A car in the modern urban rhythm of life is an indispensable thing. Its unexpected breakdown is always a big trouble for a car owner. You have to change work plans or refuse planned vacations. Is it possible to avoid such a fate? Minimizing the risk of a sudden breakdown will help computer diagnostics of the car, and it will be discussed in this article. We will also talk about why to invest in car diagnostics.
What Is It?
A modern car is an expensive complex of high-tech mechanical and electronic components. In older cars, practically devoid of electronic stuffing, an experienced motorist could quite confidently determine impending technical problems. In modern cars, it is no longer possible to do this independently, for this purpose, the car designers have provided a system of self-testing.
When starting the car, the main electronic components are tested and all detected faults are marked with the appropriate error codes. In the error code, it is ciphered in which node an error is detected, its type, and serial number. The disadvantage of the self-test is its conventionality, and often the inability to pinpoint the faulty node. Computer diagnostics may help to pinpoint the “source of all problems”.
How Is Automobile Diagnostics Useful?
In the process of diagnosing the electronic systems of the car, they are tested with special scanners (connected through a diagnostic connector), which read the codes transmitted. Further, highly qualified specialists decode the received data with the help of specialized software. On their basis and determine the presence of any faults or malfunctions.
In What Cases Is It Necessary to Perform Computer Diagnostics of The Car?
Checking is necessary if:
- The car will be a long multi-kilometer haul. An unexpected breakdown “in the open field” will cost a lot of nerves and funds needed to bring the car to the place of repair.
- A used car is purchased. It will be cheaper to make a computer diagnostics than to invest in an expensive repair.
- It is difficult to shift gears in the box, or they shift jerkily.
- The car has been in a minor accident, after which various sorts of changes in its behavior can be sensed while driving.
- The engine malfunctions, the power goes down the fuel consumption increases. The engine is one of the most expensive units of a modern car, therefore timely identification of failures and breakages connected with its work is a priority task for every car owner. Computer diagnostics of the engine will be in this case the best option.
There is a joke among experts in diagnostics that car owners are divided into those who make diagnostics and those who already do it. There is a great deal of truth in this joke, because a small breakdown, not revealed in time, may cause another much more serious one. For example, a faulty temperature sensor can finally lead to overheating and engine failure. The owner of a car starts paying much more attention to preventive measures after paying a great sum of money. It is necessary to admit that computer diagnostics is necessary for effective prevention of breakages of personal car and, of course, for saving money.
- Car manufacturers recommend performing comprehensive computer diagnostics at least once a year, provided the car is in good working order and the onboard computer does not show error icons. If strange sounds, jerks, or bumps occur while driving, it is necessary to apply to the reliable service center for careful diagnostics of all systems as soon as possible. It is also worth doing when the machine does not warn you of a breakdown, but you feel that its behavior has changed.
- Computer diagnostics of the car engine is carried out if you notice that the engine makes extraneous sounds, runs unstable, loses power, and the fuel consumption has changed in the direction of increasing. In the course of diagnostics, specialists usually check the injection system, the correctness of the electrical system operation, and measure the compression.
Why Invest in Auto Diagnostics?
- Avoid software failure or malfunction in the functioning of the elements of complex mechanisms helps computer diagnostics of the car. As part of the diagnostic activities is the reading and processing of error codes detected in the analysis of the operation of major units and assemblies.
- Diagnosis of the automatic transmission is indicated if there are problems with gear shifting, unusual car jerks, jerks, and slips, or if oil leakage is detected.
- Suspension should be checked if a car rubber is unevenly worn and a loud knock is heard when maneuvering during driving. In addition to computer diagnostics, an employee of the service station is obliged to conduct a visual inspection of the faulty system and give necessary recommendations on the car repair.
- Diagnostic equipment includes special means of control, such as diagnostic scanners of a particular brand, multifunctional stands, as well as portable readers, known as “readers”. All these devices are connected to the diagnostic connector of the car. Specialized computer equipment allows not only registering any changes in the operation of various systems but also erasing the error codes found in order to correct them.
- The driver can find out about possible defects and current errors beforehand. The onboard systems of a modern car are equipped with an electronic control unit with a self-diagnostic function, which analyzes the main systems of the car and informs the driver of their malfunction.
Bottom Line
Car manufacturers recommend regular computer diagnostics of the car to ensure the trouble-free operation of the most important systems of the car. Only high-precision equipment, using numerous electronic sensors and chips, is capable of detecting malfunctions in the software of a particular component.