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Many older auto enthusiasts will remember the days when repairing a vehicle was a do-it-yourself affair. However, unless you are more than savvy when it comes to technology and autos, the day of the do-it-yourselfer has come to an end. Now when you have a problem with your auto (i.e. when the dreaded “service engine soon” lights blinks to life), it is instinct to bring your auto to the local mechanic or to a dealership to fix the issue. Usually we just make our way down to pick up our auto after the fact and do not think much of what went into repairing the auto. Let’s take a look inside the world of the modern mechanic.
The ECU And OBD
In the past I have written about the Engine Control Unit (ECU) and commented on how it is essentially the brain of your auto’s engine. This small computer directs everything from fuel mixture to the amount of air that the engine is allowed to draw in, but what many do not think about is the fact that the dreaded “service engine soon” light is also controlled by the ECU. No, I am not trying to tell everyone to go out and rip the ECU out of their autos when the annoying light comes on, but rather, the ECU is essentially signaling that something within your engine is amiss and needs to be looked at by a mechanic before something potentially catastrophic happens.
After you have brought your auto in to the repair shop, a mechanic will use the first weapon in their arsenal. This weapon is a small computer (otherwise known as a scan tool) that rigs up to a port inside of your auto, which in turn tethers it to your auto’s ECU. Like the computer you are using right now, the ECU is able to store various bits and pieces of information and, in this case, it has stored a special code that tells the mechanic specifically what is wrong with your auto. These special codes are called On Board Diagnostic (OBD) codes.
To make a long story short, a mechanic will then check the code(s) against a database, which will detail the problem and allow the mechanic to fix what’s wrong without having to tear your car apart.
OBD What?
On Board Diagnostics are nothing new in the world of autos. Many readers will surely remember the late 1970s when the U.S. and other western nations (Canada included) took steps to make autos more fuel efficient and less harmful to the environment (EOBD is the acronym used in Europe). A product of this crusade was the OBD system, which originated in California in 1982. It was decided that any auto sold in the States starting in 1988 would be required to have an OBD system that would monitor emissions from the given auto. The original OBD system simply monitored an auto’s oxygen sensor(s), exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR) and fuel delivery.
The year 1994 saw the introduction of the OBDII system, which is still in use today. Nationally speaking, the U.S. Federal Clean Air Act (1990) made it law that all vehicles produced from 1996 onwards were to be equipped with OBDII. Canada also followed suit the same year. Many automakers, including Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and many others tested the system on select autos in 1994 and 1995 to work out the kinks.
OBDII was and is a marked improvement over OBDI, as it is able to monitor emissions and other areas of an auto that have nothing to do with emissions. For example, if a temperature sensor happens to go out inside your engine, the dreaded light will turn on and alert a mechanic to what needs to be replaced. In a sense, OBDII has made life much easier for mechanics throughout the world since its introduction.
The Future
Even though a date is not certain, future autos will be equipped with an OBDIII system. Just like OBDI to OBDII, it will be a step up in terms of ensuring that autos can be repaired more easily than before and that the air we breathe is cleaner than ever. General Motors has developed an OBDIII system, which amongst other things, will be able to transmit a vehicle’s emission status to roadside sensors that will be monitored by the authorities.
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