ODB / CAN diagnostic tool ?

[Furore Phil]

Ok not a kit car - but a ford Ka (so suitable donor at a later date ?).

Bought a 2004 Ford Ka, all ok for a week, then the engine light comes on... oh no big garage bill and no money in the bank. It seems to be running fine though, so I popped onto ebay and bought one of those ODB2 diagnostic adapters for around £20. It's a small black box about the size of a fag packet with a large connector at one end (for the car) and a USB lead at the other (laptop). What a usefull bit of kit ! it read the diagnostic fault code - battery voltage low. Well it has been very cold... Couple of days later another fault... Cat not working correctly - also could be due to cold.

Looks like for £20 I have saved quite a few bob in garage bills (plus I have learned not to let the wife to borrow my car).

Anyone else got one of these ? It came with a free bit of software called "Formidable" - which is a bit basic. It just shows you the current values and lets you clear the diagnostic codes. Anyone recomed better software for a beginer ?

If anyone is building a car from a donor that has one of these ports - keep it ! I think you need to buy a different adapter for each make of car though (mine does Ford and a few others that use Ford ECU's).

['The Gaffer']

I've got loads of software for the Alpina. The basic INPA is very useful for looking at history and live data from ecu. I also have very advanced stuff that came with the package..  BUT, push one wrong button on that and you will end up with a car sized paperweight in seconds

[Sumov8]

I have also got one from Flea Bay for the Vauxhall and the wifes Hyundai one a USB and the other a Blue Tooth version

Software as you say is basic but for the Vauxhaull it does show live data and lets you record values

A lot of the signals are only good if you can interpret what they are telling you.

But a great tool for resetting Management lights and telling you what brout them on

[fullpint]

My mate has one. I had a engine fault pop up on my dash on my Fiat Stilo JTD. Came up with P0046. Dash was re-set and fingers crossed I just need to re-locate my boost control valve and clean up the connector and hopefully jobs a good one.. Saved going to Fiat and having a bill of £???..

[Furore Phil]

I've got loads of software for the Alpina. The basic INPA is very useful for looking at history and live data from ecu. I also have very advanced stuff that came with the package..  BUT, push one wrong button on that and you will end up with a car sized paperweight in seconds

Ouch, that sounds like advanced stuff! Mine only allows resetting the error light! All I get on the ford version is around 20 numbers that change, no graphs or recording. If I can't find anything better I may have to write my own interface.

Problem is my exact car is also not listed in the software, only the 1.3L ka. Anyone know if the engine / ecu in the 1.6L sportKa was used in any other ford ? (it's an 04 plate).

[dikkie]

I have a similar obdII scanner (also purchased from ebay) but I went for the bluetooth one so that I can use it with my phone and the free app "torque":

https://market.android.com/details?id=org.prowl.torquefree&hl=en

works a treat for reading codes (it also links to an online database so you can find out what it means), but it also gives you live data readouts, everything from throttle position to boost pressure.

it's obdII which I think is a requirement for all cars sold in Europe since ~04, they must have the same port and same interface and it must be within a certain distance of the drivers footwell...

Can't do anything as advanced and The Gaffer's though...

[Grin-a-lot]

So do these obd2 jobbers allow you to monitor fault codes real time then?  The reason I ask is that there's an intermittent fault on my parents' Ford Fusion and it never shows up in the garage. A real time monitor might help provided i'm in the car when it happens.

['The Gaffer']

So do these obd2 jobbers allow you to monitor fault codes real time then?  The reason I ask is that there's an intermittent fault on my parents' Ford Fusion and it never shows up in the garage. A real time monitor might help provided i'm in the car when it happens.

Most ecu's store fault codes for the reader to read at a later date. I can do some live monitoring with mine, but i dont think its flags up faults in real time.
Have the dealers actually done a proper plug in diagnostic test?

[Furore Phil]

So do these obd2 jobbers allow you to monitor fault codes real time then?  The reason I ask is that there's an intermittent fault on my parents' Ford Fusion and it never shows up in the garage. A real time monitor might help provided i'm in the car when it happens.

There is a version that just sits there and logs the data, so you don't need a laptop plugged in all the time. Costs about twice the price (£55) but might help :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OBD2-DIAGNOSTIC-CAR-DATA-RECORDER-ALARM-FUNCTION-/270915888714?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3f13d8664a

Should be ok just to leave in the car, as long as the port is out of the way. Only records for 24hrs though.