicle problem is just minor but as we all know, workshop is known of ripping off customers. You could be charged with more expensive repair cost than you should have. That’s why having an OBD2 scanner in your tool box is a good idea as it can save you a lot of money for repairs and from being cheated by workshop.
It is easy to use an OBD2 scanner. All you have to do is plug it to your vehicle OBD system and the scanner will display the diagnostic status for the check engine light warning in codes. Each code is associates with specific problems and possible troubleshooting solutions. Even if you can’t repair the problem by yourself, the good thing is, you at least know the possible problem and solution for your vehicle and can avoided being taken advantage by mechanic shops anymore.
The most popular brand for OBD2 scanners are Actron and Equus. You can check out the OBD2 scanner reviews online to find out which one is the most suitable one for your vehicle.