Stupid ODB2 question

Aug 04, 2004 3 Replies
J

Hi all,



I'd always thought that a car with ODB2 had no way to extract the codes manually, ie by turning a screw on the ECU like I can do with my 94 Altima.. But a couple of times now I've read about people doing the same thing with their newer Nissans. Is this a Nissan-specific ability, or do most ODBII cars have this feature as well? I'm looking to upgrade to a 98 or newer if the right car comes along, so not being able to read the codes was something I was going to miss with the newer system.



I guess if the scanner-less method of getting the codes is still available, then an ODBII scanner's main advantage would be getting into the details of timing, air/fuel mixture and all that good stuff. Correct?


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J

Ooops, I mean OBD2! Guess my brain's wired to type ODB whenever I'm using those 3 letters...

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E

All the newer Nissans & Honda/Acuras I've come in contact with have a way to blink out codes on the check engine light. They don't make all the OBD-II info available, but the same stuff you could get from OBD-I is usually available. Nissan doesn't require any special tools, Hondas require shorting of a service connector that has disappeared into the engine computer harness. All things considered, I wouldn't worry about it until it needs to be done, and if you have to get a scanner, so what?

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J

Just a matter of having to spend however much a scanner's worth... I guess it would be a good investment since it'll be useful for a least a few more cars before it becomes obsolete -- or have we more or less standardized on ODB-II for a while?

Thanks for the info.

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