Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
In the March issue, Popular Science magazine’s “Ask a Geek” solves one of the biggest mysteries of life. The question is whether a car owner can see what that pesky “check engine” light means before heading to the mechanic for a big economic surprise.
The answer is yes, by hooking in to the car’s onboard computer. You can “access your car’s hidden info using a device called a code puller. . . . Plug the PocketScan Code Reader (actron.com; $70) into your OBD II port (standard on all cars since 1996), and look up the displayed code in the accompanying book to find out if it’s an ignition problem or a fuel-injection issue,” the Geek says.
The device also is available through several auto-parts retailers in the Chicago area.
