Streetwize - OBDII Vehicle Diagnostic Reader, OBD2 Reader, Automotive Engine Fault Code Reader | Engine Management Code Reader | Code Manual Booklet | Fault Clearer (SWOBD)

Product Information

The product is supplied with an in-depth user manual which explains all the diagnostic codes and operation instructions. An advanced OBD II vehicle diagnostic reader that comes with a TFT colour display. Suitable for all kinds of users including roadside mechanics, garage mechanics and home mechanics. Scan tool plug connector fault – I’ve worn out a few of these guys; they work hard and wear out. The tool’s plug spades can become bent or worn, which causes a poor connection or no connection. Wiggling the plug in the OBD port usually lets you know it’s time to change the cable. As with its bigger brother, Mode 6 gives you additional system monitoring and you can access information on the emissions control systems.

Which OBD app works best on your phone and Bluetooth scanner will be a matter of trial and error for you. What OBD scanner do I need? OBD readers tested Out of the box, Draper’s cheaper OBD reader here has a rather annoying beep on every button press. Fortunately this can be turned off in the system set-up menu.We plugged the readers into a selection of cars of different ages, including a 2008 Mazda 2 and 2014 Peugeot 208 with known faults that were generating a warning light. Wireless readers were connected via Bluetooth to an iPhone using the app suggested by the device’s instructions. Verdict Please note: The reader will not be able to read codes for airbags and braking systems. OBD II readers only read emissions and engine management systems codes in 99.9% of OBD II compliant vehicles. It has all of the features of the other offerings in this test and displays monitor and I/M readiness status (which provide insight into the car’s emission control systems), O2 sensor info and evap system tests capabilities (mostly concerns US models with a charcoal canister to trap and store fuel vapours).

Your vehicle is stuffed with modules, each one tasked with a particular system to manage. Your ECU (Engine Control Unit) takes care of the engine, your TCM (Transmission Control Module) takes care of the tranny, and your BCM (Body Control Module) takes care of the vehicle accessories. You get the idea.

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You’re unlikely to find any information about your car’s OBD port in the vehicle’s handbook because manufacturers prefer their dealer networks to carry out diagnostic work (at potentially great expense to you!). Which OBD app is best for iPhone and Android?

So if the cheapest wired scanner – the Motorpower – is capable of scooping top honours, can the lowest-priced device in this test also achieve great things? All these modules (aka nodes) communicate with each other using a system known as CAN (Controller Area Network). Draper has a good reputation for making products that stand the test of time, and we have no reason to doubt this code reader's staying power; at the time of testing it was one of the pricier offerings here, but deserves its Haynes Recommended award.

Why you need an OBD scanner in your toolbox

This test won’t work for all vehicles; it will depend on how the vehicle’s communication system is configured. Some systems may use a gateway module that limits the usefulness of probing the DLC. In such a vehicle, reading at a module harness is more valuable. The reader can also determine the malfunction indicator lamp status, review emission readiness status, retrieve VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) on 2002 and newer vehicles that support Mode 9 and more. The product is supplied with an in-depth user manual which explains generic diagnostic codes and operation instructions. The tool also runs a number of diagnostic tests such as the O2 sensor test, I/M readiness test and EVAP test.

An OBD reader has traditionally taken the form of a handheld diagnostic computer that communicates with your car’s brain to diagnose fault codes, among other things. You can pay as little as a tenner for an OBD scanner and as much as hundreds of pounds – with the latter offering a multitude of features – but whichever you choose, they should all have the same minimum requirements, and be able to: A scoping tool works best for capturing glitches in network systems. But we’ll work with just a DVOM as most will have access to a voltmeter.CAN employ a twisted pair of wires (one wire CAN high typically 3.5-2.5 volts oscillating and the other CAN low typically 2.5 – 1.5 volts oscillating) that loop the vehicle, connecting all the modules on the network. No batteries are required to operate the diagnostic tool. Just connect it to the OBD II connection point to power it up. The tool is compatible with petrol vehicles from 1996 onwards and diesel vehicles 2004 onwards. Please ensure the vehicle is OBD II compatible. If you wanted to passively read engine or other systems fault codes for example, you would still need some other software app (and a suitable piece of hardware to run it on), to receive the transmitted data, interpret the fault codes and then display those in some way in a human readable form. “Torque” and “Torque-lite” are a pair of apps that also run on Android smartphones to accept and display a limited number of fault codes, with some interpretation what those mean. There are others. Please note: The reader will not be able to read codes for airbags and braking systems. OBD II readers mainly read OBD II codes (emissions systems) in 99.9% of vehicles.