CarScan

Blog

Fault codes, sensors and the tricks of diagnostics: what the codes mean, where to start checking and why a cheap adapter sometimes lets you down.

OBD-I: why a very old car will not connect at all
OBD-I: why a very old car will not connect at all
The adapter is plugged in, the app is open, and there is no link — and it is not the adapter's fault. Cars older than a certain age simply do not have
14 September 20263 min
CarScan and other scanner apps: what is actually different
CarScan and other scanner apps: what is actually different
There are plenty of OBD-II apps, and some have millions of installs and years of history. Honestly about what they do well, and what we chose to do di
14 September 20263 min
Lada/VAZ over OBD-II: what a scanner shows, and what it does not
Lada/VAZ over OBD-II: what a scanner shows, and what it does not
The most common question from Lada owners is whether it will connect at all. Short answer: depends which car and which year. No invented numbers here
14 September 20263 min
What OBD-II actually is, in plain words
What OBD-II actually is, in plain words
The connector under the wheel, the app, codes like P0301 — what actually is all this, and where did it come from? No jargon.
14 September 20263 min
DoIP: why an OBD-II scanner is nearly useless on new cars
DoIP: why an OBD-II scanner is nearly useless on new cars
In new cars diagnostics moved from the slow bus to Ethernet, and a cheap adapter there reads only the emissions minimum required by law. What that mea
6 September 20264 min
CAN-FD: why no ELM327 can read it
CAN-FD: why no ELM327 can read it
The one case where «buy a better adapter» is bad advice: a second, pricier adapter of the same kind will not see the car either. How to tell this from
6 September 20264 min
Geely over OBD-II: what answers and what stays silent
Geely over OBD-II: what answers and what stays silent
A full sweep on a real car: two of twelve control units answer on the standard socket. Why that is not a fault, what you can still learn, and where «9
6 September 20264 min
Check Engine never comes on: P0650 and buying a car
Check Engine never comes on: P0650 and buying a car
This takes ten seconds and should be done before buying a car: turn the key without starting. If the Check Engine light did not come on with the other
6 September 20264 min
Secondary air: P0410, P0411, P0412 and the emissions test
Secondary air: P0410, P0411, P0412 and the emissions test
The car drives fine, fuel use is normal, nothing rattles — yet the check light is on and the emissions test fails. That is what a system working for o
6 September 20264 min