3
INTRODUCTUCTION
1. Safety Precautions and Warnings
To prevent personal injury or damage to vehicles and/or the scan tool, read this instruction
manual first and observe the following safety precautions at a minimum whenever working
on a vehicle:
1. Always perform automotive testing in a safe environment.
2. Wear safety eye protection that meets ANSI standards.
3. Keep clothing, hair, hands, tools, test equipment, etc. away from all moving or hot engine
parts.
4. Operate the vehicle in a well-ventilated work area: Exhaust gases are poisonous.
5. Put blocks in front of the drive wheels and never leave the vehicle unattended while
running tests.
6. Use extreme caution when working around the ignition coil, distributor cap, ignition wires
and spark plugs. These components create hazardous voltages when the engine is
running.
7. Put the transmission in PARK (for automatic transmission) or NEUTRAL (for manual
transmission) and make sure the parking brake is engaged.
8. Keep a fire extinguisher suitable for gasoline/chemical/electrical fires nearby.
9. Don't connect or disconnect any test equipment while the ignition is on or the engine is
running.
10.Keep the scan tool dry, clean, free from oil/water or grease. Use a mild detergent on a
clean cloth to clean the outside of the scan tool, when necessary.
2. General Information
2.1 On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) II
The first generation of On-Board Diagnostics (called OBD I) was developed by the
California Air Resources Board (ARB) and implemented in 1988 to monitor some of the
emission control components on vehicles.
As technology evolved and the desire to improve the On-Board Diagnostic system
increased, a new generation of On-Board Diagnostic system was developed. This second
generation of On-Board Diagnostic regulations is called "OBD II".
The OBD II system is designed to monitor emission control systems and key engine
components by performing either continuous or periodic tests of specific components and
vehicle conditions.
When a problem is detected, the OBD II system turns on a warning lamp (MIL) on the
vehicle instrument panel to alert the driver typically by the phrase of "Check Engine" or
"Service Engine Soon". The system will also store important information about the
detected malfunction so that a technician can accurately find and fix the problem. Here
below follow three pieces of such valuable information:
1). If Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) is commanded 'on' or 'off'.
2). Which, if any, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are stored.
3). Readiness Monitor status.
