OBDII

GENERIC
PID
DIAGNOSIS BY KARL SEYFERT
A wealth of diagnostic information is
available on late-model OBD II-compliant
vehicles, even when ‘enhanced’ or
‘manufacturer-specific’ PIDs are not
accessible. It doesn’t take much to use
this information to its best advantage.

S
ome scan tools call it the short-term and long-term fuel trim val-
global OBD II mode, while ues, oxygen sensor voltages, engine and
others describe it as the intake air temperatures, MAF or MAP
OBD II generic mode. The values, rpm, calculated load, spark tim-
OBD II generic mode allows ing and diagnostic trouble code (DTC)
a technician to attach his count. Freeze frame data and readiness
scan tool to an OBD II-compliant vehi- status also are available in OBD II
cle and begin collecting data without generic mode. A generic scan tool also
entering any VIN information into the should be able to erase trouble codes
scan tool. You may need to specifically and freeze frame data when command-
select “OBD II Generic” from the scan ed to do so.
tool menu. Some scan tools may need a Data coming to the scan tool through
software module or personality key be- the mandated OBD II generic interface
fore they’ll work in generic OBD II test may not arrive as fast as data sent over
mode. one of the dedicated data link connec-
Photo: Karl Seyfert

The original list of generic data pa- tor (DLC) terminals. The vehicle man-
rameters mandated by OBD II and de- ufacturer has the option of using a
scribed in SAE J1979 was short and de- faster data transfer speed on other DLC
signed to provide critical system data pins. Data on the generic interface also
only. The useful types of data we can re- may not be as complete as the informa-
trieve from OBD II generic include tion you’ll get on many manufacturer-

52 September 2007
September 2007 53
 OBD II GENERIC PID DIAGNOSIS

Photos: Karl Seyfert

This scan tool also allows the user to graph some PIDs,
Here’s a basic scanner display showing OBD II generic while continuing to display the others in conventional
PIDs. Slow-changing PIDs like IAT and ECT can be fol- numeric format. Due to OBD II’s refresh capabilities on
lowed fairly easily in this format, but it’s difficult to spot some vehicles, it’s best to limit your PID choices to
glitches in faster moving PIDs like Spark Advance. those directly related to your diagnostic approach.

specific or enhanced interfaces. For ex- Mode 1: Show current data in Mode 1, and PID 02, available only
ample, you may see an engine coolant Mode 2: Show freeze frame data in Mode 2. If Mode 2 PID 02 returns
temperature (ECT) value in degrees on Mode 3: Show stored trouble codes zero, then there’s no snapshot and all
the OBD II generic parameter identi- Mode 4: Clear trouble codes and stored other Mode 2 data is meaningless. Vehi-
fication (PID) list. A manufacturer- values cle manufacturers are not required to
specific data list may display ECT status Mode 5: Test results, oxygen sensors support all modes. Each manufacturer
in Fahrenheit or Celsius and add a sep- Mode 6: Test results, noncontinuously may define additional modes above
arate PID for the ECT signal voltage. monitored Mode 9 for other information.
In spite of these and other limitations, Mode 7: Show pending trouble codes Most vehicles from the J1979 era sup-
OBD II generic mode still contains Mode 8: Special control mode ported 13 to 20 parameters. The recent
many of the trouble codes, freeze frame Mode 9: Request vehicle information phase-in of new parameters will make
data and basic datastream information Modes 1 and 2 are basically identical. OBD II generic data even more valu-
needed to solve many emissions-related Mode 1 provides current information, able. The California Air Resources
issues. Mode 2 a snapshot of the same data Board (CARB) revisions to OBD II
There are nine modes of operation taken at the point when the last diag- CAN-equipped vehicles have increased
described in the original J1979 OBD II nostic trouble code was set. The excep- the number of potential generic param-
standard. They are: tions are PID 01, which is available only eters to more than a hundred. Not all
vehicles will support all PIDs, and there
are many manufacturer-defined PIDs
that are not included in the OBD II
Photo courtesy Snap-on Diagnostics

standard. Even so, the quality and

quantity of data have increased signifi-
cantly. For more information on the new
PIDs that were added to 2004 and later
CAN-equipped vehicles, refer to Bob
Pattengale’s article “Interpreting Gener-
ic Scan Data” in the March 2005 issue of
MOTOR. A PDF copy of the article can
be downloaded at www.motor.com.

This photo illustrates how far PID data collection and display have come. Several
Establish a Baseline
hundred thousand techs are still using the original Snap-on “brick” (on the left), If you’re repairing a vehicle that has
which displays a limited amount of PID data on its screen. Scrolling up or down stored one or more DTCs, make sure
revealed more PIDs. The color version on the right brought graphing capability to you collect the freeze frame data before
the brick, and extended the product’s life span by several years. erasing the stored codes. This data can

54 September 2007
 OBD II GENERIC PID DIAGNOSIS
be used for comparison after IAC counts look too high or
your repairs. The “before” too low? Compare data items
freeze frame shot and its PID to known-good values you’d
data establish the baseline. expect to see for similar op-
As you begin your diagno- erating conditions on similar
sis, correct basic problems vehicles.
first—loose belts, weak bat- Check short-term fuel

Screen capture: Jorge Menchu

teries, corroded cables, low trim (STFT) and long-term
coolant levels and the like. fuel trim (LTFT). Fuel trim
The battery and charging sys- is a key diagnostic parameter
tem are especially important, and tells you what the com-
due to their effect on vehicle puter is doing to control fuel
electronics. A good battery, a delivery and how the adap-
properly functioning alterna- tive strategy is operating.
tor and good connections at STFT and LTFT are ex-
power and ground circuits pressed as a percentage, with
are essential. You can’t as- the ideal range being within
The Snap-on MODIS is a combination scanner, lab/igni-
sume that OBD II will detect tion scope, DVOM and Troubleshooter. In scanner mode, ±5%. Positive fuel trim per-
a voltage supply problem that MODIS can graph several parameters simultaneously, centages indicate that the
can affect the entire system. as seen in this screen capture. Remember, although powertrain control module
If you have an intermittent these may look like scope patterns, the reporting rate (PCM) is attempting to en-
problem that comes and for PID data on a scanner isn’t nearly as fast. richen the fuel mixture to
goes, or random problems compensate for a perceived
that don’t follow a logical pattern, check down the battery voltage and the results lean condition. Negative fuel trim per-
the grounds for the PCM and any other of any simple tests, such as fuel pressure centages indicate that the PCM is at-
controller in the vehicle. or engine vacuum. Look at the Readi- tempting to enlean the fuel mixture to
If the basics check out, focus your di- ness Status display to see if there are compensate for a perceived rich condi-
agnosis on critical engine parameters any monitors that aren’t running to tion. STFT will normally sweep rapidly
and sensors first. Write down what you completion. between enrichment and enleanment,
find; there’s too much information to while LTFT will remain more stable. If
keep it all in your head. Add any infor- Datastream Analysis either STFT or LTFT exceeds ±10%,
mation collected from the vehicle own- Take your time when you begin looking this should alert you to a potential
er regarding vehicle performance. Jot at the live OBD II datastream. If you se- problem.
lect too many items at one time, the scan
tool update will slow. The more PIDs
you select, the slower the update rate
will be. Look carefully at the PIDs and
their values. Is there one line of data that
seems wrong? Compare data items to
one another.
Do MAP and BARO agree key on,
engine off (KOEO)? Are IAT and ECT
Photo courtesy Injectoclean

the same when the engine is cold

KOEO? The ECT and IAT should be
within 5°F of each other. ECT should
Photo courtesy SPX/OTC

reach operating temperature, preferably

190°F or higher. If the ECT is too low,
the PCM may richen the fuel mixture to
compensate for a (perceived) cold-
engine condition. IAT should read ambi-
ent temperature or close to underhood When scan tool screen real estate is
temperature, depending on the location limited, porting the scan tool into a
laptop or desktop PC allows you to
An on-screen description of the PID of the sensor. graph more PIDs simultaneously.
displayed below the graphing data Is the battery voltage good KOEO? The PC’s much larger memory ca-
may help you to understand what Is the charging voltage adequate when pacity also makes it possible to col-
you’re looking at, and avoid misunder- the engine starts? Do the MAP and lect PID data in movie format for
standings with measurement units. BARO readings seem logical? Do the later playback and analysis.

56 September 2007
 OBD II GENERIC PID DIAGNOSIS

Screen captures: Jorge Menchu

Graphs aren’t the only way to display PID data. Once PC-based scan tools excel at capturing and displaying
transferred to the PC with its greater screen real es- large amounts of PID data for later analysis. Graphing
tate, PID data can be converted to formats that relate the data, then analyzing it on-screen, may allow you to
to the data. A red thermometer scale is much easier to spot inconsistencies and provides an easy method for
follow than changing numbers on a scan tool. overlaying similar or related PID data.

Determine if the condition exists in The PCM uses this information to cal- ings, be sure to identify the unit of mea-
more than one operating range. Check culate the amount of fuel that should be surement. The scan tool may report the
fuel trim at idle, at 1500 rpm and at delivered to achieve the desired air/fuel information in grams per second (gm/S)
2500 rpm. If LTFT B1 is 20% at idle but mixture. Check the MAF sensor for ac- or pounds per minute (lb/min). Some
corrects to 5% at both 1500 and 2500 curacy in various rpm ranges, including technicians replace the sensor, only to
rpm, focus your diagnosis on factors that wide-open throttle (WOT), and com- realize later that the scan tool was not
can cause a lean condition at idle, such pare it with the manufacturer’s recom- set correctly. Some scan tools let you
as a vacuum leak. If the condition exists mendations. change the units of measurement for
in all rpm ranges, the cause is more like- When checking MAF sensor read- different PIDs so the scan tool matches
ly to be fuel-related, such as a bad fuel the specification in your reference man-
pump, restricted injectors, etc. ual. Most scan tools let you switch easily
Fuel trim can also be used to identify between Fahrenheit and Celsius tem-
Screen capture courtesy Bosch Diagnostics

which bank of cylinders is causing a perature scales, for example. But MAF
problem on bank-to-bank fuel control specs can be confusing when the scan
engines. For example, if LTFT B1 is tool shows lb/min and we have a spec
25% and LTFT B2 is 5%, the source for gm/S. Here are a few common con-
of the problem is associated with B1 version formulas, in case your scan tool
cylinders only, and your diagnosis doesn’t support all of these units of
should focus on factors related to B1 measurement:
cylinders only.
The following parameters could af- Degrees Fahrenheit  32  5/9  Degrees Celsius
fect fuel trim or provide additional diag- Degrees Celsius  9/5 + 32  Degrees Fahrenheit
nostic information. Also, even if fuel lb/min  7.5  gm/S
trim is not a concern, you might find an gm/S  1.32  lb/min
indication of another problem when re-
viewing these parameters: Here’s a peek at some of the addition- The Manifold Absolute Pressure
Fuel System 1 Status and Fuel Sys- al PID data that’s available on late- (MAP) Sensor PID, if available, indi-
tem 2 Status should be in closed-loop model vehicles. This screen capture cates manifold pressure, which is used
was taken from a CAN-enabled 2005
(CL). If the PCM is not able to by the PCM to calculate engine load.
vehicle, and includes PIDs for EVAP
achieve CL, the fuel trim data may not PURGE, FUEL LEVEL and WARM-UPS, as The reading is normally displayed in
be accurate. well as familiar PIDs like BARO. This inches of mercury (in./Hg). Don’t con-
If the system includes one, the mass much PID data in generic mode should fuse the MAP sensor parameter with in-
airflow (MAF) sensor measures the aid in diagnosis when manufacturer- take manifold vacuum; they’re not the
amount of air flowing into the engine. specific PID data is not available. same. Use this formula: barometric

58 September 2007
pressure (BARO)  MAP  intake Remember, your scan tool is not a lab Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) and Throt-
manifold vacuum. For example, BARO scope. You’re not measuring the sensor tle Position Sensor (TPS) PIDs for ac-
(27.5 in./Hg)  MAP (10.5)  intake in real time. The PCM receives the data curacy. These parameters can also be
manifold vacuum (17.0 in./Hg). Some from the oxygen sensor, processes it, used as reference points to duplicate
vehicles are equipped with only a MAF then reports it to the scan tool. Also, a symptoms and locate problems in
sensor, some have only a MAP sensor fundamental OBD II generic limitation recordings.
and some are equipped with both. is the speed at which that data is deliv- Most PID values can be verified by
The PIDs for Oxygen Sensor Output ered to the scan tool. In most cases, the a voltage, frequency, temperature,
Voltage B1S1, B2S1, B1S2, etc., are fastest possible data rate is approximate- vacuum or pressure test. Engine
used by the PCM to control fuel mix- ly 10 times a second, with only one pa- coolant temperature, for example, can
ture and to detect catalytic converter rameter selected. If you’re requesting be verified with a noncontact temper-
degradation. The scan tool can be used and/or displaying 10 parameters, this ature tester, while intake manifold vac-
to check basic sensor operation. The slows the data sample rate, and each pa- uum can be verified with an accurate
sensor must exceed .8 volt and drop be- rameter is reported to the scan tool just vacuum gauge. Electrical values also
low .2 volt, and the transition from low once per second. You can achieve the should be tested with a DVOM. If the
to high and high to low should be quick. best results by graphing or displaying electrical value exists at the sensor but
A good snap throttle test will verify the data from each oxygen sensor separately. not at the appropriate PCM terminal,
sensor’s ability to achieve the .8 and .2 If the transition seems slow, the sensor then the component might be experi-
voltage limits. If this method doesn’t should be tested with a lab scope to veri- encing a circuit fault.
work, use a bottle of propane to manu- fy the diagnosis before you replace it.
ally richen the fuel mixture to check the The Engine Speed (RPM) and Igni- Calculated Values
oxygen sensor’s maximum voltage out- tion Timing Advance PIDs can be used Calculated scan tool values can cause a
put. To check the sensor’s low voltage to verify good idle control strategy. lot of confusion. The PCM may detect a
range, simply create a lean condition Again, these are best checked using a failed ECT sensor or circuit and store a
and check the voltage. graphing scan tool. Check the RPM, DTC. Without the ECT sensor input,

Circle #31

September 2007 59
 OBD II GENERIC PID DIAGNOSIS
the PCM has no idea what the coolant Also be aware that when a compo- Graphing Data
temperature really is, so it may “plug in” nent such as an oxygen sensor is discon- If you’ve ever found it difficult to com-
a temperature it thinks will work to nected, the PCM may substitute a de- pare several parameters at once on a
keep the engine running long enough to fault value into the datastream displayed small scan tool screen, graphing PIDs is
get it to a repair shop. When it does on the scan tool. If a PID is static and an appealing proposition. Graphing
this, your scanner will display the fail- doesn’t track with engine operating con- multiple parameters at the same time
safe value. You might think it’s a live val- ditions, it may be a default value that can help you compare data and look for
ue from a working sensor, when it isn’t. merits further investigation. individual signals that don’t match up to
actual operating conditions.
Although scan tool graphing isn’t
equivalent in quality and accuracy to a
lab scope reading, it can provide a com-
parative analysis of the activity in the
two, three, four or six oxygen sensors
found in most OBD II systems.
Many scan tools are capable of stor-
ing a multiple-frame movie of selected
PIDs. The scan tool can be programmed
to record a movie after a specific DTC
is stored in the PCM. Alternatively, the
scan tool movie might be triggered
manually when a driveability symptom
occurs. In either case, you can observe
the data or download it and print it lat-
er. Several software programs let you
download a movie, then plot the values
in a graphical display on your computer
monitor.
Circle #32 Make the Most of
What You’ve Got
Take the time to learn what your scan
tool will do when connected to a spe-
cific make or model. Do your best to
gather all relevant information about
the vehicle system being tested. That
way you can get the most out of what
Circle #33 the scan tool and PCM have to offer.
The OBD II system won’t store a DTC
unless it sees (or thinks it sees) a prob-
lem that can result in increased emis-
sions. The only way to know what the
PCM sees (or thinks it sees) is to look
through the window provided by the
Circle #35 scan tool interface.
Circle #34
You have a DTC and its definition.
You have freeze frame data that may
help you zero in on the affected compo-
nent or subsystem. PIDs have already
provided you with additional clues
about the operation of critical sensors.
Keep your diagnosis simple as long as
you can. Now fix the car.

Visit www.motor.com to download

a free copy of this article.

60 September 2007