Every mechanical device has its own technology to check the hardware’s functionality. For instance, a computer uses a hardware detection tool. Similarly, in the automobile industry, the mechanics and manufacturers use On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) tools. For checking defect systems and identifying what is really wrong with the car.
By using modern technologies, now you can easily check your vehicle and diagnose almost every trouble your car is making. OBD allows the users to find what is wrong with the vehicle. Many people raise this common question, “What Type of OBD Is My Car?” So, stick with me, let’s solve this problem together.
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The Difference Between Obd1 and Obd2
First, you should learn some basics. OBD is the short form of On-Board Diagnostic. The OBD system includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), which uses feedback from different sensors to monitor the motors to get the best response.
It comes as a built-in feature with maximum vehicles which allows a vehicle to examine and find out the problems themselves. If it finds any problem in the engine, it generates a record of the problem. This is accomplished with the use of sensors, many of which are located in the car.
1. OBD1
Though OBD1 was the first generation of OBD systems, it was in the developing process throughout the 1980s. It was first implemented on vehicles in California in 1991.
The main target of using OBD1 was to control vehicle emissions. So all the manufacturers who made cars for California state started to install OBD1 in their cars to detect engine problems and generate problem report codes.
Tough maximum companies applied this new technology, but there were no similarities between their codes. That means one manufacturer’s OBD system didn’t work with other manufacturer’s cars. For instance, if you had a Toyota car where OBD had generated a trouble code, for the same issue a Ford car’s OBD generated another code. So to solve this major problem with other minor problems, OBD2 came to the market and is still leading the car’s diagnosis systems.
2. OBD2
To make the On-Board Diagnosis system more engaged and user-friendly, OBD2 was developed in 1996. Though it was in development in the early 1990s and introduced in 1994 vehicles model. You can also try FIXD, This is an innovative gadget that allows you to carry out a self-diagnosis of the car in real-time with its App and OBD2 system.
It is more powerful and updated than its first version OBD1. This device is more reliable and helpful for mechanics which kicked out the OBD1 from the market. ODB1 rapidly became outmoded as a consequence. Apart from OBD1, all sectors of the automobile are checked by the “smarter” OBD2. OBD2 uses real-time inspection which is more productive.
For this reason, till now the developers update the system and all of the manufacturers use this nowadays. So if you look in the timeline, you will see that OBD1 helped the manufacturers to make better cars but OBD2 not only helps in there but is also beneficial for the vehicle owners also.
In OBD2, it maintains the official standard code which creates the same report for the same issues in different manufacturer’s cars. Read FIXD Review, there are many users who claim that OBD2 provides a better result with FIXD.
3. Differences
OBD1 doesn’t work for those cars which were made after 1996. It only works with old cars. But if your car was manufactured in 1996, you may find an OBD1 scan tool for your car from a specific manufacturer.
Because OBD1 creates different types of codes for the same issue in different manufacturer’s cars. So it was impossible for mechanics to purchase different 5-6 scan tools to work with different cars.
In OBD2, the scanner generates the same error codes on the same issue for different cars. That is why it is more user-friendly. For this reason, both the mechanics and the vehicle owners adopt this OBD2. So if you have a card that was made after 1996, you can easily use the OBD2 scan tool to diagnose the car’s interface.
Another difference is OBD1 was able to just scan the engine’s system. But the OBD2 scan tool can scan the whole car’s system. The OBD2 has the ability to monitor multiple parts of vehicles at once, which allows for greater detail when troubleshooting. The OBD1 does not have any of the tools found on the OBD2. The OBD1 only monitors the engine for problems.
What Type of OBD Is My Car?
If you are still confused, what OBD system is installed in your car, there are multiple ways to check it out.
The first technique is always to search, practically, under the hood. There should have been a tag underneath the hood that specifically determines the sort of OBD the car has.
The second method is already described several times above. If your car was manufactured before 1996, then it has an OBD1 scan tool and if it was manufactured after 1996, then it uses the OBD2 scan tool.
Besides, you can search online with your car’s model or check the car manufacturer’s website for more details about your onboard diagnosis system.
If you want to use an OBD2 in your OBD1, then you’ll need an OBD1 to OBD2 connector. It will allow your car to use the OBD2 scanner on your car. Some OBD2 scanners in the market can scan both OBD1 and OBD2 vehicles. You can use them too.
Final Words
In conclusion, we can say that OBD2 has made a great difference in the automobile section. Because if you have an OBD2 system in your car, you can easily find out the error and check online for the solution. So I hope this article helps you to understand the solution to your question “what type of OBD is my car?” Now you can use the device that is required according to your requirement.