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 ...

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 ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. If you've ever connected a standard OBD-II scanner to your motorcycle only to find it doesn't work as expected, you're not alone. Unlike cars, ...

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 episode, we outlined the vital information provided by compression and leakdown testing and illustrated how to use these most important tools. These tests reveal the internal ...

In 1976, Chrysler ushered in the computer engine management system era with their Electronic Lean Burn 400 4-bbl. This early computerized spark-advance control system was developed to make the engine ...

Before I figured out how to work on cars, onboard computer systems scared me. I’ve had no formal training, after all, so the idea of a car’s complex electricals and countless sensors made DIY work ...

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 ...

The second iteration of on-board diagnostics, OBD II, has been required tech on all new cars sold in the U.S. since 1996. That means that anyone who uses or works on cars less than three decades old ...

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?