Diagnostic Tools

Car diagnostic tools work by scanning a car's individual components and systems to look for any issues that might be present with parts like the engine, transmission, oil tank, throttle, and more. However, since these tests need special devices and expertise to be read accurately, they are usually carried out by mechanics at garages or MOT testing stations.

A vehicle diagnostic tool is a diagnostic scanner that can be plugged into an OBD (OBD 1) or OBD2 socket to read and clear codes, as well as view data readouts from various sensors. This can be used to help diagnose problems with a vehicle.

Read our Blog article on What are Car Diagnostic Tools?

Car diagnostic tools usually refer to the ODB or ODB2 tools used for diagnosing engine management, electrical or mechanical faults with a car, but there are several other tools which fall into this category.

These are the top 5 types of car diagnostic scanners available today:

• ODB1 car scanners: used to scan Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) on old vehicles, petrol cars earlier than 2001, diesel vehicles manufactured earlier than 2004 in the UK, and any vehicle manufactured before 1996 in the USA
• ODB2 car scanners: used to scan Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) on all modern cars and vehicles
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS): used to monitor and alert to tyre pressure reduction or increase by 25% or more from manufacturers' recommended inflation levels
• Circuit Testers and Multimeters: used to test electrical circuits and can be used to measure voltage, electric current, electrical resistance and electrical continuity to help determine where certain electrical problems may exist
• Car Battery Testers: a voltmeter used to test the charge in a car battery, often this functionality is combined with the ability to charge or trickle charge the battery and prevent overcharging by constantly monitoring the voltage and condition of the battery

An ODB or ODB2 scanner is a diagnostic tool that can be plugged into an OBD socket in a vehicle to read and clear codes, as well as view data readouts from various sensors. This can be used to help diagnose problems with a vehicle.

An intelligent diagnostic tool goes a step further than simply providing error codes to be reviewed, analysed and reset, it will also supply more intelligent information and often guidance on how to resolve the diagnosed fault.

This can be very useful in speeding up fault finding and resolution, as well as allowing less experienced car mechanics to accelerate their learning and capability within the garage or workshop.

OBD stands for On-Board Diagnostics. This acronym is used to identify a device that can be  connected to a car or other vehicle via the OBD port or OBD2 port usually via an OBD cable.

If you are a garage, workshop, MOT Bay or mobile mechanic then having a car diagnostic machine is an essential part of your toolbox.  With almost all modern cars having elements controlled and monitored by the car's computer and ODB system, the diagnosis of a problem can be done immensely faster, or sometimes can only really be determined by the use of a car diagnostic tool.