Obd. Code Reader Question

[willydoit]

Hi all,

Two questions actually, having just purchased a sc430 I fancy getting an error code reader, there arent any errors or lights showing but would like to see what has been happening and any potential issues. Its a 2006 car, is there any particular code reader that would be better. I think I would prefer one which can link via Bluetooth as one would always tend to have a phone in the car and therefore any occurring issue could be diagnosed while on the road thus providing abetter decision making process as to whether to just park it up and call recovery or limp home knowing you wont blow anything up.

Am not mechanically trained so would prefer one that offers the best information in laymans terms.

Also, question 2,

Having read about the readers and their ability to reset and turn off warning lights am i right in thinking that an unscrupulous owner could use one of these devices to turn off warning or error lights to sell a car or would any error immediately display the error light/message again if the issue wasnt fixed.

The thought of owners being able to turn off warning/error lights to avoid costly repairs by selling the car to some innocent third party is a bit worrying.

Thanks in advance

[Neil E]

Resetting warning lights can be done but if there is a fault, the warning lamp should come back on. If you read up on the instances of VSC lights you will find that some code readers can actually cause them to come on. Thankfully there is a simple procedure to reset it via the OBD port

I have a cheap Bluetooth reader that links with an IPad for dash command and an elm327 that works with the laptop. Unless you really want to get into OBD2 it might be best to take the car to a Lexus/Toyota main dealer and ask them to read the data for you to confirm all is well. After that the car will let you know with it's warning lights if there is any cause for concern along the way. The SC like the LS is a good strong reliable car. If everyone drove a Lexus 4.3 V8 the AA, RAC and Green Flag would collapse overnight.

The OBD2 reader will give you an error code and then you need to look it up and interpret what it means or points to as the fault. Soarers were way ahead of their time with this and displayed the error codes on the dashboard. They even had a scrolling list of items that were checked immediately on start up. I'm a little disappointed that our cars didn't carry on with that theme but unless you're an expert like Colin, I'm not sure that it would be of great benefit in the middle of a long journey.

[ColinBarber]

Also, question 2,

Having read about the readers and their ability to reset and turn off warning lights am i right in thinking that an unscrupulous owner could use one of these devices to turn off warning or error lights to sell a car or would any error immediately display the error light/message again if the issue wasnt fixed.

The thought of owners being able to turn off warning/error lights to avoid costly repairs by selling the car to some innocent third party is a bit worrying.

Yes they could do that. Hard faults would typically make the warning light either come back on straightaway or after two ignition/engine cycles however faults, typically related to emissions, can just reoccur intermittently after a few days.

Almost all of the cheap OBD readers will be able to connect to your vehicle and list any current error codes. That is typically all that you need, a quick internet search or posting here will get you information on what that error relates to. When you are diagnosing live faults you tend to want a more expensive reader because they work faster.

[willydoit]

Hi, thanks both for all the help and advice.