bogus obd II scanner results?

[JeffWight]

A couple months ago, the "check engine" light went on in our 99 outback wagon. I asked my wife to run it in to the shop and have it checked. They read the code, said it gave some weird data, charged us $70, and cleared it. Two days later the light was back on. Thanks guys.

 

I bought my own scanner, the cheap harbor freight one. I just went out to check it. The thing lights up and gives me:

 

-1-

-2-

-3-

pause...

-4-

-5-

E

 

Help?

 

Thanks,

 

-Jeff

[ferret]

Jeff, My neighbor bought one of those for his 97 Caravan, (Also OBDII ISO9141 protocol ) after a week of getting the same codes, I put my reader (hooks to a PC) on and he has a Misfire (code p0300 ). His reader still read 1 2 3 p 4 5 E as yours and each time it did clear the code and turn off the CEL (check engine light). Only to have it come back later that day or the next.

My own advise is to get the code read with a reliable scanner.

P.S. he returned the Harbor freight one, they refunded the $49 but not his shipping.

[JeffWight]

Thanks Ferret.

 

Is there any particular scanner you would recommend? It shouldn't be rocket science to read a serial data stream. Most of the cost is probably in the connectors.

[ferret]

Jeff, Discussed regularly here. Here's the last discussion:

http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10489&highlight=reader