Why Diagnostic Systems?

By dyarwood 23 Dec, 2020
Your dashboard lights up with lots of symbols each time you start the car, but what do they mean – and what if one stays on? After you turn the key in your car’s ignition or press the starter button, dashboard lights in different colours will appear momentarily on the dial cluster display behind your steering wheel. Their purpose is to inform you that the systems they relate to are working correctly. If one or more lights stay on when the engine is running, they’re indicating there’s a problem. Dashboard warning lights are displayed by colour in red, amber, green and blue on a spectrum of seriousness. While blue and green warning lights are less urgent, we advise you to take the same precautions as you would for the more serious warnings to prevent damage to your car: it’s best to quickly stop where safe to do so and consult your car’s handbook for further advice before continuing with your journey. It’s a good idea to have the problem checked too (unless it’s an obvious problem – a light alerting you to low screen wash, for example, which should go out when you top up the reservoir), especially if it’s an oil warning light or brake system warning light, as they relate to major components of the car. The majority of warning lights are common to all makes and models of cars, although their precise locations, on or around the dashboard, may vary. Study your car’s handbook to familiarise yourself with what they all mean. Meanwhile, below, we guide you through the most important of them. Check engine light If this warning illuminates, it’s very important to get your car checked, even if it feels completely normal to drive. This is because it warns of a potential problem with the engine, which you’ll want to avoid damaging at all costs. While it’s likely to be just a faulty sensor or minor issue, a proper diagnosis is critical to prevent potential damage. Oil pressure warning light Aside from a brake warning light, an oil warning light is one of the most serious warning lights of all. Oil pressure is generated by the oil pump keeping the engine oil circulating and by the quantity of oil in the engine. A leak, a faulty pump or too little (or even too much) oil can cause damage to the engine running to thousands of pounds. So don’t ignore the light. Stop the engine immediately and consult the handbook. You may simply have to top up the oil to make the light go out, but if it remains on, there could be a much more serious issue that requires a garage to investigate. Brake system warning light This brake system warning light also requires urgent attention. It may be that you’ve left the handbrake engaged slightly while pulling away, so ensure it’s fully released. If this doesn’t solve the problem, or the warning light appears as you’re driving along, pull over safely and call for roadside assistance or arrange for the car to be taken to a garage. It may be that the brake fluid level is too low and simply needs topping up, or that a brake pad wear sensor is faulty. However, it could also be a more serious issue with the braking system. While you can’t take the risk either way, if the pedal feels spongy when you press it, or sinks all the way to the floor, then it’s easy to tell a significant issue has occurred and the car should not definitely not be driven any further. Battery charge warning light This warning light can indicate a number of things, all relating to the car’s battery and charging system. This is a particular problem at night, because a faulty battery can lead to headlights failing, but without the battery or charging system providing electricity, you may find power steering, brake servos or the engine itself stop working. The cause of the warning light may be as simple as a faulty battery that’ll need replacing. But it could also be due to a problem with the car’s wiring or, more seriously, a fault with its alternator or drive belt. Most garages can check your car’s battery and charging system to identify what’s at fault. Find out how to change your car’s battery. Temperature warning light This one is pretty much self-explanatory. If you see the light on at any time after start-up, then the engine is running too hot or there isn’t enough coolant (also called antifreeze) in the system. This may be due to a number of issues, all of which could leave you stranded in a cloud of steam. It could be the car’s radiator is leaky, clogged or broken – you’ll likely see coolant dripping out if this is the case. It could also be due to a faulty water pump. More serious is a blown head gasket, which can signal catastrophic engine failure if you don’t turn off the engine immediately. In any event, if you notice this light, stop the car immediately, as running hot for too long can lead to total engine failure. If your car is consistently overheating, you need to get it looked at by a garage. Low-fuel warning light This is fairly self-explanatory, but we’ll go through it anyway. This is a warning light that comes on when the amount of fuel in the tank has passed a certain level. It’ll usually come on when you’ve got around 50-70 miles of range, and is designed to give enough warning so you can find a fuel station. Running out of petrol won’t cause any mechanical damage, but stopping on the road due to running dry is an offence. If you run out of diesel, it’ll be necessary to bleed the air from the fuel lines and injectors before the engine will start properly. That means it’s more than simply topping up from a jerrycan. If you’re using more fuel that you’d expect, it could mean you have a fuel leak (check the ground under your car; especially your driveway or parking space), or your car’s on-board computer (ECU) is telling the engine to use more fuel than it needs. A garage will be able to check this for you. Tyre-pressure sensor warning Tyre-pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are an increasingly common sight; indeed for the last few years, it’s been mandatory for carmakers to fit the system. Essentially, it constantly monitors the amount of air in the tyres. If it detects a drop, it’ll provide a warning. This is important, because low tyre pressures can adversely affect braking and cornering and a sudden drop in pressure can cause a dangerous blow-out at high speed. If the TPMS system alerts you to low pressure, you’ll need to check and inflate the tyre. If it has an obvious puncture, you’ll need to change the wheel or use a puncture repair kit. Traction-control warning light You’ll most commonly see your car’s traction-control warning light when the wheels lose grip, usually in the rain or snow. It gives a visual indication that you’re close to the limit of grip. If it’s on constantly, it usually means it’s deactivated – either by a fault or by you switching the system off. If it’s the former, you’ll need to get the system checked, if it’s the latter, you should switch the system back on. Glow plug warning light (diesels only) Unlike petrol cars, diesel-powered vehicles don’t need a spark to make the air/fuel mixture go ‘bang’ and get the whole engine running. Instead, they use compression and temperature to induce combustion in the mixture. Every diesel has ‘glow plugs’ that are used to turn up the heat and the above symbol indicates that something’s wrong with the plugs themselves or the systems and computers that control them. You may not notice anything wrong at first, but issues with glow plugs can induce early and/or late combustion (known as ‘knocking’) that’ll make your engine sound a bit rough and not run as smoothly or efficiently as it should that could also result in a drop in fuel economy. Seatbelt warning light These days, the vast majority of new cars come with a system to let you know if any of your passengers haven’t got their seatbelts fastened. There’ll usually be a light – as above – to tell you if this is the case. Cars use pressure sensors in the seats and sensors in the seatbelts – so if there’s a certain amount of weight on a seat and the seatbelt isn’t secured, it’ll let you know. These warnings may be accompanied by a noise, too. Door/boot/bonnet warning lights Like the seatbelt light, these lights don’t usually mean that there’s anything physically wrong with the car (unless the sensor that sends the signal to the light is itself faulty). Instead, they tell you that one of the openings – be it a door, boot or bonnet – is open. This is often obvious if, for example, you’re putting the weekly shop into the boot or securing your children in the back seats. But these lights also tell you if a door, boot or bonnet hasn’t been shut properly and is only loosely closed, so they can be very useful.
By dyarwood 23 Dec, 2020
Cold weather presents some of the most challenging driving conditions. Read on for our winter car maintenance checklist If your car has any developing faults, winter is the time when they’ll be exposed. Snow and ice generates cold and damp, which can be very bad news for cars. Road salt and grime can also cause problems, and can quicken the appearance of rust if left unchecked for long periods of time. Fortunately, there are a number of simple checks you can do yourself to ensure your car remains free from faults – and on the road – all through the winter. We’ve outlined the most important ones below, although there are no shortage of garages, fast-fit centres, car accessory shops and main dealers offering winter car services who can do this for you. Winter car maintenance checklist Most of these winter car checks aren’t that different from the checks you should make throughout the year, but there are a few you should pay special attention to. Many of these are really simple to do, so don’t think we’re excluding you if you’ve got little mechanical knowledge or interest. If your car is due to be serviced as winter approaches, many of these will be looked at, so you don’t have to. But don’t pay for an extra service if you don’t need one – getting problems rectified as you find them will be far cheaper. Here are the winter checks you must do: Check your car battery Check antifreeze Check screenwash Check windscreen wipers Check your lights are working Check your tyre tread Consider winter tyres Look through our must-have winter car equipment list Check your car battery If your battery isn’t in tip-top condition, the cold and damp could kill it – particularly if you don’t drive the car very often or for long distances. There’s little worse than the mechanical groan from a slurring starter caused by a car battery in its death throes. Should the car fail to start, check our guide to see if it’s the battery that’s the problem or something else. If the car is taking longer than usual to start, you may need a new battery. If your car has stop-start technology and it’s not working very often, this is another sign that your battery might be on its way out. It’s possible to check the condition of your own car battery if you have the correct equipment, but it’s far easier to ask a specialist at your local garage or car battery retailer. If you can drive your car, your local main dealer or car spares shop will be able to fit it for you too. Although you can jump start a car, or remove it to charge indoors, it’s easier to get the battery checked and replaced while the car is able to start under its own power. Car battery prices vary depending on the size, type, brand and where you buy them. The cheapest start at around £30 from stockists such as Euro Car Parts, although you’ll have to fit it yourself. Retailers like Halfords offer similarly priced car batteries, and will charge £15 or more to fit it for you. If you’re going down the self-fit route, it’s essential you know the right battery for your car, as there are dozens of combinations. Make sure you read the owner’s manual, and take care when handling lead acid car batteries because they’re as heavy as they sound. Find out how to change a car battery. Check antifreeze Antifreeze, as its name suggests, stops the water in the engine’s cooling system from freezing. To test the effectiveness of your antifreeze, you’ll need an antifreeze tester, which cost about £5. To use it, unscrew the coolant reservoir cap under the bonnet after making sure the engine is cold. You’ll usually find the coolant reservoir next to the radiator at the front of the engine, but check your car’s handbook for confirmation. Lower the tube into the coolant and squeeze the rubber bulb on the end to suck some antifreeze inside the tester. You can then read the freezing point of the antifreeze using the scale inside the tester. Put the antifreeze back in the car’s system and replace the cap. To find out how to top up your antifreeze, see our top 10 DIY maintenance tips. Check screen wash Wintry roads are frequently damp, meaning you’ll spend lots of time using your windscreen wipers. There’s a high risk of them smearing grime across the windscreen if your screen wash bottle is empty. To ensure this doesn’t happen, open the windscreen washer bottle under the bonnet and fill it with screen wash. You can buy ready-mixed or concentrated screen wash (you’ll need to mix the latter with water). Screen wash has a lower freezing temperature than water alone, meaning you shouldn’t end up with frozen washer jets. All screen washes are marked with the lowest temperature they’re suitable for and you’ll often need to make the mixture stronger for winter, as this helps to prevent the solution from freezing. Check wiper blades If your windscreen wipers are old, have perished rubber blades or are worn, they won’t work effectively, meaning it can be hard to see the road ahead. If they’re smearing or failing to clear the front or rear windscreens effectively, they’ll need replacing. They could also cause your car to fail its MoT test. It’s a five minute job to change your windscreen wipers on most cars, but ensure you buy the right ones. Most wiper blade packaging has a list of compatible cars, but if you’re in doubt ask the shop assistant or speak to your car’s main dealer. Check your lights are working It’s dark for longer periods in winter, and you’re more likely to encounter rain, sleet and snow. That means you’ll be more reliant on your lights than usual. Firstly, make sure your front and rear lights, plus your side indicators are clean – a quick wipe will remove most of the grime and make it easier for you to see and be seen. Secondly, check they all work. That means operating the headlights in their sidelight, dipped and main beam functions, and making sure both your front fog lights are working too, if you have them. Rear lights are harder to check, so you may need a friend to lend a hand. Ensure your red tail-lights are working, along with your brake lights (all three of them if you have a centrally-mounted light), your rear fog lights and your reversing lights. It’s worth noting that some cars only have one reverse and one rear foglight. Finally, check your rear numberplate light is working along with your indicators front, back and on the sides of the car. If any of your lights aren’t functioning, the chances are you’ve got a faulty bulb. Read our guide to find out how to change a car headlight bulb. If you need to replace a headlight bulb, make sure to check our guide to the best car headlight bulbs. Tyre tread As your tyres are the only part of the car in contact with the road, it’s important to check they’re in good, safe condition – and vital in winter. Tyre tread is key here, because the grooves in your tyres are responsible for clearing water and snow to maximise grip. When tyre tread wears, it’s less able to clear that water, increasing stopping distances and making it easier to lose control of the car. It’s a legal requirement to have at least 1.6mm of tread, but because the amount of grip provided diminishes quickly, you should consider replacing them when they reach 3mm. You can use a tread depth gauge, or you can use a 20p coin – the outer band is 1.6mm, so if you insert it into the tyre’s tread and can see any of the band, it’s time to replace the tyre. Buy the best tyres you can afford, but avoid part worn tyres as they can be a false economy. It’s impossible to tell what condition they’re really in, so they can also be dangerous. Professional winter car checks If you haven’t got the time to prepare your car for winter, then you can ask an expert to do it for you. Many main dealers and high street car spares shops can do this, and shouldn’t cost more than a few pounds. Some even offer free winter car checks although, as you might expect, the free ones are less thorough than the ones you need to pay for. Winter tyres If you drive frequently in winter, then consider buying a set of winter tyres. They offer exceptional grip when the temperature drops below seven degrees, and in snow and ice. They’re not cheap, but well worth the investment for the additional safety they bring. You’ll also need somewhere to store them be it in your garage or perhaps your local tyre shop, but an added bonus is that your normal tyres won’t wear out so quickly as they’re only being used for half the year. Read our complete guide to winter tyres for all the information you need. Winter car equipment Carrying an emergency kit with you at all times through the winter might seem a bit extreme – but if you ever find yourself stranded you’ll be glad of it. We recommend: – Mobile phone and charger- Hazard warning triangle- High-visibility vest- First-aid kit- De-icer and scraper- Shovel- Tow rope- Wellington boots- Torch- Warm clothes- Food and drink A decent set of car mats will not only protect your car’s carpets from wet or muddy feet, but can be wedged under the driven wheels to get you moving should you get really stuck in the snow. An old blanket can be used in this situation, too. Driving in winter tips Driving in winter can be tricky, but the golden rule is to accelerate, brake and steer gently. Do any of these things too quickly, and you may end up skidding. 
By dyarwood 23 Dec, 2020
Technology has evolved leaps and bounds as the years have passed. Automobiles are no different. From the smallest convertible car to your biggest commercial trucks, these vehicles all come with a very complex system of wires and signals. Check engine, airbag indicator, traction control malfunctions; These dashboard alerts are surface level warnings that give you an idea of your vehicle’s overall health. This is what we call an OBD system, an in-vehicle tool that has become standard and has made maintenance and diagnosis simpler than it has ever been. What is OBD? OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics. As the name suggests, your vehicle’s OBD is an integrated tool that monitors most of its essential systems. The OBD collects information about the vehicle when a problem arises and will notify you in form of a diagnostic trouble code (DTC). This usually manifests itself as a check engine light, and one or more codes will generally be created in these instances. This is extremely handy as it will enable a person to quickly identify and fix any problems that occur inside a vehicle. You might see OBD and OBD-II mentioned separately – This refers to the point in time which diagnostics became standardised. A few carmakers did attempt to introduce interfaces before the 1990s, but in 1991 the California Air Resources Board (CARB) administered that all cars sold in the state will require some form of OBD technology. It wasn’t until 1994 that the board issued the standard and the standard was officially implemented in 1996 model year and has been in use ever since. This is what we now know to be called OBD-II. Vehicles prior to this year to as early as 1981 will have the retroactively named OBD. Diagnostic Trouble Codes The Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) is the code that is generated by your OBD system whenever a problem is identified. It will often read as a series of one letter and four numbers, and the goal of the DTC is to give you the ability to zero in on the malfunction. For example, should you ever see a P0500 code, it will signify that there is a vehicle speed sensor malfunction. The letter refers to the specific system that is being examined, so in this case, P is referring to Powertrain. Other letters include B for Body, C for Chassis, and N for Network. You could also find yourself with U code errors, which signifies a fault with the computer itself. If the diagnostic complies to the EOBD standard, the second character will be 0. Codes that are manufacturer specific will begin with P1. The third number will then refer to the subsystems as follows; ¬P00 – Fuel and Air Metering and Auxiliary Emission Controls ¬P01 – Fuel and Air Metering ¬P02 – Fuel and Air Metering (Injector Circuit) ¬P03 – Ignition System or Misfire ¬P04 – Auxiliary Emissions Controls ¬P05 – Vehicle Speed Controls and Idle Control System ¬P06 – Computer Output Circuit ¬P07 – Transmission ¬P08 – Transmission ¬B00 – Body, including airbags and seatbelts ¬C00 – ABS ¬C01 – Brake Hydraulics ¬C02 – Wheel Speed Sensors and Traction Control ¬C03 – 4WD ¬C04 – Steering ¬C05 – Steering ¬C06 – Suspension and Leveling ¬C07 – Tire Pressure ¬C08 – Suspension and Leveling ¬U00 – Communication Bus ¬U01 – Lost Communication With Sensor ¬U02 – Lost Communication With Sensor ¬U03 – Software Incompatibility ¬U04 – Invalid Data Received The last two numbers will refer to the individual fault within each subsystem. It is not uncommon for vehicles in this day and age to have at least a hundred different codes that can be generated. Errors can also be dependent on the make of the vehicle itself. That is to say, errors that show up on Ford, BMW, Subaru, Jeep, Chrysler, Toyota, Audi, Volkswagen, Dodge, Alfa Romeo, may all have their own unique codes and steps in which the problem can be rectified. Scanners OBD scanners are a vital tool that can scan, identify, and analyse your vehicle in detail as well as its components. It is also technology that is highly utilised by car manufacturers, mechanics, and automotive part stores to test the functions of the vehicle. Even when no problems are present, a scanner can provide much needed piece of mind when incidents can occur at any time. High quality scanners will be designed in mind to give you a detailed and accurate analysis of any faults and then the steps to repair or fix it. It certainly comes out cheaper when you can locate and remedy the issue yourself than the hefty cost it will likely require to take it to a mechanic! Scanners will often come in different varieties and it’s often best to understand your own needs before opting to buy one. No matter which scanner you choose to buy, the very basic nature of the tool is to read, investigate, and clear the codes. The advantage of a scanner is that there are codes or ongoing issues that the engine light might not choose to indicate as a cause for concern which the scanner would pick up on. The ability to detect and solve these problems before the vehicle itself identifies it as a problem worthy of attention is an invaluable advantage. So, what kind of scanners are there? Code Readers are a very basic and cheaper form of scanner that will give you all the basic information about your vehicle. While it will help you understand the issue related to the vehicle, it will unlikely provide you with the complete code that manufacturers often use. Engineers and mechanics would find this tool useful as their experience will give them the right idea of how to go about solving the problem with the basic information given. DIY Scanners are a more advanced type of code reader that generally come with additional features that do more than just identify a problem. These scanners will provide you with a DTC which we covered above, but additionally, with the issue identified they will give the user information about how to solve it. The DIY aspect of these scanners implies that with the information it gathers for you, you can take the initiative and attempt to solve and repair the problem by yourself. These scanners will also include laptop compatibility so it makes transferring data quick and seamless. Advanced Scanners are for those who have the experience behind them. The scanner will hastily provide results and information on a professional level, usually with every possible code featured in the tool. This level of scanner can also be utilised to analyse more heavy duty vehicles such as trucks also, a feature which the previous two will often lack.

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