What’s an OBD-II (sometimes alternatively referred to as OBD-2, and other times in either form absent the interstitial hyphen) scanner? Answering that question first requires an understanding of what ...

There it is. On your dashboard. Staring at you, mocking you, making you plot insurance fraud: your car’s check engine light. That little bugger has been on your dash for weeks now and you haven’t been ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Modern cars are technological marvels, and understanding what’s happening under the hood has never been more important—or more ...

Once upon a time, you could diagnose the culprit of your Mazda MX-5 Miata's check engine light with a paperclip. We now use OBD-II technology for that.

Modern vehicles’ sophisticated electronics go far beyond the simple car mechanics most of us grew up with. Now, OBD, or on-board diagnostics, diagnoses almost every issue within your vehicle. Whether ...

If you've ever gone to a mechanic for a check engine light problem on your car, then chances are you've heard the technician say something about an OBD scanner. It's a handheld phone-like device that ...

OK, so imagine, you're four-wheelin' with a bunch of friends in Baja, or maybe you're halfway into some backroad in Canada. After a beautiful camp, 50 miles from the nearest light bulb, you pack up ...

Whether you're an everyday driver or a pro technician, when your check engine light suddenly comes on the first step is to connect an OBD-II scanner. At Autoweek, we recommend everyone carry an OBD-II ...

Seeing your vehicle's check-engine light come on can throw a wrench in your travel plans. It can also feel a little scary: Does it mean your ride is headed for the scrapyard? Or is there a simple fix?

In the Last diagnostics article, we outlined how to retrieve and decipher engine diagnostics for engines running OBD-I engine management computers. OBD or On Board Diagnostics is a subsystem of the ...

Your check engine light can come on a host of reasons, ranging from a loose gas cap to a faulty engine component. If you see a light illuminated on your dashboard, you can use an OBD2 scanner to ...