OK I need a good OBD reader for cheap.
I am sick of running to auto zone to have codes read for the skip I can't seem to find and their OBD reader keeps saying there is nothing wrong with it.
I fixed one COP about 6 months ago and now I have skipping issues again after having a plug insert put in because I had a plug backing out.
I am going to have to do a full plug change soon and risk the plugs breaking or stripping so thought I would try to fix this SKIP until I get a few extra bucks for a full plug change.
So what is a good OBD reader I can get from amazon for cheap?

 

So is the truck not throwing a CEL? Cost goes up a bunch if you want one that can tell you what is wrong without a CEL.

 

If your truck is 2002 or newer it should be OBDII compliant. I have a $50 scanner from autozone and it works fine.

 

OBDII was mandated for all vehicles (except some of the heavy duty trucks) effective in 1996. It was CAN-BUS that Ford started using in 02.

You can do a basic scan with a $20 BT adapter, a $5 app, and your Android smartphone. Yes, it WILL give you the misfire counts (mode $06, Test $53) that will help you find those low-grade misfires that don't set a fault code.

 

It's a 2001 f250 5.4 XLT edition.
107K miles and lots of headaches along the way.

 

Our trucks are over the GVW that was listed in the OBDII standard, therefor up until 2002, the truck were not OBDII complaint. Idk what they did to the computers in 2002, but along with many other changes that year, OBDII compliance is on the list.

 

I bought an Acton pocket scanner from Pep Boys for under $50. It's been great and you can clear the codes.

 

Not necessarily. It depends on whether it was a California/Green State truck vs a Federal truck. The Federals continued as OBD1 calibrations for quite a few years and it wasn't until later (06) that all trucks under 14,000 GVWR had OBDII calibrations.

California/Green State trucks up to 14K GVWR were always OBDII.

In 2002, Ford moved to CAN-BUS communications protocol.

You have to look at the emissions label under the hood. If it says "California/OBDII", that's what it is. If it makes no mention of either, it's a Federal truck.

 

Confirming- our 1997 F-250 was OBD II

 

You can do a basic scan with a $20 BT adapter, a $5 app, and your Android smartphone. Yes, it WILL give you the misfire counts (mode $06, Test $53) that will help you find those low-grade misfires that don't set a fault code.[/quote]


Where can i get this adapter and app tks

 

Where can i get this adapter and app tks[/QUOTE]

OBD2 Bluetooth Android - Wireless Droid Scanner: Scantool