GTcarz - Automotive forums for cars & trucks.

hyundaitech wrote:
> I'm not sure about fuel management systems in other countries. If you have
> a diagnostic connector shaped like the one in the ad-- it'll probably be in
> the dash just above the little cubby box on the left side, you may need to
> get down and look up to see it-- your car would appear to be OBD-II
> compliant and this code reader would be designed to work with it. Some
> vehicles have difficulty communicating with some tools, so experiences may
> vary.
>
> The tool in the ad isn't a very sophisticated tool. According to the ad,
> it'll read and clear codes only. I would presume it won't give you any
> data readings (e.g. coolant temp) or other information.
> The manual may be vague. Codes of the form P0xxx are predetermined but
> codes with P1xxx or P2xxx are manufacturer specific. Without seeing the
> manual, I have no way of knowing whether it has the information to tell
> you that P1128 is a partial load lean condition, for example.
>

Since I've recently futzed with two different code readers, I'll
comment. This product should read your car. I'd expect that any code
stored in your car's computer should be downloaded to the display with
no trouble. Don't worry if the Hyundai codes aren't in the
manufacturer's literature: you can just print out the code list from the
Hyundai tech web site.

One issue, however, is the fit between the plug/socket. There can be a
minute difference in the sizes of these plugs -- so much force can be
required to remove one that's not a good match that I can conceive of
the user damaging the connector on the car -- and I'll leave it to you
to imagine the cost of a dealer repair to replace the factory connector
with associated cabling, etc.

I'm fairly pleased with the Innova/Equus code reader that I wound up
with. It handles nicely (no insane menu structure). They sent me a
replacement cable that fits the car better than the first one (but still
not perfectly). These seem to always be "on sale" for $100 (after
rebate) at Kragen and probably affiliated stores.

As Hyundaitech has implied, these tools will show the basic codes. They
are not the professional's costly scan tools -- these instruments pull
down much more specific information from the car's computer describing
very precise performance data. A code reader won't do that. However, I
believe that it is very useful to have one because it will tell you
whether the Check Engine light means that your motor will blow up in 30
seconds or whether you can continue to drive for 6 months until you can
get a repair at your convenience. In other words, it'll definitely zero
you in on the bad system or part. And very often, that's all you need.

It can help, too, to keep the transaction honest between you and a flaky
mechanic when you're far from home. I believe that most mechanics are
honest, by the way.

Richard