Figuring out what that warning light means

David S. Wallens said:

In reply to wae :

So, basically, why not integrate the OBD II reader? 

I wonder if it's because OEs still have to meet the 1990s-era OBD II spec that requires a certain port for a certain reader? 

I think it is more likely that manufacturers want to keep the general public from truly knowing what is going on with the car (more profits anyone?).  Since knowledge is power, the path of least resistance for people like us is to scout out a solution and not spend the $300+ bill at the dealership, unlike the general public.  Ignorance is pricey and naivety is costly.  DIY to the manufacturers and dealers is like sunlight through a magnifying glass to ants--they don't like it much.  I love my OBD II reader.

Msterbee said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Is it just me or do factory manuals no longer exist?  Third party one's too, it seems... 

I have access to the factory manual for new Miatas and I know of at least two levels of factory service manual available for the Tesla - one free, one subscription. Haven't gone looking for much else, but in my two cases they definitely do still exist. The responsive wiring diagrams for the Miata are a nice step up from paper. 

DavyZ said:

David S. Wallens said:

In reply to wae :

So, basically, why not integrate the OBD II reader? 

I wonder if it's because OEs still have to meet the 1990s-era OBD II spec that requires a certain port for a certain reader? 

I think it is more likely that manufacturers want to keep the general public from truly knowing what is going on with the car (more profits anyone?).  Since knowledge is power, the path of least resistance for people like us is to scout out a solution and not spend the $300+ bill at the dealership, unlike the general public.  Ignorance is pricey and naivety is costly.  DIY to the manufacturers and dealers is like sunlight through a magnifying glass to ants--they don't like it much.  I love my OBD II reader.

There's no conspiracy to hide information from customers here.  Certainly the infotainment system is capable of displaying error codes, but making it actually do that requires software work.  The infotainment systems are made by different companies from the ECU, so you need a network that connects them to get that information across, you need to define a standard for how that information is transferred, and then you need to write, integrate, test, and debug that sotware.  All that work isn't free, it actually takes significant money.

And for what?  The dealer tech isn't going to use it (he's got much better access with his factory diagnostic tools).  99% of new-car customers aren't going to use it either, because most of them aren't keeping the car much beyond the warranty period.  The GRM-type enthusiasts are usually 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th) owners because they want to buy it after it's depreciated, and to honest those owners are so disconnected from the income streams for a manufacturer that they just aren't important.

So there just isn't a return on investment to justify spending the money to implement it.

I was just thinking about how I had to pull codes on my CRX–you had to count the blinking LEDs. 

I only recently learned (right here on the forum, from Pete IIRC) that the "clear the codes and see if they come back" approach can create a bit of a mess, and that it's often better to fix the problem and see if the car clears the code.

But I'm not sure about the why and when of what cars, what type of problems, etc., and I can't find the thread right now...