ANSWERS: 5
  • The newer cars all have ports mechanics can access with a pc, but they aren't USB. They can get a system wide diagnostic and have been able to for quite some time now.
  • every manufacturer has their own hook up,adapter,etc.so you must go to your friendly neighborhood dealer to be gouged for the service!!!
  • We're gonna skip right over USB and go to a secure WiFi. When you pull in your garage, the car will download the event buffer (stored on the car) to your home computer. But the fun doesn't end there. Not only will you be able to receive messages from your car's OBD (On-Board Diagnostic) computer, you'll also be able to send media files to the car. So don't worry if you don't have an iPod. Soon we'll just be downloading music straight to our cars.
  • A little history is in order... At some point in the 1980s, the federal government required manufacturers to have engine control computers check for certain malfunctions. This was On-Board Diagnostics I (OBD-I). Pretty much everything else (connector shape, computer protocols, systems monitored, etc.) was left to each car manufacturer. Starting with the 1996 model year, the federal requirements changed to OBD-II. As part of this change, the government mandated a particular connector shape and certain protocols so that there is SOME commonality across all cars in terms of diagnosing emissions-related systems. Even so, some manufacturers stick very closely to OBD-II nomenclature (e.g. GM) while other companies have all kinds of stuff going on with OBD-II information being a small subset (e.g. BMW). Hence, even if car manufacturers ran their data to an in-car USB port, you would need about 40 different applications to decipher the data coming out of the port. There are companies that make equipment that can do this through the OBD-II connector, but it is pricey and has to be constantly updated. Then there is the issue of what to do with the information. If you read a a set of misfire codes from a late-90s BMW 5-series or 7-series, do you know what the next step in diagnosis is? (Hint: It involves a hammer). Cars have become so complex that the information that can be obtained from the on-board systems makes little sense to the lay person. That's the modern automotive reality. If you don't like it, buy and older car and keep it running.
  • All recent cars have an OBD-II connector under the dash. It's used for emissions tests. You can buy an inexpensive Bluetooth adapter that plugs into the OBD port and use free software such as Torque on your phone/tablet for some basic readings. There are also more specialized (and expensive) plug in tools that can be used for tuning.

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