"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." The check-engine light suddenly appearing on your dashboard is enough to dampen any drive. For the ...

The world of car diagnostics has changed a lot over the last 50 years. Back in the '70s and earlier, a mechanic's most valuable diagnostic tools were usually their eyes and ears. You could figure out ...

Most drivers think the OBD-II port is only for check engine lights, but the right scanner can unlock live vehicle data and ...

Which OBDII scanners are best? Those annoying dashboard warning lights only tell you that something is wrong. They don’t tell you that the problem could be anything from a loose gas filler cap to a ...

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. The OBD acronym stands for on-board diagnostics, a system built into modern vehicles that monitors the performance of the engine and other ...

This article was updated in November 2025 with new information. You know you’ve earned your DIY stripes when you can stay calm the moment something goes wrong. And with cars, that moment usually ...