Now that I have a couple Ford OBD2 capable vehicles I have suddenly become interested in how I might benefit from a reader/scanner. Initially I thought I could plug in a code reader and discover something like Cylinder 2 is misfiring. So maybe it's time to change the plugs or whatever. Or monitor oil pressure to see if it drops at idle (as opposed to an idiot light). Or see if vacuum is operating normally. Now I'm not sure I can do that for a price that makes sense for me.

I'd appreciate hearing if others find practical uses for inexpensive obd2 readers/scanners beyond looking up and resetting codes. I see some bluetooth adapters and software, but mostly it looks more like cool spinning gauges and flashing numbers rather than something useful. But for $30 the price is right!

 

For a question like this and answer, please don't take offense.
You apparently have no background in electronic engine control because your present position is pretty elementary from the post..
The engineering behind computer control is deeply complex to the tune of well more than 1000 codes for system self diagnostics plus running the engine function in dynamic real time.
With this in mind a Scanner to look at 'most' of the live data is a must as well as understanding what you are seeing.
.
Some examples:
1. Misfires can be seen before they even get bad enough to set a code.
Without a good Scanner you cannot see this data because a reader or expected codes will not show it up.
2. Another example is the most often codes 171/174 and why they set.
These codes set due to fuel tables shifting out of limits.
The cause is a lean condition as reported by the OX sensors, so you have three areas that are involved is presenting the route cause of the codes.
The above is examples of dynamic presentations for a fault.
3. The more specific and direct codes for example are coil, driver and harness types where the PCM monitors the circuit for performance and directly reports an open or short directly with no other system functions being in assistance. An example of this would be a P035X code for the primary side of a coil circuit as oppose to a P030X code for a misfire on the secondary side of the coil. Both will be perceived as misfires but from totally different causes.
.
To stop here, this is why you need to use a mid grade Scanner as a min. and understand what the data shows you.
Good luck.

 

Certainly no offense taken. I posed the question as I did because I wanted it clear I was interested only to the degree that there may be something useful that could be gleaned at an inexpensive tool level. Something beyond code reads.

Torque Torque ? OBD2 Performance and Diagnostics for your Vehicle is one inexpensive software tool I was looking at that coupled with a bluetooth adapter costs ~ $30. It has some appeal to me, but certainly is not designed to function at the level you suggest. Any other thoughts.

 

I don't normally haunt this section, but OBDII diagnostics is generic enough that this discussion has already been had elsewhere. Found this in the Ranger forum.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-scantool.html

FORSCAN and ELM327 seems to be the way to go. I personally use FoCom, but that is getting pricey.

 

Thanks. I didn't really see any obvious place to ask this question on this Board.

This may be a better place to describe Torque
Monitor your car's performance with the Torque app for Android - CNET

 

The cheap scanner software I have allows plotting of a couple sensors at a time, so one of the practical uses was to plot MAF and RPM to help trouble shoot a MAF even when there's no code. There's an article on MAF sensor diagnosis at motor.com (July 2006)