Frustration, combined with falling prices of hardware and increased connectivity via Bluetooth and the internet, has helped establish a healthy market for home diagnostics tools.įollowing our buying guide below, we’ve compiled a list of the best devices to suit all kinds of budgets and needs. Until the last decade or so, drivers didn’t have a great deal of choice, facing a trip to the garage each time the engine fault indicator (MIL) appeared. This data includes mileage, speed, braking and acceleration, as well as tyre pressure management and diagnostic trouble codes, or DTCs, for the various electronically managed functions (such as parking sensors, electric windows or fuel injector sensors, to name merely a few). They standardise access to the car’s central computer, which records and monitors data the car creates.
Since 1996, OBD-II (or OBD2) ports have been a mandatory requirement on vehicles. A small device can help diagnose a fault without an expensive trip to the dealership, or monitor your driving habits for better fuel efficiency and cheaper insurance. Using the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics (OBD-II) port, you can upgrade your current car. But you don’t need to buy a brand new car to benefit from these features. Whether it’s for safety, comfort or just pure convenience, our cars have some pretty useful features. Modern cars are awash with fancy new electronics.
