OBDC Reader?

Where, if anywhere, could I buy a cheap OBDC reader in Taiwan?

Or would such a thing need to be, or would be better, ordered in from abroad?

Do you just want to be able to read and clear codes, or use it for full diagnostic work?

Yeh. You got sidetracked easily again.

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I want CHEAP.

I suspect “full diagnostic” doesn’t mean cheap.

From a quick poke around it looks like bluetooth stylee dongles for your phone might be best bang for the buck, but I dunno about this stuff.

Apparently you can get some info from flashing lights triggered by jumpering a connector, though location seems inconsistent for 2000 ish Honda Accord, the immediate subject.

You can get simple hand held readers that have an LCD screen that will just give you a list of error codes that you look up in a book.

Or do you want to be able to hook up to your phone/computer to get more information, graphs, live updates etc etc.

Latter would be nice, if not too expensive. Havn’t researched the WHAT? yet much.

Immediate concern is the WHERE? Am I correct to assume that this sort of thing would be best bought abroad?

Actually, having poked around a bit, I’m not sure this car is compliant, or if it is I dunno where the connector is.

AFAICT from the internyet (which of course is US market dominated) the OBD2 port is either on the LHS of the drivers footwell, hidden behind the ashtray, or behind a flap of carpet in the passenger side centre console, with the wee 2-pin flashing lights generator behind the passenger glovebox.

This car has what looks like the wee 2-pin flashing lights generator on the LHS of the drivers footwell. Havn’t tested that because it isn’t my car. (Neighbour wants to sell me it) but I may later.

Perhaps OBD2 came late to Taiwan?

Is the key a chip key or just mechanical? If the key doesn’t have a chip, the car probably isn’t OBD2.

Key has buttons. Didn’t find out what they do, but I assumed remote locking/unlocking.

I’ve been told Taiwan didn’t require OBDII until 2008 (I THINK it was 1996 in the US). This car is 1997 and some of the plastic mouldings have SANYANG on them so it was probably assembled in Taiwan rather than imported.

So it probably doesn’t have OBDII. The flashing light code 80 was “insufficient ERG flow”, and a bit of disassembly confirmed the ERG path to be impressively clogged.

Maybe this electronic diagnosis jive actually works sometimes?!

Cleaned it out. Think I have to disconnect the battery to clear the fault light but I’ll try and get the anti-theft code for the radio before I do that.

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Nice work. Did you clear the code?

I find ODB 1 much more reliable than the new age iPad app shite OBD2 “standard”

The flashing lighr code is OBD1. I’ve never seen a car which has both OBD1 and OBD2

Yes OBD2 was 1997

Or find the fuse which goes to the ECU and isolate that specifically.

Eric The Car Guy seems to imply both systems are in place over quite a long transitional period, but of course he’s talking about US models.

CEL persists.

EGR valve (which was clean suggesting it’d been replaced and the completely clogged plumbing had stopped any exhaust gas getting to it) solenoid works and makes the engine idle stumble when jumpered to 12V, confirming the path is now clearish.

I suppose pintle lift sensing (sensor or circuit) might be faulty or other sensors like MAP might also be involved.

Well not VERY nice work. Having twigged in the knick of time there might be a hydrolock issue with the cleaning method I used, I then almost but not quite managed to avoid it.

Not exactly never a DUH moment.

Embarrassing detail

CEL persists