How to read diagnostic trouble codes?

We can think of today's cars just like computers. For this reason, cars can malfunction, just like computers. With today's cars, there are nearly 80 control units that regulate and manage the electronic components in the vehicle. When any malfunction occurs in the vehicle, these are stored in the form of OBD2 fault codes and you can understand the fault in your vehicle by reading these codes.

There are several ways to diagnose your vehicle. One of these is to take the vehicle to a repair garage, where the fault codes are read by the technicians. However, there is a faster and more practical option! You can read the fault codes yourself. For this, you need an OBD2 scanner and software that works compatible with this scanner.

If you have a NitroSmart scanner device, all you have to do is plug the scanner into the OBD2 socket and open the application. After running the diagnostic feature with the phone app, you can see all the error codes.

Besides, thanks to the NitroSmart scanner, you will learn more about your vehicle. You will be able to code and maintain your vehicle according to your vehicle model.

First of all, by reading the fault codes, you will understand your vehicle better. We will show you what the fault codes are, how to read the fault codes and how to do them in the best way. Thanks to all this, you will become your own mechanic.

What Are Diagnostic Trouble Codes?

Sometimes problems can occur in the vehicle. Often, the control units are able to correct these faults on their own. Each fault is logged as a DTC (diagnostic trouble code).

Problems that control units cannot solve appear on the dashboard. Flashing fault lights on the dashboard may indicate a serious malfunction. In such cases, the engine must be switched off immediately to avoid further damage to the vehicle.

There are different types of error codes, and most of them have the same logic. Each digit in the error codes has different meanings. There are approximately 10000 codes and these codes are arranged according to SAE J2012 and ISO 15031-6 standards.

What does the first digit in the DTC’s mean?

The first digit in the error codes indicates the region where the error came from. The letters below indicate the regions.

• P(powertrain): engine and transmission
• C (Chassis) = Chassis
• B (Body) = Body
• U (User Network) = Network

What does the second digit in the DTC’s mean?

The second digit tells whether it is a standard code or a manufacturer specific code.

• 0 = Standard code
• 1 = Manufacturer specific code

What does the third digit in the DTC’s mean?

The third digit in the error codes indicates the subsystems associated with this code.

• 0, 1, and 2: air and fuel metering control
• 3: Ignition system
• 4: Additional emission control

What does the fourth and fifth digit in the DTC’s mean?

The fourth and fifth digits of the error codes show you the actual error. The application will show you all the error codes in detail.

Which Fault Codes Are Recorded?

Faults can occur once or multiple times in different parts of your vehicle. The control units can repair these faults themselves, if they repair themselves, the driver is not warned, the fault is stored in the memory. However, some errors cannot be repaired by the control units, manual intervention is required.

If we give an example of these faults, it may be the oil level. When the oil level drops below a certain level, the driver is warned and the error is stored in the memory. Brake fluid and wiper fluid have the same logic.

In addition, some faults are not immediately alerted to the driver, but these are more complex faults that must ultimately be dealt with. For example, serious malfunctions occur due to strong factors such as the electronic system in the vehicle, high temperature level, humidity, abrasions, and therefore, part replacements may be required.

In order to have regular information about the health status of your vehicle, you should regularly read the errors in the vehicle. Thanks to the NitroSmart scanner, you can read the faults in the vehicle and monitor the status of your vehicle continuously.

Once you have your own OBD2 reader, you won't have to pay the mechanics all the time.

Thanks to NitroSmart, besides reading and deleting fault codes, your control over your vehicle also increases.

What Is The Working Logic Of Electronic Control Units?

We can think of ECUs as computers with microprocessors inside. They are responsible for controlling all electronic systems in the vehicle. Via sensors, information is transmitted to the control units. The incoming value is compared. If there is a deviation, the control unit takes the necessary action.

There are different fault codes for each situation. In cases where the control unit cannot correct the fault itself, the driver is warned with warning lights. All ECUs have CAN bus, so scanners receive all data via OBD2.

What Is The OBD2 Scanner?

Thanks to the OBD2 scanner, you can access in-car communication. With the NitroSmart OBD2 scanner, you can connect your car and a mobile application and access your data.

What Is OBD2 Splitter?

This splitter converts one obd socket to two OBD sockets, so you can connect via 2 obd sockets.

How To Get Data From OBD2 Via An App?

If the application you are going to use is the NitroSmart application, it is very simple to get data from the vehicle. First you need to get a NitroSmart scanner. The next step is to connect the device to the OBD socket. The app connects to NitroSmart OBD scanner via bluetooth and you get data from your vehicle.

Reading and clearing DTC is quite simple, there are 4 steps for them;

• Order the NitroSmart OBD scanner first.
• Then download our mobile app via App Store or Google Play.
• Connect your scanner to your car's OBD socket.
• And the last step is to open the NitroSmart application (the application will automatically connect to the vehicle.)

You can read and process error codes in minutes. However, in some cases it may take up to 20 minutes to read.

If you want to see the old and new data after performing a scan, you must delete the fault memory in the vehicle. You can read the data again after clearing the memory. With the free version of the NitroSmart application, you can access standard OBD codes. However, if you want to access high-level functions, you can activate a license for a single brand or for all brands.

Why should we read DTC’s regularly?

Reading the fault codes is important to reach the fault in advance so that there is no serious fault in the vehicle. If the error appears constantly, there is probably an error in the system.

Faults occurring in the vehicle are interrelated. For example, if there is a fault in the Lambda sensor (the sensor responsible for measuring the correct ratio of combustion air to fuel), this can subsequently lead to higher fuel consumption and higher emissions. If you get a lambda related fault, you will also have a mass airflow sensor fault. In this case we can assume that the lambda sensor is working fine, but there may also be a leak in the corrosion. Repairing this leak is less costly than replacing the lambda sensor.

How to delete DTC?

You can read fault codes, correct and delete faults.

Since faults can usually be deleted by themselves, you can delete them without fixing them. Many faults are periodically cleared from the ECU memory. However, in some cases it is not automatically deleted. In this case, it is necessary to delete it manually. If an error you deleted before reappears later on, the situation may be serious, in these cases it is necessary to examine the malfunction in more detail.

Engine errors should be dealt with immediately, but media errors will not affect the vehicle much, so they will not affect the vehicle in a short time.

Can The Service Light Be Deleted Using An OBD2 Scanner?

When it's time for oil maintenance, the vehicle is warned with a service reminder, which is quite tedious. It is not stored in vehicle memory and therefore is not read during diagnostics

However, by using the service function of NitroSmart, you can perform service resets and see the maintenance data recorded in your vehicle. In this way, you can do the maintenance yourself, saving time and money.

The use of this feature varies from vehicle to vehicle. First of all, you need to check if this feature is compatible with your vehicle.

What Else Can You Do With Nitrosmart?

NitroSmart offers you not only DTC reading, but also other features.

You will see some of these features below. These features vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle.

Coding Function

Today's vehicles have as many as 80 control units, which makes us think of these vehicles like computers. Thanks to NitroSmart, you can customize your vehicle by configuring these control units.

For example, the logos on the screen can be changed, the start stop can be disabled, you can activate the welcome signals when you open or close your vehicle.

Vehicle Diagnostics

Reading DTCs is only a small part of what you can do with NitroSmart. In addition to reading DTCs, NitroSmart also allows you to perform manufacturer-level diagnostics.

After reading the DTC with NitroSmart, the application shows you the details of the fault and a detailed guide to repair the fault. The application is extremely user-friendly, even people who are not related to this business can easily use this application.

Additional Maintenance Services Function

NitroSmart also provides you with other maintenance services. For example, you can registrate the battery, you can make your electronic parking brake settings.

Another example is the DPF reset operation. You can follow the data about the DPF and perform DPF regeneration when necessary. In vehicles with automatic transmission, learning values ​​can also be reset with NitroSmart. Especially if you do this after buying a used vehicle, the transmission will adapt itself to your driving style.

Used Vehicle Control

In order to keep the price of used vehicles high, the mileage settings of at least 30 percent of them have been changed. However, the edited mileage is only visible in the tacho. In the control units, the original mileage is reserved. With NitroSmart, you can find out the original mileage of the vehicle by accessing the control units in the vehicle.

Digital Garage Function

NitroSmart collects all your data and stores it in the cloud. So you can use your data for further analysis.

Now, with the NitroSmart OBD2 scanner, you can keep the health of your vehicle under your control and become your own vehicle mechanic.