Vehicles manufactured since 1996 have had to comply with the CARB issued OBD-II specification. These vehicles use a standardized diagnostic connector and data output format. On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) ...

In the January issue, we discussed the history of OBD. This time we are going to investigate some of the technology required to meet OBD II standards. To give an idea of the magnitude of technological ...

That little yellow check-engine light is sneaky. Most of the time, you forget it could be there. But when it detects an issue, it illuminates menacingly. For many, the initial reaction might be to ...

This article was updated in November 2025 with new information. You know you’ve earned your DIY stripes when you can stay calm the moment something goes wrong. And with cars, that moment usually ...

OK, so imagine, you're four-wheelin' with a bunch of friends in Baja, or maybe you're halfway into some backroad in Canada. After a beautiful camp, 50 miles from the nearest light bulb, you pack up ...

The world of car diagnostics has changed a lot over the last 50 years. Back in the '70s and earlier, a mechanic's most valuable diagnostic tools were usually their eyes and ears. You could figure out ...

What’s an OBD-II (sometimes alternatively referred to as OBD-2, and other times in either form absent the interstitial hyphen) scanner? Answering that question first requires an understanding of what ...