Unique DTC Alerter
How amazing is this! The DTC Alerter feature really is unique to the OBD X BOX, it’s audible speaker option can also be used with the Fix Assist module. we believe there is no other OBD Scan Tool available anywhere in the World today that has this feature.
The Diagnostic Trouble Code Alert function sends out a short 12-volt signal (250ms) to a Piezo speaker, this alerts the Technician or driver precisely when a fault code has been detected by the OBD X BOX. If the trouble code is in the delete list, a further 12-volt (750ms) much longer signal alerts the driver when the delete signal has been sent to delete the fault code.
The first short signal can be used to leave an event marker on an oscilloscope channel, this indicates when the code occurred in relation to any live data channel readings being monitored at that moment in time. The next much longer signal simply serves as confirmation that a delete signal has been sent by the OBD X BOX, this can also be used as a ‘scope event marker.
Most vehicles allow their DTC’s to be deleted with their engines running, whilst some require their engines to be off and the ignition on. When dealing with the latter the ECU connection delay time should be set to the at the minimum of 0 seconds, this way, as soon as the ignition is switched on, any selected OBD codes will be deleted.
Some Scan tools display Freeze Frame Data showing captured data values at the time a fault code occurred, this information is there purely for diagnostic purposes.
We believe that when using most Scan Tools, Freeze Frame Data is often only available for the first or last time a particular fault occurred, and that data may not be available for every previous or reoccurring fault code.
As the OBD X BOX does not display any live data, you could say that the DTC Alert function is our alternative to all other Scan Tools Freeze Frame data.
The main difference when using our unique method is that the Technician or driver will hear precisely when, and under what conditions, any DTCs occur. If you install an OBD X BOX to a customer’s vehicle you can expect constructive comments as to how and when any DTC’s occurred by the driver hearing these bleeps.
They may inform you for example, “the bleeper only sounded when the engine was at full operating temperature and it was under load, or it never happened when it was cold” They may say, “it bleeped on start up from cold, but the EML went off and didn’t come back on at all until the following day”
Analysing this valuable feedback from your customer should help you determine what intermittent faults you are dealing with. It may be a simple HT misfire caused by a coil or plug or even a valve problem causing low compression and only evident when the engine is cold.
It is most probable that not all Diagnostic Technicians use Freeze Frame data to correctly diagnose 100% what has caused an intermittent fault to occur.
It is more likely that using the OBD X BOX to alert them under what conditions an intermittent fault has occurred will help Technicians even more so to identify the cause.