Code Scout OBD-II Code Reader
OBD-II: A Brief Explanation
During the 1970’s and early 1980's, auto manufacturers started using electronics to control engine functions and diagnose engine problems. Far from being technology for the sake of technology, these systems were primarily designed to help manufacturers conform to ever-tightening EPA emission standards. Starting in 1966, the thick smog enveloping most Los Angeles led California to require emission control systems on all cars sold in the state. By 1968, the federal government took those basic standards nationwide. In 1970, Congress passed the Clean Air Act and created the Environmental Protection Agency. Emission standards were implemented and electronics were the best way to measure and adjust engines to produce minimum pollution. In the early days of the technology, each manufacturer had its own system, but in 1988, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standardized a connector plug and a set of diagnostic signals. The EPA picked up most of their standards from the SAE and OBD-II is the highly-evolved result. Some manufacturers were using installing them as early as 1994, but some of those early cars weren’t 100% compliant. All cars built since January 1, 1996 have OBD-II systems. Over the years, automotive electronics and on-board diagnostics have become much more sophisticated. So has the equipment your local mechanic uses to interface with your car’s systems. High-tech equipment costs money and that’s why there’s often a hefty fee attached to merely running a diagnostic check on your vehicle. That’s why the Code Scout is such a wise investment. | 
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