Engine diagnostics and mechanical troubleshooting can select a piece of date provided you engage in not understand genuine what you are looking for. Consult your scanner's manual for generic descriptions of OBD-II coding. In most manuals, it comes in the form of a list. You will need to go elsewhere for any of the General Motors codes that may not be on the list. Present-day Habitual Motors automobiles are outfitted with an onboard diagnostic method, and it can cure you boast where to begin. advantage this action depends on when the engine was manufactured.
Instructions
1996 to Present
1. Eyeful under the sprint of the Universal Motors vehicle you choice to troubleshoot. Underneath it and either to the left or fly, you Testament gem the vehicle's Counsel Link Connexion. This Issue is your entry stop into the vehicle's diagnostic manner.
2. Stick the head of the scanner's cable into the DLC Issue. The cable ends in a 16-prong plug, and it Testament fit into the DLC Issue's 16-pin receivers. Switch the scanner on, or wait for the scanner to switch itself on. There are antithetic brands of OBD-II scanners and principle readers available, and they all manage slightly differently. Consult the user volume for the exact functioning steps before using your specific scanner.
3. Either turn the electrical course on or originate the Universal Motors vehicle's engine. The Election between the two depends on what your scanner calls for.
4. Press the belonging buttons to retrieve the OBD-II codes, or wait for the scanner to retrieve the codes automatically. Buttons are positioned differently on different scanner brands, and some are pre-programmed to manage outside trustworthy functions once a connexion with a diagnostic system is sensed.
5. Scroll ended the codes once they gain been retrieved. You Testament be faced with two types of codes: argument and unsettled. Once a malfunction becomes a routine adventure, the diagnostic action Testament award it a "Dire straits" status and turn the "Test engine" glowing on. Unsettled codes are very malfunctions, but they have not occurred as often. You still need to pay attention the them, however. All trouble codes started off with "Pending" status.
6. Turn the vehicle off. Shut down the OBD-II scanner and remove its plug from the DLC outlet. Exit the vehicle.
7. Sometimes, a symptom indicating a puzzle can annex multiple root causes that itch to be investigated. Checking every unmarried engine Element is sometimes not imaginable or an able custom of your day. There is a conduct to chop down on blind troubleshooting, but. You will find those codes online, and for all of the General Motors vehicle family, those codes will not be in the owner's manual. Compile a list that contains both the codes and the definitions, and rank them in order of urgency. Trouble codes should go first, and follow those with pending codes.
8. Return to the General Motors vehicle in question and investigate the engine. These will likely not be in your owners manual if you do not have access to it. Write the code definitions next to the numbers.13. Open the hood of your GM vehicle and begin troubleshooting the engine. Examine the areas that correspond with the codes.
Leave the air conditioning off. Turn the vehicle off.
10. Locate the Assembly Line Data Link directly beneath the steering wheel. The ALDL outlet has 12 pins, and you will need to locate the "A" and "B" slots. These are next to each other, on the top row, and are to the far right, endure of the row. Connect those two slots with jumper wire.
11. Turn the General Motor's electrical system on but leave the engine off. Essentially, you are jump-starting the self-testing system. You will need to watch the "Check Engine" light, as it will start flashing code at you. GM's flash codes come in two-digit numbers. The first number will be represented in a long flash, and the second number will be shorter. So, For instance, code 51 will be represented by five long flashes and one short flash. A pause of a few seconds will indicate the beginning of a new trouble code. Write all the codes down.
12. Find GM's flash code definitions on the Internet (see Resources). Consult your list and run a line through the code number and definition, once it has been eliminated from consideration.
1983-1995
9. Warm the GM vehicle to its standard running temperature.Cross out the codes once you have deemed them not a problem. Underline all codes that are verifiable mechanical problems. Once you have exhausted the list, you can make an educated decision whether to attempt the repairs yourself or seek out a qualified mechanic.