OBD: What You Need to Know

Having vehicles out of commission damages the reputation of a commercial fleet. Whether it’s for planned maintenance or—more often than not—unexpected repairs, your business suffers. ​Planned and preventative fleet maintenance check-ups can detect and fix minor mechanical problems before they become serious, expensive issues.

There’s no reason to let maintenance consume your fleet management efforts. On-board diagnostics (OBD) systems can provide fleet managers with necessary data they need to ensure that maintenance issues don’t interfere with the daily running of their fleet.

We’ll take a closer look at exactly what OBD is, how it works and how an OBD tracker can help fleet owners extend vehicle lifecycles, prevent breakdowns and reduce unexpected downtime.

What is OBD?

OBD stands for on-board diagnostics. It refers to the diagnostic systems that have become mandatory in most modern manufactured vehicles manufactured in the United States since the 1996 introduction of the OBD-II specification. OBD systems gather information about the performance of a vehicle's various subsystems, from on-board computers and electronic control units (ECUs), to allow for quicker diagnosis of engine faults. Early OBD systems varied in the data they provided to a repair technician, and each vehicle manufacturer had their own set of standards for OBD.

The UK follows Europe’s equivalent of the OBD-II standard—European on-board diagnostics (EOBD). According to the EOBD regulations, all petrol cars sold in Europe since January 2001 (since January 2004 for diesel cars) must have an OBD tracker to monitor engine emissions. The technical implementation of EOBD is essentially the same as OBD-II, using the same Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) diagnostic link connector and signal protocols.

How is OBD different from OBDii?

As OBD car trackers became more common around the world, the SAE recommended standardising both the data and the protocols that underpin on-board diagnostics. This recommendation shaped the newly specified OBDii. OBDii tracking devices provide more accurate and reliable data that’s easily accessible via a standardised OBDii data port. Vehicles manufactured after 2001 in Europe support OBDii. OBDii can use five different signal protocols depending on the make, model and year of the vehicle. However, the standardisation of the OBDii port means that repair shops can use a single scan tool that works across different manufacturers. These tools provide detailed messages with specific diagnostic trouble codes (DTC).

Additionally, with the development of telematics systems, vehicle owners can often access this information in near real time, by using a cloud-based system.

Where can I find the OBDii port?

OBDii ports are usually fairly straightforward and easy to access–either under the steering wheel column in the cab of the vehicle or beneath the dashboard. Sometimes OBD ports are concealed behind a protective cover. If you can't find your OBDii port in locations 1–3 in the diagram below, try the other possible locations 4–9. 

What data is provided by the OBDii system?

OBDii tracker systems collect data from Engine Control Modules and can represent the data graphically, as well as provide performance level readouts and battery usage info. Most commonly in the event of a “Check Engine Light,” OBDii diagnostic trouble codes are useful for finding a root cause to problems with vehicles and provide many types of data, including: real-time parameters, oxygen sensor test results, and data from emission control systems alongside Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs).

Example diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs):

P-Codes: Powertrain

P0401 – Exhaust Gas Recirculation “A” Flow Insufficient Detected

P0455 – Evaporative Emission System Leak Detected (large leak)

B-Codes: Body

B0022 – Left Curtain Deployment Control 2 (Subfault)

B0083 – Second Row Left Seatbelt Load Limiter Deployment Control (Subfault)

C-Codes: Chassis

C0040 – Right Front Wheel Speed Sensor Circuit

C0045 – Brake Pressure Sensor "B" (Subfault)

U-Codes: Network

U0121 – Lost Communication With Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) Control

U0107 – Lost Communication With Throttle Actuator Control Module

How does OBD system monitoring help your business?

At any given time, vehicle diagnostic data is available for cross-referencing so owners can stay on top of regular maintenance. Without a solution like this, owners are likely playing a guessing game or outsourcing maintenance that can come at a hefty cost. Treating the root cause of problems before the damage is done helps keep operations running smoothly without mishap or unnecessary downtime. If left unchecked, unscheduled maintenance will drastically cut down on the efficiency of operations and can snowball into hurting company reputation within the industry.

Making this process a team effort between drivers, technicians and administrators is the best recipe for success when it comes to maintenance. Drivers can and should be trained to monitor basic vehicle safety items (tyres, brakes, steering, etc.); vehicle performance issues (including misfires and rough idling); and miscellaneous items (such as the heater or radio).

Why spend so much effort on a fleet maintenance plan? The time spent now to develop a fleet preventive maintenance plan will save a considerable amount of lost time in the future.

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