Times are changing in the automotive world again, and C.A.N. (Controller Area Network) is paving the way. Whether you are thinking about buying an OBD II code scanner to troubleshoot those annoying engine lights or you are a seasoned professional with a toolbox full of scanners, C.A.N. offers some new features that you should consider adding to your auto scanner checklist.

 

When a car rolls into today’s garages, it’s designed with several electronic control (ECU) units to manage the internal vehicle systems. Some cars have 70 ECUs, but that number is climbing as almost every component like braking, airbags, cruise control and whatever other new features roll out of the assembly line, come tied to a new ECU. But these control units are critical for a mechanic or troubleshooter because they are the brain-center where diagnostic data is recorded and fed to the OBD code scanner.

 

Some bright SAE engineers figured out with the help of Philips that these ECU systems could not be easily connected. If a mechanic wanted to read multiple ECUs (engine and transmission) at the same time, a different processor was required. C.A.N. was developed to provide a means to read these OBD codes and connect to different ECUs for information. The news for mechanics and weekend warriors: C.A.N. is installed on all cars manufactured after 2008.

 

So, if you are buying a new OBD II scanner, be sure to verify that it will support the new C.A.N. protocol.

One of the first scanners on the market to support the new protocol, the Equus 3030 Innova Diagnostic Code Reader for OBDII vehicles, includes some exciting innovations.

Not only does the Equus 3030 scanner support the C.A.N. protocol, but you can see all 19 pieces of vehicle troubleshooting data such as diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), pending codes and emissions monitor status on a single screen—no flipping to different screens. This is a great scanner you will find useful for a long time.