Quote:
Originally Posted by Lykosanthro
Wow, I can buy a reader for $30 and be able to check these things out without spending $90.00 just for my mechanic to for it???
That is great, thanks.
I am ordering that reader from Amazon right now and will save the codes from the link.
When it gets here if I have a question I will post.
So, to get started when I plug in this Autel MaxiScan MS300 CAN OBD-II Scan Tool and I assume there will be some instructions as to what I do it will show by code what is wrong??
This really is great.
I am often the one with advise on other forums and forget how much sharing helps us all. When I do it it seems like I am doing so little but when I get the advice I feel like I scored big!!
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It plugs into the port under the dash sort of by your left knee, there's a little door that pops open and the port is behind it.
If you need to drive the car, since you can cruise by autozone or something I'd do that and get them read now for free. Otherwise don't drive the car until you get them read (i.e. don't drive around for a couple of weeks while that thing ships out of Amazon).
Either way a basic unit will just return the alphanumeric code(s) stored in the ECU. The codes you look up on a code list (like the one I linked above, I'm the one that posted it at Benz Obsession so I know it's accurate) and that may or may not lead you to a solution. For example if your code is P0130, then you know you have an O2 sensor problem (as well as WHICH sensor), so after checking wiring and connectors, maybe you need to replace it. If it's P0455 (again, for example) you'll know it's an evap leak, but that doesn't tell you what to do, so you have some diagnosis before you can figure out what's causing the code. And there are hundreds more codes to deal with, some minor, some simple, others...well, not so much.
If you buy a more expensive reader (like into the $100 range) you get not only the alphanumeric code, but also the translation (as in the linked table). But typically that isn't really very helpful, since you still need to figure out what's wrong. So the extra money is just wasted.
Good luck...