Every single car will have problems at one
point or another. Even if you were to purchase a brand-new vehicle today, there
is going to be an issue at some point.
No one wants to have to deal with a
problem, but it’s something that you cannot avoid over time. The older your
car, the more likely there will be a problem.
If you have purchased a vehicle
after the mid-1990s, and it’s a newer model, then you have something that many
others did not have in the past.
One of the biggest things that you will
discover is simple, every major company today builds cars with computer
elements inside of them.
These are not just to help manage gasoline, they are
made to help with performance, and efficiency in a lot of ways.
One of the things that you’ll be able to
use with your new car is simple, an OBD scanner. This is a solution that
mechanics connect to vehicles to diagnose problems with client’s vehicles.
It’s
something very important to consider. The reason why is because it will tell
you what may be going on with your car, if there’s a problem.
Even if you don’t
hear it, see it, or know what’s going on, you’ll be able to get a code to
understand what is going on.
With that in mind, you can’t just buy any old
scanner. You’ll need to purchase a good solution that will give you the right
diagnosis and code, which may be hard to determine without a few notes.
The
following will help you understand what you’re going to need to look into.
Don’t Go Cheap
The first thing that you should look into
is simple, don’t go cheap. You cannot go with the lowest cost, simple,
beginner’s solution that may be available.
When you look online for OBD scanner,
you’ll find that there are a lot of scanners that you can purchase.
You could
purchase options lower than $100, or even $20 in some instances, and they can
work, but they will not have the most up to date data, and information.
This
includes the options that you may find for smartphones and tablets.
The first
major thing you have to remember, if you remember nothing else, is to spend a
little more on the scanner you want to work with. Do not purchase a beginner’s
option.
Look For Up To Date Software
As you break down the options that you are
going to choose from, make sure that you look for the software elements of the
scanner.
You need to look for the software that comes attached to the scanner,
and whether or not you can update it.
Updating it will give you new information
about your car, and more. You’ll find that if you can’t upgrade, update, or
advance your software, you will not be able to get the most in depth
information.
Determining the best solution for your car’s specific problems
requires up to date software solutions. If you go to the manufacturer’s
website, you will be able to read the latest specifications and dates of last
update.
Consider Dealer Recommendations
In some instances, you’ll find that certain
car manufacturers will release a patch or an update for scanners. You can
purchase these if you look for recommendations online.
Look for dealer used or
recommendation options that will help you get the appropriate information for
your specific make and model.
Your car may have unique problems. It may be a
problem that dealership auto repair shops are working towards fixing, and
therefore will use scanners to figure out the specific fix etc.
You can get the
same scanner and information so that you can get a little more information
about the vehicle that you’ve purchased. This may cost a great deal, but it will
work well.
Look Into Reviews
The next thing that you are going to want
to look for is simple, look for reviews that are in forums and car specific
sites. Look up the make and model of your vehicle, and make sure that you look
into what people are saying.
People are going to be talking about the car that
you have, and will talk about modifications, problems, and price points of the
different things that you’re going to be able to learn from.
Many people also
review scanners, and specific information on problems that some don’t pick up,
etc.
As you look online for OBD scanner solutions, you’ll find that there are
reviews out there on nearly every car, make, model, and scanner. Take your
time, and read what people have said.
Buy Two Scanners
If you are torn between two scanners, and
both are promising to work well with what you have, then you’ll want to buy two
of them. Purchase two solutions and use them both to see what information is
going to get pulled.
You’ll find that by purchasing two options, you’ll see the
difference between the scanner. If both pulls the same data, then you can
always send one back and continue working with one option.
You may need to test
a couple of solutions before you get the “right” fix for your vehicle.
A lot of
the problems that are going to get diagnosed by newer scanners won’t get picked
up by older models, so keep that in mind. Purchasing multiple units and testing
them out can highlight the right solution.
As you can see, you’ll have to do a little
bit of research and work to find the right OBD scanner. Scanners today run the
gamut of inexpensive to expensive solutions as well.
There’s so much to
explore, including reviews, price points and more. Do not speed through the
process of purchasing a solution for OBD II solutions. Take your time, review
different models, and no matter what, don’t go cheap.
Beginner options will not
be able to pull the most information that you need, so make sure that you keep
that in mind as you look for the right solution for your specific make and
model.
