"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Since the mandate of the OBD-II port in 1996, auto mechanics have accessed vital information about your ...

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 ...

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 ...

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Modern cars are technological marvels, and understanding what’s happening under the hood has never been ...

OBD-II diagnostic device BlueDriver interprets engine error codes to suggest what might need fixing, and lets you know if your car is ready for a smog check. Wayne ...

What’s an OBD-II (sometimes alternatively referred to as OBD-2, and other times in either form absent the interstitial hyphen) scanner? Answering that question first requires an understanding of what ...