Article: OBD-II scanners are made to “read” the problems that are communicated by the check engine light. They’re available for purchase online and at most auto part stores. If you don’t want to buy one, consider borrowing one from a friend, or take your car to a mechanic.  When you’re looking for a scanner, make sure the scanner that you buy works with the make of your car. Some scanners are made to work only with specific makes! Scanners have become very inexpensive in the last few years. It costs around $20-$30 for the most basic scanner that only produces a trouble code. Plug the scanner into the port under the driver’s side dashboard. Check the owner’s manual if you’re not sure where the port is located. If you’re having trouble finding the port after looking in the owner’s manual, use a flashlight to look under the steering wheel and along the bottom of the dashboard on the driver’s side. This will turn on the electricity in the car and activate the scanner. Wait until the scanner lights up and loads, and keep the car on without the engine running as long as the scanner is plugged in. Don’t turn on the engine while using the scanner. This can interfere with the scanner and cause it to function improperly. Once the scanner is on, a screen will pop up asking for more information about your car. Using the keypad, carefully type in all of the required information to make sure the scanner can get an accurate reading.  The VIN for most cars is located on the driver’s side, and you can see it by looking at the bottom right hand corner on the outside of the windshield. Sometimes, the scanner will also ask for the engine type. If you don’t know what kind of engine you have, check the owner’s manual. After a few seconds, the reader will produce a code or a few codes that it gathered from the car’s data. Normally, they will be a set of numbers and letters. Write them down or take a picture of the codes on the scanner for future reference. Some high-end scanners might show 2-3 words that indicate where the issue originated or what part the code corresponds to. Search online for the code that the scanner produced, or look in the owner’s manual for a set of known problem codes. Make sure that the code corresponds to a catalytic converter issue and isn’t a problem with a different part on the car. If you’re having trouble finding information on the code, try searching for the make and model of the car, the word “forum,” and the error code. This might lead you to more car forums where drivers discuss issues that they’ve had with their cars.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Purchase or borrow an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II) scanner. Plug an OBD-II scanner into the port under the dashboard. Turn the key of the car without starting the engine. Input the car’s make, model, and VIN into the scanner. Wait for the reader to produce a trouble code. Look in the owner’s manual or online to ensure that the catalytic converter is the source.