On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) is a generic term that refers to the vehicles ability to self diagnose faults.
The system provides owners and technicians access to the on-board system and determines the state and condition of the vehicles various systems based on the information held in the vehicles computer system.
The type and amount of information held in the vehicles computer system has change dramatically over the years since it's introduction in the 1980's.
The first instances of OBD were very simple and typically just flagged up a warning light on the dashboard giving the driver an indication that a fault had been detected. Known as the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) little or no other information as the what had failed would be given.
Implementation standardisation means that in modern vehicles in is possible to record and monitor real time performance via the data link socket and gives access to the fault codes section of the systems in the form of DTC's (Diagnostic Trouble Codes). |
