What is OBD-II ?

Wouldn't it be great if you could read the mind of your car's computer, just like your mechanic does with engine -analysis tools ? You can !

What is OBD-II ?

All new cars, light trucks, SUVs, and minivans sold in North America since 1996 are rrquired to have a connection for onboard diagnostics (OBD). The second version, OBD-II, has been the standard for more than a decade. Europe has had EOBD for new gasoline cars since 2001 and diesel cars since 2004.

OBD readers plug into a connection on the vehicle , read the computer data, and report parameter identification numbers (PIDs). These PIDs can be decoded, P1456, for example , indicates that an EVAP sysrem leak is detected in the fuel tank area in plain English, the gas cap is loose, Mechanics have been using on-board diagnotics readers for many years.