Dyno-Scan Overview and Frequently Asked Questions
What is On-Board
Diagnostics (OBD II)?
All 1996 and newer cars and trucks have a standardized computer
interface connector used to connect external diagnostic equipment.
When the "Service Engine Soon" or "Check Engine" light illuminates on
your dashboard, the Auterra scan tool connects to your vehicle's
diagnostic connector to read the stored diagnostic trouble code (DTC).
The DTC helps you determine what's wrong with your vehicle. For
instance, a DTC of P1234 could mean "Engine oil pressure too low
fault".
An overview of OBD II can be found
here.
Where is my vehicle's OBD
II connector?
OBD II compliant vehicles must also have a 16-pin connector located
in plain sight underneath the dash near the driver’s seat.
Alternatively it may be behind ashtrays or concealed by an easily
removed plastic cover, sometimes with the letters “OBD” stamped on the
outside.
OBD II Connector (front view)
Will
the Auterra Dyno-Scan work on my vehicle?
The Auterra Dyno-Scan supports all US 1996 and
newer passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles
including Domestic, European, Korean, and Asian.
Diesel vehicles may not work with our scan tool.
Heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
exceeding 14,000 pounds also may not work with our scan tool.
Some
1994 and 1995 model year vehicles are also supported with an EPA
sticker under the hood indicating OBD II compliance. All 1996 and
later vehicles are OBD II compliant and do not require the under hood
sticker.
The Dyno-Scan A-300, A-301 and A-302 works on all
1996 and later vehicles, including those vehicles equipped with CAN.
The Dyno-Scan A-100 and A-101 works on all 1996 though 2002 vehicles,
and most 2003 and later vehicles except those equipped with CAN.
I live outside the US. Will the Auterra
Dyno-Scan work on my vehicle?
The United States requires OBD II on all 1996 and
newer passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles.
Europe and the UK adopted EOBD (European On-Board
Diagnostics). The Dyno-Scan works on EOBD vehicles.
Vehicles sold in other countries have started
requiring OBD in other years, or have no mandated OBD II requirements.
| Country |
Fully Supported
Years |
Incompletely
Supported Years |
| United States (gas) |
1996 and newer |
1994 and 1995 |
| United States (diesel) |
|
1996 and newer |
| United States (Heavy-Duty vehicles
with GVRW exceeding 14000 pounds) |
|
1996 and newer |
| Canada (gas) |
1998 and newer |
1996 and 1997 |
| Europe and UK (gas/petrol) |
2000/01 and newer |
1996 to 1999 |
| Europe and UK (diesel) |
2003/04 and newer |
1996 to 2002 |
| All Other Countries |
|
1996 and newer |
The "Fully Supported Years" column means that
100% of the vehicles sold in that country conform to OBD II or EOBD
starting in the year listed.
The "Incompletely Supported Years" column means
that some vehicles within that country will work with the Dyno-Scan,
and some will not. It your vehicle lies in the incompletely supported
years range, the
OBD II Connector Pinout page can help determine if your vehicle
will work with our scan tool.
Does your
scan tool support European EOBD?
Yes, European EOBD (European On-Board
Diagnostics) equipped vehicles work with the Dyno-Scan.
What PC requirements are there to run the Dyno-Scan for
Windows software?
Dyno-Scan for Windows runs on the following
Windows operating systems.
 | Windows Server 2003 |
| Windows XP Professional |
| Windows XP Home Edition |
| Windows XP Media Center Edition |
| Windows XP Tablet PC Edition |
| Windows 2000 (Service Pack 2 recommended) |
| Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me) |
| Windows 98 |
| Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 (Service Pack 6a required) |
The computer must meet the following hardware requirements.
|
Pentium 166MHz or higher |
|
64 MB of RAM or more |
|
USB port or 9-pin serial port |
|
50 MB of available hard disk space |
The A-302 kit connects directly to any PC USB
port. The A-101 and A-301 kits connect to a 9-pin serial port. If you
want to use the A-101 or A-301 with your desktop or notebook PC and
its not equipped with a 9-pin serial port, then a
USB to serial
adapter is required.
I don't have a Palm handheld,
where can I get one?
Palm handhelds
can be purchased at just about any retail or online computer store, or
purchased from Palm
directly. We support almost
every Palm
handheld and smartphone being sold today.
Why would I want to purchase
an Auterra Dyno-Scan?
See our
Why a
Scan Tool? page for more information on how a scan tool can help
the average vehicle owner.
What is
CAN?
Starting with model year 2003, select vehicle
makes and models started using a new means of diagnostic communication
called CAN. By model year 2008, all vehicles sold in the US must use
CAN. The Auterra A-300, A-301 and A-302 Dyno-Scan kits support
CAN. See our
About
CAN page for a list of CAN vehicles.
What vehicle protocols does
the Auterra OBD II scan tool support?
The Auterra A-300, A-301 and A-302 Dyno-Scan kits support all
protocols found on all cars sold in the US since 1996, which includes
J1850 (VPW, PWM), ISO 9141, ISO 14230 (KWP 2000), and ISO 15765 (CAN).
The A-100 and A-101 Dyno-Scan supports all of the aforementioned
protocols except ISO 15765 (CAN).
Does my
Auterra hardware support vehicles equipped with CAN?
Version 3.XX (e.g. 3.01) hardware supports
vehicles equipped with CAN. Versions 2.XX and 1.XX hardware do not.
The "About Hardware" menu option displays the hardware version of all
our current and prior version scan tool adapters.
Is an accelerometer used to
measure horsepower and torque?
No. Like a standard chassis dyno, such as Dynojet, speed and RPM
are used to determine horsepower and torque. Most accelerometer dynos
only provide an estimated horsepower/torque figure since they do not
have access to the vehicle's RPM. Auterra's Dyno-Scan creates graphs
to reveal HP/torque at any RPM.
What sensors are supported
by the scan tool?
See our
Supported Parameters page for a complete list of sensors and
parameters.
What features are supported
by the scan tool?
See our
Product
Features and
Software pages for more information regarding scan tool
capabilities.
Why should I purchase an
Auterra scan tool over someone else's?
See our
Feature Comparison page for compelling reasons to select Auterra
for your scan tool purchase.
What is a Palm handheld?
A Palm handheld is a computer that fits within the palm of your
hand. A touch screen replaces the keyboard found on a desktop
computer. Like a desktop computer, however, it can run thousands of
aftermarket software applications written for it. Email, address book,
To Do lists, and calendar are but a few of the built in applications.
Auterra chose Palm since its so easy to use, inexpensive, and is the
leader in handheld devices. Visit
Palm, Inc. for more
information regarding Palm handhelds.
What Palm handhelds are
supported?
See our
Supported Palms page for more information.
What version of the Palm OS
does my Palm have?
The Auterra OBD II software requires Palm OS version 3.0 or higher.
Palms sold today are 3.x and higher. To determine the version of Palm
OS that is running on your Palm handheld, perform the following
procedure.
Palm OS version 3.x and later
- Tap the Applications button in the lower-left corner of your
screen. The applications launcher appears.
- Tap the Menu button in the lower-left corner of your screen. A
dropdown list appears.
- Select Info. The Info screen appears.
- Tap the Version button at the bottom of the screen. Your current
Palm OS version appears at the top of the screen.
Palm OS version 2.x and earlier
- Tap the Applications button in the lower-left corner of your
screen. The applications launcher appears.
- Tap the Memory application icon
- Your current Palm OS version appears in the top left of the
screen.
See our
Supported Palms page for more information regarding Palm handheld
support.
How much sensor data can I
record onto the Palm?
The Record/Playback feature uses approximately 0.5MB per hour at
the fastest sampling rate and limited only by the available memory on
your Palm handheld.
Can I import recorded data
into a spreadsheet?
Yes, the Auterra PDB Export application converts the Palm PDB file
into a CSV file suitable for import into a spreadsheet such as
Microsoft Excel.
Can I use my serial HotSync cradle instead
of a serial HotSync cable?
A serial HotSync cable is not required. A serial HotSync cradle can
be used to connect the Palm and scan tool together, its just slightly
more cumbersome to hold. A USB HotSync cradle will not work.
Do you support pre-1996 vehicles?
No, our scan tool supports 1996 and later vehicles except for a
limited subset of
1994 and 1995 model year vehicles.
Does your scan tool work with the air bag
(SIR/SRS) or antilock brake systems?
No, our scan tool supports retrieving/clearing powertrain, chassis,
body, and network communication trouble codes only.
Will your scan tool read manufacturer
specific trouble codes?
Yes, our scan tool reads both generic and manufacturer specific
trouble codes for powertrain, emission, and network communication type
errors.
Do you make a version for Windows CE or
Pocket PC?
No. At the present time our scan tool only works with Windows PC
and Palm handheld devices.
Do I need a personal
computer?
Yes.
For the Dyno-Scan for Palm OS product, an IBM compatible PC running
Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP or NT 4.0 is required to install the
software. Macintosh computers may also install the the software onto
Palm handhelds. The PC allows installation of new software programs
and backups your data in case of battery failure, among other things.
For the Dyno-Scan for Windows product, the software runs directly
on a PC.
Do I need special tools?
No special tools are required to access the vehicle's 16-pin OBD II
connector. It is usually in plain sight underneath the dash.
Will a scan tool harm my
vehicle?
No. The scan tool only reads values from the vehicle and does not
control vehicle operation. |
