Hey was thinking of getting a scanner off Ebay to get some codes, so I can
see what is actually wrong with my car. I see a bunch on Ebay, does anyone
know of a particular one they have or has worked with to suggest....

Thanks in advance

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/U581-OBD-OBD...a04b47&vxp=mtr

This is what i have. Works perfect for my needs

 

Thanks for the quick reply

 

Is it worth getting one of these? Do they detect things that wouldn't necessarily trigger a CEL?

I recently bought a 4th gen and wondering if it would be a good idea to check it. I've had a 3rd gen for about 5 years and never had any error codes or CEL come on despite having a few problems with various things, so I don't have a lot of faith in the diagnostics of them. Maybe 4th gens are different though.

 

Can anyone tell me what other things a diagnostic scanner can tell me besides what code my check engine light is throwing? If all it does is tell you CEL codes then save your money and just use the method of turning the screw on the ECU and counting the number of times your CEL flashes.

 

I bought a similar unit to the one maxx0831 bought, possibly the same thing with a different label on it. I'm happy with it.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUPER-CAN-Un...9&cmd=ViewItem

If a malfunction does not have a DTC assigned to it, the ECU cannot detect it and trigger the CEL, so a scanner cannot detect it. But there are a few codes that do not trigger a CEL, knock sensor is one of them.

The 3rd gens used OBD I standard, the first form of on-board diagnostics. 4th gen uses the newer OBD II standard. The 2 are very different and do not use the same scanner. OBD I standard has far fewer codes and this is why the 3rd gens don't light up the CEL as often.

If you buy a real cheap scanner, all they will do is display the code and not even give you a worded description. But being so cheap, less than $20, it may still be worth it to not have to crawl into the foot well to turn the screw on the ECU.

But if you buy a more expensive unit like the one maxx0831 suggested or mine, you get more readings such as engine coolant temperature, rpm, timing advance, O2 sensor voltage readings, EVAP control readings, manifold vacuum and a bunch more. You can get software that loads on your laptop and the screens are like dash gauges.

 

If you have a droid or windows operating smartphone then search for the ELM327. They bluetooth with the smartphones and can do much more than scan codes. I purchased one for $13 off eBay last fall.