Friday, 25 April 2025

Dude, what are On-Board Diagnostics (ODB, ODB-II)?

ODB-2 is a self-diagnostic system for vehicles (it stands for On-Board Diagnostics).  Mechanics used ODB-2 readers to communicate with vehicles (usually by connecting the reader to a 16 pin connector near the steering wheel, called the ODB2 diagnostic port). ODB requests are then answered with ODB responses (e.g. speed, fuel level, DTCs).

Some common ODB-related acronyms:

DTC - diagnostic trouble code, ECU - engine control unit, MIL - malfunction indicator light, VCM - vehicle control module (in-car computer responsible for engine management, transmission management and in general all things engine-related except for emissions).

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