If you have any questions I would be glad to give you a slightly vague and overly complicated answer.
Good luck dude and I hope your knuckles stay as smooth as the inside/outside of whatever is really silky smooth or something. The only thing that matters is the end result of the project. And the best lil nugget I can give ya is, there is no right or wrong way in wrenching.
Best advice I can give ya is don’t over think stuff, be as cheap as possible without sacrificing safety, don’t be afraid to get creative to solve your wrenching problems, and if things don’t go as planned and B-Lines it straight to the struggle bus station. I would secure the jumper cable jaws to the batt cables with some electrical tape to make sure it doesn’t fall off or worse, make sparks and ignite some stuff on fire.
It’s just like jumping a car and like the “special tool” you can buy that all the Interstate Battery reps try and push on me except cheaper, as long as you have a batt and cables. Have a 2nd battery ready and hook the cables to the appropriate posts, disconnect batt under the hood and pow! You still have power from a 12v supply and don’t have to risk overloading anything as long as you don’t get your +’s & -‘s mixed up. But honestly, I would take a set of jumper cables hook them to the battery cables, have the terminals loose already so you can just slide em off. Or you can buy a Chilton Service book and do it that way, you can get em online or any auto parts store. You can try and call a licensed VW dealer service department and see if they will give it to ya over the phone (you could tell a slight fib and say you work for an auto shop and ya might get lucky) or you will have to bring it in to them and pay for the labor. You never think it would be that until it turns out to be something unrelated.
Have you used a laptop to scan OBDII codes? Let us know your thoughts below.Ĭategory: OBD Code Reader Scan Tools, OBD1 OBD2 Reviews and Overview
The USB interface tool is low-cost and works as well as any of the expensive OBD2 scan tools I have seen.Īlso, the software is always updated to new versions, which is basically like getting an entirely new tool.
Using a PC Windows-based computer as an OBD2 scanner is a good option.Įven older laptops can work and display codes, erase them, and do many other features.
ScanTool OBDLink SX USB: Professional Grade OBD-II Automotive Scan Tool for Windows It is low-cost, comes with everything needed to get started, and simply works. There are other options for OBD2-To-USB PC-based solutions, but the OBDLink is currently the most popular solution.
Most simply stay with OBDwiz since it comes free with the OBDLink SX package.Īs most know, OBD2 scan tools work on any 1996 or newer vehicle, and of course, the same applies to the OBDLink SX. The software ranges from free to high-end paid options. OBDwiz is not the only OBD-II software for a PC, and there are many other programs that can read the codes from the USB interface and give the results. The software is loaded with features besides diagnosing error codes, from monitoring fuel mileage to checking emissions. The software used is called OBDwiz and is a widely used program in the OBD-II scan tool world. It works with almost any laptop from old Windows XP to Windows 10, although the faster the laptop, the better.Īfter the USB-To-OBD2 device is plugged into a laptop and the OBDII port, the software is the main focus. One such popular unit is the OBDLink SX which comes with the USB-To-OBD2 converter cable and the OBDwiz software needed to get started.
Software is also included that displays error codes, clear error codes, and many other features. There are several USB-to-OBD2 cables that can be bought and hooked up. How Do You Use a Laptop as an OBDII Scanner?Ī USB-to-OBD2 cable is bought that interfaces from a laptop to a vehicle’s OBDII port. One of the great things about using a laptop when scanning OBDII codes, is the ability to quickly look online for answers.Īs long as the laptop is online, an error code can be looked up, and the many online forums can be read through that will give an overview of what others did to solve the problem. Using a laptop to scan OBDII engine codes is an easy task and even possibly one of the better options.