By 2010, diagnostic testing in cars had evolved to a point where an aftermarket repair technician has access to many different data points that allow him to quickly pinpoint a problem with a vehicle during a diagnostic test.
History
In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required that all vehicles sold in the U.S. use the same computer interface, called On-Board Diagnostics, version II, for diagnostic tests. Repair technicians can use sophisticated scan tools to check a vehicle's computer system, which is fed information from many sensors for parts of the engine.
Features
Every vehicle manufactured in the United States after 1996 has a plug-in connector that connects to a computer that can read a diagnostic trouble code stored by the vehicle when a problem has been detected.
Considerations
Vehicle owners can also purchase home diagnostic handheld tools that use the same diagnostics interface as a service technician, allowing a vehicle owner to determine the cause of a "check engine light" problem or even conduct an emissions test.
Tags:
