Is this any use . . . .

YourName

Just a quick one, is this any use:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/v1-5-obd2-elm327-usb-can-bus-scanner-126938?item=21

I just wanted to be able to look at a fault on my car, I know I could go to a mechanic but I am forever going to them and I don't have one I could trust, I wouldn't mind being able to hook one of these up, take a look at the fault and then go, and at least I know a little bit about what I am talking about???

Its for a 2000 land rover discovery, is this the right one.

Not looking for anything expensive, or anything amazingly good, just something that works, also can you clear faults with these things???

Oh and does anyone know a good mechanic whos used to working with Land rovers (Its a commercial, if that matters), who is trustworthy (i.e. doesn't play you for a fool, tells it the way it is) and doesn't charge and arm and a leg in the Dublin Northside area??? I know I'm asking for the perfect mechanic

Kenny Logins

I have one (Bluetooth) linked to my phone with this app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

Does exactly what it claims, but unless you know how to interpret and act on the info it gives, it's really just another toy.

keithclancy

YourName wrote: »

Just a quick one, is this any use:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/v1-5-obd2-elm327-usb-can-bus-scanner-126938?item=21

I just wanted to be able to look at a fault on my car, I know I could go to a mechanic but I am forever going to them and I don't have one I could trust, I wouldn't mind being able to hook one of these up, take a look at the fault and then go, and at least I know a little bit about what I am talking about???

Its for a 2000 land rover discovery, is this the right one.

Not looking for anything expensive, or anything amazingly good, just something that works, also can you clear faults with these things???

Oh and does anyone know a good mechanic whos used to working with Land rovers (Its a commercial, if that matters), who is trustworthy (i.e. doesn't play you for a fool, tells it the way it is) and doesn't charge and arm and a leg in the Dublin Northside area??? I know I'm asking for the perfect mechanic

This won't tell you how to fix your car, it will only give you a fault code.

Clearing fault codes doesn't fix anything, it only clears the error until the fault is detected again.

YourName

keithclancy wrote: »

This won't tell you how to fix your car, it will only give you a fault code.

Clearing fault codes doesn't fix anything, it only clears the error until the fault is detected again.

In the original post I said I wanted to use it to take a look at the faults before I went to a mechanic, so I don't understand the relevance of your first point.

I understand what clearing a fault does, thanks for reminding me.

keithclancy

YourName wrote: »

In the original post I said I wanted to use it to take a look at the faults before I went to a mechanic, so I don't understand the relevance of your first point.

I understand what clearing a fault does, thanks for reminding me.

From your OP and this one your trying to use it to find faults.

An OBD-II reader will just give you a bunch of codes which in themselves mean nothing, e.g. you'll end up posting something like this:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?4275112-P1780-Code

As posted already its either just a toy to read live data from the engine, or an additional tool to aid diagnosis when working on the car yourself.

firefly08

An OBD-II reader will just give you a bunch of codes which in themselves mean nothing, e.g. you'll end up posting something like this:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthrea...112-P1780-Code

As posted already its either just a toy to read live data from the engine, or an additional tool to aid diagnosis when working on the car yourself.

I don't agree with that at all. They don't "mean nothing". They tell you what problem computer has detected. Sometimes it's vague, sometimes not - in my experience, examples like the above are the exception - the problem codes are almost always more useful than that. Considering you would typically pay more than the cost of the above unit to have the codes read by a mechanic once or twice, it won't be long paying for itself on a troublesome car. I've saved tons of time and money by using cheap code readers. Just look at how often posters in the DIY section are being told to get their codes read before troubleshooting.

OP I haven't a clue if that is the right one for you car but I highly recommend you find out and get one if it's cheap like that. Look out for a self-contained unit that you don't have to plug into the computer, they're a bit handier and they do exactly the same thing.

Nonoperational

+1

Some time and some google and you'll get a fair idea of most things.

keithclancy

firefly08 wrote: »

I don't agree with that at all. They don't "mean nothing". They tell you what problem computer has detected. Sometimes it's vague, sometimes not - in my experience, examples like the above are the exception - the problem codes are almost always more useful than that. Considering you would typically pay more than the cost of the above unit to have the codes read by a mechanic once or twice, it won't be long paying for itself on a troublesome car. I've saved tons of time and money by using cheap code readers. Just look at how often posters in the DIY section are being told to get their codes read before troubleshooting.

OP I haven't a clue if that is the right one for you car but I highly recommend you find out and get one if it's cheap like that. Look out for a self-contained unit that you don't have to plug into the computer, they're a bit handier and they do exactly the same thing.

Of course, definitely and I have one myself, but I do all the work on the car myself.

As I said its a tool to aid diagnostics, not a tool that will necessarily tell you what the problem is. If anything googling fault codes can point you totally in the wrong direction altogether.

If anything it's really only of any use to verify (sometimes) what you already know.

Much better to find a good Indy mechanic that knows his/hers stuff.

YourName

keithclancy wrote: »

Of course, definitely and I have one myself, but I do all the work on the car myself.

As I said its a tool to aid diagnostics, not a tool that will necessarily tell you what the problem is. If anything googling fault codes can point you totally in the wrong direction altogether.

If anything it's really only of any use to verify (sometimes) what you already know.

Much better to find a good Indy mechanic that knows his/hers stuff.

Fair enough, I understand what your saying but as the other poster was saying, you pay this much to get it read once in a garage. But of course a code gerally will mean nothing unless you know what it means, and after that what could be causing that issue, however I'm only looking for it for verifying issues.

However is this the right one or how do I know???

Also anyone know a good indy mechanic in the Dublin 11 area???

Is this the righ

George Dalton

I would imagine an OBDII tool will be of very limited use to you on a 12 year old Landrover.