The OBD (On-Board Diagnosis) system in your Toyota Corolla will enable you to see what’s wrong with it without going to the service if you choose the low-budget DIY way. Of course you have to know how to interpret the information given by the OBD, so this tutorial is addressing to people with a bit more than average mechanic know-how.
First of all, you will need an OBD reader, which you can purchase from specialized dealers. Getting a low-end under $100 one will also mean that you will have to connect it to a laptop in order to see and eventually modify data. Also, you will need a specialized interface software to display the OBD data. It should come with the reader, if not, there are a lot of free versions on the internet. Here is how to do it:
Find the OBD terminal in your Corolla - it should be on the driver side under the hood release lever
Connect the 16 pin OBD connector to the terminal and then connect the other end to the laptop
Turn the car’s ignition but don’t fire the engine
Open the computer and launch the specialized software
Depending on the software you have, press Scan or Connect to ECU in order to make the connection with the vehicle
Next click Diagnose to show up errors if the vehicle has the Check Engine light on
If any error is displayed, it will either tell you the exact problem or it will give you an error code, which you will have to Google and see what it means.
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