Dealing with car troubles can be frustrating, especially when your trusty vehicle starts acting up unexpectedly. Like many car owners, I recently faced a perplexing issue with my 2000 Nissan Altima. It began stalling, particularly when accelerating, although it would still start after dying. The ominous “Service Engine Soon” light was illuminated, prompting me to seek a solution.
Initially, I turned to a friend who owned an OTC scanner. We connected it, hoping to pull some error codes and pinpoint the problem. However, things took a turn for the worse. After using the scanner, the car refused to start altogether. Cranking but not igniting, it left me stranded and scratching my head. Frustratingly, we couldn’t even retrieve any error codes at this point.
Leaving the car overnight, I returned the next day ready to troubleshoot. To my surprise, it started again! I managed to drive it home and immediately tackled some routine maintenance, changing the fuel filter and oil. For a day, things seemed back to normal. Then, the dreaded stalling returned while my daughter was driving.
Determined to get to the bottom of this, I embarked on some online research. This led me to purchase my own OBD2 scanner from Amazon – an Ancel 410, costing around $73.00. While waiting for its arrival, I continued my DIY investigation using online resources like YouTube. There, I discovered a potential culprit: a vacuum hose that had been chewed through, likely by a rodent that had taken up residence in my engine bay over the winter. I had previously removed a nest, which now seemed connected to the issue.
Replacing this damaged hose seemed to resolve the stalling issue. The car ran smoothly again, even after several test drives. However, the “Service Engine Soon” light stubbornly remained lit, even though the performance was back to normal. It appeared the vacuum leak was responsible for both the stalling and the warning light.
Once the car was running reliably, my friend returned with his OTC scanner, keen to finally read those error codes and extinguish the persistent “SES” light. This time, we successfully retrieved a series of codes: P0100, P0505, P0325, P1490, P0446, and P0464. However, history repeated itself. Connecting the OBD2 scanner yet again caused the car to refuse to start. It was running perfectly fine before the scan, but now it was dead once more!
Back to YouTube I went, searching for answers. It turns out, OBD2 scanners can, in some cases, interfere with the car’s Engine Control Module (ECM), leading to a no-start condition. The solution, I learned, is often a hard reset of the ECM. This can be accomplished by disconnecting both battery terminals and briefly connecting them together (ensuring they are fully removed from the battery). This process discharges capacitors within the ECM, effectively resetting it. Following this procedure, I was relieved to find that my car started again.
This experience highlighted a few key takeaways for DIY car repair and using OBD2 scanners. While scanners are invaluable tools for diagnosing car problems, it’s important to be aware of potential issues they can sometimes cause, such as ECM interference. And, pertinent to the question “can I return a used OBD2 scanner?”, this situation raises an interesting point. If a scanner malfunctions or seems to cause more problems than it solves, could you return a used OBD2 scanner? Generally, return policies vary depending on the retailer and the specific circumstances. If the scanner is defective, a return is certainly justifiable. However, if the issue, like in my case, is more about user error or unexpected interactions with the car’s system, returns might be less straightforward.
Ultimately, understanding your car and the tools you use to diagnose it is crucial. In my situation, the OBD2 scanner, while initially seeming problematic, ultimately helped in identifying underlying issues and confirming the fix after addressing the vacuum leak and performing an ECM reset. For anyone considering purchasing an OBD2 scanner, especially a used one, researching return policies and understanding basic troubleshooting steps, including ECM resets, can save considerable time and frustration. And remember, sometimes a simple visual inspection, like spotting a chewed vacuum hose, can be just as effective as advanced diagnostic tools.
