Diagnostic test for car

Page 1 / 2
maitreyah., Oct 25, 2:10am
Hi all, can someone please tell me what a diagnostic test for a car is, what the purpose of it is, and how much is charged for the test, and if Nissan offers this service please. Thanks

intrade, Oct 25, 2:16am
i got loads of threads on this subject , the biggest problem is swaptron morons whom run big fancy dealerships with no clues .
I do a full diagnostic scan free with every service , because if i find a problem i can then tell the customer this needs fixing befor the car stops or it will cost you megabux afterwards , the newer the car the more a car will be fully destroyed once it stops 2005 onwards is newer under 2000 years are old

intrade, Oct 25, 2:20am
now you should read this first the problem is a diagnostic scan is useless if you got morons with no clue i will bump a thread you should read diagnostic training .
read that one what he writes is a worldwide desease in the automotive industry .

kazbanz, Oct 25, 2:35am
maitreiyah -A diagnostic SCAN is when a special electrical tool (call it a computer if you like) is physically plugged into a factory socket in your car.
Your car then "tells " the "computer" what is wrong with it
Nissan does offer this service for Nissan cars. equally Toyota for Toyota cars etc.
However unless your car is a VERY recent model--under 5 years old then your local mechanic should have the tool to scan your car.
The cost will vary from workshop to workshop.

PLEASE understand I've simplified the explaination to laymans terms

intrade, Oct 25, 2:41am
Can you explain what prompted you to ask this question ?

intrade, Oct 25, 2:46am
this is extreemly incorrect information
post 4
However unless your car is a VERY recent model--under 5 years old then your local mechanic should have the tool to scan your car.
i dont know how you come up with this wierd conclusion
for a full scan you need a factory capable scanner for any car no matter how old . techstream is needed for toyota
for GM models you do need the gm-tech2
thats to name 2 factory tools needed on anything old , So assuming every garage has these tools is absolute complete wrong.
note the gm-tech2 is only for old cars for new cars both GM and toyota the box j2534 pass thru programmer can load factory software subscription from gm or toyota or both.

intrade, Oct 25, 3:06am
here is the tool and subscription costs i doubt every garage has ths tool and all subscriptions to these manufacturers at factory level.
http://www.drewtech.com/downloads/articles/J2534.html

obd2 crap tools is only for emissions codes i said that about one-tousend and 1 time now.

nesta129, Oct 25, 4:15am
Nissan charges $150 an hour for a diagnostic scan. just had to get one done on a 2005 car last week.

billyfieldman, Oct 25, 5:01am
How long did the scan take to complete?

intrade, Oct 25, 6:28am
re#9 depends if they enter the details of the car or not
i just let it scan with rosstech on vw full scan takes anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes , scans run unatended its just a mouse click

maitreyah., Oct 25, 11:09am
Hi again guys, thank you all for your input. I have (and please don't hate on me if your not into these cars :), but I have a White 2004 Nissan Skyline 350 GT 2 door coupe V6 (yes a bit of a gas guzzler, but that doesn't bother me :), and just wondered if I should get it diagnostic tested for any issues that I may not be aware of is all.

franc123, Oct 25, 11:16am
Unless you feel that its not running as good or as efficient as it should be or there are warning lights staying on when they shouldn't be then chances are a scan isn't going to reveal much. If you are after some piece of mind by all means have it done at your next service.

maitreyah., Oct 25, 11:22am
thank you franc, there are no lights on indicating that attention of some sort is needed, it was more for piece of mind, thank you for your advice, I'll consider it next service, thanks again I appreciate it :)

intrade, Oct 25, 11:49am
you could do your own test because that is obd2 compliant you can buy a cheap elm tool and download the elmscan software to look if your fueltrims are ok and your oxigen sensor are switching .

So if you do get ever a test done ask them to explain fueltrim data. if they dont know then you talk to a clueless moron who wont know what they are doing with testing anyhow.

yz490, Oct 26, 12:34am
just tested my lada Niva & came up with picture of a shovel lol--what's that mean?. Sorry, i'll keep outa this! --except to say my Honda Vigor "92ish comes up with all sorts of fault codes but drove myself balmy trying to figure them out. Decided not to worry & stop checking because it never stops, well, till it broke a cambelt but ran another one on. Don't suppose diagnostics could tell you that other than way over the mileage?. Give me points & condenser plus carburetor. Have a mate who bought a tidy commodore V6 a couple of years ago & ran ratty at idle & above & [think] it came up with a warning light like check engine [on my honda]. Took it to the local dealer who said lift the bonnet then listened--said vacuum hose off under the manifold somewhere [& it was]. Can't beat experience eh! .

maitreyah., Oct 26, 1:05am
Thank you intrade, however my only downfall is I am a computer/technical retard, (except for buying and selling things on trade me :), I will write down what you have mentioned and get it sorted next service. As for the "clueless moron" comments, Im sure all they need is a lot more training and positive guidance from someone with far more experience who will feed their knowledge and gain skills as good as yours. Have a lovely long weekend all Thank you Al :)

intrade, Oct 26, 1:16am
my skills are not that advanced i only started learning all this crap a few years ago , the advantage i have is i never learned wrong stuff , as the manufacturer actuarly have been breeding swaptrons with hiding technical data telling them you dont need to know any of this and instead write 600 pages flowcharts for a test you could do in 5 minutes if you know what and how things work.
in the olden days you could guess your way thru problems.
i was never a fan of guessing i always want to know what i do and what things are for and how it works and why it does the things it does.
So yea i am lucky not to have learned wrong things as its hard to change what you done since years now dont works no more

boss_hogg, Oct 27, 4:43am
Intrade, I have to commend you on your english. It's getting much better and quickly. I take my hat off to you as I only know one language and struggle with with that at times. Well done.

Cheers

elect70, Oct 28, 2:54am
I wished my early EFI range rover had diagnostic system on it ( old air flap lucas system ) in the end cost me nearly $2000 just to get engine running as they replaced everything 1 by 1 until the ECU last . Even wk shop manual says to change parts with known good to find faults .

intrade, Oct 28, 5:28am

intrade, Oct 28, 5:38am
you need to know what things do they do the same thing on a 1980s fuel electronic fuel injection as it does on a 2015 car.
just to name a difference 1980 probably had group fired injectors then came mpi- multi point injection.
the difference is multipoint injects fuel for each cilinder at its given time
the older system just fire 2 and 2 in a groupe hence groupe injecton.
now petrols also move to direct injection like gdi sdi fsi sidi are all direct injected petrols similar to diesel engines nox is the same problem for these as is for diesel. dpf filters for petrols are in the pipeline.

bigfatmat1, Oct 28, 5:39am
known for ecu failures back in the day common fix. works strange cant remember exactly but the ecu sends a signal to some weird relay that powers up the af/m and some other sensor then that sends signal back to relay which then enables the fuel pump.

intrade, Oct 28, 7:01am
the wiring diagramm would show that bigfatmat if one can find one and that is about the biggest problem finding diagramms for the correct vehicles
what you discribe is done by other makes also nissan i think the mass air flap meter switches the fuelpump on and if it sticks no fuelpump activation no fuel pressure vaine airlflow meter i think they are called

elect70, Oct 29, 1:59am
ECU had been repaired previously , inv said replace "drivers " $280 30 /8/2006 . are they the 2 big things that look like big transistors on the PCB ?

bigfatmat1, Dec 21, 12:34am
I use to outsource the ecm repair it is caused by the relay failure