On 07/02/2018 06:37 AM, jdd(a)dodin.org wrote:
Le 02/07/2018 à 12:32, ken a écrit :
scanners".) One tip I'd pass along,
before buying, check the operating
temperature range. One of the "scanners" I bought died in the first
year
they a most of time time sold to fix engine problems, not to be there
all along :-(
jdd
Some vehicle problems, perhaps most, first appear intermittently. The
logic in an ECU, however, will routinely erase what it sees as a one-off
error and not report it via "Check Engine" or with a code reader until
it recurs multiple times within a specified amount of time. I was once
able to anticipate a problem, long before the ECU's logic deemed it a
problem, because my home-brew system provided me longer term raw data,
which was much more informative.
In addition, a problem may appear only within a particular constellation
of other varying conditions; just reading the lone problem code will not
reveal those other relevant conditions, conditions which may well
normally vary over time... or perhaps should not vary significantly.
E.g., ask most any auto mechanic, quite often an error code points to
some part which is not the problem at all; instead the "problem" is the
fault of the reporting sensor, something which can't be determined
simply by reading one, single code after the fact, but is obvious in the
context of other data.
Maybe it's a choice of mindset. Am I satisfied with the binary and
oversimplistic mindset of "Either Problem or No-Problem"...? or would I
prefer to understand as much as possible what's actually going on? It's
a little like that other, more common choice: When I look at the
dashboard, do a want to see a little light that might suddenly go on, or
do I want the continual visual of a gauge?
And the entire issue of problem diagnosis is just part of possible uses
for a code reader. As the OP pointed out, a lot more is possible. For
example-- one of countless thousands--, you might correlate map data
specifying your travel plan with GPS data and the data indicating speed
of your vehicle with logic that would tell you, "You'd best slow down or
you'll miss your upcoming turn." Years ago some cars offered
functionality which automatically lowered the volume of the sound system
when the driver slowed and/or stopped the vehicle. I found that a very
considerate feature. The possibilities are endless, but only if the
code reader is continually operational.
Not so much an apologist for profiteers, I would rather just say, that,
technically they are intended for reading codes from the ECU(s). Much
more complex electronics than that have easily survived years long
journeys past all the planets in the solar system. I don't think it's
asking too much for it to weather a summer's day.
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