Car Diagnostic Tools

Hello Guys,

I need to be educated on how a car diagnostic tool works.
Also, where can I buy it and for how much?
Please assist,

Thanks.

I intend working on Honda products.
Meanwhile, is there no tool that could work on any model of cars?
Please revert plssssss.

Thanks for the info.
please, do u have an idea about the price of the carsoft VAG tool?
Also, do u mean that I can use that on honda as well?
please revert,

Thanks a lot Siena for all the info.
I will get back to you later on it.
Best regards,

I originally set myself up as an independent VW / Audi specialist, so besides regular servicing, engine building, clutches, timing belts ets, I offer custom engine tuning, turbo conversions etc. This meant that I had to extract data, for custom re-mapping to suit the modified hardware, which is why I chose VAG-com. I later digressed to an all-makes specialist, which is why I later purchased Carsoft, though I don't offer custom tuning on these other makes.

If you're doing an "all makes" service, then it would save you money just to buy Carsoft - it's very flexible, and unlike some on the market, it will cover a greater number of makes / models, without the need for a lot of expensive software. If you know your onions, it's not uncommon to just have 5 - 7 software versions to cover the vast majority of the cars on the road today.

It's worth bearing in mind, diagnostic capability only began to appear from about 1988, they were of course, the old style OBD, with limited capability.

From around 1992, the new style OBD came in, different connector, but still fairly basic. 1997 onwards saw the introduction of OBD II, with full diagnostic capability. The connector (16-pin) became virtually standard on European cars, and today, all Japanese current models use the same connectors.

Current cars run "CAN-bus" ECU's, (Controller Area Network). This means that most electronic systems carry very little voltage, mostly signails from the Central Electronic Interface. These systems are very delicate, applying a 12V supply to test certain circuits would have disastrous consequences, the same goes for testing certain circuits with a high-impedance analogue multimeter. A definite no-no. A low-impedance digital multimeter is the best option.

Another point to remember, if these cars won't start, due to a flat battery, don't jump-start them with any old set of jump leads!! It's all too easy to blow the entire circuitry, the delicate ECU's that control the engine, the aircon, the ABS / TCS, the keyless entry system, (if fitted) and the ECU that controls the automatic transmission (if fitted). The diagnostic equipment is safe, you can make mistakes interpreting what it tells you, but you can't get any connections wrong, so no issues there.

If you MUST jump start a CAN-bus equipped car, then you MUST use a set of leads that has a good quality surge protector fitted. I'm not saying using basic leads WILL destroy any semiconductor components in the CAN-bus system, but it IS a possibility, and I'D rather be safe than sorry. I've never blown anything up yet, so I'm possibly doing something right.

So, first you need to determine where your market is, I have no idea what cars are most popular in Nigeria. Once you know, then you can get your software. All you need is a laptop, minimum OS should be Windows 95 SE, anything older will have issues with the programmes the diagnostic equipment needs to run properly. I run Windows XP Media Centre Edition, as well as Windows Vista Ultimate, no issues at all.

If you're going to be based in a permanent location, i.e not mobile, just in a workshop, you can use a PC instead of a laptop. Cheaper, but it means you can't visit clients at their chosen locations.

If you also intend to run diagnostics on cars before 1998, you'D need the appropriate adapters to convert the diagnostic ports on early cars to the later 16-pin version.

As for cost, I'D budget on about £850 (approx. N212,500 for starters. This would cover your software, connectors, manuals, leads, (serial or USB) updates and dedicated helplines (you'll have a password to log in for this). You can never have too much, best have too much than too little.

USB leads are the latest type, but I prefer the older serial type. I find USB leads are a bit unstable, at least, the serial type can be secured with the screws either side.

Hey sienna, where can i get this software in Naija? I just bought myself a honda 2001 accord and i'll like to do a diagnosis on it before bringing it down to my base here.